what i've been reading

It seems that all I blog about is what I read. It's because I almost feel as though I'm defined by what I read. It's informing me, shaping me, whether I like what I read or not. Beyond the many (often 3-5) books I read, I also read the news and am thankful for blogs. Blogs keep me informed of friends' missionary travels, world journeys and post-college life experience. Reading about the Gilbert Brothers, Tommy Poole, Jeff Andersen, Logan Villarreal, Michael Woodruff, etc. is always fulfilling.

Other blogs too reminded me of the Christmas spirit and my blessings.

Donald Miller reminded me of the miracle of Jesus coming as an infant and its spiritual ramifications...

Dave Cameron blogs about the Seattle Mariners and is one of the best baseball writers around. A few months ago, he announced that he has cancer. His Christmas blog informed readers that he just may be alright now (still awaiting final test results)... even if the Mariners aren't...

My good friend Carrie Cloke is living in a new home, and though it's different, her family and traditions are enough. My family has changed locations many times and with each change comes a change in tradition. That's hard but there's nothing like being "home" with family for the holidays...

Having Christmas Eve on the Sabbath was a blessing. I love any excuse to connect Christmas with Christianity. Christmas sermons, family discussions, reminders about what it's all about. Similarly, Ryan Billington wrote of the Sabbath and reminded me of my own childhood experience and why it is so important...

my pohnpei birthday

Technically, it's still November 1. But, in the islands, it's November 2, my birthday. My facebook profile is becoming inundated with birthday messages from my island friends. It really makes me miss my Pohnpei birthday four years ago (I can't believe it's been so long!). My friend Tim Van Arsdale's birthday was November 1 and so we did two parties, an evening potluck on Nov. 1 and a brunch at The Village on Nov. 2. The Village is an awesome hotel on the east side of Pohnpei with some of the only actually sandy beaches and their famous Banana Macadamia Nut Pancakes (so good...). Great memories.

I was on lunch supervision on my birthday. Several of my seventh-graders came and grabbed me and said there was a classroom emergency and grabbed me. So I was herded into the room to find a cake and the entire classroom. They'd made a cake for me!!! I was flabbergasted. So honored.

some of my crazy 7th graders...

This really makes me miss my island home. Walking to town in a deep sweat. Getting a hair cut from someone who couldn't speak English. Eating at Angie's, a horrible fast-food restaurant that took longer than sit-down restaurants. Explaining American History to non-Americans. Jumping off gorgeous waterfalls. Taking a skiff across the open ocean. Eating stir-fry. Having a rusty bench press on my front porch. Actually hanging out at American Embassy events. SM camaraderie. Having the best devotions of my life.

I'm glad I have a birthday tomorrow to remind me of my most special birthday yet... Pohnpei, how I miss you!

the year of living biblically

I've finally been able to up my reading ante. And that makes me happy. You see, this year I was supposed to be reading A LOT... My reading list is impressive and impossible. I have it organized by genre and author and highlight it based on completion or currently reading...

Well, the good news is that I finally finished one more, The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs. I'm also happy because this is the first book I read on my "new" Kindle! Jacobs is a journalist who works for Esquire. His first book was about his quest to read the entire Encyclopedia Brittanica. He succeeded and his next quest became to live the laws of the Bible as literally as possible for an entire year. Hey, he tried.

As I began the book, I was frustrated. Jacobs is an agnostic Jew who was raised in a secular home. Though he claimed to be doing this project in an attempt to find God so that he if there was a God, he could be a better father to his infant son. However, it seemed to me to be just a book project and lack sincerity. But I was interested in the project and kept reading. Though written simply, it did not disappoint. The book was written in a blog/journal type format and was a quick and easy read but with enough depth to satisfy.

I found it interesting to see what this guy did. He wore a tunic, added tassels, threw out all clothes of mixed fibers, grew out his beard, refused to be near his wife at "less than pure times" (its amazing he's still married), respected the Sabbath, painted his door frame, etc. He contacted spiritual leaders of all religions and used them as spiritual advisors. He visited Israel, a creationist museum, Jerry Falwell's megachurch and a church that preachers snake handling. He did a lot, but what truly made me excited was the changes the year produced in his life. Being so legalistically focused on his character actually helped him tell fewer lies and be a more positive person. Though morality is a central tenet of most religions, it was comforting to see the words of the Bible overall have such an impact, even just on a guy working on a book project.

Oh, and I currently have a beard, one that is nicely trimmed at my beard trimmer's level 6. Should I at least try that part of the project...?

Overall, a great read. One I'd recommend...

crazy love

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of Francis Chan's book Crazy Love. Being an avid lover of annotating anything remotely inspirational and aha-like, I had a hard time bringing it all together. It definitely means I'll be reading it in paper one of these days. But I did learn a lot. It really brought out  the notion of what Christians are called to, selfless love. I've heard this before, but so often it's tied too much to theology or a collection of rules. This was simpler, but much more difficult.

Jesus' two commands are to love God with and to love others as you would yourself. Chan combined those to say that we should love others as much as we would love God. This is just as Jesus mentioned to his followers about treating the least of these. The book mentioned how difficult it is to actually live this way. He and his wife downsized their home so they could give more away. He spoke of a man who lives in his car so that he can make food for surfers on the beach in Newport, CA. He spoke of many elements of living a Crazy Love lifestyle, so many stories, stuff that seems so different to comfortable suburban Christians and even to a soon-to-be 25 year-old dean living amidst the wheat fields of eastern Washington.

All this brought me to my knees. Where do I need to be next year? I've been making plans and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but I continually have to ask, "God, where next? Please guide my life" and to seek out as many opportunities to serve. I'm thankful I live in a dorm. There's so much I can do to give back. Now for the outpouring of God's crazy love...

what i do

This year, I've been getting asked a lot about my year at UCA. Are you loving it? "Yes," I say. "Tell me about deaning," they ask next. I never know what to say. Deaning consumes my life. I work long hours and I have trouble recounting what I do on the fly. It's so busy and stressful all the time, but I love it.

Here's a bit of what I do:
- put kids on sick list
- give meds
- monitor desk workers
- monitor janitors
- keep dorm clean
- handle discipline
- checks. all the time. worships. study halls. etc.
- attend faculty meetings
- chat with guys (the best part!)
- talk with parents

The list may not sound like much (I'm sure there's more), but it adds up. With 96 guys in our dorm, and only 3 full-time deans, it's constant. There's always someone who needs something and I feel like many good kids slide through without much attention because they're where they need to be are getting good grades and not pantsing kids in a classroom or calling a girl a "hippo" (those are sadly real examples). It can be overwhelming.

Add to my current schedule the occasional substitute teaching and coaching both varsity and JV volleyball and I'm swamped.

But it's Sabbath. And I've had SO many good conversations lately. With my RA's. With random sophomores in the cafeteria. With fellow staff members. I have so many reasons to be thankful. But, like most times I'm asked what I do, right now I'm just thinking about my pillow... Goodnight!

deaning

I have returned to Upper Columbia Academy, this time as a dean. It's been a fantastic experience thus far. I love deep conversations with students, ranging from RA's to freshmen still adjusting to high school... I love the opportunity to coach girls' volleyball and occasionally sub for classes. Or in the case of this week, doing all three at the same time...

This week was challenging though. Someone needed to go home. And that was hard, beyond the long days I was working. It's hard because I care. About him. About each of my guys. I know this job will push me. It's already pushed me to give more of myself, to strive harder to involve God in my life and in my decisions. This is why I entered the field of education. I can't wait to see where I'll be at the end of each year...

no longer affiliated with california

They're off. The last telling signs of my past relationship with California are gone. No longer will I get blank stares or angry diatribes along Washington highways. Washington license plates now grace Gertrude (aka Granny) yet again...

london and the power of nonviolence

London is burning. And I'm upset. Upset that it's happening. Upset at its causes. Upset at the results. And upset at the reaction by talk radio.

Police brutality is abhorrent and in this case started chaos. My age group is the cause. I know I wouldn't participate. I've been raised to loathe violence. America has placed the path of nonviolent means of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. on a pedestal. For good reason. It seems to work. The world takes note, though it takes time.

Nelson Mandela gave up. One of my religion professors at Walla Walla University once condemned Mandela's abandoning of nonviolence and felt that his change caused Apartheid to last even longer.

However, Mandela eventually lived to see Apartheid die. Violence and fear worked to some degree. The youth of London seem to agree. An opnion article I read at Al-Jazeera quoted a participant's response as to whether the riots were solving anything:

Yes," said the young man. "You wouldn't be talking to me now if we didn't riot, would you?

Two months ago we marched to Scotland Yard, more than 2,000 of us, all blacks, and it was peaceful and calm and you know what? Not a word in the press. Last night, a bit of rioting and looting and look around you."

Eavesdropping from among the onlookers, I looked around. A dozen TV crews and newspaper reporters interviewing the young men everywhere.

He's right. The world is taking notice. Because the city is burning, sure. But largely because of the size and effectiveness of protest. I believe that anything fought for this passionately will succeed, especially with nonviolent means. Imagine thousands of British youth marching the streets without destroying business. They are against the rich, but forget that middle-class shop owners are the biggest losers here.

Listening to talk radio on my drive to Clarkston frustrated me to no end. The host, Michael Savage, lambasted the "communists" responsible and was certain that "higher powers" similar to the evils of Obama were at work in this and are using class warfare to destroy society. Though there are small elements of truth in these ideas, this message is more damaging than the riots themselves. Power trippers like Savage are constantly using fear at their disposal, in the same manner as the rioters. It's all worth abandoning.

I've been the TA this summer for a WWU online class, History of the US. For our last discussion topic, we asked students to discuss various types of protest employed during the 1960s. This was asked before London was set ablaze. The students didn't make too many connections, but I see many similarities, particularly to college students protesting Vietnam. Did Kent State really solve anything? I don't think so. Sit-ins and teach-ins made a much larger impact. London should resume stability soon. Small changes will inevitably be made, but will the youth really get what they want? Do they even know what they want? I doubt either. Imagine if they preached more than anarchy and employed nonviolence...

For more pictures, check out Reuters or Al-Jazeera.

complacent complacency

I started writing for another blog too, Adventist Possibilities, a blog discussing perspectives about directions the Seventh-day Adventist should be aiming to move towards.

I just posted an entry, Complacent Complacency about how as Christians we can be very adept at identifying our problems at church but do very little about them otherwise. I feel we've become complacent in our identification of complacency. Feel free to take a look...

sports illustrated

I love it. I turn on the large lamp in the corner of my living room, also grabbing the little one on top of the coffee table neighboring my gray, vertically-striped recliner. The room fully illuminated, I plop into that recliner, a 40-some year-old relic manipulated for decades by my now-deceased grandfather. never fully comfortable. My friends leave it vacant over a missing spring. I think it's just right.

These moments are rare. Though I love to read, have a bookshelf full of books and a subscription to Sports Illustrated, I rarely get to (for fun, at least...). That's why it's so special. But perhaps it goes deeper than that. Reading SI beckons to my inner self, a person who loves sports and loves journalism. Articles about sports I don't consider sports (e.g. NASCAR and golf), articles about sports I hate to play (e.g. soccer) and articles about sports which I don't really follow (e.g. NHL, NBA, tennis) draw me in.

The past few issues have been especially intriguing:

The May 23 issue featured articles about:

• How the Tuscaloosa affected athletes at the University of Alabama
• The MLS rivalry between the Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers
• Novak Djokovic, tennis' new number 1 phenom, a player I'd never heard of...

Yes, please.

The June 6 issue featured articles about:

• The Jim Tressel/Ohio State football issues and "How Deep It Went"
• The Dallas Mavericks' hunt for an NBA Title, led by an unlikely and aging point guard, Jason Kidd
• Luis Salazar, a minor league manager for the Braves organization who lost his left eye in a freak foul ball incident during Spring Training
• The Boston Bruins in the quest for the 2011 Stanley Cup and a comparison to Boston hockey lore

I read the entire issues. About tennis. I don't care about professional tennis. Just ask Aaron Poole. About soccer. I detest the sport. I'm fat and slow. About hockey. I'm not from Canada...

Great subjects. Great writing. Great magazine. 

Now I may actually have time to get caught up on back issues...

free time

I've always hated free time.

I love being busy. I also like complaining about how busy I am because I want people to know how busy I am. This sounds bad, but its true.

Student Teaching has been one of the most hectic experiences of my life. And now it's practically over. I'm one day away from finishing. That's right. I have to make a test, give it and grade it. And then I'm done. I still have one evening class left (we meet just two more times, once to turn in a project and the next time for the final), but yeah.

This weekend has been blissful. And I've had free time.

I finished stats for my softball time. I organized a potluck and made a casserole (Special K, yo!). I had a game night at my house last night. And this morning, I made breakfast for four of the most awesome guys around, James Oliver, Bill Lenz, Mike Stratte and Jeff Andersen. Mancakes. Hashbrowns. Scrambled eggs. I've cleaned the house. I've been running. I've read.

And I'm almost getting antsy again. I really need to find a job.

enneagram

Personality types have always intrigued me, both in terms of self-analysis or making guesses about others. In the 8th grade, I took a very basic test which noted that I was a strong sanguine and choleric, with barely a drop of phlegmatic. As a high school senior I took a similar test which showed increasing phlegmatic. In college, I've taken the Myers-Briggs three times and each time score something similar to an ESTJ (T and F are always switching...). I've read the analysis and while it's decent, I've never felt as though it fully defines me.

However, last night, I discovered another analysis while reading a recent Donald Miller blog. It takes your Myers-Briggs analysis and offers a more distinct analysis. It takes personality types and puts them on a 9 point "circle" (sorry mathematicians...). Technically, I would align at either an 8 or a 3, however after reading the descriptions last night with my housemate, Mike, I'm convinced the 8 is more fitting.

I've never felt so defined by an outside source. As I read, I felt that it almost completely specified who I am. "Independent." "Assertive." "Passionate." "Vision." "Action." "Challenges." It went on to say that:

"In brief, Eights want to be self-reliant, to prove their strength and independence, to be important in their world, to have an impact on their environment, to have the unquestioned loyalty of their inner circle, and to stay in control of their situation. Eights do not want to feel weak or vulnerable, to feel out of control, to be dependent on others, to have their decisions or authority questioned, to lose others' backing, or to be surprised by others' unexpected actions."

I've been called blunt. I embrace it. And I prefer others to be blunt with me. The enneagram showed why I struggle with people who aren't... You may be wondering about the arrows. They show how your personality can change in certain situations. When I get stressed, I often turn into a 5, a Thinker. This is atypical of 8's, who normally like to be in charge. Instead, they pull away for as long as it takes to regroup and strategize. I resonate with that. To grow, 8's become a 2. 2's are more emotional, something 8's don't want to publicly embrace. But, usually after saying something regrettable, 8's must confront their emotions, usually apologizing and becoming vulnerable. That's how we grow. This all describes me to a T. We read it about Mike, and it described him too...

I'd recommend you all take your Myers-Briggs Analysis and visit the enneagram website.

political disenchantment

I grew up a staunch Republican. Someone who thought he'd grow up and vote Republican forever without a second thought. But I'm disenchanted. I'm disenchanted with a party that preaches cutting spending, but brings in so much less revenue that the budget still isn't balanced. I'm disenchanted with a party that gives subsidies to oil companies while firing teachers. I'm embarrassed that Barack Obama's birth certificate was allowed to dominate the news for weeks without any evidence given to support otherwise (and I've been thinking this since 2008, when I specifically campaigned for John McCain at Walla Walla Republican headquarters). See this article for more. I'm embarrassed that a man without any political experience can suddenly be a contender, especially since that was the main complaint against Obama. I see hypocrisy. I see a party willing to give corporations huge subsidies, forcing them to pay no taxes, while making the middle class pay more.

I'm not saying I'm a Democrat either. I see a party that's focused on much good: primarily helping the common man. However, they have no financial aptitude, spending our country into the ground. Side note, the only president to balance the budget in the last 50 years was Bill Clinton, a Democrat.

Extremists have hijacked both parties. Where is a fiscally-minded moderate to go? It's time for a new political party. It's time for the two-party system to die. As for the 2012 election, I have no idea who I'll vote for. I want a balanced budget first and foremost. However, I'm sure that if it was Obama vs. Trump/Palin, I'd vote Obama and if the other side won, I might have to move...

manning up

Two stories.

2010. April. A front yard needing to be mowed. A man. A lawn mower that wouldn't start. Countless oil checks, general inspections, water breaks. 80 pull attempts in a 3-hour period. Within two weeks, a bum shoulder. No more softball. Hello, PT.

One year later. Tonight. An outdoor vespers. WWVA. A man. Wearing shorts. Wearing flip flops. For over an hour. Result: frozen toes.

All this in the name of manning up, thinking it won't be too bad. Fortunately, tonight's improper reasoning won't lead to a second round of PT...

tfa origins

I've been in Clarkston since Friday, and it's been really nice to have a break and to spend some quality time with my parents. I hadn't been home more than a few hours, when my dad returned from a quick library visit with One Day, All Children...: The Unlikely Triumph of Teach For America and What I learned Along the Way by Wendy Kopp, the founder of Teach For America. I hadn't even known she'd written a book... 

Reading her book made me even more excited about working to end educational inequity. She discussed having the idea in 1989 for TFA while a 22 year-old Princeton senior and the difficulty of beginning the funding and support for such an organization. She discussed the years it almost ended and how within a decade it had grown to become such a financially stable and successful organization. She discussed having celebrities participate in a Teach For America Day. She had individuals like Henry Kissinger, Oprah and the managing editor of Time participate. She discussed her meeting with President Clinton the night the US began bombing Kosovo. Her experience and passion are contagious.

Ultimately, I appreciated her words on what constitutes good teaching:

It's not magic. These teachers set clear goals for their students, motivate people (in this case students and their families) to work hard toward the goals, do whatever it takes to accomplish them, and build a positive culture within their classrooms to support their efforts.

She's written another book, A Chance to Make History: What Works and What Doesn't in Providing an Excellent Education for All. I'll have to read it next quarter in my attempt to provide a quality education to my students at WWVA.

teach for america

Today I had my interview with Teach For America. I think it went really well. And I'm hopeful I'll get a position...

For those unaware of Teach For America, it was founded in 1990 by Wendy Kopp. The goal: reduce the achievement gap. Children growing up in wealthier homes attend wealthier schools which usually employ better teachers. This widens the gap even further, making the rich richer and the poor poorer. The organization has since grown and there are around forty regions where they have a presence. Their demand is growing each year and they will be looking to place (it's a conduit organization working with the local schools themselves) over 8,000 teachers. The demand to be involved is also growing as they only hire on average 12% of applicants. I've made it to the final round, but I'm up against some pretty amazing people too. Still, I remain confident.

Whether they offer me a position or not, it's reinforced in me the notion of the importance of quality education, working to truly reduce the achievement gap. I'll take this with me wherever I go.

We as a nation need to be very committed to ending the achievement gap. This is only possible with increased parent involvement, community outreach, volunteering, quality instruction, etc. Teach For America is proving each day that this is possible. Lets expand their efforts.

Oh, and you should visit their website... it's pretty awesome...
Teach For America

three cups of tea

Today, I went to the Patisserie for a 3-hour reading session from Three Cups of Tea. The book made me even more passionate about education, especially with my interview with Teach For America coming up. While the achievement gap is stunning in the United States, we at least have schools. What Greg Mortenson is doing to provide education to the most remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan is amazing. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. I finished my essay but not the book... spring break project indeed...

The advice given Mortenson by his Pakistani mentor was profound in his dealings with Pakistan. "The first time you share tea with a Balti you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family, and for our family, we are prepared to do anything, even die" (150). This concept is amazing, even standing alone. However, I think it has profound implications for us in the United States. We desperately need to slow down. We need to build relationships. And, like Mortenson, we need to need to be willing to take chances, acting on what we believe to be right.

On a separate note, I enjoyed being a fly on the wall as a mother sat with her two young sons, I'm guessing aged 4 and 6. The youngest was excitedly telling his mother how he'd helped his friend Jonny tie his shoe earlier and how his friend had thanked him. He was so proud and boldly stated "I'll never forget this." And he beamed. Oh, for the simple life.

noel

It seems hardly fair for me to write about Noel. I hardly knew him. My experience with him was limited to a Sabbath afternoon hike to Pike's Peak 3 weeks ago, watching the NPUC Basketball tournament and cheering for Auburn because Lizzy said we should, along with occasional 3-minute chats in the library. We joked that we should be friends because our parents were friends. But now I'll never get the opportunity to develop that friendship.

I'm working right now at the Circulation Desk in the library and he studied here a lot. I just keep expecting to see him walk through the door and give him a quick wave...

Earlier this morning, I went to the broadcast of his memorial service. Hearing all of the stories (girls' basketball journal entries and "the eye is the groin of the face") were inspiring. They told of a great man, taken too soon from us. They make me ask why... but more importantly they make me excited to hang out with him someday (when I'll be lucky enough to get a turn...) in Heaven.

Noel, you are missed. You and your family are in the prayers of my entire family, the WWU Community and everyone who knew you. Thanks for being my friend for a week and a half.

selling myself

I'm beginning to truly hate the job hunt. I've applied for 5 now (only one "no" thus far) and am already sick of attempting to sell myself. I already struggle with overanalyzing everything in life and this compounds the problem. I want a job. I want to be humble. I don't want to overthink things, yet it seems I have to do those last two things in order to get the first. It's frustrating.

I just interviewed with Teach For America. It went alright I suppose. And now I'm overanalyzing this. I just choose to continue trusting that if I do my best, something will work out. I have to and it will.

super bowl predictions

I've hardly done this in my life. I only remember winning once. As a 6th grader, my dad (also my teacher) put a candy bar up for grabs to see who'd be the closest in terms of victory and score. I picked the Broncos and won. Huzzah! I've won fantasy football leagues, and the Sittner Hall Pick 'em my freshman year. Oh, and last week I earned a ticket to the Worm Ranch from Jeff Gilbert by picking the Steelers over the Jets... but now we'll see if my Super Bowl prediction proves correct...

I truly want the Packers to win. For two reasons.

1. Aaron Rodgers is their quarterback. He's a stud. And really good.
2. I've hated the Steelers ever since they allowed the Zebras to beat the Seahawks in 2006...

However, what I want probably won't happen. The Steelers are dominant in big game situations controlling tempo better than any team in the league. They are known for big stops and even bigger turnovers. Now, I realize that Green Bay isn't a cake walk. I think this will be a VERY close game, with the Steelers squeezing by...

Steelers 23-20. I sure hope I'm wrong.

handsome men's club

Jimmy Kimmel is a hero. I write this with "my head held handsome."

resolutions

I'm still allowed to talk about resolutions. After all, it's not February till Tuesday...

It's all to easy to get distracted when it comes to New Year's Resolutions. We make idealized commitments to lose weight, work out more, eat healthier, get better grades, etc. While these are all positive in general, they matter little in application. I'm not meaning to sounds accusatory. I've been there. And failed too.

That's why this year, I have a layered approach to resolutions. My overall theme is "A Return to Normalcy" (yes, that was the 1920 presidential campaign slogan of Warren G. Harding - I'm impressed you knew that...!). This might seem odd to you, but I want my life to be normal, not rushing home to check facebook or overanalyzing trivial matters. I want to simply live. And so I try to ask myself "is this normalcy?" It's a good check. 

More specifically, and in some in conjunction with the 40 Days Challenge, I've decided to:

1. Journal daily - I'm hoping to chronicle my thoughts - so often I think profound things and have to rethink them months later... it's going pretty superbly I might add.
2. Read my Bible daily - I'm failing here, but I'm trying. The goal continues.
3. No soda. Ever again. - It's a good decision and I've made it. Water and I are closer than ever. No candy bars either...
4. Exercising daily - Swimming class has made this much easier...
5. Writing 1 thank-you note each week - everyone deserves to be appreciated...

Life needs times like New Years. Self-evaluation is good. I truly want to be the best person I can be all the time. I'll never be perfect, but I always, want to be improving. Introspection is good.

This blog was prompted by a Donald Miller blog, Commit to the Work, not the Goals. It's a good read and reminded me of what I've been thinking/doing and the discussions of my Sunday small group...

historical ineptitude

At CommUnity today, presenter made a comment about a study in Maryland which showed that 8-year-olds in their sample knew more beer companies than presidents. Being a history major, this saddened me instantly. What happened next was even worse. A guy sitting behind me said "I can relate" and started listing off "presidents:" Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton. Seriously? 50% of the ones he was sure of... Ridiculous. I'm glad he knows the individuals on his currency, but this is an atrocity. How can anyone leave high school without even listing ten presidents correctly (though I think everyone should know at least most presidents including a rough knowledge of their timeline)? This is what makes me want to be a high school teacher. Students should take an interest in their country. We have a representative government. It's important to know what happened in the past and what's happening in the present, so that we can make educated decisions regarding our future. That includes... the presidents...

Quote of the day: "And that's Pope Jeffrey the Pimp to you..." - Jeff Gilbert

Oh, and thanks to Cami Waring for actually reminding me I have a blog! I forgot how much I enjoyed writing these...