Friday, September 19, 2008

The Diner in Norman


I wake up,
From the deep,
Realize its Sunday
And almost weep.

We’ve been apart,
Mid-fortnight,
Its been too long,
Without a bite.

The line was long,
But I didn’t complain,
Even if it was,
Half-block down Main.

Huevos Rancheros,
Not for me,
Just give me the usual,
And let me be.

Chicken fried chicken,
Scrambled cheese egg,
Hot sauce and home fries,
Don’t make me beg.

Of course I want,
Biscuits and gravy,
Not the grits,
That’s just crazy.

The Sooners played great,
Last night was fun,
Refill the coffee,
And I’m done.

It’s time to leave,
Move the car seat back,
I know that dinner,
Will only be a snack.

An Ode to Memphis BBQ


Of them all,
You are rare,
Memphis Bar-B-Q
Let me share.

The best there is,
I am told,
Your flavors sweet,
And your spices bold.

When I eat you,
I do believe,
My mouth is on fire,
But my hunger relieved.

Falling off ribs,
Grilled on wings,
Poured on spaghetti,
Flavor coating my dreams.

Ranch is jealous,
Mustards a plant
Ketchup will try,
But it simply can't.

Make meat taste,
As good as you,
Thank you God,
For Memphis Bar-B-Q.

Nerds are.....er....Sexy?


Do you love nerds? If so, this guy is your cupid. Eef Barzelay, former Clem Snide front man has succeeded where only the boys of Lambda Lambda Lambda dared to tread, making nerds look sexy. On his sophomore release "Lose Big", Mr. Barzelay doesn't necessarily break new ground, but what he does is he rocks a little, rolls a little and writes one hell of a song. Eef dons his hollow-bodied Gibson and hits each rusty cord with a stomp, bedroom music this may be, but his soulful lyrics and blues sound make this album perfect for any small gathering of humans. The first absolute classic is the second track "Girls Don't Care", where Eef sings in defense of all those girls in love with a douche "girls don't care/that you yearn to be free/girl's just want/a sweet melody". So true Eef, so true, how does a nerd get the female condition so right? Eef touches on the mystery of death with "Making another tree" crooning "bless me Lord/I'm only after/what you promised me". Damn this guy gets it, must be all that readin' and writin' while everyone else partied, damn I should have read more...NERDS! With plenty of good stuff in between these gems and a solo version of his own Clem Snide hit "I love the Unknown", this is one of those rare albums that isn't the next big thing, but is damn good from start to finish. Go ahead and put this album in for a spin or two, then tell all your friends how much you love the new Eef Barzelay, then watch all their eyes roll. It's ok, that is what indie music is all about, you know better then they do, you always have, nerd.

A Poem by a child with Autism, written by his teacher.


If You Only Knew

I am a boy,
Just like him,
Maybe not the same,
But certainly not dim.

Our views, different,
On many things,
Such as life,
And the joy it brings.

Facts and figures,
They come to me,
Out of dense fog,
With perfect clarity.

Numbers, they dance,
Around my brain,
I trust the sum,
It remains the same.

But his face is strange,
And his expression queer,
That silver tongue,
Is causing me fear.

Why doesn't he say,
The things he means,
Instead of these lies,
Disguised as pleasantries.

I'm not doing well,
The weather's not fine,
You wouldn't be rich,
If you'd have a dime.

You are called normal,
And I'm called lame?
Ask a million people,
They'd say the same.

Excuse my scream,
It's just you,
Contradictions hurt,
If you only knew.

Why I want to be a teacher


When thinking of how to explain why I want to be a teacher, I find it hard to not come across as cliché. I think we all become teachers for two main reasons, to help people and make a difference. I want to teach because I not only want to improve the education and lives of my students, but by in turn, have my education and life improved by them. Teaching is a reciprocal art, the more you give, the more you get in return.
One of the most important things a child can learn from a teacher is kindness. Children of all economic backgrounds can suffer from not enough kindness in their lives; whether their parents work too much, do not value them as individuals, or simply do not care the way a parent should. These children come to school looking for someone who will show them caring and respect. That is the most important thing a teacher can ever do, be a source of kindness. I firmly believe that making a child feel loved and safe is paramount to all learning objectives. Only in that kind of positive, secure environment, can a child truly begin to learn. As a teacher, I take on the charge of being a source of strength to a child, until they can discover their own voice.
Learning is life long, it begins but never ends. As a teacher it is our job to provide the foundation that a child can take into life and build upon. Being at the ground level of such a long and magnificent journey is not only personally gratifying, but includes the child in our own personal journey, started years ago, by teachers who taught us. Often when good people become parents it is because they want to pass on the things taught to them by their parents. I believe I want to be a teacher because I want to pass on the things taught to me and perhaps someday I will inspire my students to do the same. In the same way having children ensures the survival of a human race, teaching ensures the survival of an intelligent one.
As a male, I believe I have a very special part to play in the education of young people. All too often, throughout primary school, children are taught by women. These amazing women provide a calm and caring enviroment that is often thought to be motherly instinct. I believe young people HAVE to see that males can also be calm and caring, that they are not virtues only held by women. In today's society, children often see males as the aggressors. Video games are increasingly violent and characters are predominantly males. Television is filled with stories of males being arrested, starting wars, playing violent sports and disrespecting women. I believe good fathers and male teachers are the only defense against children (especially males) mimicking the violent and aggressive behavior they see in the many of the males in our culture.
I want to be a teacher in order to make the world a better place, one child at a time. I believe that if you only make one more person better then you made worse, then you've made a positive contribution to the world. As teachers, we have the ability to tip the scales in our favor considerably more than the average person. Isn't that what it's all about in the end, leaving the world a better place? As a teacher I can positively impact people that, in turn, can influence thousands more. That is why I want to be a teacher, because with those odds, the math is on my side.

ROOMMATE NEEDED: $450 + BILLS, VERY CLEAN, STEALTH...ISH, GREAT NUNCHUCH SKILLS


I have always been a movie fan; I have loved them since I was old enough to watch Willy Wonka one hundred and fifty times in one summer. Watching Amazing Grace and Chuck as a teenager had me somber for days and discovering Casablanca as a twenty-something restored my faith in the power of love. As I grow older I have found less and less time for my favorite pastime and sadly, popcorn has become a distant, buttery memory. It is not that I don't watch movies, I do, I just get around to them long after everyone else. Many of you know that I moonlight at a pawn shop, but few know that the DVD section is my teacher's pet and if you are looking for a movie, I can probably tell you if we have it and where it is amongst the throngs of them in our showcase.

One film medium that I have recently discovered cannot be found in any showcase and in my native Oklahoma, can probably only be found on the internet or through your local On Demand service. The movie short has been around for a while, but with the invention of the on-demand cable service can now reach millions of new adoring fans. Clocking in usually at a meager ten minutes or less, one can get all the satisfaction and meaning of a two hour epic, but spend a fraction of the time! I have discovered many such films on the Festival Channel of my local cable service and have simply fallen in love. My most recent romance is with a film by director Steven Tsuchinda and is a Sundance Selection from 2003 (holy crap, I AM behind), A NINJA PAYS HALF MY RENT.

This movie is simply hilarious, as you can see by clicking below on one of the links to YouTube. It is a story of a man, whom because of the recent "death by grapefruit" of his former roommate must find someone to live with. Out of desperation, he rents out to an oft-overlooked, but always respected member of the community, the ninja. Now we all know Ninjas are silent killers and are the perfect assassins, but few know that they also make ideal roommates. Quiet, unimposing, and gainfully employed, these guys will be there for you, whether you need someone killed or simply need the syrup passed. Although always on the alert, Ninjas are skilled artisans and reliable companions, but they do have one glaring flaw, they are often pursued by OTHER ninjas, especially ones with a need of a room to let. Saying more would ruin the ending, though at a meager 5 minutes, it is hard to say where this movie begins or ends, oh hell, just enjoy it!

Check it out and while you are at it, here are some other great shorts to cleanse your pallet: A STOLEN MOMENT, THE MANTIS PARABLE, and THE SAVIOR.

Corn-inspired prose


Kettle Corn,
Kettle Corn,
How are you,
So good to eat,
Yet so few.

Hard to find,
Hard to stop,
Eating you,
Cousin of pop.

Salt and Sugar,
Confuses my tongue,
Heaven and Hell,
Are where you're from.

Go far away,
But come back,
Longing for you,
I'll never lack.

Damn it! Stop eating my tape! AHHH!! Cassette's Won't Listen!


Cassettes Won't Listen is the what makes indie fans love what they do, they are impossible to find, amazing to listen to, and hard to explain to the plebs. Go ahead, look them up, yeah, they have a Myspace, so I guess they aren't that impossible, but if you want to find anything but the new debut album Small Time Machine, well sir/madam, good luck to you! Not that you will have to look much farther then this great album, although a measly seven songs, the good music is squeezed in like an overstuffed suitcase. From start to finish, Cassettes show off what they do best, pound those electronic ivories like Max Headroom himself. W.W.W.When they do get around to using a guitar in The Broadcast they do it with such emphasis that you are left wondering why they don't use it more, oh wait, that's why, the S.S.S.Synthesizer kicks ass. They are so good at what they do, that they have spent the last few years re-mixing other band's songs, proving they didn't invent the chicken sandwich, they just made it better. The album's highlights include the haunting Freeze and Explode and the appropriately titled last song, The Finish Line. With plenty of cool in between and lots of lost internet gems(your charge young indie lover), this band, like the eternal year-away Postal Service follow-up, will leave you wanting more, and that is a good thing.....I think.

Sounds like: The Figurines; DNTEL; Postal Service; Snap, Crackle, Pop (ok, I made that last one up)

Blood suckers from a sweet sojourn spent on a caribbean isle....or your favorite new band, VAMPIRE WEEKEND!


Cast Sting as young Flannigan, working in a tired NYC Bar scene, Flannigan and mentor Andy Summers, escape to Jamaica where they meet and fall in love with Stewart Copeland and his fluglebinders. Skip all that rich vs. poor yuppie crap and enjoy as key rock ingredients get mixed to perfection and produce a beautiful cocktail of music. Oh and they decided to call themselves Vampire Weekend. So you've heard they have an Ivy League education and you're questioning their street cred, well get over yourself indie snob and embrace the sweet science that is this awesome self-titled debut. The hype machine has been spitting out articles on these guys in droves and they were even on "the buzz". Yes, normally this enough to send me back into my log cabin, make me grab my needle and cone and spin that latest Iron and Wine. However as soon as "Oxford Comma" hit my ears I knew something was different with these guys, "who gives a fuck about an Oxford Comma/I've seen those English dramas too, their cruel". Are you serious, are these guys actually getting literary on our asses? Well hell alright, I'm game for some learnin', so I move on to the opening riff of Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa and I promptly spend the next 20 minutes mixing everyone in the house drinks involving tropical fruit and little umbrellas, oh yes, we are miles away from ordinary. Educated lyrics, reggae inspired beats and the unmistakable indie rock sound provide just the right blend of cool to the first can't miss album of 2008. Despite being accompanied by the rather brash sound of my blender and the clop of my deck shoes, this album will continue to by my anthem of the upcoming summer, long into the fall and keep me warm on those long winter nights. Buy this album, support good music, enjoy me telling you what to do, and see you on the beach.