Ted's Blog

The Power of Words

2012-01-27T17:34:00.000-06:00

Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Junior wrote that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" in 1963.

Just last week Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan said that "A terrorist attack on any of us is an attack on all of us."

I shared both quotes with my Civics class, but one eighth grader wrote on the board under Dr. King's words that "no one gets this." I asked if they'd like me to discuss it with them and the same student said, "no, we don't care either."

That made me thing of Jimmy Buffett's famous line, "Is it ignorance, or apathy? I don't know and I don't care."

I care, God knows I care, but God only knows how I'm supposed to teach eighth graders how to care.

So I took King's words,

Injustice ANYWHERE is a threat to Justice EVERYWHERE

and I paired them with James Madison's words-

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

[Disunity] ANYWHERE is a threat to [Unity] EVERYWHERE

[Turmoil] ANYWHERE is a threat to [Tranquility] EVERYWHERE

[Insecurity] ANYWHERE is a threat to [Security] EVERYWHERE

Or would that have sounded better with [Offense] ANYWHERE is a threat to [Defense] EVERYWHERE?

[Suffering] ANYWHERE is a threat to [the General Welfare] EVERYWHERE!

Now THERE'S one that probably makes "rugged individualists" absolutely cringe, but AREN'T I my brother's keeper?

And of course,

[Tyranny] ANYWHERE is a threat to [Liberty] EVERYWHERE

So isn't it true?

Don't you CARE?

Don't you realize? Don't you know?

That "Injustice ANYWHERE is a threat to Justice EVERYWHERE!"

Is justice really blind?

Have you ever heard, "No Justice, No Peace!"?

Did you know, what Cornell West says?

He says that “Justice is what love looks like in public.”

Merrium and Webster say that "public" means

"exposed to general view :

open, well-known, prominentc :

perceptible, material..."

and

"of, relating to, or affecting ALL the people."

Did you know?

Do you care?

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"

Amos 5:24

Who Are We Dealing With Here?

2012-01-09T21:51:00.001-06:00

Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail in New Hampshire 2012
In his column in this week’s Newsweek, former Clinton adviser and CNN commentator Paul Begala (whom I always thought was the model for Josh Lyman’s character on ‘West Wing’) absolutely hit the nail on the head when he explained the Republican party’s never-ending stampede to the right.

“The story of the Republican Party in the last half century is a nearly unbroken march to the right. Nixonwas more conservative than Eisenhower. Goldwater was more conservative than Nixon. Reagan was more conservative than Goldwater. Gingrich was more conservative than Reagan. And George W. Bush was more conservative than Newt.”

I for one, once thought of myself as a centrist, perhaps even a somewhat conservative Democrat. I supported deficit hawks like Paul Tsongas and Paul Simon in the 80′s and imagined my self a working-class, Midwestern Gebhardt-Democrat, but felt pushed further and further left by the extremist positions and outrageous abuses of the “Neo-Conservatives” during the last Bush administration.

A quick look at the current field of Republican candidates confirms that our rivals on the right have pretty much gone off the rails on a crazy train.

Front-Runner Mitt Romney obviously wouldn’t get the Occupy Wall Street crowd, as a bonifide billionaire who refuses to make his tax records public. This the same reason that a lot of Tea Party Republicans may not trust him (even though they’ll take money from Kansas oil billionaires like the Kock brothers). Meanwhile some Republicans SAY they don’t trust him because he “flip-flops. (also known as telling voters what he thinks they want to hear, which politicians have done as long as there’s been politics). Die hard conservatives, of course, can’t forgive him for having been a moderate governor of a liberal state. As I’m sure you’ve heard a million times already, he used to be pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, and pro-health care reform.

Evangelicals (right-wing religious fundamentalists) don’t like him because he’s Mormon- As a former Arizonan, I can tell you that the LDS establishment can have a way of amassing, defending and wielding social and political influence that could rival any ethnic, religious, or immigrant group in history. Whether there’s anything any more insidious or conspiratorial I’m not sure. Whether or not being apprehensive about Romney’s Mormonism constitutes the same kind of religious bigotry that Know Nothings’ anti-catholicism did in another time, I’m also not sure.

If Rick Santorum doesn’t revive Protestant prejudices of Catholics, I’m not sure what would. He certainly makes me think about an old Monte Python number called “Every Sperm is Sacred.” Do you realize that he’s not just pro-life, he’s rabidly anti-contraception? I can respect someone who opposes abortion because they genuinely want to protect unborn babies (though I have issues with rape and incest that Santorum leaves no room for), but I just don’t get attacking birth control. For one thing, preventing pregnancies also prevents abortions. As a devout believer myself, not to mention a devoted monogamist, I appreciate more than most secularists that he thinks that people shouldn’t be having sex as casually as watching TV or poking each other on facebook. Be that as it may, not everyone in married committed relationships wants to have 12 kids and I say if some of the secular hedonists and nymphomaniacs out there want to prevent either unplanned pregnancies and/or sexually transmitted diseases, by God, we outta let ‘em.

Liberal comedians have had a field day insinuating that Santorum’s homophobia and his pastel sweater vests suggest that the Senator himself is repressing some latent tendencies, but again, I think we need to respect his right to believe differently that we do. While Jesus Himself never mentions homosexuality in the Bible, both Moses and Saint Paul do. I don’t mean to excuse or condone Santorum’s tendency to obsess about gay marriage, I just think that rather than attacking religious beliefs or even social attitudes, Democrats need to focus on the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the constitution. Whether your religious passions are aroused by the very thought of gay sex, like Senator Santorum, or whether it leaves you cold, we must all agree that ALL Americans are all entitled to due process and equal treatment under the laws of the land- that is as conservative as you can get as far as I’m concerned.

Then there’s Newt. Ah Newt. I think it’s ironic that he indignantly claimed to have maintained a positive campaign here in Iowa and was shocked, SHOCKED that Super PACs supporting Mitt Romney would stoop to demonizing his character and maligning his record in so many TV ads. I also think it was poetic justice.

I think it was ironic that his rivals all painted him as the Washington insider and someone who had been willing to work with Democrats, potentially compromising himself to get things done. Especially since this was the man who took the Reagan/Bush rhetoric about reversing 40 years of Liberal programs and turned it into a “revolution” to undo a hundred years of Progressive protections and advancements. The very guy who as Speaker of the House, gloated over the ridiculously petty and partisan impeachment of one of the most popular and effective presidents in recent time, Bill Clinton. The same guy who was one of the first to issue actual talking-points memos to keep his party members on message and in lock step- and in many of those memos taught Republicans how to manipulate language so as to make their opponents not just sound like they were in disagreement, or even incorrect, but to deliberately make them sound immoral- the guy who paved the way for all the radio and TV demagogues and gubernatorial despots of the last 14 years- THIS guy, responsible for so much of our polarization and incivility, this guy was actually referred to as part of the “liberal Republican establishment!” I not only think that’s ironic, I also think it’s poetic justice.

Do I even BOTHER saying anything about Texas Governor Rick Perry? When he first entered the race, I was indignant about the fact that he’s advocated Texas seceding from the Union. I thought that alone was too outrageous for him to be taken seriously. Certainly I’ve been appalled by his cynical abuse of religion to appeal to the basest instincts of Iowa voters. Most glaringly his performances in debates and at campaign events at best reveals him to be an inept imitation of George W. Bush or worst a pathetic addict of some sort.

Should we bother talking about Ron Paul? When you hear him talk about Iraq, you almost think he must be a democrat. When you hear him talk about the war on drugs, you wonder if he hasn’t been hanging out with Woody Harrelson and Willy Nelson. How could any Republican take him seriously? Perhaps Liberals and Libertarians have more in common than just a root word. But then he starts talking about Wall Street- here is where you’d think that the Tea Party and OWS could find common ground. Why bail out jerks who are just going to give each other a big bonus? It is at this point when you could fall under his charm, but then he starts talking about eliminating pretty much every thing about the Federal government that protects anyone or provides any structure or regulation to anything and you remember that this guy lives on what we all used to call “the fringe,” before the Republicans moved us all dangerously close to the precipice that the fringe isn’t even on any known maps anymore. Now anyone who’s done any digging at all has heard about how his newsletters have had their share of white supremacist and racist ideology in them. Hopefully whatever eccentric charm you saw in him is tarnished.

Yep. I’d say that if somehow God magically eliminated President Obama and the Democratic Party from the face of the Earth, so that I had no choice but to vote for a Republican, I’d have to go with former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman. Of course, you know why Republicans don’t like him, right? Not because he’s Mormon. Not because he was ambassador to China. Because he was willing to serve as an ambassador to China FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA!

Crawford County Caucus Information

2012-01-04T08:22:00.002-06:00

Little Charter Oak Iowa, population 530, has over 144 registered Democrats only two of whom attended last night’s party caucus in the Denison High School cafeteria.

County Chairman Larry Peterson welcomed participants from all over Crawford County. Democrats watched the live message from President Barrack Obama and a recorded one from former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack. Vilsack has been touring all 39 counties in Iowa’s new 4th Congressional District in hopes of unseating Tea Party demagogue Steve King. Vilsack emphasized Iowa values like civility, responsibility, and respect.

Crawford County Dems also had the chance to meet Denison native Kasey Friedrichsen, who is running for Iowa House District 18 as well as County Sheriff Sheriff Jim Steinkuhler and County Auditor Terri Martins.

Attendees were given the opportunity to submit proposals for the state party platform, volunteer to help support campaigns, and serve as delegates to conventions.

Petersen invited Central Committee members to a meeting at his home 7:00 PM, Tuesday January 10.

The Crawford County Democratic Party Convention will be held Saturday, March 10.

The District 4 Convention will be April 28 and the State Democratic Convention is planned for June 16.

Dear Diary

2011-12-30T12:23:00.000-06:00

Once again, New Year's has me thinking I should resolve to have more discipline about blogging more regularly.

I'm also wishing I could spend all day everyday reading, writing or cartooning instead of planning, grading and teaching.

Don't get me wrong, I love kids and believe nothing is as important or as rewarding as teaching, and obviously no other job offers as much freedom to read, write, or create. Be that as it may, I'm still lazy and selfish like anybody else. Did I also mention that I wish I got paid twice what I make to do whatever I want instead of dealing with all the hoops to jump through from the State, the AEA, the board & administration and dealing with unmotivated or uncooperative students?

Anyone want to pay me $100K/year for just blogging? I'll cartoon or take goofy photos too if you want.

Glad I disconnected this blog from feeding into facebook & twitter since this is such a lame, self-indulgent entry. Anyway, enough time wasting, I need to either do some school work or help my wife dismantle the Christmas decorations.

DVDs rented over break

2011-12-30T11:16:00.001-06:00

'Hoodwinked'- great kid flick, funny, Jim Bulushi's German accent sucked, though **1/2 (out of 5*)
'Dolphin Tail'- excellent "feel-good" story no matter what age, plus Ashley Judd ***1/2

'The Change-Up'- raunchy and formulaic but funny (if you're a 14-30yr old male), first time I didn't like the character Jason Bateman played, actually I disliked both characters he played in this one. *1/2

'One Day'- Spoiler alert, this is NOT a "romantic COMEDY," still it's a decent chick-flick and as usual Anne Hathaway not only looks beautiful, she acts beautiful. ****

'Larry Crowne'- Tom Hanks really is the ultimate "every man." This one is for every "nice" guy who was always frustrated by the fact that Molly Ringwald always ended up with the rich, hot, popular guy in those 80's movies (oops, did I spoil it?). Plus it's got a great message about staying positive and rolling with the punches in hard times. And Cedric the Entertainer is a kill too. Not sure why real critics panned it, maybe because it has a narrow appeal to lower class, middle-aged, guys who believe in working hard and treating people decently. Makes me want to go out and buy a scooter. ****1/2

New Year, New Opportunity

2011-12-29T16:51:00.000-06:00

Recently a couple of Monona County Democrats invited me to contribute to the blog http://www.idp4.org/blog, twitter feed https://twitter.com/#!/IDP4th and facebook pages https://www.facebook.com/IDP4th for the Democratic Party of Iowa's new 4th District . I hardly feel qualified (I've only lived here for 10 years), but progressives are so rare in this side of the state that I agreed to help. I've felt strongly that the few of us here in Crawford County really need to be better about networking and communicating.

I'll add these links to the right-hand menu of this blog. I can't believe how much busier I've been this year since I started teaching 8th grade Civics, so my contributions may be few and far between, but as I told the IDP4th webmaster, at least I'm more likely to keep my posts below 700 words than I was back when I had a column in the Mapleton PRESS.

If you're of our rare breed ("Blue" in a "Red" district), I hope you'll caucus next week so that we can replace Congressman Steve King with former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack and State House (Dist.18) Representative Jason Schultz with someone like Kasey Friedrichsen.

Who knows, I may even send up a political cartoon once in a while.

November Gold

2011-11-06T18:48:00.000-06:00

Ever notice that it's not just decorations on the classroom bulletin board
and pictures on calendars
but October really IS orange
and November really IS golden?

Lawns are faded
Leaves have fallen, most are raked.

There's something to the angle of the sun
and a nip in the air.

Maybe it's because
between All Saints' Day and Thanksgiving,
we're reminded of out blessings and family-
especially those already in Heaven.

Whatever it is,
November really is
golden.

Gold November

2011-11-06T18:35:00.000-06:00

The grass on the hills is golden
the bean fields are amber
and the corn stubble are is like Rumpelstiltskin's spinning-straw

The golden hours of dawn and dusk stretch out
leaving barely an hour of clear-blue noon
glazing the entire day with honey.

The red and orange leaves are gone
or faded to sepia
leaving the trees taupe or warm-grey
just a few yellow ones cling on
to avoid a fate in the foul fires
or the compost pile.

Candles have started to warm our homes' decor
and French fried onions decorate the green been casserole
and the roasted turkey's skin glints like polished brass.

Babysitter Pay?

2011-11-03T08:23:00.000-05:00

To the teachers: Teachers salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or 10 months a year! It's time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do ... babysit!

We can get that for minimum wage. That's right. Let's give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time or any time they spend before or after school.

That would be $19.5......0... a .........day...... (7:45 to 3:00 with 45 min. off for lunch and planning.

That equals 6 1/2 hours).

Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to babysit their children.

Now, how many students do they teach in a day... maybe 30? So that's $19.50 x 30 = $585.00 a day.

However, remember they only work 180 days a year! I'm not going to pay them for any vacations.

LET'S SEE ... That's $585 X 180 = $105,300 per year.

Hold on! My calculator needs new batteries.

What about those special education teachers and the ones with Masters degrees ?

Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an hour.

That would be $8 X 6 1/2 hours X 30 children X 180 days = $280,800 per year.

Wait a minute --there's something wrong here! There sure is! The average teacher's salary (nation wide) is $50,000. $50,000/180 days = $277.77/per day/30 students = $9.25/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student --a very inexpensive baby sitter and they even EDUCATE your kids!! WHAT A DEAL!!

Orange Cloud

2011-10-30T19:15:00.000-05:00

I look up at the greatest Ash in town
It holds the entire continent in its branches

Leaves the colors of rocks and fire in the desert West

Through those leaves I can hear waves crashing in the Gulf

Somehow, even though it's just Halloween,
it smells like the snow falling back East

Stupid Leaves, Stupid Breeze!

2011-10-30T15:12:00.000-05:00

I can rake rake rake
and mow mow mow

but that darned October wind still blows
so every leaf from every tree
from every neighbor, hither and yawn

ends up back in my yard
and back on my lawn!

The prairie is a comfy bed

2011-09-10T14:11:00.000-05:00

The rolling hills and prairie is a comfy bed that I don't want to climb out of
The sky is a crisp, clean, light blue linen
with puffy white cloud pillows
Fields of beans are pulled up snug like a green and yellow quilt
and the corn that's almost ready to harvest reminds me of a crocheted throw on top of that
each are accented with tassels of red, white, and silver barns and bins
and occasional deep green embroidery of trees
The September sun fills the room with tranquil joy
while the gentle breeze billows the curtains and and quietly rattles the window screens
bringing in the familiar scents of that brief moment between Summer and Fall
I think I might go pick you some sunflowers from the edge of the road,
but this place is so perfect
so inviting
so comforting
I think I might just stay here and soak it in a little longer.

Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes

2011-09-01T12:58:00.000-05:00

Let America be America again.Let it be the dream it used to be.Let it be the pioneer on the plainSeeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed--
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There's never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")

Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?

I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek--
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.

I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one's own greed!

I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean--
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today--O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.

Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That's made America the land it has become.
O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home--
For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore,
And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa's strand I came
To build a "homeland of the free."

The free?

Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we've dreamed
And all the songs we've sung
And all the hopes we've held
And all the flags we've hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay--
Except the dream that's almost dead today.

O, let America be America again--
The land that never has been yet--
And yet must be--the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME--
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.

Sure, call me any ugly name you choose--
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!

O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath--
America will be!

Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain--
All, all the stretch of these great green states--
And make America again!

We only complain about the ones we love

2011-09-01T12:49:00.000-05:00

"I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."

~James A. Baldwin

Random bits of week

2011-08-18T20:59:00.001-05:00

Wed. there were calves in the road, only in Iowa!

Today, one of my 4 cheerleaders quit- before our first game. Ah, but tonight we had home grown tomatoes.

Saturday we're going to the greatest state fair on Earth!

Here comes the new season, not sure I'm ready

2011-08-13T13:02:00.001-05:00

I have been coaching cheerleading since 1994. Sometimes it's a hassle, sometimes it's the most incredible opportunity in the world. Once upon a time I thought I should blog about it, maybe write a book someday- they're aren't a lot of male cheer coaches that I'm aware of. But I haven't been keeping up either that blog, or this one. I decided that maybe one problem was that I was writing for an imagined audience that wasn't there, while simultaneously being worried that anyone would read it.

So I've done two things. I adjusted my dlvr.it feed, so that this blog will no longer automatically post on my facebook account and I merged the two blogs. This one may as well include all my writing, not just poetry and politics. When I actually bother to write something I want to share on facebook, I'll just do that manually. I'll still try not to get too out of hand in the event that someone have a cow over something I post here, but my hope it that it will give me a little more freedom to open up and be real, like a journal.

I guess I'm not ready to fold my religious blog, http://malloryprayer.blogspot.com into this one yet, just because it really has taken on a life of it's own. It's not that I want to compartmentalize my faith life, separate from everything else, it's just that it actually has some readers and kind of a following, which neither this blog or the old "Papa Bear" blog seem to. Anyway, here is what may be the last post on that blog, and perhaps the first of many dealing with coaching cheer that will start showing up here.

Originally posted on http://papabear-sidelines.blogspot.com

I'm really tempted to just fold this blog into my main blog, http://tedscolumn.blogspot.com.
I feel like when I really use it, it's more to just vent than to document- let alone build anything book worthy. When I use it to vent, I'm being too reactionary. It seems like rather than relieve my stress, I feel like it only makes me more wound up. It misrepresents how negative coaching cheer can be when actually it's always been an overall very meaningful and rewarding experience for me. And of course, there's always the risk that students or parents that I write about might be offended.

Like at the beginning of the summer when the mother of a Freshman candidate was so livid with me for not putting her on the squad. It was unfair that her grandfather's funeral was the day that tryouts had been scheduled, but she hadn't turned in a permission form or teacher-recommendation forms which had been due a week before and had been available for almost two months before.

The real issue was that she was academically ineligible. I double-checked the policy and touched base with both our guidance counselor and our principal to make sure I was as clear as I could be with the parent. To be honest, the child can be a divisive, volatile, and disrespectful tiger. She's let her anger get away from her and used obscenity in uniform before while on junior high cheer- but even if she was perfect, her grades would've kept her off.

But that's the kind of conflict that both makes me wonder how many more years I want to continue coaching cheer and makes me question the wisdom of trying to blog about it (even when I try to protect the identities of the kids I work with.

Facebook and Twitter are shorter, easier and more immediate, making blogging something that I'm not as disciplined at as I used to be. Life gets pretty busy too. All summer I thought I'd write but instead was caught up in church and family activities. And school is about to start, which will make things incredibly busy again.

It seems like we've never had the first football game for a week or so after school had gotten started. This year our first home game is next Friday, school starts Wednesday! Three of my four cheerleaders are scared to have to perform at the first pep rally. I can't blame them.

The pep band won't be playing at the game that night. Our principal actually left it up to me whether or not to even have a pep rally. I really think we should, but I don't know if I should push the girls too hard if they're not ready.

One, a Junior, was even ready to quit earlier this week.

"i really didnt wanna do it in the first place but (Senior) was pressuring me so i thought i would give it a try but now im having second thougts because im really not the cheerleading type i like cheering from the stands...and i hate being in front of crowds like at pep rallys i cant do that...im sorry," she told me.

I was having a heart attack.

I did my best to convince the Junior, "You're telling me that (Freshman Z), (Senior B), and (Sophomore R) ARE "cheerleader types" and you're not? (each example was a former cheerleader who was shy, awkward, or socially isolated). They're willing to get in front of people, but you're afraid to? Kiddo, you're smart, you're responsible, and you're gorgeous. Pep Rallies are nothing to be afraid of- let (Senior) carry them and just go along with the ride, they're fast and most kids who've cheered (like B, Z, and R) wind up actually thinking they're fun.

You're a natural leader and really fun. If you can handle Drill, Cheer will be a piece of cake.

I still think you should at least try a game or two. But, I understand how it can feel to be pressured so just like I said before, ultimately it's up to you- but I can tell you, if you can conquer this challenge (and I totally believe you can) you will come away with confidence and poise like you wouldn't believe. Doing this can put you over the top- it can be the difference between being kind of a leader and a majorly powerful woman who'll take on the world. If you bite down hard and try this this one short season, it'll be all gain for you.

Think on it, pray on it. Talk to someone you trust, adult or friend about it and let me know next week. I'll totally back off and not tease you or try to make you feel guilty (like how I tried to pressure Katie last year). But I really think you'll be great at this and this could be great for you."

Poise and Confidence are a couple of blocks on John Wooden's Pyramid of Success. I truly believe that these are powerful gifts that cheerleading can bestow on kids and I meant every word I said to her. But let's face it, I didn't want to go from 4 to only 3 (especially since one of the 3 is still pretty iffy). And I'll be honest, I'm not keen on the prospect of having Senior B or the "tiger" Freshman on squad this season either, if only because neither works well with the Senior we do have.

Fortunately, she tentatively agreed to give it a try. One of our Freshmen is really just giving it a try too ("iffy"), her true love is volleyball and her mother is nervous about her being too involved in too many things.

If you're actually a regular reader, or one of my friends or former cheerleaders that I shared this blog with, I'd sure appreciate your prayers and positive thoughts. Like every year. (:

This is the most I've written here in months and I really SHOULD be preparing lessons for next week. So anyway, if you come looking for this blog and don't find it, head on over to http://tedscolumn.blogspot.com and just run a search for "cheer," or "coaching," or "Pappa Bear" and you should still be able to find this kind of entry once in a while.

New 4-H Club Blog

2011-07-21T11:31:00.000-05:00

Good luck Achievers at CC Fair! Hope the Style Show went well this morning.

Members, parents, and former members- check out the club's new blog. Be sure to leave comments and share your memories, and please remember to either join, become a follower or best yet- subscribe by email to receive updates and announcements.

Charter Oak Achievers 4-H Club

coachievers.blogspot.com

http://coachievers.blogspot.com

What's the 4th for?

2011-07-03T14:39:00.000-05:00

We're seeing lots of patriotic and political messages this weekend on twitter and Facebook, but it's important to consider what our independence really meant and who/what we are and want to be as a nation.

God bless our troops & their families- but the have Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Armed Forces Day.

I love our flag but it already has Flag Day. I've pled allegiance to it, but after all, it's just fabric, a symbol for what were really about. And don't get me wrong, I don't oppose the pledge, but it was really kind of a political tool back in the "red scare" 50's.

What is the Fourth really about? What is America supposed to be about?

How about our motto? E Pluribus Unum- "from many, one."

How about our Declaration? Voted on July 4, 1776. "ALL men are created EQUAL and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that AMONG these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

How about our Constitution, written 10 years later? "in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice and ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty for ourselves and our posterity."

Families and fun are fine, so are parades and fireworks. I love picnics and baseball and apple pie as much as the next guy. But I think that it's not just important to think about the red white and blue, but also for the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, with liberty & justice for ALL.

How much time do we spend considering what things like justice, domestic tranquility and the general welfare really are?

We owe it to ourselves, each other, our founders, and all those citizen soldiers who've fought for us over the last 235 years to think about our principles once in a while. And we owe it to our "posterity" to talk about our principles once in a while- to share them, discuss and debate, even argue about them, to teach them to our children and pass them on.

This 4th of July, make Iowa's state motto your own: "our liberties we prize, our rights we will maintain."

'It's the demand side, stupid' | Marketplace From American Public Media

2011-06-30T11:24:00.001-05:00

'It's the demand side, stupid' | Marketplace From American Public Media

This is one of the best commentaries on economics I've heard. I've been trying to explain this to people forever!

What to do about raging unemployment? Many Republicans and a few Democrats are peddling supply-side solutions. Cut corporate taxes. Reduce the cost of capital. Cut the employer share of payroll taxes.
This is nonsense. The problem is not on the supply side.
Companies don't need financial incentives to hire. They're sitting on $1.9 trillion of cash. They don't even know what to do with it all. If they wanted to use this cash to hire additional workers, they could. Instead, they're buying back their own stock and buying other companies.
Nor is the cost of capital an issue. Capital is cheap. Companies can get bargain-basement interest rates on new loans.
Nor does it make any sense to lower the employer share of payroll taxes. This won't create jobs. Payroll taxes are not deterring companies from adding employees.
Let's get real: The problem is on the demand side. It doesn't make economic sense for businesses to hire more workers unless businesses have more customers. And they don't.
These days consumers are reluctant to buy. That's because their real wages are falling, their home values are plummeting, they're still under a huge debt load, and they're worried about keeping their jobs.
Supply-side solutions have nothing to do with any of this. They're like pushing wet noodles. The economy needs a boost on the demand side.
For 30 years now we've been hearing from "supply-side" economists say that if we reduce tax rates on the rich and on corporations -- and keep the cost of capital low -- we'll get more jobs and growth. And the benefits will trickle down to everyone else.
Well, we've tried the theory out, and little or nothing has trickled down. Tax revenues are now 15 percent of the national economy. That's the lowest in 60 years. And capital is cheaper than ever. But the economy is going nowhere.
Can I be blunt? It's the demand side, stupid.

Van Jones on Meta-Branding and Crowd-Sourcing.

2011-06-23T11:58:00.001-05:00

Watch the speech that Van Jones gave at Netroots Nation 2011 announcing the American Dream Movement and issuing a challenge to debate Glenn Beck.

Progressives put all our eggs in the Obama basket. He's not as bad as the right makes him out to be, but if we have any hope of sharing our values, it has to be about principles and networking, not just hoping that just one personality. Dems in Western Iowa, we need to connect online.

Before you blame Obama for the Debt

2011-05-23T09:13:00.002-05:00

Ronald Reagan increased the national debt by around 189%!

Most awesome quote EVER!!!

2011-05-20T15:51:00.000-05:00

"Rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of supply and demand; it is the privilege of human beings to live under the laws of justice and mercy."

- Wendell Berry

When I think about all I've learned about Thomas Hobbes and Adam Smith and John Locke and Rousseau- and then I contrast Jesus' teachings to Machiavelli, holy cow but this Wendell Berry quote is phenomenal. It sums up so much of what I believe.

We're all in this together folks.

Don't you think we were put her to help each other if and when we can? Why is it immoral to help and be helped? All that authoritarian malarkey about making people dependent on you is an excuse to be selfish and competitive. You want to keep following Ronald Reagan and be rugged individualists or Ayn Rand and be greedy fascists and paranoid anarchists- go right ahead, I obviously can't convince you not to.

Me, I'm happier with Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt. I'd rather be positive, constructive, and interconnected than angry, suspicious and defensive. If you think I'm some kind of "Socialist" for believing that government is her to protect us from corporations instead of corporations being here to protect us from government- then I guess that's the way it's gonna be, but we're still all in this together even if you don't want us to be.

We're all in this together

2011-05-19T10:06:00.000-05:00

Reagan's Budget Director David Stockman and former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich have both sharply criticized the budget proposed by Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan. Stockman was on NPR's "On Point" this morning explaining how we all need to share the sacrifice and essentially that supply-side economics won't work anymore (though he didn't actually admit it that blatantly). He admitted that we need to focus some on revenues (restoring taxes to pre-Bush levels). And he was pretty emphatic that we need to be realistic and pragmatic about austerity. We can't just continue to postpone/borrow our way into not worrying about deficits. He even recommended drastically reducing military spending.

Gingrich on the other hand started backpedaling after being chastised by fellow conservatives.

Stockman's still no Keynesian, but I have tremendous respect for his serious and mature take on the mess we're in. Bottom line, right-wingers are intractable on the dogmas (they've gone way beyond doctrine at this point) of opposition to taxes and insistence on cutting everything but defense. On the other hand, the establishment Democrats (that is, those in power, notice I didn't call them left, liberal or even progressive) keep saying that there's nothing really wrong and that all we need to do about the debt ceiling and the impending problems for entitlements is to bring in more smoke and mirrors to help us rearrange numbers.

You might be surprised to hear me agree with a Reaganite, but I've been a deficit hawk long before it became politically expedient for Republicans to be. I say bring back PAGO (the pay-as-you-go rules in Congress). I may like John Maynard Keynes a lot more than Ayn Rand, but I'd almost go so far as to think of myself as relatively conservative fiscally.

It's time for both sides to let go of tribal and partisan tenants of faith and hash tings out together. We're ALL in this together. Eliminating all the tax loopholes corporate and otherwise is a great place to start.

I was talking to a friend about this kind of thing recently in regards to school funding here in Iowa. Sales taxes hurt consumers and renters (poor & working class), property taxes hurt home owners and farmers (middle and upper-middle class), and commercial taxes supposedly hinder business and growth. Somehow we ALL need to share the burden. Before he backed down under party pressure, Gingrich characterized the Ryan plan as "social engineering," something that Republicans are constantly accusing Democrats as conspiring to do (Socialism- eek!). Gingrich was spot-on. If giving corporations the same rights as individuals while taking away the rights of organized labor, and dismantling the social safety nets isn't systematically maneuvering to establish a more oligarchical than egalitarian arrangement- then I don't know what it is.

I think that the right has gone so far toward the extremes of either corporatism and/or libertariansism, that those of us who used to be centrists are painted as "liberal." I've never advocated for Marxist revolution and I doubt that I ever will, but for God's sake, isn't it about time that we returned to a a little common sense? Should a Democratic president really have to stretch way over to the corporatist side just to appear as if he's trying to find some common ground? Whenever there are calls for compromise and bipartisanship it basically means that the Fraidy-crats are caving in to the Crazy-cans again.

Stockman's most important sentiment is that we all need to grow-up and get to work on fixing things instead of constantly seeing who can appeal most to voters' basest fears.

Perennial Stress-Out

2011-05-13T11:47:00.000-05:00

Started out with 11 candidate, now 4 are backing out...
and I moved tryouts from today till next week due to Track meets, but guess what? Softball practice & games all nxt week AND we had girls qualify for State Track Meet- which is the day of my tryout!!!

Here's a note that I sent to our faculty and to some veteran cheerleaders, begging for them to put pressure on kids-

Teachers/Staff- I really need your help!

Last week I had 11 candidates planning on trying out for cheer. I was excited, finally a real tryout, the chance to pick the best 6 out of 11- just what our cheer program needs. Kids who will get enjoy each other and that the fans will respond to.
Just yesterday, three of these candidates told me that they're opting out, citing grades, other sports and needing jobs. I reminded them that because so many of them have experience in either junior high or dance/gymnastics that if they make Cheer, it will really be a minimum time commitment. They can Cheer even if they play VB or are on Drill. They're likely to spend Friday night at the game anyway, so surely cheering won't put a strain on their grades.
Please encourage any of them that you think would make outstanding cheerleaders. Tell them how great a job you think they'd do. Tell them how much BV needs them to set a positive example and raise school spirit.

After coaching cheer for 18 years now, I firmly believe that Cheerleading provides kids with confidence, poise, and leadership.
It also promotes school spirit, pride, enthusiasm, identity, community and sportsmanship for the whole school.

So, say something to some of these girls today about how exciting it would be for BV if they were a part of that. If you don't see them today, do it this weekend or early next week.
I don't know about you, but I'm tired of seasons when we only get 5 girls come out and then having one or two quit, one or two move away and one or two end up ineligible due to grades. I can't do this alone. We're all in this together. Please do what you can.
Thank you all for your support!

Will be FreshmenAlly Kahl- Mom's not sureMarissa Bruck- Hasn't turned in paperwork yetJamie Platner- Concerned about behavior as 8th graderJennifer Zehner-
Will be SophomoresKatie Cogdill- Not sureKelsi Segebart- Deciding not toTaylor Rassell-
Will be JuniorsEmmie Wood-
Lexi Seuntjens- Deciding not to
Will Be SeniorsKayla Sternberg- Vacillating Cammey Hast- Worried about having to put up with too many Freshmen!

Excellent Quote

2011-05-09T09:02:00.000-05:00

“My darkness has been filled with the light of intelligence, and behold, the outer day-lit world was stumbling and groping in social blindness” ~Helen Keller

Inspiring wisdom

2011-05-09T08:57:00.000-05:00

"The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of tiny pushes of each honest worker."

"People do not like to think. If one thinks, one must reach conclusions. Conclusions are not always pleasant."

"There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his."

"Until the great mass of the people shall be filled with the sense of responsibility for each other's welfare, social justice can never be attained."

~Helen Keller

I was looking for just one Keller quote that I saw on a mural in the Polk County Activities Center this weekend. I never could find it, but I did find a whole slew, which I posted on this and two other blogs! You knew that Keller overcame deafness and blindness to become an inspiring speaker and accomplished author- but did you know that she was an outspoken opponent of war, that she she campaigned for women's right to vote, workers' rights, racial tolerance and many other progressive causes?

Are things looking up?

2011-05-04T09:01:00.000-05:00

Three lively, fun girls; two Freshman and a Sophomore just came by my room to pick up forms.

Candidly, along with the Junior Cammey and 8th Grader Ally (who was JrHi Mascot this year) this would make a pretty decent crew. I will keep the posters up and running the announcements because there were at least 4 or 5 other kids whom I knew were interested at one time. I sent an email out to cheer alumna to volunteer to help judge.

The ugly part of having to have actual tryouts would be having to cut kids that I care about, to whom cheer is important. On the other hand, having higher energy, more initiative, more pride, more volume, and maybe even more dance/gymnastic skills are all great reasons to maintain a weeding-out process.

Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, let the Lord take care of the rest.

Trying to understand Islam and the Middle East

2011-05-02T16:31:00.000-05:00

In the wake of the capture and death of Alqueda leader Osama bin Laden and the "Arab Spring" or " Jasmine" revolutions going on in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, Syria, Iran, and Libya- I think it's a good idea to try to understand the Middle East.

Some think that it's only about Palestine. Within Palestine, Fatah and Hamas (both Muslim groups) are fighting each other. Others think that all Muslims are the same and hate America. Just as in Judaism there are Reform Jews, Orthodox Jews, Hasidic Jews, and many more; and just as in Christianity there are Orthodox, Coptic, Roman Catholic and Protestant- and within Protestantism there's Lutherans, Baptists, Anglicans, Methodists, Pentecostals, etc. etc. etc.- Islam is not just one religion. Muslims have an infinite variety of different religious, social, and political views.

In the following column, I tried to untangle the complex variety of traditions. Admittedly, this is only the tip of the ice berg.

Originally published in the Charter Oak-Ute NEWSpaper & Schleswig Leader- Thursday, August 17, 2006

The most important thing to remember about the Middle East is to remember that it's not any ONE thing. It's LOTS of very different things. Too many supposed "experts" on TV "news" fail to differentiate between all these different and not always directly related, complicated things.

"Muslims" are followers of "Islam" (God's way). They believe that God, ("Allah"- that is "the One worthy to be praised" ) is this "Jehovah" of the original Jews, but that somehow they have gone terribly wrong. They believe that Allah's final and most important prophet was a guy by the name of "Mohammed."

I guess the mountain wouldn't come to him, so he went to it and they believe Allah gave him the last word in scripture, the Koran (sometimes spelled Qur'an).

There are 5 "pillars" believers must adhere to in this faith; 1) belief in only one (not triune) god and that Muhammad is his prophet, 2) daily prayer, 3) concern and giving charity for the poor, 4) self-purification through fasting, and 5) making a pilgrimage to the Kaaba in Mecca if you have the means. This is where they believe that Abraham built an altar with his son Ishmael. Whenever they pray, Muslims face the Kaaba, no matter where they are in the world.

But Islam is by no means uniform. First there's Sunnah ("the Muslim way of life") followed by Sunni Muslims. They have a second book besides the Koran, called the Hadith. In theory, this form of Islam is pacifist and they think of Mohammed and the Koran as absolutely inerrant only when it comes to theology, but not necessarily so for civil and cultural law. This is the biggest denomination in Islam, 80%. They think that Mohammed set up a council of "Imans", or leaders after his death.

Then there's Shi'a, practiced by Shiites, 20% if Muslims. They think that Muhammad's Koran is the absolute inerrant word of Allah on all topics. You might call them "Fundamentalist." They're much more militant. They believed that Mohammed appointed his cousin (who was also his sin-in-law) his sole successor.

But there is also "Ibadi" Islam, an even more conservative sect set up
50 years after Mohammed's death in Oman. And then there's Wahhabism. This is an extremist, fundamentalist sect of Sunnism. "Wahhabi" is a pretty funny sounding name, that's probably why they prefer to call themselves. "Salafist."

"Salaf" means "the earlier generations. They follow the teachings of their founder, Muhammad ibn al Wahhab. They believe that they are the ONLY true practitioners of Islam, not merely a sect. (Sounds like lots of Christians I know.) As you can imagine, they are going to hate Shiites like the Irish Protestants hate Irish Catholics. They are
going to resent mainstream Sunnis the way "born-again" fundamentalists think that main-line Christians are somehow lazy hypocrites.

Osama bin Laden and Alqueda, the perpetrators of the 911 attacks are Wahhabists. Bin Laden may be hiding out in either Afghanistan or Pakistan but he is from Saudi Arabia. They are predominantly Sunni, own lots of oil, have a royal family, NOT a democracy, and they're supposedly our allies. We gave bin Laden and other groups in Afghanistan tons of money and weapons in the 1980's to fight the Soviet Union.

Bin Laden loathed and hated Saddam Hussein, but not as much as America. Saddam Hussein is a non-religious Sunni. His Ba'athist party was nationalistic and fascist. It's ironic because Iraq isn't one nation. It's a bunch of nationalities pieced together first after WWI and then again after WWII. There are Sunnis, Shiahs, Kurds, Turks, a handful of Jews and Christians. All of whom pretty much hate each other. That may be why it's basically disintegrated into chaos. The poor majority of Iraqis were Shiite and had been persecuted by Hussein.

We gave Hussein tons of money and weapons in the '80's to fight Iran and so he'd like us more than the Soviet Union.

Muhamoud Ahmadinejad is the current President of Iran, who hates Iraq (they had a war in the '80's). Iran used to be one of our greatest allies in the Middle East until they had a revolution in 1979. Their Shah, or king, who violated lots of human rights and lived a pretty extravagant lifestyle at his subject's expense. We gave the Shah lots of money and weapons so he'd like us more than the Soviet Union.

You might remember their revolution was led by a the Ayatollah (supreme leader) Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini, who practiced a mystic version of Shi'a called Irfan- sort of like what Salafism is to Sunnism.

As you may have heard, Ahmadinejad wants nuclear power- we think he want's the bomb. (Pakistan and Israel both have the bomb. Pakistan and India hate each other, Iran pretty much hates Israel, but I'm not sure why, except that their Jews.) You also may remember that our President indelicately characterized Iran as part of an "Axis of Evil" in a speech a few years ago, along with North Korea two countries that have absolutely nothing to do with each other or with bin Laden or Alqueda.

Back in the '80's the Reagan Administration had Israel sell weapons to Iran for us and then we used the proceeds to fund a band of right-wing terrorists called the "Contras" in Nicaragua. Remember that one?

Lebanon used to be a pretty westernized, country just North of Israel. Last year they held these big protests to get rid of a President who supported a political movement called Hezbolah who are supported by Syria, which is just east of Israel and sort of West of Iran and Iraq. But their new President didn't bother to disarm Hezbolah or get them away from the Israeli border.Yes, "disarm." See Hezbollah is a political party and a paramilitary movement, kind of like "Sinn Fein" is the political version of the Irish Republican Army.

Hezbolah's Secretary General is a guy named Sheikh Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. They like to mix politics and religion. They're Shiites and Hezbolah means "the party of God." (Sounds like "Conservative-Christians.") Anyway, they don't think Israel should
exist since it was pretty much created by the U.N. after WWII and they want Lebanese prisoners released by Israel. All the latest hubbub started when they kidnapped a couple of Israeli policemen.

Meanwhile, Israel had hoped to have peace with the Palestinians (Muslims who claim to have been displaced when Israel was created.) Unfortunately the political party called "the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)" was replaced in democratic elections this past year by a party called "Hamas."

"Hamas" means "The Islamic Resistance Movement" Hamas are Sunni, so they hate Hezbollah for being Shi'a, but of course, they hate Israel more. Many Palestinian expatriates living in Saudi Arabia and Syria send their support to Hamas, who demand that Israel pull out of Gaza and the West Bank area along the Jordan river. With the PLO, Israel had been negotiating peaceful coexistence. Two nations in one place, so to speak.

So, it should be clear that it's not so clear. What is clear is that this is a time and a region that requires delicate diplomacy. I appreciate the desire to "take the battle to the terrorists," and that waiting for politicians and diplomats to work can be frustrating because it doesn't seem as satisfyingly clear and concrete as firm military action- but it just seems to be part of a cycle of counter production.

Middle Easterners (regardless of whether they're Muslim or not or which strain of Islam) resent America for our decadence or for our meddling in everybody else's affairs (playing policeman to the world) or because of our influence over their oil. But they aren't necessarily out to take over the world and attack all Jews and Christians. They
disagree with, resent, and even hate each other too much to cooperate that much.

We still haven't caught bin Laden, five years after the first 9/11 attacks and we've strained our military and resources (not to mention American and Iraqi lives) on an unnecessary invasion of Iraq- that had nothing to do with Alqueda or 9/11.

Israel's reaction to Hezbollah may have been excessive, but this doesn't have to become WWIII. When something similar happened in the '90's, President Clinton called up the President of Syria and asked him to get Hezbollah to back off and they did.

The "War on Terror" was supposed to be taking out Alqueda, not taking on every last group that uses terrorist tactics, not an excuse to try to recreate an entire region the way we'd like it and certainly not an excuse to chip away at our own Constitutional rights and freedoms.

Maybe it's time we remembered that. Who knows, maybe if we did, it might even have a positive effect on fuel prices. It's hard to sort out, but it's important to try, because thinking is the only way to solve problems instead of making them worse.

Man on a mission

2011-04-29T16:39:00.000-05:00

-To Murph and the Magic Tones at the Armada Room of the Holiday Inn-

Elwood: We're putting the band back together.
Jake: You were the backbone. The nerve centre of a great rhythm and blues band. You can, make that live, breath and jump again.

-To Mr. Fabulous, the Matre'd in the dining room of the Chez Paul restaraunt-

Jake: We're putting the band back together. We need ya man, we need your horn.
Mr Fabulous: I can't, I really can't.
Elwood: We got everybody but Matt guitar Murphy and Blue Lou and we're getting them next.
Mr Fabulous: No way.
Jake: If you say no, Elwood and I will come here for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the week.
Mr Fabulous: Okay, okay, I'll play. You got me.

Tryouts are coming up in just 2 weeks and I feel like a blues man trying to reassemble his band for a mission from God to save an orphanage in the last minute. I've done everything I can think of to cajole, convince, or coerce (okay, maybe not coerce) kids to come out for cheer.

I told them straight-out; Every year it seems like people don't go out for cheerleading because they're afraid that someone else, who's too into drama or kinda snooty or way too quiet is going to go out for cheer and they wouldn't want to have to be on squad with that person. As I've been trying to convince you all for the last month or two- if only 4 or 5 girls come out that's who we have to go with, even if they're ineffective, divisive or defective, but if 10, 12, 14, 16 or more come out- then we can pick the most enthusiastic, the most amiable, and the most talented.

I've begged, I've pleaded, I've sent them pictures of when they were on cheer in junior high. I've encouraged them to encourage one another. I guess all I can do now is to hang up the sign-up sheet and run the announcements and hope for the best.

Meanwhile, we lose money. Cheer & Drill share track concessions. Most years we have 5 home meets and make a bundle of money. This year we only had 3. One got cancelled due to rain. Cheer & Drill Squad members who are on Track were all scheduled to work the last meet, Monday May 9 because it's a Boy's Meet. But now, one of their rained-out meets is being rescheduled for that Monday- AND, some of the Drill parents want to grill burgers and brats at the meet for a fundraiser. A girl just told me that no one on Drill can work concessions for that meet because their parents want them to sell burgers and brats. First of all, don't they get that they're taking money away from their own fundraiser by competing with the concessions stand for customers? And secondly, most of the cheerleaders were also on Drill or are also on Track. Especially since I had 3 cheerleaders transfer to different schools this year and 2 more quit- I will have only one or two people able to work. AAAAAUUUUUGHHH!!!

Typical teenagers

2011-04-29T10:13:00.000-05:00

I covered a study hall last hour for another teacher. Two of my football cheerleaders, who'll both be Seniors next year were in there. We talked about potential recruits. I don't know if there was anyone that they didn't roll their eyes about, glare at me over, or just generally poo-poo. "Ugh!," "Them?!", and "If they come out, I'll QUIT." were a frequent chorus.

It does seem that the girls who are enthusiastic about coming out are either divisive and drama-prone, or woefully unskilled and ineffective. Whereas those who you'd think would be bright, fun, amiable, and have any modicum of leadership are either already committed to Volleyball, Drill, or taking stats for the football team- or they're really hesitating about taking the plunge.

At my annual coaching (performance) review, my principal made it clear that we needed to get girls who 1. aren't as on the social-fringe as they have been, 2. will make a deliberate and concerted effort to encourage/lead fans, and 3. be responsible enough to show come to games consistently. Tell me something I don't know, Boss- easier said than done. It's not easy to recruit kids who get along and will do a great job at a small AA school like ours.

MediScare!

2011-04-28T11:33:00.000-05:00

I don't get it!!! When the last Congress passed the Health Care Reform Act, Republicans whipped Seniors and Tea-Partiers into a frenzy by CLAIMING that President Obama wanted to get rid of Medicare. They use fear and anger to manipulate voters, because they don't have any plausible, responsible plans. Part of the point of Health Care Reform was to reduce the deficit. NOW, Republicans are claiming that in order to reduce the deficit, they want to end Medicare as we know it; cut benefits, raise ages, and privatize most of it. Remember when they wanted to privatize Social Security?

Where were their screams about the deficit during the Bush years when he gave away our revenue with massive tax breaks to the richest 2% of Americans and to corporations? Where were their screams about the deficit when he started two massive wars off-the books? Don't let them fool us anymore. They don't care about real people, they only care about the money they get from lobbyists and big insurance and drug companies.

Tell Steve King that you can't believe that he supports the Ryan plan!

Rep. Paul Ryan's 2012 budget proposal was one of the most brutal attacks on the social safety net in decades. And almost all the Republicans in the House joined in by voting for it.

Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman called Rep. Ryan's budget bill both "ludicrous" and "cruel." "Ludicrous" because the budget projections were pure fantasy, "cruel" because it proposed massive spending cuts for programs that mainly help children, the poor and the elderly, while slashing taxes for corporations and the ultra-rich.

One of the main programs targeted by the Ryan budget was Medicare, which under the proposal would be destroyed in all but name, and replaced by a voucher program for seniors who'd be dumped into the private insurance market. And if the vouchers didn't cover the cost of insurance, too bad.

I just signed a petition to hold my member of Congress accountable for voting for this irresponsible and extremist proposal. I hope you do too.

You can find out more and take action at the link below.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/medicare/?r_by=20144-1369725-HegSyUx&rc=paste1

MarxhausenTribute

2011-04-26T13:29:00.003-05:00

MarxhausenTribute, a photo by Mal Dog on Flickr.

Artist and professor Reinhold Marxhausen used to tell his students that they were tools in God's hands, and he'd ask them "How has God used you today?" If an artist has a good tool, he uses it a lot, to the point the tool becomes well-worn and very familiar. A tool is not made to just sit in a toolbox, ready to work, but not being used.
~Josh Duncan, marxhausen.blogspot.com

One of my favorite Art professors, mentors, and inspirations. He passed away this weekend, after living with Alzheimer's since 1994.

Our loss is Heaven's gain.

No one will ever be able to be as creative, light-hearted, and out-of-the-box as he was, but I keep his picture on my desk at school to remind me that my job is to help kids see the world in new ways.

Here's a story about him in the Lincoln, NE paper

My Hero

2011-04-26T11:35:00.001-05:00

The Art world lost a great genius this weekend, but our loss is Heaven's gain. Check out this video of Reinhold Pieper Marxhausen on Letterman, back in the 80's!

Happy Easter 2011!

2011-04-24T14:25:00.002-05:00

BethEaster2011 003, a photo by Mal Dog on Flickr.

Orange is the new pink!
Check out all my new macro tulip pictures,
visit my photostream on Flickr.

Quit yer bitchin'!

2011-04-12T11:27:00.000-05:00

Some historical context on federal individual income tax rates can help us understand the gravity of this proposed budget plan:

In 1945, at the end of World War II, the top marginal tax rate was 94 percent.
In 1954, when Republican Dwight Eisenhower was president, the top marginal tax rate was 91 percent.
In 1980, the year Reagan won his presidential election, the top marginal tax rate was 70 percent.
By 1989, the year Ronald Reagan’s presidency ended, the top marginal tax rate was 28 percent.
When Clinton took office in 1992, he raised the top marginal tax rate to 39.6 percent, where it stayed throughout his presidency.
Clinton balanced the budget and left office with a surplus.
Bush Jr. chipped away at the top marginal rate until it rested at 35 percent in 2003, where it remains to this day.

Americans (Republicans and Democrats) used to take pride in paying their taxes. Our contributions made this nation great. We lived on less and paid our fair share to make sure all of our most basic needs were met. That changed in the 1980s with the onset of Reagan’s “trickle-down” economics. Reagan slashed the budget more than any president before him and drastically lowered the top marginal tax rate. And we found the trickle didn’t go far. Most Americans never felt one drop.

Read the article I got this from at the God's Politics Blog: http://blog.sojo.net/2011/04/12/the-ryan-plan-a-declaration-of-war-on-the-poor

My favorite poem

2011-04-12T09:25:00.001-05:00

Every April, our Creative Writing teacher asks the staff to submit our favorite poems, which she has her class post with our pictures on poster board in the hallways. This year I chose one that I figured was particularly appropriate for an Art teacher.

Drawing Class
By Billy Collins, 2003

If you ever asked me
how my drawing classes are going.

I would tell you that I enjoy
adhering to the outline of a thing,

to follow the slope of an individual pear
or the curve of a glossy piano.

And I love trialing my hand
over the smooth membrane of bond,

the intelligent little trinity
of my fingers gripping the neck of the pencil

while the other two dangle below
like the fleshy legs of a tiny swimmer.

I would add that I can get lost
crosshatching the shadow of a chair

or tracing and retracing
the slight undercarraige of a breast

Even the preparations call out to me -
taping the paper to a wooden board,

brushing its surface clean,
and sharpening a few pencils to a fine point.

The thin hexagonal pencil
is mightier than the pen,

for it can modulate from firm to faint
and shift from thin to borad

whenever it leans more acutely over the page -
the bright yellow pencil,

which is also mightier than the sword
for there is no erasing what the sword can do.

We all started with the box and the ball
then moved on to the cup and the lamp,

the serrated leaf, the acorn with its cap.
But I want to graduate to the glass decanter

and learn how to immobilize in lead
translucent curtains lifted in air.

I want to draw
four straight lines that will connect me

to the four points of the compass,
to the bright spires of cities,

the overlapping trellises,
the turning spokes of the world.

One day I want to draw freehand
a continuous figure

that will begin with me
when the black tip touches the paper

and end with you when it is lifted
and set down beside a luminous morning window.

Earliest Spring

2011-04-12T09:15:00.005-05:00

Grant Wood, Spring Plowing, 1932. MFA, Boston

The rolling prairie of earliest Spring
looks like an old quilt covering the hills and farms and wild spaces
with it's different squares and shape in different shades and colors

The corn stubble is still amber
and most of the bean stubble is still a dull grey

But the hay fields are just starting to turn green
like black and white photographs
that someone has touched-up with some watercolors

Here and there squares of the quilt have been tilled or plowed
revealing deep, dark browns

Jagged swathes are an even darker brown, almost black
where farmers are working on terraces and removing dead trees

Black lines trace the ditches where weeds and grass were burned
and faint green whiskers are peeking through the black
where controlled fires shaved culverts clean
deeper greens edge the creeks and brooks

From a distance the woods look like a fuzzy dark taupe
sometimes hinting at dusty rose or plum or just plain grey and brown
who'd imagine the white they wore just weeks ago, the glorious golds months ago, or the summer greens to come?

I can see what Grant Wood saw in his paintings
all my children can see are all the "BABY COWS!" prancing around their patient, stoic mothers

My lawn is finally regaining color and our trees are budding
and my children laugh at how fluffy and fat the robins have become
I figure their feathers are ruffled
like a turned up collar against a brisk April breeze
but my kids know it's because they're all pregnant
and about to have babies

I open my window wide and let the curtains flutter
and inhale the soft, hopeful breath of the new and listen to the chattering chorus of those expectant mothers

DancingCujo

2011-04-04T15:38:00.001-05:00

DancingCujo, a photo by Mal Dog on Flickr.

Having seventh graders paint with oil pastels again today and decided to try and paint a photo that I'd taken of our school mascot a few years ago.

"Hi, I'm Ted, and I'm a Writaholic. It's been three days since my last paragraph...

2011-04-02T10:11:00.014-05:00

1. Admit we are powerless over our addiction and that our lives have become unmanageable. Damn right. If it were manageable, I'd be grading research papers right now instead of writing you.

2. Come to believe that only a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Then again, there is that whole "Catch-22" factor, I mean, if we're sane enough to realize that this is a problem, then maybe we CAN stop any time we want to. I mean who's to say what the definition of sanity really is anyway?

3. Make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him. But I don't understand Him, I mean come on- why, why, when there are SO many freaking books in Barnes&Noble, can't God let me be able to make a living at writing. Just a living, I don't have to be THAT rich, or THAT famous. Is that SO much to ask?

4. Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Don’t you wish that some of those corporate CEOs at the oil companies and sub-prime mortgage lenders would do this? How about our politicians? Aren't we writers BECAUSE we're constantly making searching inventories of ourselves? We're some of the few people on this planet who are actually self-reflective, am I right? Or are we just more neurotic than other people?

5. Admit to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. I spend too much time writing. My wife is an English teacher and she doesn't write as much as me. I'll sit there writing at night while she wants me to watch Criminal Minds with her. I'm shameless. I'm supposed to be devising the assignments for my Photography students right now since it's my planning period, but am I planning? No, I'm writing. I can't help it, it's a compulsion.

6. Be ready to have God remove all these defects of character. Yeah right. He made me this way in the first place. I blame Him. I'm like the monster and He's Doctor Frankenstein. If God hadn't wanted me to be a writer, why'd He invent the personal computer? Is it His sick sense of humor to tease me with the internet but never let me make it to actual printed books or magazines? I bet he gets a real kick out of watching me type away. Like someone who just pretends to throw a ball or Frisbee for their dog to fetch because they think it's funny to watch them scurry after the phantom ball, only to be left sniffing around in circles for a toy that isn't there.

7. Ask Him to remove our shortcomings. The thing is, you have to be careful what you wish for. It's like this; do people who suffer from mental illness really suffer? Because if you have amnesia, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's or dementia, or multiple-personality-disorder, you wouldn't realize that you had it right? Some of those you'd forget you had it even if you did, right? So I figure, maybe this would be a good idea, because I wouldn't be so tormented by this love of writing anymore, I mean, does the person who undergoes a lobotomy miss their frontal lobe?

8. Make a list of all the people we’ve hurt and be willing to make amends to them.

That lady who said she couldn't believe they let someone like me teach in our schools because I compared John McCain to Herbert Hoover and called Sarah Palin, "Caribu Barbie."
Those right-wing chicks who figure I'm going to Hell because I said that the way to reduce the number of abortions was to work at eliminating poverty and provide affordable health care rather than simply outlawing it.
My daughters that time I was late picking them up from whatever practice because I got so caught up in finishing a piece that probably wasn't for anything more important than a blog.
My friends who want to chat with me online, but I feel like they're bugging me like mosquitoes flying around my face while I'm trying to get work done (work being writing something that will never get published anywhere anyway).
My wife who wishes I'd watch Criminal Minds with her on the couch with some popcorn.

9. Make direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. I don't know... I love my wife and I enjoy Criminal Minds, but I really don't like popcorn. Frankly, that lady who likes John McCain so well is lost in her own ignorance, let her vote for Donald Trump or Newt or Huck for all I care. I can always find a job in Winnepeg, so long as my wife and kids will move with me.

10. Continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong, promptly admit it. Well duh, that's what I'm always doing. Why do writers write? Because we think. That's like asking why birds bird or why bees bee. I admit it, I suck. If I was any good, I'd be Steven King or James Patterson- that doesn't mean I can stop. If I could stop

11. Seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understand Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry it out. As opposed to praying that there's enough money in our bank account to pay all our bills again this month, or maybe praying that I could win the lottery without buying a ticket?

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we try to share the message with others and practice these principles in all our affairs. That's all I'm doing here. What did you think? That I'm writing this for my health?

Ashley's Eye

2011-04-01T14:47:00.001-05:00

Ashley's Eye, a photo by Mal Dog on Flickr.

I took one of the photos I took last month and painted it with oil pastels. It's great when a demonstration painting that you do for your class turns out so well. Makes me love my job.

Happy National Poetry Month

2011-04-01T08:56:00.003-05:00

"Poetry is not the expression of personality but an escape from personality." ~T.S.Eliot

In honor of April, National Poetry Month,

I thought I'd share some of my own- such as it is

(thus the title, Max Nix is German for "not much,"
we Midwesterners are known for our self-effacing modesty).

Ted's poetry on this blog

Ted's poetry on Goodreads

Ted on Lulu Poetry

Ted on OriginalPoetry.com

But there is so much better poetry out there, so don't just read mine-

Check out yet ANOTHER of my blogs!

2011-03-31T10:07:00.000-05:00

Started a new venture- no long essays, just pithy inspiring quotes meant to encourage a positive climate, a nurturing culture, and hopefully boost morale during stressful times:

http://joycoach.blogspot.com

What to do when your right-wing friends keep forwarding you propaganda

2011-03-28T13:04:00.001-05:00

I want to equip everyone with resources to help them analyze and evaluate anything they're told by followers of Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, FOX News, or Glenn Beck.

The following links are very useful and reliable. As far as I've been able to see, FactCheck and Media Matters are both non-partisan organizations dedicated to debunking all sorts of political claims from both sides. PolitiFact was started by a newspaper in Florida and has long been recognized as one of the best sites for weeding through what's fact, what's opinion, and what's total bunk.

WHEN IN DOUBT, CHECK IT OUT

When it comes to Glenn Beck in particular, I have even more concerns. Rush, and O'Reilly are just your run-of-the-mill demagogues. FOX President Roger Ailes and owner Rupert Murdoch, like the Koch brothers are just powerful billionaires who use their influence to advance their own interests. Glen Beck however, invokes religion frequently and likes to deliberately evoke a religious fervor in his viewers that really makes you wonder if he isn't in it for the money or the politics, but the power-high of having so many people believe him and act on his instructions, like some kind of a cult leader.

The links above can help you sort through his various specific claims, but for me, the bottom line is that almost every time he speaks he uses fear. If he were really trustworthy, why would he need to do that? 1 John 4:18, there is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out all fear. By connecting any given issue with non-rational aspects of viewer's thinking, like loyalty, emotion, or moral absolutes, Beck makes it more difficult for anyone to reason with them using facts, details or rational argument.

I wrote about Beck's Mormon faith and his appearant use of religious and moral sentiments for leverage in creating division on my religion blog back when he held a rally on the National Mall-http://malloryprayer.blogspot.com/2010/09/glenn-beck-mormon.html

Here are two websites that are clearly not objective, they both make it their mission to document and challenge what they consider Beck's history of distortion, smears, defamation, vitriol, disinformation, and taking advantage of people's anxieties.

http://glennbeckreport.com

http://stopbeck.com

My advice is that rather than worrying about trying to have a logical answer for every theory and assertion, try changing the subject or gently explaining that you probably won't always see things the same way and so you'd just assume not get into it at this time. Hopefully, eventually, whoever it is that is trying to convince you of their conspiracy theory of the week will eventually get the message and back off.

POEM: Noisy Chatter

2011-03-27T20:31:00.001-05:00

What is it with all that clatter in that tree?
Why is that gaggle of grackles chattering so?

Are they mating? Is all that noise some kind of speed-dating?

Is it just a family reunion?
Are they catching up, after only seeing each other in passing along the flyway during migration?
Are they swapping jokes and gossiping?

Is it a tree-wide argument? Shouting and screaming like on the Jerry Springer show?

Maybe it's some form of laughter-yoga, chirping exercises.

Or is it just choir practice? Planning and preparing this afternoon for tomorrow's Dawn Chorus?

Surely, surely, it's not an avian congress- full of political vitriol and fury.

If only I spoke bird, I might know for sure.

A map of the world

2011-03-25T17:28:00.000-05:00

All art really is, is a map of reality
it;s not reality itself,
but it shows you the way.
No wonder that from across the room
it looks better than real life
but up close, it can look even worse.
Every artist, then, is just a glorified cartographer.
Shapes and colors, shades and scratches
are just so many roads and rivers
railroad tracks and cities
hills and valleys
destinations for the eye to travel to.
A record of where we've been.
A guide to where we'd like to go,
or to where are afraid to venture.

Odyssey Dawn

2011-03-22T07:54:00.000-05:00

The Daily Show - Odyssey Dawn
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

How many wars do we need?

Photophillia

2011-03-12T13:20:00.001-06:00

Since I set up a Flickr account to use to help me teach Photography to three students by independent-study, I've been uploading all my pictures there and ignoring this blog. I decided that I should put at least a few of them here once in a while. I don't know why I don't shoot in black and white more, I really love it. I could've used a bit more density and contrast in this one, but I still like it. Rosaio here is in Advanced (independent-study) Ceramics. She's be creating some fantastic sculptures. This one is s praying angel. It makes me miss teaching at a Lutheran High so I can talk with kids more openly and more often about their faiths.

Yesterday after a doctor's appointment, I didn't want to go home right away, and by the time I'd get back to school, the day would be over, so I went for a walk around the pond out at Yellowsmoke park East of Denison. Because of the time of day (and maybe the reflection/refraction off of the frozen pond) I definitely got a blue cast to most of my pictures on this walk. Ironic that it was in the low 60's 2-3pm but the colors appear so cold- whereas if I'd been out here around 6, during the "golden hour" I'd have gotten a warmer palette, but I'd have froze my butt off.

I was hoping to find some color on my walk, but came up mostly with browns and beiges. Fortunately, I came upon some color left over from autumn that made it through the winter.

The other day, I needed to take pictures of student's faces for a project where I have them draw themselves. A few of them asked me to take close-up pictures of their eyes too, so I obliged. This was one of the better ones.
Now I've finally posted pictures on this blog again. Who knows, eventually I may even post some writing here again too. Meanwhile, If you'd like to see more (tons more) of my photos, artworks, cartoons, or graphic designs, you can visit me on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/tmallory/collections

Another great teacher quote

2011-02-28T18:44:00.001-06:00

"young folk of all colors and classes need to know that we're concerned and involved in their lives. They need to feel that we're listening to them, not kist with our ears but out hearts. They deserve out attention. Our attention is an extension of our love, and without loving compassion, no real dialogue can be established." ~Cornel West

Teacher Quote

2011-02-28T12:11:00.001-06:00

"I see my role as an educator, as someone who feels both a Socratic and prophetic calling, to implement what Nietzsche called a singing paideia. I am always compelled to remember that paideia represents an unfathomable education in which self-examination and service to others produces a mature, compassionate person willing to speak, live, and sacrifice for truth." ~Cornel West

Soldier on

2011-02-24T22:35:00.000-06:00

Two Junior girls assured me today that the two of them and at least one more were committed to cheering for football season. Hope springs eternal.

The campus daycare Director, who runs concessions during football and basketball seasons stopped by my classroom to discuss what she had left over and what her recommendations were for track. Earlier this week our drill coach tendered her resignation, so it looks as if I may have to run all 5 track meets alone. So be it. Lord, let those girls show up to work. It's always a bear. Many of them participate in track. Some of them were in both drill and cheer, some quit cheer. Now those on just drill are sheep without a shepherd. Anarchy.

But at least that's a month away.

Tonight's game was fantastic. It was a real barn-burner. We dominated the first quarter and held on to a 10 point lead through most of the second. Our the stands were overflowing, even though the game as almost 2 hours away.

Our student section stood the entire game and were a dream of a crowd for our two meek cheerleaders- who did a fantastic job most of the time and didn't let it ruffle their feathers at all when students initiated cheers on their own because the girls weren't. I was proud of them and they had a lot of fun.

One Senior girl, a dominant basketball player herself and younger sister of one of the best cheerleaders I've coached led a couple of cheers- including one where she pantomimes a roller coaster ride and the whole student section went on the ride with her. It was fantastic. I promised myself that if we won, I'd have her do it again tomorrow at a pep rally. Since we only had 2 girls left on squad, I thought about inviting everyone down who knew or thought they knew the fight-song dance to perform it at the rally.

These two quiet, shy cheerleaders are the the most loyal and dedicated. For all they lack, I think they'll be assets if they both want to return for football season next year too. With the other 3, that's 5. I know of at least two eighth graders who want to cheer as Freshmen. That's 7, the Spec. Ed. boy will make 8. 8 is enough, I'd love to get the zealous Freshman back, if she ever gets her grades up. That's 9. Then there's the Schizophrenic 8th grader and the pathological drama-queen Junior. That's 10.

If I could just get another 2-4 more to come out, I could actually have tryouts and keep the best 6 or 8. I guess I'll run the announcements and hand notices and hope for the best.

I was so caught up that it didn't matter to me that if we won, we'd play another game on Saturday- preventing me from going on a date with my wife for my birthday.

In the end, we lost 49-46. A storybook half court shot looked like it would make it in with only a second or two on the clock, but sometimes those miracles don't happen in real life the way they do in movies. Everyone was heartbroken. I was really rooting for a couple of our Senior guys who are great Art students. I knew that it had to be devastating for them.

It was a long, quiet bus ride back to school. We got in around 10 and I decided to write this while I let my van warm up. If I leave now, I can get home by or before 11. God willing I can get to sleep by Midnight. It's hard to wind down after such an adrenaline-pumping game, but 5:30AM comes mighty fast.

Thank God, as they say, that tomorrow's Friday.

Uncertain about the future

2011-02-23T09:11:00.000-06:00

Got some news this morning about last night's Board meeting. I guess one of our 5th grade teachers is retiring and instead of hiring new, they want to move the 8th grade Civics teacher (who also does have a dozen other things) down to that position and have me teach 2 sections of 8th Grade Civics. It's not HS Psych, like I'd really like, but I'm game.

I appreciated that they told me in Feb. instead of August. It means dropping Web Design and MS Cheer, but I guess I don't mind that too much. It will be more work, but it's something I value and like and I like this year's crop of 7th graders too.

Although, I must admit that I'm really feeling insecure about HS Cheer. Not just that they'd take it from me because I appear to be ineffective, but that they'll scrap it altogether.

Our boys are doing really well in play offs this year. Tomorrow night are Regionals and if we win, they'll go on to sub-state, but our cheer squad have missed the last couple of games and I don't know whether we'll be there tomorrow night either.

We started out with 7 but it's really atrophied.

First, the two veterans (who are also on Drill) quit early in the season, saying that "it just wasn't as much fun as past years." The truth was that they were embarrassed to be on squad with the others. One seriously quiet Hispanic girl who had cheered before, but never seemed to come to practice; Two painfully shy, very quiet, and somewhat awkward/uncoordinated girls; one heavy-set, socially awkward, but incredibly positive if not overzealous Freshman girl; and our significant/profound Spec Ed boy.

Then one of the two quiet rookies quit. She said it was because she didn't have transportation to/from practice and games, but I found out from other students later that she had got her navel pierced and was afraid I'd order her to take it out.

I begged and pleaded with the 2 vets to come back, or for some of my other veterans who weren't cheering this season to come back- but to no avail.

Eventually one (also insanely quiet, shy, and moody) girl who had cheered in the past offered to cheer, but only for games when she didn't have to work. I took it!

I worked with what we had as much as I could. The all got much better over the course of the season. They bravely led pep-rallies. They all learned the fight-song dance, which is more than I can say for some of the more socially adept/accepted girls on this year's football squad. I even got them to get louder.

The Freshman zealot grew on the basketball players and much of the student body. She went from being the new kid who'd transferred in from somewhere else and seemed kind of weird, to being the one who always got them to stand up and yell, the one who always slapped their hands and told them "good job!" whether they won or lost. The only people who's nerves she was irritating, were her squadmates- who'd all rather blend into the background and who felt like she was being bossy, just because she actually took initiative and started cheers!

I'm proud of all of them, but I really have to say that I'm really proud of her for her constant positive attitude, enthusiasm, intention and school spirit.

Ah, but then it really fell apart. The Hispanic girl, a Junior, transferred to another school. That zealous freshman started failing two classes, making her ineligible, and the Spec Ed boy's mom had back surgery so she couldn't transport him around to games anymore. We were down to two, quiet cheerleaders.

Our surly, curmudgeon of a mascot, a Junior boy who's on my yearbook staff, called this season the "Geek Squad." I sighed and asked him not to make things worse.

I was still proud of them, they were troopers. If you knew them, you'd know it was brave of them to cheer just the two of them.

Then we came to "mid-winter break," a Thursday and Friday off, giving us a 4 day weekend in February- playoff season. And what happens? One of the 2 remaining girls, the rookie Sophomore's family decides to stretch this into a vacation in Florida. So she's unavailable for the last girls game last Thursday or the boy's games last Friday and yesterday (Tuesday).

I'm in Des Moines in a meeting with a new Occupational Therapist for my daughter when I get an email from my principal asking why we haven't had any cheerleaders. I explained as concisely but honestly as I can.

In my experience, it seems like most administrators, having a background in competitive team athletics aren't very empathetic to the problems of cheer coaches. But I could just be paranoid. He didn't respond to my reply, though he did ask this morning, when he brought me the news about next year's changes, if I thought we'd have cheerleaders tomorrow night.

We'll see, the Florida family is supposed to get back some time today and that girl plans on coming to school tomorrow- of course the game will be LATE, it's more than 80 miles away.

I know a few 6th and 7th graders who will be upset about the demise of our MS Cheer program. One who'll be devastated in fact. I don't know what to think. No other schools in our area have MS programs and it will make some things easier for me.

I don't know if my board or administration would like to find someone to replace me because I just can't seem to hold a decent squad together- or if under the pressure to cut expenses because of state budget crunches and the national recession- they'd look for an excuse to discontinue HS cheerleading at our school too.

Guess I can't waste energy worrying about it nor take it too personally whatever happens. I'd miss that vocation, it's not just that it's become a part of my identity (which it shouldn't be) bit it's both such a meaningful venue for mentoring kids and an aspect of HS life that I think is important- though from all I've been managing to recruit lately, maybe it's not so valuable to the constituency to constitute maintaining it much longer anyway.Hmmm.

Anyway, I'm not spinning out of control in any kind of existential angst or anything, but I am trying to absorb what all this means. Mind you, I can't hardly listen to anymore news about teacher unions and labor unrest right now either.

I guess I have this blog to ruminate on. The compulsive communicator in me desperately wants to share this post with people. Maybe just to get some sympathy, maybe for moral support or to solicit some positive thoughts and prayers. But in my insecurity, I don't think it would be wise. My wife already worries that students or parents might be offended if they ever knew what I write here. I know better than to complain publicly about work, you hear about people getting in trouble for what they post on facebook and twitter all the time. Be that as it may, writing is therapeutic and if this blog never leads to publication, but is merely a diary- then at least it's helping me process my thoughts and work through what I'm dealing with.

Maybe it's time to retire. As fantastic of a ride as it's been, and as important as it is for some of these young women to gain the poise and confidence that Cheer offers and hopefully the mentoring I try to offer- a HS Cheer coach needs to inspire pride and loyalty, I seem to be lacking in this area.

Support Our Public Servants

2011-02-19T11:22:00.000-06:00

Under international law, all workers have a human right to organize and to bargain collectively. These rights are delineated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights among many other documents and conventions.

It's not just about having to pay more for benefits and pensions or receiving less in salary. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker wants to dismantle the leverage that workers have to balance out political interests.

Dear conservative friends, this is not fair, and it's not about balancing his state's budget, it's cynically taking advantage of hard times to bludgeon who he see's as political enemies. Please, please, can't you see this?

Teachers, Firemen, and Policemen are not selfish anti-American conspirators. They're willing to negotiate and make sacrifices for the budget, but they're standing up for what used to be something that helped build the middle-class.

Why is it that we're trying to take away workers' voices, yet the Roberts Court granted corporations Constitutional rights as individuals under the 'Citizens United' decision? Why is it we're so afraid of labor unions, but political action committees and multinational corporations get protected?

Goldie

2011-02-01T16:49:00.001-06:00

golden 042
Originally uploaded by T-Mal

I often wonder how many reflections are inside of a goldfish bowl. With a memory only seconds long, perhaps they never get lonely because they keep seeing other fish

CTC1988

2011-01-30T14:27:00.000-06:00

CTC1988
Originally uploaded by T-Mal

Here we are in the Campus Center (student union). The girls recruited us dumb guys so that they could build stunts. The mascot costume is pretty fierce looking, but the chick inside was this really cute red head... anyway, this was the final Concordia Teacher's College cheer squad because in 1989 they changed the school's name to Concordia College, and in 1994 it became Concordia University.

Yes, I am aware that my hair looks like a helmet and that I look like a dork without a goatee.

doghouse

2011-01-30T14:25:00.000-06:00

doghouse
Originally uploaded by T-Mal

These were the Concordia Teacher's College 1988-89 Bulldog's Cheerleaders. This is the Seward, Nebraska town band shell next to Godfather's Pizza at the end of the Homecoming parade. I still remember the chant-

This is the Doghouse
Big Blue and White!
This is the Doghouse
And we know how to FIGHT!

In the Merry Old Land of Oz!

2011-01-25T17:39:00.000-06:00

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fun, fanciful read that really helps you get to know and care about the characters better than the movie. It's an easy read (go figure, it's a children's book). I enjoyed reading it myself so much that I decided to start reading it as a bedtime story to my 6 and 9 year old daughters, and they're loving it too! There are a lot more adventures and the friends encounter more strange creatures than in the movie. Of course, the witches are also a lot more vulnerable and Dorothy is much less musical than in the film too.

Simple, sweet and American classic that it is- legend has it that it is a political allegory of the gilded age. I'm not sure how well it stacks up to other satires like Dante's Divine Comedy or Voltaire's Candide, but as a former high school American History teacher, I did a little digging around and this is what I found.

Midwestern farmers (The Scarecrow)

Urban industrial workers (the Tin-man)

William Jennings Bryan, populist presidential candidate (the Cowardly Lion), although some theories say that the lion represents the organized Church and religious leaders.

Yellow brick road (the gold standard), in spite of what Glenn Beck and Tea-Baggers think these days, Baum apparently thought of it as a road to nowhere.

Emerald City (Either paper money & finance, or perhaps Washington DC)

Wizard of Oz (the President) OR... Oz is an abbreviation for gold, which was a hot political topic with people rallying for a fixed ratio of silver and gold, OR... Mark Hanna, the chairman of the Republican party at the time.

Dorothy, the symbol of Everyman, us, U.S. (Although, another theory is that she represents Theodore Roosevelt, the United States president. Some people believe this theory more than the other because of the similarities in the names: Dor-o-thy and The-o-dore.

Silver shoes (the proposed system of basing backing the Dollar at least partly with silver, popular with Western miners and farmers)

Wicked Witch of the East symbolizes the large industrial corporations and eastern finance. But some think of the Witch of the West as the Railroad Barons, but others say she is William McKinley who ran against William Jennings Bryan and won.

Good Witch of the North is thought to represent the workers of the north, whereas the Good Witch of the South is thought to represent the farmers of the south. This contrasts the wicked industrialists of the east and the railroad moguls of the west.

Uncle Henry: In the late 1800's, there was a famous farmer who was the editor of a leading farm magazine. His name was Henry Cantwell Wallace, and everyone called him Uncle Henry.

The flying monkeys represent Native Americans.

The basic moral seems to be that the "powers-that-be" can only remain in power through deception- our ignorance and "red-neck-hood" allow the powerful to manipulate and control us.

Ha - ha - ha, Ho - ho - ho - And a couple of tra - la - las
That's how we laugh the day away, In the Merry Old Land of Oz!

View all my reviews

Don't turn back

2011-01-20T09:01:00.000-06:00

Rolling back reform would add $230 billion to the deficit, allow 32 million Americans to go without coverage, and put the insurance companies back in charge of who gets care.

Even though their repeal won't make it through the Senate only to be vetoed, Republicans have vowed to try to try to pick apart at healthcare reform with a plethora of small bills and court challenges.

These are some of the things that they're hoping to do:

-- Undo steps to close the "donut hole" in prescription drug coverage that makes prescriptions unaffordable for millions of seniors;

-- Allow insurance companies to discriminate against those with pre-existing conditions -- as many as half of Americans under 65;

-- Legalize the practice of insurance companies dropping people's coverage when they get sick -- just because they made a mistake on a form; and

-- Prevent young adults under 26 from staying on their parents' insurance.

Yeah, these are pretty much talking points from http://my.democrats.org/ProtectReform, so I'm a pretty much being a party shill here, but the thing is 1. I agreed with the mass email they sent me, 2. I'm being honest about it and 3. this is important.

The House leadership is using deceptive language and fear mongering again. This time instead of talking about socialism and "death panels" threatening to kill Grandma, they're calling it the "job-killing healthcare reform bill" and pretending to care about the deficit. Iowa's Steve King compares it to a malignant cancer growing on the Constitution! What a bunch of hubris!

It doesn't seem to matter to the GOP or the Tea Party movement that Bush's massive tax cuts for the richest 2% or the unprovoked war against Iraq both took us from surpluses under Clinton to the massive deficit we have and the gross negligence of Wall Street and the housing markets made more government spending necessary to prevent global financial disaster!

The Healthcare reform passed by the last Congress is almost identical to that written by Republicans back in the 90's yet they've made it central to as much fear, anger and vitriol about government as they can conjure.

Isn't it time for this nonsense to finally stop?

De Facto Segregation

2011-01-18T14:39:00.000-06:00

This is a day late for MLK Day, but it's pretty amazing if it's true and worth a thought. De Jure Segregation may have been banned, but de facto segregation continues.

U.S. fact of the day

from Marginal Revolution by Tyler Cowen

100+ people liked this

American schools are more segregated by race and class today than they were on the day Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed, 43 years ago. The average white child in America attends a school that is 77 percent white, and where just 32 percent of the student body lives in poverty. The average black child attends a school that is 59 percent poor but only 29 percent white. The typical Latino kid is similarly segregated; his school is 57 percent poor and 27 percent white.

Overall, a third of all black and Latino children sit every day in classrooms that are 90 to 100 percent black and Latino.

3 Things we really should talk about

2011-01-17T21:47:00.001-06:00

In the wake of the shooting massacre at Congresswoman Gifford's meet-and-greet in Tucson, Arizona last week there seem to be three controversial topics which have been on the minds of many Americans.

Regardless of whether or not any of these three actually had much influence on shooter Jared Laugher or not, all three are things which we really do need to be able to have some "grown-up" conversations about. Unfortunately, many people have gotten either so defensive or so indignant about at least two of the three, that the third seems to be going ignored. It would be tragic if it ends up being shelved and closeted or swept under the proverbial rug, because it has spent far too long there already.

The topics of course are, civility in discourse, the availability and lack of regulation of weapons and ammunition, and the treatment of those with mental health issues.

Of course it has long been next to impossible to talk about the second issue because of the deterioration of the first, but I'll get to that later.

First of all, let's face it. America has become intensely polarized in the last few decades.

There are those on the right who will claim that in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks we came together under the "United We Stand" slogan, but the "liberal media" and the anti-war movement quickly began sowing seeds of dissension.

Myself, I suspect that the real schism was pried open by the manipulation of sound bites and talking points memos crafted by the likes of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and GOP strategist Lee Atwater and disseminated initially by AM talk radio shock jocks like Rush Limbaugh and Mike Savage. Those who agree with me could draw a logical line of lineage to Karl Rove and FOX personalities Bill O'Rielly and Glenn Beck.

But some will argue that I am a hypocrite for pointing the finger of blame and villainizing conservative activists. Fair enough. Let's take it further back. Older conservatives might say that the entropy of civility and political polarity is due to the disrespect for high office and distrust and adversarial positioning that were a result of the Watergate coverage by the Washington Post and CBS News and the anti war movement during Vietnam.

Although, there are those on the left who would speculate that if it wasn't the spin-doctoring introduced by the Reagan administration, then it was Nixon's Southern strategy of appealing to latent racist fear and anger to capture votes of Southern Whites in the late 60's with "code words" like states-rights, urban blight, and law-and-order.

Wherever the ultimate blame lays, here we are in a ultra tribal climate where people on either extreme of the political spectrum see each other as subhuman and are in a constant struggle to win over the 75-80% of Americans who live in the middle. One side uses emotionally charged, moral language, and the other uses overly complicated policy laded jargon. Is it any wonder that one side sees the other as intolerant fanatics and that side sees the first side as insufferable elitist?

Whatever happened to the good old American maxims like we're all in this together, we're all in the same boat, let's agree to disagree, and lets try to find some middle ground? The fact is that if we're ever going to solve any of our mounting problems, we are going to have to be able to talk with each other. That starts with the presuppositions that we are all people and that we are all equals.

We can't become immediately defensive and we have to all grow up and stop assuming that each of us has an absolute monopoly on what's right. We need to be willing to listen and we need to not be so hypersensitive whenever someone says something we disagree with- no matter how wrong we believe they are.

That, boys and girls is called civility. It means that you have to share and play nice. You have to be patient and kind and respectful. Sometimes you may even need to be deferential or (gulp) compromise.

Now, as to guns. You're right NRA, "guns don't kill people, people kill people." But you know what? They sure make it efficient. Laugher had 30 round clips that he got at a Wal Mart. Here's a guy who was rejected by the Army and ejected from community college, both for being mentally instable and yet it was convenient for him to get 30 round clips. Standard is a 10 round clip. Hunters, sportsmen, law enforcement officials and military personnel will all tell you that no one needs 30 rounds for self defense or to kill a deer. The only reason for having a 30 round magazine is to make it efficient to kill several people quickly.

We're not talking about taking away your guns or denying your Constitutional rights. We're talking about reasonable restrictions which make us ALL safer. At the risk of sounding condescending or un-civil, the Russians aren't going to invade us like in the 80's movie Red Dawn and there's no such thing as zombies. If you think it's imperative to stockpile a large number of weapons with as much ammunition as possible, you're very likely a member of some kind of paranoid, militaristic White supremacist group or a polygamist cult or you're very mentally unstable yourself- or all three.

If you're not one of these three kinds of nuts, or involved in organized crime in some way, please try to be a little less absolutist when arguing for your gun rights. If you could muster a little more reasonableness and a little less sanctimony, it will go a long way toward the rest of us not stereotyping you as gun "nuts." I'm perfectly fine with the logic that every American has a right to a rifle, shot-gun, and/or hand gun, but come on, get real, your right to bear arms does not include a right to automatic sub-machine guns or surface-to-air rocket launchers- it just doesn't, I'm sorry. The rest of the world thinks that we're unreasonably violent cowboys for wanting just the one hand gun each.

Finally, and most importantly we have to do something about our shameful ignorance of and indifference to the plight of the mentally ill, not to mention our lack of any kind of meaningful structure for screening, evaluating, and treating people with severe mental and emotional illness.

Oh you'd think that we've made giant strides because we closed down all the embarrassing institutions exposed in books like 'One Flew Over the Coo Coo's Nest,' and because television has almost as many commercials for antidepressants as it does for erectile dysfunction- but just because we can take CAT scans and PET scans and MRIs of the human brain and just because we now consider lobotomies and electroshock therapy as barbaric, doesn't mean that we're caring for or providing desperately needed services to this often shunned part of our population.

It's one thing to dissect and analyze Laugher's blog and videos for phrases that might mirror those of Glenn Beck. It's one thing to question how someone who had run afoul of the Army, college, and employment could get their hands on guns and such powerful ammunition so almost effortlessly. But the REAL question is, how could someone so obviously sick not get help? Why wasn't he hospitalized? Why wasn't he in regular counselling? Medicated? Supervised?

Maybe it's because we stigmatize mental illness more than we do respiratory illness, cardiovascular illness or ostiopathic well being? Do we not value Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Therapists, Counselors and Social Workers as much as surgeons, oncologists, gastroenterologists, endocrinologists and other internists?

We seem to be obsessed with our physiques, our skin, our hair, our teeth, and especially the performance of our penises- but when it comes to sociopathy, psychopathy, neurosis, depression, anxiety, addiction, trauma, grief, personality, identity and as in Laugher's case, schizophrenia- we don't want to see it, we don't want to think about it and we sure as hell don't want to have to pay to do anything about it.

I don't know what the answer is. Maybe too few of us have any concept of what could be done because no one has ever been willing to talk about it.

What I do know is that I think it will be a phenomenal tragedy if the next chapter to the story of the Tucson massacre is that Laugher pleads insanity and some right-winger laughs because it's those mamby-pamby bleeding-heart liberal's own damn fault because they let everybody get away with everything.

What I'd love to see is for the recovering Congress woman, her astronaut husband, the gay Latino hero who saved her life, Gifford's dear Republican friends and the parents of 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green would all come together to get Laugher psychiatric treatment and propose and fight for a National mental health care bill and establish foundations to provide mental health services to adolescents and young adults in Tucson and beyond. That would be fantastic.

It seems to me that John Hinkly Jr., President Reagan's would-be assassin quickly became the butt of all kinds of crazy guy jokes and Reagan aid Jim Brady who was put in a wheel chair by Hinkly's bullet and ever since tirelessly fought for stricter handgun control laws has all but become a footnote in history.

My prayer is that Gifford and Laugher together become catalysts for major change in the tone of our discourse, in gun regulation and especially in mental health reform.

But if you disagree with me on any of these three issues, do me a favor- please don't call me names, threaten to kill me, or think I must be crazy just because I see things differently than you do.

Ted Mallory has shared: If Martin Luther King Jr. were alive today ...

2011-01-16T19:25:00.000-06:00

Too True!
If Martin Luther King Jr. were alive today ... Source: salon.com He'd be a member of the Tea Party?

Ted Mallory sent this using ShareThis.

Sent out to a variety of Alumni from 2 schools

2011-01-14T16:31:00.000-06:00

Years ago I used to ask former cheerleaders to pray for my current squads. I've kinda gotten lax on that commitment in the last couple of years- mostly just because of being so busy. But the longer you're in this job, the more heartbreak you see in kid's lives, so I'd like to invite you all to ask God's help for a few kids I've been cheering.

If you're from or still in the Dunlap area, please keep these prayer requests confidential. If you're not a person of faith, please don't be offended by this email, just delete it. If you are a believer but like me have been getting caught up with the business of everyday, maybe God will use this email to rekindle your own relationship with Him.

Okay, here goes, first the two biggies:

Please pray for "BK," a 5th yr Senior who cheered for us during football season but has now transferred to another school. She's aged out of the foster care system and recently got locked out of the house where she was staying. Her love is basketball, but since she's 19, her hs eligibility has run out. She's a miracle baby- she was born premature with her organs on the outside. She wasn't supposed to survive, but did. She's been surviving ever since. Self-styled rapper on facebook/youtube- not bad for a white girl from Omaha, lot of hurt and anger though- as you could imagine.
Please pray for "Kay," a Junior. She also cheered during football this year, but didn't come out for basketball season because she found out that she was pregnant. Yesterday she had a miscarriage. She was 12 weeks along. As frightened as she had been when she found out she was pregnant in the first place, she's absolutely devastated about losing her baby.

But it would be wonderful if you'd consider praying for a couple of broader and less profound areas too-

Please pray for my current basketball squad- Two veterans quit after the first week of games. As often happens when people quit, they didn't really give a reason. The remaining cheerleaders aren't very experienced, they aren't very confident, and they aren't very loud. Don't get me wrong, I'm very proud of them and they've come a loooong way in practice, but they're not the strongest we've ever had. No kidding, three of the girls are painfully shy (it's kind of surprising that they had the courage to come out for cheer). The one girl with the most moxie is a freshman who's a new student and something of a social outcast. Her skills are developing quickly and she has a lot of dedication and motivation, but not exactly as pretty as or as popular as a prom queen. Her family lives in an old funeral home in town and the consensus in town is that her whole family is... maybe a bubble-off-of-plumb, so to speak. Rounding out the squad is a severe/profound special ed boy. He's not able to speak much but just exudes joy and enthusiasm. They're all sweet kids and trying their hardest. I guess, please pray that they'd continue to improve, especially their coordination and that kids wouldn't make fun of them or deride them too much. Especially pray that they'd all gain courage, confidence, poise and skills by working together this season.
Please pray that God would bring together a strong squad for next year. There are a few 8th graders who would be good- but they're pretty prone for drama. There are a few Juniors, but I don't know which ones will come out again and whether they'll want to work with next year's Freshmen as Seniors. And of course, there are the girls on this year''s basketball season- a Freshman, a Sophomore, and a couple of Juniors. The last couple of year's it's been hard to get girls to come out for football season, they'd all say that basketball season is more fun- but now this year almost no one wanted to come out for basketball either, and then 2 of them quit.
And I guess please pray for my coaching. Last year I was feeling really inspired and reading lots of John Wooden. This week I'm pretty wore out. It's probably just this time of year- basketball season can be grueling with 3 games a week and late nights. I'm not ready to throw in the towel or to give up coaching or anything, but school's busy and with 3 girls of our own, home is busy yadda yadda yadda. Pray that I can remain focused and motivated because these kids deserve the best I can give them. They need a coach and not just a sponsor. Maybe I'm just tired, maybe I'm worried about BK and blue about Kay, to be frank, maybe I'm self-conscious about this season's squad- but for whatever reason I'm feeling pretty fried this week.

That's it. Thank you for your thoughts and your prayers prayers. One of the reasons you were included in this email is because I feel so privileged to have been able to teach or coach you. You are all amazing people who I'm really proud just to have known. It's been wonderful to watch God make you into such great adults.

"The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16b

Thanks,

Coach

Words we needed to hear

2011-01-13T15:12:00.000-06:00

I think he did an excellent job- as usual. Eloquent a intelligent. Only RFK did better after a tragedy- when he heard the news of MLK's assassination.

My other 9 fingers are getting jealous of my right thumb

2011-01-09T23:14:00.000-06:00

I got a new (used) toy for Christmas, an 8 gigabyte ipod touch. I am proud to say that I am using it to read the likes of Carl Sandburg, Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, Emily Dickinson, and Mark Twain. This is a wonderful way to pass a 45 minute bus ride to away games during basketball season in Iowa.

However, I am ashamed to say that I haven't written much at all since the addictive little UFO came to live in my breast pocket- and as you all know, I was once a blogaholic.

What can I do? Thumb exercises? There are free apps for training yourself to speed type- but the 2"x1" qwerty board is just not the same. I wonder if this is what Mike Royko felt like when he gave up his old cast iron Remington for an IBM PC.

Also, because I got the AOL instant-messaging app so that my wife can get a hold of me at school all day, my 8 year old niece thinks that I am an facebook and wants to chat with me. Since I don't reply, she thinks I'm a big meanie (not that I understand why her parents allow a second grader to have a facebook account).

While I'm at it, there is this app for LinkedIn, a professional networking site- but who do I REALLY need to network with anyway? I'm just a high school Art teacher. Should I keep that app? Do I network with other Art teachers? I don't really know any. Okay, one- and she wanted to Skype with me, but my wife got my ipod used on eBay so it doesn't have a camera, let alone a front-facing one. What exactly would I Skype with anyone about anyway?

I never wanted the Visaphone on the Jetsons, just the flying car. Of all the things from that show to come true- why the Visaphone? You'd think the vacuum-tube elevators would've been much more fun.

So I ask you, how do I make myself write again? Will I ever write again? Did I only THINK that it was a compulsion and an integral part of who I am? Have any of you found yourselves limiting your writing to 140 characters or less? Have peculiar symbols crept into what little writing you do do, like "@" & "#?" (by the way, I've been reading a lot by Rosanne Cash and Steve Martin too- but not her memoir or his novel- their tweets. I highly recommend them both. Don't get me wrong, Conan's okay and Corbet's a hoot, but BP is over and God's not everything he's cracked up to be.)

So what do you think? Do I just have to FORCE myself to sit down with the old laptop once in a while? Will that be the only way to get really WRITING again? Do you think maybe I should try writing letters? Would that do the trick? Do you think that might get the old juices going again?

Click "like" if you think I should. Share this with anyone you think may be going through the same problem I am. Or else I guess you could retweet it, whatever.

Welcome to the Teen decade

2011-01-01T16:36:00.001-06:00

This is a good day to reflect on the events and blessings of 2010, commit or recommit to resolutions, and maybe make a few predictions- what can you imagine will happen this year?

Progressives in Western Iowa?

2010-12-30T17:13:00.000-06:00

Living in one of the most Republican saturated congressional districts in Iowa, Democrats may feel isolated and under constant scrutiny. Yet we're not alone. In spite of the fact that District 5 keeps electing Steve King, Democrats keep getting elected to county and municipal offices. This proves that we're not only not alone, but that many of our fellow progressives are committed to public service and to our communities- AND that they are trusted and respected by their constituents- our moderate and conservative neighbors.

I'd like to encourage other Democrats to be unashamed of their convictions, undaunted by the potential ridicule of right-wing ideologues in their workplaces and families, and make an effort to connect with one another and network with other progressives in Iowa and the Midwest so that we can remain informed and better organized.

To help us do this, I'd like to recommend three great resources in particular:

If you're like me, you've had people question the validity of your faith because you support Democratic candidates. Sociologist, Pastor, and author, Tony Campolo's latest book, Red Letter Christians proves that Christians not only can, but should consider liberal and progressive political positions in the light of Jesus' teachings, and examples.
Visit the Red Letter Christians Blog at http://www.redletterchristians.org.

Opposing gay marriage, abortion, and evolution are NOT the only issues Christians should care about, Campolo addresses these as well as education, poverty, corruption, campaign finance, lobbying, foreign policy, war, gun control, immigration, tax structure and many more.

Campolo's contention is that God is neither a Republican nor a Democrat, Republicans and the religious right have miss represented Christianity in the media and politics in the U.S. for decades, their positions are not necessarily always as supported by Scripture as they claim, and if we look at all of the Bible (and contemporary political issues and current events) in the light of Jesus' teaching (the red-letter portions of the Gospels, such as the Sermon on the mount in Matt. 5-6)- we will have a hard time seeing Republican and Tea Party attitudes as being very Christ-like at all. We should look at each issue individually for ourselves rather than assuming that one party or candidate is right on every issue just because we agree with them on one or two issues.

George Lakoff's book, 'Don't think of an elephant' is something that every Democrat needs to read because we need to learn how to communicate our values:

a strong America
broad prosperity
a better-future
effective government
mutual responsibility
empathy
equality
accountability.

We have to share our values and start couching every discussion we have about every issue in terms of these values. It's absolutely imperative that we work on counteracting or at least eroding the myths that our friends, families, and neighbors are being barraged with about liberals, Democrats, and progressives. We are not misled, we are not anti-American, anti-family, or anti-God. We are not NAZIs or Socialists as Glenn Beck would have people believe. We earnestly care about our nation, state, communities and families. I believe that if we internalize, personalize and start peppering our conversations with these ideas that Lakoff points out have already been our long shared values- our fellow Western Iowans may gradually become less afraid of us and less prejudiced against us.

Finally, 'You Have the Power: How to Take Back Our Country and Restore Democracy in America' by former Vermont Governor and DNC Chairman Howard Dean is an excellent book with lots of ideas for reinvigorating our grass-roots. Like Campolo and Lakoff, he explains how Democrats have always held values of community and mutual responsibility, as well as equality and empathy. He presents a clear and easy to understand case for how the right wing has mismanaged the economy and abused political power- but have been more organized and deliberate about communicating their supposed values and appealing to the general population- inn spite of the fact that they really only represent a narrow group of interests. Dean isn't some kind of weird radical, his book is incredibly clear, concise, personal, practical and applicable. Those active in party leadership should especially enjoy and find use for this book.

If you're reading this, you could easily order any or all 3 of these books online. They're all reasonably priced.

I hope you'll all find ways to find out who your fellow Democrats are, especially here in Crawford County. get to know each other and support one another. Connect with blogs, facebook, twitter, email, and texting. And remember to make sure you're Republican friends, coworkers, and family members know that you're not only not the enemy, but that you care about Iowa and are intelligent and informed. Share your values sincerely and don't try to argue over specific policies, instead share your perspective on them in a nonjudgmental way, while couching your opinions (which they probably don't share) in the context of your values (which they probably do share).

Happy reading and Happy New Year.

POEM: The color of snow

2010-12-27T21:04:00.000-06:00

Some people complain about how the landscape never changes all winter

perhaps they find it anticlimactic after Fall's finale

but I think these are the same people that gripe about Fall's epilogue of beige after the harvest is out and the leaves have been raked

they're the same people who fail to recognize how many different greens there are in the depths of summer,

or how much they change from May to September

But my friend Monet has taught me to see and to savor the colors of snow

he showed me the blues and turquoise, the creams, golds, ambers, lavender and rose

No two months in winter, no two weeks, days or even hours are the same, the rainbow is constantly, quietly, gradually fading in and out,

like waves of hue on one of those fiber optic lamps, ebbing and flowing washes of light

Some days you feel like you're indoors because there is no line on the horizon, the white of the ground, identical to the sky.

Other days the blue of the sky is is tight and sharp and crisp and refreshing

simultaneously it is never more contrasted to the ground and yet how could so much of such pure, clean blue not be reflected in the snow

In the city it goes from off-white to grays and sooty indigos, leaving some gutters iridescent

By March, plenty of snow in the country will be full of browns and ochers and ash with mud and soup

Some of the most magical mornings are when the freezing fog have left a flocking on the trees

Spruces and pines look like they've been sprayed with paint for sale on the Christmas tree lot

While the branches of elms and oaks seem to have fancy white feathers

I like it when it's not just a visual experience, but an auditory one too

Big FAT flakes visiting the Earth like manna, not falling, but gracing us with their advent,

muffling all sound, silencing the cacophony of everyday life.

What I really like is when it's the frigid cold that silences everything,

but the crunch and the squeak of my feet walking on dry powder compacted into ice.

This Christmas, it came down in heavenly flakes of mica, peeled from the layers of stones in New Jerusalem,

spinning and shimmering as the descend

Amazingly there were drifts and hills of ground diamond powder

it was enough to make you believe in angels and cherubim

and miracles and singing

La Vida Loca

2010-12-24T13:50:00.000-06:00

What a rocky road. School has been really busy, so I haven't had a chance to write anything here- but there's sure been plenty going on to write about.

After 2 or 3 games, my two best veterans (each other's best friends) quit, no explanation, by text mind you, just before we were getting on the bus for our first away game.
The following Monday, I found out that one of them was in the hospital all weekend. She'd gone to the doctor on Friday, not feeling well and found out she had Type I Diabetes. Certainly not something that has to prevent you from cheering, but in spite of my pleads, they don't want to come back. Never did get en explanation why.
They say that everything happens for a reason though, and I've wound up having to do more actual direct, deliberate coaching that I have (at the HS level) for a few years. One of the remaining girls is very heavy-set and not the most socially adroit, but she seems to have been part of an incredible junior high program at her last school because she has a load of good skills and instincts. The one veteran left is a Junior Latina. She's always been one of the quietest girls I've ever known. She doesn't live in town and doesn't have her own car, so she hasn't been able to come to practices (since her ride is one of the two girls who quit). But in some ways this has been good for her because she'd been forced to step up into a leadership role at games. The other two, a Sophomore and another Freshman are INSANELY shy and quiet- no one would ever have thought they'd even go out for cheer. I spent one practice just working on getting these 3 to be LOUDER. Another practice we spent working on being more synchronized. I'm proud to report that not only have they not flopped, they keep getting better each game.
Meanwhile, one of the girls who cheered during football season announced she was pregnant. Sigh. I want to be supportive of her, but I have to admit to being disappointed. Teenagers aren't ready to become parents and therefore shouldn't be sexually active. That's it, bottom line, regardless of what you think about it on moral or religious grounds- not to mention emotional, psychological, or social maturation. I had a cheerleader pregnant last year too who at least seemed to be much more humble and somewhat private about it. This girl, is as excited as my kids before Christmas. It's like she's obsessed about it the way people get about a new pet, toy,car, computer, whatever. Whatchya gonna do? I'm trying very hard to be supportive and non-judgmental. Be that as it may, I think we have at least 3, maybe 4 or 5 pregnant students at our school this year, it's getting ridiculous. Someone needs to do something about this. I don't know if it's up to parents, the board, our guidance counselor, principal, teachers, or who.
Finally, my little Junior High squad has been chugging along. I have one 7th grader in particular who is a phenomenally hard worker. She has learned a ton, and taught her self more, and she's been more consistent with her grades and attendance than any other middle schooler. She's the only one who's cheered for both football and basketball this year. She never misses a game and will even cheer alone when no one else shows up.
On the other hand, we had an 8th grader this year with lots of difficulties. Her IQ is only in the 50's, she's on medication for Schizophrenia, she has a pretty pronounces speech impediment, and has a lot of trouble with coordination and rhythm. I was proud of her and excited for her because she'd been having so much fun, feeling like she was part of something, and little-by-little, getting better at cheering. The Thursday before Varsity's first pep rally, Junior High had a game. I thought that the JrHi squad was doing well enough and were responsible enough that they could perform unsupervised. I was SO worried about making sure that my quiet/shy/insecure Varsity rookies were prepared for their pep rally that I told the MS squad that they were flying solo. The next morning, schizophrenic 8th grader came to me before school and told me that she couldn't finish out the season because she took a job as a babysitter. Later that morning, her Special Education teacher (also the MS girls' basketball coach) came to me and shared that the 8th grader had thrown a tantrum, cussing a blue streak before the game in the hall. She recommended that I suspend the girl from cheerleading- moot point since she'd already quit earlier that morning. Later that afternoon, another JrHi cheerleader reported to me that the 8th grader's older brother (her legal guardian) had attended the game and perhaps was embarrassed by either her performance or her inappropriate behavior because he made her go home with him before the game was finished and wanted her to quit cheerleading.
I am at the same time relieved to not be responsible for her, frustrated with her for her misbehavior (however unable to control it she may be), ashamed of myself for being relieved to not have her awkward physical and social challenges on stage as part of my program anymore and broken hearted for her that life and circumstances have handed her such a raw deal. I cared a great deal for her older sister, who had also been in junior high cheer. The sister would've graduated last year, but had transfered to another district after having had a falling out with their brother. Their mom had been a drug addict (which caused the 8th grader's physical and mental health problems). The older sister attended a school for at risk girls for at least one semester and is now a recovering addict herself. Not sure if she's gotten her GED or is still planning on college or not, but I at least know from facebook that she has serious boyfirend.
I know this was hard to follow since I didn't use any names. I don't want any of them or their parents/guardians to ever be offended by anything I write/reveal here about them. I want to protect their identities. I hope I'm not making myself sound like any kind of big hero, I'm not. I just think it's amazing how fascinating some of these kids and their lives are. I've known dozens of kids with stories just as painful, difficult, heroic and sordid over the last 17 years of coaching. That doesn't make me all that fascinating or heroic, but you can see why I wanted to have a place to write about it. I believe that cheerleading can make a meaningful difference in these kids lives, I do hope that somehow God can use me to help them along the way, at least in some small ways. I'd like to think that just by being a stable, "traditional" adult in their lives, that makes some kind of difference.
As you can see, truth really is stranger than any fiction I could try to come up with. What fiction offers is the ability to write about these crazy, amazing things without worrying about airing a real person's dirty laundry or appearing to cast any kind of judgement on them. But then again, I never have time to write about reality, let alone fictionalize it. You'll notice I'm writing this on Christmas Eve- on vacation from school!

2010-12-21T12:12:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple of acrylic paintings I did today.

This is of Dada/Surrealist photographer and artist Man Ray. The Spongebob animators liked him so much they made him one of Mermaid Man's arch villains. I think it turned out to be kind of a mixture of Raymond Burr, José David Alfaro Siqueiros and Rod Serling.

Everyone easily recognizes Psychology pioneer Sigmund Freud. Naturally, a student gave me a hard time about including a cigar, since just the day before I'd disallowed him from drawing a cigarette on his final self portrait. One cool thing about this painting is that I think it looks a little like it's in the style of his grandson, English painter, Lucian Freud.

Don't kill mockingbirds

2010-12-20T14:52:00.000-06:00

"Look at six eggs
In a mockingbird's nest

Listen to six mockingbirds
Flinging follies of O be joyful
Over the marshes and uplands

Look at songs
Hidden in eggs"

-from Carl Sandburg's 'Cornhusker'

Feliz Navidad

2010-12-18T21:15:00.000-06:00

took the camera to some poinsettias today and unleashed some macro!

Surreal take on a surrealist

2010-12-17T17:34:00.000-06:00

Here's a montage I made in Photoshop in the spirit of Surrealist Man Ray. Below are two of his paintings and one of his photos which I used.

Driveway moments

2010-12-17T09:08:00.000-06:00

it's not so much that the story on the radio is so fascinating
but the car seat is kinds cozy
and the heater has finally started to work
after the whole drive in

my vehicle is my cocoon
no one telling me anything
no one asking anything from me
no one I need to supervise, or mediate, or negotiate

the morning is still quiet
what if I didn't go in?
out her (in here) the world can not touch me
yet

eventually the gas would run out
someone would knock on my windshield
and ask me what I'm doing out here
if everything is okay

in here there are no bills
no emails
no expectations
no one to disappoint

just a radio
a heater
my radio
the comfy driver's seat

no rich
no poor
no popular or cool
or dumb or disliked

just this little space
these three minutes
the parking space
out in front of work

one last sip, the story's over
inhale deep, and sigh
remove the key, open the door
and face the cold, and face the world, and face the day

Cheer&Dance Stuff for Christmas- Varsity Shop

2010-12-10T11:23:00.000-06:00

Cheerleading Uniforms & Dance Uniforms - Varsity Shop

Here's the website to go to for all things Cheer- from pajamas to jewelry to bags and tees, and of course accessories. Even your own poms if you want it so bad.

I'd say if there's something you want for Christmas or your birthday, tell your parents about this site instead of asking me about all the piles of catalogs I get.

Happy Human Rights Day

2010-12-10T08:57:00.000-06:00

On December 10, 1948 the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was based on the U.S. and English Bills of Rights and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. It's framers wanted to include the Four Freedoms mentioned in U.S President Franklin Roosevelt's 1941 State of the Union Address; Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Worship, Freedom from Fear, and Freedom from Want.

U.S. Delegate to the U.N., Eleanor Roosevelt supported the adoption the UDHR as a declaration, rather than as a treaty, because she believed that it would have the same kind of influence on global society as the United States Declaration of Independence had within the United States. Elenor Roosevelt was the Chairman of commission charged with drafting the Declaration. If Mrs. Roosevelt was to the UDHR like John Adams or Ben Franklin were to the U.S. Declaration of Independence, then Canadian Law Professor John Peters Humphrey was it's Thomas Jefferson, who spent his life fighting for human rights around the world.

Here is a simplified version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from the Human Rights Education Association's website:

Summary of Preamble

The General Assembly recognizes that the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, human rights should be protected by the rule of law, friendly relations between nations must be fostered, the peoples of the UN have affirmed their faith in human rights, the dignity and the worth of the human person, the equal rights of men and women and are determined to promote social progress, better standards of life and larger freedom and have promised to promote human rights and a common understanding of these rights.

A summary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

1. Everyone is free and we should all be treated in the same way.

2. Everyone is equal despite differences in skin colour, sex, religion, language for example.

3. Everyone has the right to life and to live in freedom and safety.

4. No one has the right to treat you as a slave nor should you make anyone your slave.

5. No one has the right to hurt you or to torture you.

6. Everyone has the right to be treated equally by the law.

7. The law is the same for everyone, it should be applied in the same way to all.

8. Everyone has the right to ask for legal help when their rights are not respected.

9. No one has the right to imprison you unjustly or expel you from your own country.

10. Everyone has the right to a fair and public trial.

11. Everyone should be considered innocent until guilt is proved.

12. Every one has the right to ask for help if someone tries to harm you, but no-one can enter your home, open your letters or bother you or your family without a good reason.

13. Everyone has the right to travel as they wish.

14. Everyone has the right to go to another country and ask for protection if they are being persecuted or are in danger of being persecuted.

15. Everyone has the right to belong to a country. No one has the right to prevent you from belonging to another country if you wish to.

16. Everyone has the right to marry and have a family.

17. Everyone has the right to own property and possessions.

18. Everyone has the right to practise and observe all aspects of their own religion and change their religion if they want to.

19. Everyone has the right to say what they think and to give and receive information.

20. Everyone has the right to take part in meetings and to join associations in a peaceful way.

21. Everyone has the right to help choose and take part in the government of their country.

22. Everyone has the right to social security and to opportunities to develop their skills.

23. Everyone has the right to work for a fair wage in a safe environment and to join a trade union.

24. Everyone has the right to rest and leisure.

25. Everyone has the right to an adequate standard of living and medical help if they are ill.

26. Everyone has the right to go to school.

27. Everyone has the right to share in their community's cultural life.

28. Everyone must respect the 'social order' that is necessary for all these rights to be available.

29. Everyone must respect the rights of others, the community and public property.

30. No one has the right to take away any of the rights in this declaration.

Moment of clairity

2010-12-08T08:38:00.000-06:00

there is a moment of dusk
that is not dim or dull
instead it is sharp
and clear and rich

the colors are deep
and the world appears
as if in a cameo portrait
with variegated darkness just at the edges

the colors of the hills and roads and sky
have more meaning
than at noon
because they are about to be lost

but, it's only a moment
between the golden hour and the twilight zone
one bright, bold,
optimistic moment

when everything is more real
more real than usual
but, like all moments
it is fleeting

and the curtain falls for another moment
and the house lights go out
the previews are over
the night show is about to begin

be careful not to blink
because when you open your eyes
that bright moment will be over
and you'll wake up in the dark

Lame Congress

2010-12-01T13:22:00.000-06:00

GOP says "hey 2 Mill people unemployed because of Bush/Republican policies- screw you, Hey Multi Billionaires, have a tax cut!"

Survivors

2010-11-30T15:18:00.000-06:00

Sixth period today I was visiting some with our new mascot while another student drew her.

She's been in foster care until she was 18. She's 19 now and lives with a friend she calls an "aunt." She transfered to Boyer Valley from an urban school in Omaha this year as a Senior. Last week she and her aunt moved to my Charter Oak, where I live, but she's still attending BV. She'd rather play basketball but they aren't allowing her to since she's a 5th year Senior.

She was born 3 months early with her internal organs outside her body. She never knew her Dad and doesn't talk with her biological Mom. She's an aspiring rapper. The youtube video of one of her raps says that she's a guy trapped in a girl's body.

She's not exactly a stellar student, but I know she's got a good heart. Here's how I know.

Part way through 6th hour someone came into my room and announced that "one of your cheerleaders is crying in the bathroom." Right away a Junior girl who had cheered for football season asked if she could go check on her, so I let her go. Word came that a Freshman boy had commented on how the Freshman cheerleader looked fat in her uniform. The Senior Mascot know the boy, asked me if she could go comfort the Freshman girl in the bathroom too. I let her, but instead, she went and calmly but authoritatively summoned the boy from his study hall, admonished him and demanded that he apologize to the girl, which he did.

Hall Duty

2010-11-30T11:06:00.000-06:00

Crazy mornings are the best.

Stress helps you think better;

lethargy and apathy aren't options

You just get going and keep going

The wind howled all night long

the storm windows rattled

not that I sleep well when my wife is gone anyway.

My alarm didn't go off.

I woke up more than an hour later than usual

I scrambled to get ready

pack lunches for the kids

roust them out of bed to get them going.

I didn't get breakfast

didn't make coffee

reminded everyone to dress warm

and what work to get done when they get home

The car stalled at the corner

I noticed it was low on gas

it stalled again as I pulled up to the pump

I went inside to pay and grab some coffee

I grabbed an egg sandwich and a bottle of gas-line antifreeze

I hurriedly paid for it all

and slammed into the door with the sign that said

please use other door

About a third of the way to school

my cell phone rang

I looked forward to talking to my love

but instead heard my middle daughter in hysterics

Something about snow pants

the wrong snow pants

little sister not listening

put your sister on

listen carefully,

wear the ones in your bag

let your big sister wear the other ones

Ok? Ok. Love you Daddy, love you too

Back to the middle girl

still hysterical

But they don't fit either

and I can't find mine!

I'm already a half hour behind

I'll get to school late

and I have hall duty

I wish I could help you

Can you just calm down

it will be okay

it's just one day

stay inside

And whatever you do,

don't call Grandma

This is not that big a deal

breathe, Honey, just breathe

My cell rings again

this time it is my wife

Excited about your conference?

I hope it goes well

I love to hear her voice

It almost makes it worth missing her

Just call to say good morning?

No, one of the kids called, what's been going on?

Nothing

No big deal

We got it handled

Everything's okay

I run into school

and head out to the hall

ten minutes later

than I'm sure my principal would've liked

Hall Duty can be tedious

standing in one place

for a half an hour

keeping students from loitering before the bell rings

It's a slow morning

not so many kids

probably all late

because of the cold

I visit with a a few

congenial and calm

playing the role of the

steady and positive adult influence

I read my book of poetry

and look out down the hall

past the lunch room, through the windows out front

and see that the snow has started to fly

Do I sound like him?

2010-11-30T10:21:00.001-06:00

Ever notice how when you're with someone
who has an accent
you can't help
but start to unconsciously mimic their accent

If you catch yourself you try to stop
because you don't want them to think
that you're making fun of them
but you just can't help it

You creep into matching their cadence, meter, and inflection.
I know that lots of times when I see a movie
I come away wanting to talk like Matthew McConaughey
Or Sean Connery or Liam Neeson

Today, for whatever reason
Having read some poems this morning
I want to write like Billy Collins
with quatrain stanzas

Entwurf von Scheiße: some loose ideas

2010-11-19T23:22:00.000-06:00

Anne Lamott says that having lots of ideas brewing for a story is like having tons of boxes of ornaments but no tree to hang them on yet. Thats kinda how I feel about this whole new "Wolfmädchen" project. I don't know if it's tonight's full moon or just that having finally gotten around to post those last to pieces got my juices going, but I'm having a hard time sleeping. So, here are some tree ornaments before before I forget:

Sheep in Wolves' clothing
Sheep dogs
Coyotes
No chickens were harmed in the production of this video
whats up with a guy who carries around a King James Bible in his backpack but has nothing but Slipknot and Black Veil Brides on his iPod?
Alpha dog
Chew toy
Canis dirus (dirus=abominable)
Fox, dog, bitch, mama grizzly

Wolfmädchen; Waking up in Doctor Doolittle-Land

2010-11-19T21:27:00.000-06:00

I was so dead to the world tired and achy. I just wanted to sleep forever. And I had the biggest headache of my life. But I couldn't fall back to sleep because I kept hearing these voices.

I rolled over on my side to try to make out who was talking and what they were saying. That's when it dawned on me that I was all alone and outdoors. I was so stiff and exhausted I didn't really care. Somehow I still had the costume on. I must've imagined it was my blanket on my bed at home.

It was still dark out, just before dawn, I heard someone talking again and instinctively flinched into a crouch and looked toward the sound- only to come face to face with a terrifying sight. At first all I could make out was fur, and a horrible stench. But I didn't hear any breathing but my own. Maybe it was dead, whatever it was. I gingerly reached out to touch the carcass to make certain it was just some kind of road kill. Instead I felt long, cold teeth, made out of polyurethane.

Whew! It was just my head.

I was relieved as when you go careening off the road into a snowbank in your car in winter but realize that thankfully you didn't hit another car. But I was still on my guard.

"What are you? What are you?" came one of the voices again. This time there was something furry and alive coming toward me. Again I was relieved when it was just a raccoon sniffing at me? Ordinarily you'd expect a 14 year old girl to be wigged out by even small wild vermin, but for some reason, I realized that I didn't have any reason to be afraid.

Unafraid as I was still didn't know who kept talking.

"What is it? What is it?"

"What are you? What are you? Are you a people or a dog? People or a dog?"

"Bugs, bugs," another voice said from a few feet away.

"Mmmm, good. Mmmm, fruit, mmmm, good" said another, I thought from up above.

"Are you a people-dog?" said the raccoon, looking up at me?

"What the hell?!" I said, "Are you- are you talking to me?"

"Who else? Dog-breath people-girl?" said the raccoon.

"Holy shit! This is too much. Somebody must have snuck some LSD into my Powerade at half time.

"Do you understand me, little guy?" I asked my new subsentence.

"Do you have any food?" it asked.

"Uh, no, sorry."

"No food? What good are you?" it snapped back, and started walking away.

"No wait! come back! How can you understand me?"

"Don't mind him. His kind all have one-track minds. Food food food. Not very smart at all." came a dry, superior voice, from above me. I looked up into the ash tree I apparently had fallen asleep under but only saw a crow.

"Excuse me," are you a crow?

"Corbin Corax is the name, and I happen to be a raven," he explained with some offense in his tone, "larger and much smarter than any crow."

"Great, I'm talking to a big black scavenger bird with a superiority complex. I still don't know if I'm cursed or just crazy, but I know I must be both."

"Perhaps, Dog-Girl, perhaps you are indeed a little of both."

"Oh Geez, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. Maybe I'm just dreaming. Or maybe somebody really did drug me as a prank or something. I just want to get home and sleep it off and wake up and have life go back to normal."

Then as if on cue, quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

Wolfmädchen; Fish Breath

2010-11-19T20:20:00.000-06:00

"So, you're a 'werebear?!'"

"You make it sound so dorky," he complained. Obviously I hurt his feelings.

"Well, who ever heard of a werebear? You gotta admit, it lacks that certain goth vibe."

"At least I don't eat people." Ouch, way to hit a girl where it hurts. Time to lighten things up.
"Yeah, how's that diet of berries and walleye treating you?"

"Pffff, I wish there was some walleye around here." I couldn't believe it, instead of dishing back, he got all reflective on me. "Pretty much nothing but crappies and bass around here. What I wouldn't give for some salmon. I wish my parents would get jobs in the Pacific Northwest."

Why is he always so damn serious? "God, no wonder your breath smells like it does."

"Hey at least I don't chase cats."

"Good one Pooh Boy."

"Pooh? Like Winnie the Pooh? I'm 6' 4", 320 pounds and like you, I transform into a hairy beast with massive claws and teeth and you STILL think I'm just 'Mr. Nice Guy,' all sweet and gentle."

I didn't think it would be a good idea to point out that his name was Ben at that moment.

"You'll have to forgive me, if I don't find you intimidating. After all, I am the bearer of a thousand year old gypsy curse, tormented by demons, libel to get chased down by a mob of villagers with torches and pitch forks any day now."

Wolfmädchen; the concept

2010-11-19T19:53:00.000-06:00

As I noted when I started this new blog, writing guru Anne Lamott says that it's important to allow yourself some "shitty first-drafts."

For a long time now I've had these ideas rolling around in my head for a book about a teenage girl werewolf. At first my concept was a cheerleader. But of course the market is glutted with paranormal teen romance gobligook. I was afraid it would be too Buffy-esque.

So then a friend of mine (who happens to be a former mascot) suggested she be a mascot. Could you imagine how funny it would be that no one would ever see her turn into a wolf, because she'd be in a dog suit anyway?

I had started thinking she was like a couple of different cheerleaders I had out in LA. But while they were both funny and pretty, neither had really developed senses of irony. In fact, while they weren't totally innocent, I think they were pretty much guileless.

So then who popped in my mind was a girl who actually came out for mascot this year, but then only did it for one game. She has this kind of conspiratorial, perpetual soliloquy thing about her. A little like in the movie Juno- but not nearly as bitter. Someone with enough sarcasm to be a great narrator, but who is still someone you could identify with, and care about.

So, anytime you see an entry tagged "Wolfmädchen" (Wolf-Girl) it will be one of many scattered, fragmented, unordered little "Entwurf von Scheiße" (shitty first draft).

I want it to be about all that difficult adolescent stuff, change, alienation, angst. But hopefully it will be funny. Just like Lon Chaney Jr's 1941 Wolf Man, I don't want her to be a sociopath (not that there aren't a lot of teenage girl sociopaths out there).

I know it's pretty pretentious to think I'm gonna write the great American novel. These days everybody and their brother wants to write a book. It may be that nothing ever comes of this, I'm pretty scatter-brained (not to mention busy) and I haven't got a lot of self-discipline. But these ideas keep popping into my head, so I thought it was high time that I start writing them down somewhere.

Ode to Jasper Johns

2010-11-18T14:12:00.000-06:00

Here's a new watercolor painting with a touch of 9/11 in it. I worked it over with a lot of surface techniques so as much as I want it to be like a Jasper Johns, it has plenty of Jackson Pollack in it too.

Grateful for great girls this season

2010-11-13T14:45:00.000-06:00

Over the years plenty of people have told me that I'm either some kind of saint, or certifiably crazy. There is certainly no shortage of egos, drama, tension, silliness, and annoyances. But most of the time it can be very rewarding. I believe God has taught me a lot through it (certainly patience) and I hope and sometimes think that He has used me to help teach and mentor the girls on my squads.

It can be stressful and I have a handful of friends, colleagues and former cheerleaders (including my wife) whom I can vent to when it gets hard- but I usually feel guilty about it because I'm constantly trying to impress on my cheerleaders the importance of being positive and because I don't want the people I'm venting to to conclude that it's a terrible hardship or that I dislike it and would rather get out of it.

So I would be remiss if I didn't take the time to thank God for the kids I have on this year's basketball cheer squads. Three of the four junior high girls are new as are three of the seven high school girls. A lot of coaches of ANY sport might tell you that it's hard to lose a lot of veterans because you have to go back and reteach the fundamentals. They'll often call it a rebuilding year or a growing year.

The thing about rookie cheerleaders is that they tend to be more coachable, more open to teaching and instruction. Girls who have been cheer for a few years start to get fiercely independent. It's good to be able to trust them to know what they're doing, but they can be less open to correction and and more likely to challenge your coaching. Which is okay, that's natural and all part of the process. But it's nice to be doing more actual coaching, and not merely advising or being just a sponsor again. Sure, it can be more work, but that just means more direct and deliberate interaction with kids. This is when teaching happens and when the relationships are established which will offer opportunities for mentoring later on.

So, I want to thank God for Lexis, Jarlin, Cathrine, and Jamie on my MS Squad and for Brittney, Shannon, and Jasmine on my HS Squad.

Although, I still want to thank Him for those hard working veterans who know what they're doing too. I have no rhythm and can't remember most of our cheers. I'm not a dancer. I coach best when I'm coaching the fundamentals. Cheers and chants are passed down through oral tradition. This year, so far, I've been very blessed with girls that seem to work well together and get along- much less drama than some past years. So, I should also thank God for Renea and Tiffany, Brenda and Kayla- and for Cammey who comes inn to help me teach even though she's not cheering this season.

A wonderful chat with an old friend

2010-11-13T12:56:00.000-06:00

A Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've always enjoyed Vonnegut's imagination and sense of humor in his novels, but I never knew how much we thought alike politically or philosophically until I read this little gem.

It's not an autobiography by any means and I'm not sure you'd call it a memoir. The blurb from the New York Times reviewer on the back cover says that it is "like sitting down on the couch for a long chat with an old friend." That's probably better than I could explain it.

It's not a big political rant, as the title may suggest. It's about lots of different things, from family to technology to WWII to how some of the nicest, smartest people come from the Midwest.

It's a collection of essays toward the end of the life of one of the funnest, funniest, sharpest, sweetest wits ever to come out of Indiana.

Having finished it, I am grieving, the same way you do when that long, warm conversation with an old, dear friend finally has to end and one of you has to go home and go to bed so you can get up and go to work in the morning. I wish this book didn't have to end.

View all my reviews

Purple Blues

2010-11-09T15:11:00.000-06:00

Good Grief

2010-11-08T14:45:00.000-06:00

Second week in November. We've been practicing in preparation of basketball for a week now already.
This Senior girl comes to me and wants to be on squad. She's already 6 months pregnant.
Why wait until the last season of you Senior year?
I dunno?
Why do you want to cheer?
It'll look better on my college applications.
Uhuh.
And my probation officer wants me to do it.
???!!!

Almost there

2010-11-05T11:24:00.000-05:00

I'm not quite sure what else I need. I don't want to go too far, but it hasn't told me that it's finished yet.

What I did on my lunch break

2010-11-05T11:22:00.000-05:00

A veritable potpourri of pictures. Very therapeutic.

Day Three

2010-11-04T11:12:00.001-05:00

It will be interesting to see where this painting takes me tomorrow. I know that it's not where it needs to be just yet. I know his eyes need to be darker. At least I'm getting some serious layers, range, contrast, and density- these are what a monochromatic painting should demonstrate. Check in tomorrow afternoon to see what happens.

19 yr old Senior's eligibility ran out

2010-11-03T14:22:00.000-05:00

I wrote this to a Senior who cheered for football this year, who hasn't been in school for a week or more.

Hey kid- get well and get back to school.

You were making so much progress in Drawing, I'd hate for you to regress in skills.

I'm really looking forward to having you mascot for me too. You're awesome at encouraging the crowd, I think you'll be a great mascot.

Take some Vitamin C or echinacea or something.

Nasty rumor going around today that you're so despondent about not being able to play basketball that you're thinking about dropping out. I sure hope that's just a rumor. You're way too smart for that. Plus you can't play basketball in college if you don't go to college and you can't go to college if you don't graduate from hs.

You know you can always talk to me about anything. I'm here to listen. I know Ball meant a lot to you. Hang in there.

Lots of love,

Coach Mal

Unfortunately, the email bounced back-

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Presidential Painting

2010-11-03T11:15:00.000-05:00

Here are the first two days' progress on a new watercolor painting I'm doing. The assignment I gave my students is to create a monochromatic portrait, and include a value scale along the side.

I tried to find a fairly serious photo of the President. I wanted to avoid cheesy, overly exuberant, or angry. I think the one I found was pretty somber- although I suspect that my own disappointment in yesterday's mid-terms may be intruding because he looks particularly melancholy. I was looking at the photo upside down, trying to render it as clinically and visually analytically a manor as I could. It will be interesting to see how this one progresses through the week.

Vote for Culver to Get the Job Done

2010-11-02T11:09:00.000-05:00

Thanks to state investment under Democrats, Dubuque now is top city in America
DES MOINES – Forbes Magazine came out with their latest rankings on the best small cities to raise a family, and topping the list was Dubuque. They found that it is large enough to have a thriving business environment, yet small enough to not be overcrowded.

Under Governor Chet Culver, the state worked with local leaders and officials at IBM to bring the multi-national technology company to Duqubue. Thanks to the Iowa Values Fund, our successful public-private partnership, we were able to bring 1,300 good-paying, technology jobs.

“My administration has worked hard to bring new jobs and new opportunities to communities large and small all across Iowa, and no place highlights the success of our efforts more than Dubuque,” said Governor Culver. “We brought 1,300 jobs to this community with IBM. And through I-JOBS, we are improving the infrastructure of this community and laying the groundwork for future growth with an $8.1 million investment in 32 projects in Dubuque County. This new ranking confirms that the Culver/Judge Administration is getting the job done.”

The ranking by Forbes is one more top national ranking for the state of Iowa. Thanks to Governor Culver’s leadership, Iowa is now ranked:

1st in children’s health care thanks to our investments in HAWK-I and Medicaid

1st in renewable energy

2nd in fiscal situation

3rd best-run state in America

3rd best employment outlook in the nation

Top financial rating with a AAA bond rating

Iowa is the 6th top state for doing business

Iowa’s economic performance is the 8th in the nation thanks to I-JOBS

8th lowest unemployment in the nation

Des Moines and West Des Moines both rank in top ten best cities to relocate in America by Sperling’s

“When you rank in the top ten, why would you throw out the coach?” said Governor Culver. “Terry Branstad says that our record speaks for itself, and it certainly does. Under the Culver/Judge Administration, we have become one of the top states in America for kids, financial strength, and business. We are working hard to make our state the best in America, and I respectfully ask for your vote today so we can continue to move Iowa forward.”

Paid for by the Chet Culver Committee.

Vote for Campbell

2010-11-02T08:43:00.003-05:00

Get out there and vote

2010-11-02T08:38:00.002-05:00

Today is Election Day!

Find your polling place here, think about when you'll vote and how you'll get there, and bring along three friends to vote with you: http://pollingplaces.raiseyourvote.com

Every Progressive needs to read this book

2010-10-31T18:15:00.001-05:00

Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate--The Essential Guide for Progressives by George Lakoff

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Fascinating. Lakoff is a "cognitive linguist," some of his observations remind me of the symbols and archetypes of Carl Jung. Enlightening.

If there's 3 things I like it's psychology, good writing, and politics. This book has all 3, but don' t let my comment about Carl Jung put you off- this is a breeze to read. Fun and easy.

Lakoff explores the perceptual "frames" or world-views of the left and the right and explains why language is so powerful. He thinks that it is important to be able to articulate your values clearly and speak in terms of positive assertions rather than negative criticisms or reactions.

His basic preface is that there seems to be two basic world-views in America right now, the "Strict-Father Family" model and the "Nurturant-Parents Family" model. At first I thought it correlated with Thomas Hobbes and John Locke- but now I realize that it is much more like the differences between the Puritans and the Quakers. On the right you have the punishing rugged individualism of James Dobson's "Focus on the Family," and on the left you have the empathetic, community-orientation of Jim Faye's "Love and Logic."

I really think that this book would be good for both liberals AND conservatives, and even independents. I don't think that he maligns or libels conservatives, if anything, I believe he just clarifies what most Republicans already know about themselves and in many cases already admit about themselves.

What I wish would happen is that other, "casual" conservatives and independents would read this book and have their eyes opened- so that they'd become aware of the broader strategy and the powerful propaganda that the far-right has been using to take advantage of them. But as soon as they find out that it was written by a Berkley professor- I'm sure that their "frame" would kick in and not let them even give it a chance.

I hope you'll give it a chance because, bottom line, he explains why & how they've been winning for the last thirty years and what we progressives need to do to compete more effectively in the marketplace of ideas.

View all my reviews >>

Pappa Bear; This is the Doghouse

2010-10-31T18:15:00.000-05:00

Performing at the town band shell at the culmination of the Homecoming parade.

This is the Doghouse
X X X
Big Blue and White
X X X
This is the Doghouse
And we know how to fight!
Clockwise, starting with the Mascot; Erin (inside the costume) the Irish red head I had a big crush on, Chris my Freshman roommate who stole a girl from me, Tasha our Captain, Pete who ended up being an elementary principal in Hawaii, Tonya who bought me at the annual "slave auction," Jamie my stunting partner, Jim a misogynistic pervert, Amy, and me with big 80's hair. (I've withheld their last names to protect their privacy.

Go Big Blue!

I attended the little college on the prairie. Concordia Teacher's College was a Missouri-Synod Lutheran school in Seward Nebraska, founded in the 1894. I say "was" because like you can
't go back to Constantinople, because now they call it Istanbul, you can't find CTC because Sophomore year it dropped the "Teacher's" from it's name and became simply "Concordia College, Seward," and upon their centennial was renamed "Concordia University, Nebraska." CU is one of ten Concordias nationwide, from New York, to Selma, and from Portland to Austin. They're Christian colleges that offer liberal arts and business programs, but specialize in preparing professional church workers.

I starded out planning to become a commercial artist (Seward's art department rivals the Chicago Art Institute) . I struggled with whether to go pre-seminary to become a Lutheran pastor, but eventually wound up with a Bachelor's in secondary education with a double major in History and Art.

Mission Statement
Preparing Servant Leaders for Church and World

Alma Mater
Dear old Tow’r that shines above us,
Dear hearts that catch the gleam,
Though miles and years remove us
Of you we’ll always dream.
From Plum to Blue and yonder,
We rise Concordia’s own
To praise as far as we wander
The good that on us shone

Fight Song
On, Concordia, On, Concordia,
Pep that team of yours.
Fight, Concordia, Fight, Concordia,
‘Til we win this game.
Rah! Rah! Rah!
On, Concordia, On Concordia,
Pep that team of yours.
Fight, fellows, fight
And we will win this game

corporate branding

2010-10-31T18:14:00.001-05:00

Made this so I can use it for email signatures

A corollary to yesterday's post about political bedfellows

2010-10-31T18:14:00.000-05:00

George W. Bush Bush dumped $848,000 worth of Harken Energy stock back in 1990, two months before the company announced a $23.2 million loss; he was 34 weeks late in filing a form the Securities and Exchange Commission required to record the sale... According to Time Magazine, "...Harken concealed losses by selling most of a subsidiary to an off-the-books entity controlled by company insiders. Bush was on the audit committee, which, at least in theory, approved the deal. It's the same tactic used by Enron—on a massive, more pernicious scale..."
Time reported in the same issue that "Halliburton, while Cheney was CEO, greased the books to boost the firm's flagging fortunes." Creative accounting.

Dennis Kozolowski, Ken Lay, Merrill Lynch, Enron, Andersen, Halliburton, Adelphia, R.J. Reynolds, Tyco, Bristol-Meyers, Global Crossing, the list goes on and on of individuals and corporations involved in abuse and corruption during early part of Bush's FIRST term. It's as if there was no S.E.C. no accountability or transparency or ethics of any kind in business, finance, and government.

The Bush years were a new gilded age or cancer-stage capitalism. A culture of corruption flourished.

Is it any wonder that we're now dealing with the likes of Bernard L. Madoff, Goldman Sacs, Lehman Brothers, the entire mortgage-based-securities, and auto executives flying in on private jets to ask Congress for bailouts?

Obscene greed. Yet Conservative Christians only get worked up about abortion and gay marriage. When I wrote columns scrutinizing John McCain's connection to the "Keating 5" and the S&L bailout scandal of the 1980's and how his role in deregulation of the financial sector may have helped lead to our current meltdown I was raked over the coals as some kind of unpatriotic, America-hating, abortion promoting liberal.

Transparency and accountability, and a whole lot of self-discipline is what America needs now.
Time for Relief, Recovery, and a whole lot of REFORM.

But what do I know? People have labeled me a "liberal" and now I have to wear that label like a scarlet letter.