The Pain & The Itch at The Players' Ring

Community theatre can be a terrific way to see some of your family members fulfil their dreams of ending up on the stage. You know, that mother who fashions herself the next Bette Midler, that brother who thinks he's the next Leonardo DiCaprio. Usually their actual acting skills aren't up to par with their lofty expectations and it ends up being either endearing or embarrassing. I expected more of this sort of thing than what I actually got last night while attending Bruce Norris' "The Pain and the Itch" as directed by Todd Hunter at the Players' Ring in Portsmouth.

Held in the Black Box Theatre (105 Marcy Street, Portsmouth), there are fewer than seventy five seats (which somehow on a Friday night weren't all filled - really people? Is alcohol that important to you? I saw hundreds of people trolling outside bars on my way home). The theatre itself is adorable, even the farthest seat from the action keeps you no more than ten feet from the players and I've never seen that sort of intimacy in a theatre before. And it really added to the performance - for better or worse.

The Pain and the Itch isn't the easiest story line to follow along. Clearly, it is about family dynamics at a Thanksgiving feast although there is a special guest who is constantly interjecting into the increasingly uncomfortable dynamic asking about the cost of various things in the living room.

What starts out as very much a tragicomedy about dysfunctional families in the first act actually turned into a relatively uncomfortable and disturbing tragedy about hatred, violence, sadness, and loss. Not the sort of story I'm dying to go to but its cast made such a huge difference.

Chris Walters was stellar as Mr. Hadid, the unexplained guest who sits still almost the entire performance only asking the occasional question but who is unable to hide his facial reactions while everything is going on. It's no small task during a two plus hour play to sit still and do such a terrific job keeping your mind on the performance. Nor is it any small job to not say a single word during a performance (other than a few high pitched screams) as teenager Alana Thyng did in her role as Kelly and Clay's daughter Kayla.

It was Matthew Schofield as Cash, the plastic surgeon brother/many other things by the end of the play, that made this performance so entertaining for the first half with his dry humor and sarcastic irony. Usually sarcasm doesn't sit right with me but when the family dynamic is like this it isn't hard to see why one would choose it. In addition, Carol Davenport as Carol, Cash and Clay's mother, was terrific playing the stereotypical role of a borderline senile woman stuck in the past.

Whether or not I loved the second half of the "The Pain and the Itch" I am incredibly impressed with the acting and the professionalism. There were flaws (at times Clay, played by Andrew Fling, seemed to stumble on his lines more so than the character would require), but all in all it was an incredibly impressive performance. When a character is so realistically obnoxious that you actually want to go on stage and tell then to shut the hell up you know they are doing a phenomenal job at playing a role. There were several of these moments during the performance - and I was not the only one who was feeling that way.

Starting this Friday, December 5th and running through December 23rd (schedule at; http://www.playersring.org/2008-2009%20Season/Carol_Schedule_2008.htm ), "A Christmas Carol" will be presented. More info about that (and the eight shows to follow this season) on their website at www.playersring.org.

Unfortunately none of the actors and actresses from this production will be performing in "A Christmas Carol" but if they are a good indication of the caliber of talent they normally have you'd better bet I'm going to be there.

Little Joy's "Little Joy" CD Review

Until Sharon Jones came around I was at a complete loss why there weren't folks still making music from the 50's and 60's. There's plenty of people who bite on styles from the 70's and 80's so why not from an era where the music actually sounded better? I figured it just wasn't being made but I refuse to believe that anymore - I think I was just never fortunate enough to hear it.

Thankfully I now know a woman named Catherine who introduced me to a little band named Little Joy. Then again, this is a group that might have made a relatively big splash either way thanks to the fact that they are have Fabrizio Moretti (of the Strokes) on drums (and several other instruments). Then again, this isn't the type of album that would likely make its way onto the radio, so who knows.

Little Joy's new S/T titled album does have some strong influences on its sleeve. There are the 50's sounds ("How To Hang A Warhol" and "Brand New Start"), snogs reminiscent of a more relaxed Strokes (the Kids In The Hallish "Keep Me In Mind") and, thanks to sometimes singer Binki Shapiro, adorable indie rock, Juno soundtrack simplicity ("Unattainable" and "Don't Watch Me Dancing"). It's also not just any one of these things or a rip off of any one of them - this is a pretty original album.

That being said it is original in the same way that the Strokes were when they released "Is This It". The music is similar to other bands so it is not entirely unique in any way but they are managing to do something special to it, make it unique in a way that hasn't been done before. These folks were custom-designed to be thrown on a mix tape for a special someone, you'll probably have a hard time not putting half the album on it though.

Johann Johannsson's "Fordlandia" CD Review

Concept albums are a funny thing. Sometimes they are the most loved album an artist releases (see "Ziggy Stardust" by David Bowie), sometimes they revolutionize rock (see "The Who Sell Out" by the Who, or "Tommy" for that matter), and sometimes they just embarrass the hell out of everyone involved (see Genesis and that creeper on "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway"). A lot of the time though it is more of a story than a concept per se and so when I was given Johann Johannsson's "Fordlandia" and told it was a concept album my old stereotypes immediately jumped to the forefront. Boy was that foolish.

First off, Johannsson is an incredibly talented composer, not a rock star. Second, he had a concept that he then based an instrumental album off of.

The second album in a proposed trio of concept albums, "Fordlandia" was written based on the idea of a failed utopia and several different such Utopia's are explored throughout the music, the most interesting of which happens to be the namesake of the album.

For those of you who are unaware Henry Ford was apparently pretty insane. I'm talking Walt Disney insane where he thought he was the most important and intelligent man in the world and allowed himself to be swept up in wild ideas. Certainly this was part of the reason these men were able to become such successes but at times their insanity overpowered their business logic. So Ford bought a HUGE piece of land in Brazil (over 25,000 kilometers) and planted his own rubber trees. Oh, and he build a mini-imitation America replete with American food, houses, and entertainment (as well as laws). Needless to say this didn't work out in the long run and it is now an abandoned shell of what it used to be. (Intrigued? Check it out; http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=596)

Enough about crazy wealthy folks - Johann Johannsson has composed a beautiful sweeping epic of an album from start to finish. Part Mark Mothersbaugh scored soundtrack, part classical masterpiece, part soundtrack to a failed utopia, this is a beautiful album, a beautiful album that is missing one thing. Although it's great that there are explanations for each song, and I have an immensely vivid imagination - I would love to see what Johann Johannsson's vision of his music is in live form.

Who knows, maybe next he'll create the trio of films or stage performances to accompany his music. I hope so.

The Laramie Project and Who Is Right or Wrong?

With the official end of the magazine club in sight (although that hardly means the end of the school magazine) I have decided to embark on a new club. Instead of just choosing something I enjoy I decided I should ask the students what they might want and lo and behold they chose something I would have never personally considered offering - a drama club.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all about other folks acting. I love movies, I love the theatre, I loved the Boston Ballet's performance of "Cinderella" because of how much acting there was in it. I do not however have any experience or real discernible knowledge about theatre and how you go about teaching it. I still don't but I tell ya what, I have a handful of plays in my possession now that I will read over this long weekend and try to get a better idea of what we might want to perform for our play. The first two were recommendations from my father, "Our Town" and "Julius Caesar". Old timey, classic, whatever you want to call them, they've been done an awful lot and there's a reason for that but I wanted to look into some newer plays too.

So I picked up The Laramie Project, a short one hundred page 'actor-driven event' about the murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming in the late 1990's.

I know the story well, I was engrossed with it when it was happening. I was a teenager when it occurred and I was shocked with the manner in which folks were responding on so many levels. I did however only know what I was being taught by the newspapers and TV shows I watched (and heard from folks around me) whereas the folks in the Tectonic Theatre Project out of New York decided that they would, four weeks after the brutal murder, head out to Laramie and attempt to interview as many people from the town as possible and try to paint a picture of what had happened and try to understand the how and why.

It's a sore subject for many folks - homosexuality that is. For some reason (cough, religion, cough) there are some pretty strong, and pretty powerful, anti-gay sentiments floating around the United States. Sentiments that, when an explanation is attempted, not much more than "because I said so" is retorted. The surest sign of being wrong in any situation is only being able to explain your rightness with "because I said so." Fact is, most folks who know gay people have no problem with gay people, folks who don't know gay people are the only ones who hate gay people. Sure, this might be oversimplifying it and there are exceptions of course, it's pretty standard though.

So when I picked up the play I expected there to be all sorts of meddling done by the authors (just like they do on the TV news - edit out things to change the meaning of what someone said) but there wasn't that much. What was there was a very sad story of a person being killed and a community that was very much at odds with itself and each other after being thrown into the national spotlight.

I realize now after finishing the play that if I were to attempt to teach this to a group of middle school students that there would be parents and teachers up in arms (the violence is explained graphically, faggot is used profusely, and both sides are represented (relatively) evenly). What I don't understand is why anyone would be anything but happy that as a society we are intelligent enough to discuss things like this. Why when we have so much violence and hatred in our entertainment that we loathe (as adults) do we refuse to really tackle those issues with the youth?

It also brings up the age old question, why do folks hate each other?

I'm no fool - I understand that when you are down it is a much simpler task to pick yourself up by bringing others down but I, more importantly, do not understand how folks don't see themselves doing this and cut it out. It may be easier to pick on someone who is different than you, especially when you have such vocal support from large groups of people, but how do you not realize this is wrong? It is all so indicative of one of the biggest issues we face here in America in terms of bettering ourselves as humans;

I'm right so you must be wrong.

Just because you think you are right does not mean that everyone else is wrong. It just means you disagree. I believe that all human beings are equal, some people disagree and say that is not true. I believe that being gay is not a sin, in fact, I don't believe anything you can't control is a sin (don't get me started on the whole idea of "sinning" to begin with), some people still think it is. We disagree.

I believe that even if you disagree with me you have the right to live a happy and comfortable life free of fear, and unfortunately, as long as we live in a country where things like this happen, I will know that people disagree with me.

This is a rare opportunity where I am certain that those people are wrong.

Maybe I will teach this...

Department of Eagles "In Ear Park" CD Review

Indie rock has always been its best when it was fun and catchy. When serious musicians could take a joke and make music that didn't seem like a joke. If you were to pick up the new album from the DOE (which is comprised of 3/4 of Grizzly Bear and one of their buddies from college) and jump right to the second song ("No One Does It Like You") you might just need to pull out the Jump-To-Conclusions mat and think this is the next big catchy indie rock band that Apple is going to fall in love with and overplay for your pleasure. Put that mat away little guy cause the rest of the album is not the same - and it certainly isn't all fun and catchy.

There are the sullen ("In Ear Park") and the psychedelic ("Teenagers"). The near unbearable ("Classical Records") to the unbelievable (the banjo tinged "Balmy Night"). And not a whole lot inbetween. The style and delivery sways between quite pleasant to not particularly innovative and more of a downer than anything else. Sure, music doesn't need to be happy, and maybe the mood swings here are clever in terms of releasing an album that isn't just the same old same old but the discrepancy between the quality of the songs is where the problem lies. The DOE seems much more at home playing the psychedelic songs - unfortunately the album has fewer of those than the others.

Half fun to listen to and half fun to potentially weep uncontrollably to, it would be hard to say this wasn't a unique album. Now it's just a matter of deciding whether this is the sort of unique that floats your boat, because if it isn't, you are likely going to sink - pretty quickly.

Leatherheads and Fred Claus Movie Reviews

One of the wonderful things about holidays with the family is that it affords you time to sit around and be lazy as all get out around your house and watch movies you might otherwise not watch or movies that you think the folks might actually be able to deal with. It also makes you feel awfully lazy when you do it for too long. Last night afforded me the opportunity to watch a few movies and to feel terrifically lazy.

After feasting on the most amazing steak dinner I have ever had with my mom we decided to give Fred Claus a try. Now, I should say that I chose to give Fred Claus a try because my mom is so laid back that it would have taken a truly awful looking movie to get her to say she was unwilling to watch it and even then she might just be nice enough to not bother arguing. Being as that I saw Fred Claus last winter and happen to enjoy Vince Vaughn I convinced her it was a good call. An Elf of sorts for folks who prefer Vaughn, Claus is the story of Nick "Santa" Claus (Paul Giamatti) and his older, substantially less successful brother (Vaughn). Oh, and the potential end of Christmas as we know it (not to mention the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy).

Yes this movie screams pre-teen in just about every aspect and it definitely fulfills that prophesy with its cheese and stereotypical story book ending. It is also a perfect example of a movie that could be really enjoyed if you can avoid feeling embarrassed at times (like a terrible Ludacris cameo or jokes about secret service elf's...although I'm still a little embarrassed those two scenes were filmed anywhere, ever). It is the sort of movie that demands you to use your imagination and not take yourself too seriously. A fun and heartwarming movie to watch for the holiday season - not Vaughn's best work by any stretch of the imagination but it'd be a safe assumption that it is better than his new one (Four Christmases - which I will be reviewing soon). That being said - halfway through my mom opted to go to bed instead of finish it so take this recommendation with a grain of salt - it made me smile but your folks might not be impressed.

With a lack of good programming on TV I followed this up with Leatherheads. George Clooney directed this piece (no master involved) and his smug pretentiousness showed through throughout. The story of the legitimization of professional football by convincing a college age "war hero" to join its ranks is more the story of how George Clooney thinks he is awesome and we've all heard that one before. Entertaining at times but hardly an entertaining movie, even just as far as "romantic comedies" go - which is not a compliment.

All in all I learned something very valuable last night - the best possible movies to watch during the holiday season are holiday movies from growing up. I would have looooved to see Charlie Brown or even that claymation Rudolph from back in the day, and I know neither my mother or I would have been disappointed. So although I think Vince Vaughn was a genius in Old School and George Clooney was great as Archie Gates in Three Kings back in the day, I'd take Yukon Cornelius and Peppermint Patty over them any day of the week.

Mix "Tape" Review

Back in the day I used to make the most amazing mix tapes. Well, they were amazing to me because they were just a collection of my favorite music. Over the years I learned to respect and appreciate the idea of an album as an artistic entity and my usage of mix tapes changed accordingly. What was once an opportunity to cut away unnecessary baggage musicians foolishly put on an album was now more of an opportunity to introduce people to a musician I considered valuable by giving them an idea of their typical sound.

Although cassette tapes have gone the way of the dinosaur and it now no longer takes 60 to 90 minutes to sit there and make a mix for someone I am still amazed by how many folks just don't - most people still just copy full albums and they are putting no thought into the creation of the mix. This is something I just do not understand; then again, I don't understand a lot of things in life...

I made a mix "tape" the other night and I'm going to give it a little review here. All of the musicians on it are terrific in their own right but the order is also important. I would encourage you to go and download all of these songs, give it a few listens and then get the albums of whatever people on it specifically moved you - which, if you ask me, could be potentially all of them if you go into listening to it with an open mind.

Starting off with "Jumping Off at the Jump Off" by C-Rayz Walz and Sharkey gave the album a very upbeat and fun-loving beginning. Although C-Rayz appears on the mix quite a few times, this is the most upbeat of his contributions. Alabama sidles up to second with "Song of the South". Quite possibly the polar opposite of the first track, Alabama always had music that I thought could easily have been used as samples in rap, especially this song, but never was.

Back in track three is C-Rayz with "Paradise", the most alliteration filled rap song I have ever heard. "The Ride", by Chris LeDoux is next and is one of the nicest country songs I have ever heard. For a man who was notorious for his rowdiness - LeDoux's real talent lay in writing lyrics which really got to you and this is a perfect example of that.

In order to ensure that it doesn't get too serious or sullen track five is "Herb" by 7L and Esoteric. 85% humorous, 55% truth (in my opinion), you won't like it you are trying real hard to be something you are not because chances are they'll be giving you some hell for it. And knowing that country has roots in humor too and it certainly has the capability to be bar music, Cory Morrow follows up with "Drink One More Round".

Track seven signals the return of C-Rayz (yes, I am currently a little enamored with his work). "Firstwordsworse" epitomizes what makes him (and other independent rappers) so different from mainstream radio nonsense. To slow it back down Garth Brooks follows up with "The Cowboy Song". It's Garth Brooks - what else can I say?

Although I broke a cardinal rule of mixes on here twice by putting more than one song from an album on, there were good reasons. At this point I put on a second C-Rayz and Sharkey song to pick the tempo back up. "Forgotten" is clever and quite upbeat. Underground country superstar Pat Green (well at least in the Northeast he's underground) follows with the impossible-to-not-sing-along-with "Songs About Texas".

In his last appearance on the album, C-Rayz is there with the song that made me fall in love with his lyrics and music: "Battle Me". One of the more intelligent and clever songs lyrically from him (or anyone else for that matter), "Battle Me" is just pure fun, all smiles. Garth got a second entry on the mix, different album though. "Wild Horses" is, again, such a polar opposite of the song before it that it really changes the mood drastically. The fact that music can change a mood like that just speaks to its power and speaks volumes about why I love it so much.

The next two are more entertaining than anything else. Atmosphere's "National Disgrace" is clever and fun, background whistle track and all. Cage's "Perfect World" may not be lyrically the most intelligent song Cage has to offer but it certainly is indicative of how catchy his music can be.

Josh Turner's "Would You Go With Me" is one of the most pleasant country love songs ever written and might be the only example of having chosen a song from an album which is specifically better than the rest of the songs from said album, thereby giving an unrealistic view of the album as an entity. I just couldn't help it, it is such a great song. The last rap song on the album comes from my favorite artist, Aesop Rock. By default hearing just about any song of his would have made me go out and buy his stuff but "Fast Cars" is a great example of his sense of humor, his fantastic word play, and his catchy music.

The last song on the album was meant to bring it back to a fun, light place with Hayes Carll's "Live Free or Die". This song is clever no matter where you are but being as that I'm in New Hampshire and making a mix for someone who lives there it is just a clever way to end a mix (and although he gets a little more love from the national press than I think he should - Carll is a great songwriter).

Although mix tapes are a thing of the past, mix CD's do not just have to be the quickest possible slapping together of songs from your computer. Thought can still be put into what makes it onto it. It is also integral that packaging and CD space all be used to their fullest extent. Overall, as the person who created it, I am mostly pleased with the final product although there certainly are some songs that I might replace with others now if I were to make the mix again. That's the thing though, I won't make this mix again. It was made for a specific reason and for a specific person. Just like a musician who is recording a new album, next time around when I need to make a mix I'm going to have to start all over at the beginning. Chances are I'll be at a different point in my life and the mix will be different as a result. Who knows, maybe I'll no longer be insistent on pairing country with rap...I doubt it though.

I have a really terrific life - no doubt about it. I try to let the people involved in it know just how thankful I am for their contributions to it and I hope they realize how much they all mean to me.

I'm thankful to have a job that I absolutely adore. I mean I literally wake up in the morning excited to go to work. I just figured that would never happen because what you are taught growing up is that you work to make money to spend in the time you are not working. I work because I want to and because it makes me happy and a positive benefit is that it helps me be able to survive when I'm not fortunate enough to be at work. I am thankful that I am able to spend five days a week with the most imaginative, thoughtful, intelligent, and genuine people I have ever met.

I'm thankful that I have a family that I love a great deal and a couple friends who mean the world to me.

I'm thankful that I had people in my life who never gave up on me and I am thankful that I'm the type of person now who doesn't give up on others.

I'm thankful that I know what brings me joy and I try to attain it and I know what does not bring me joy and I (mostly) succeed in avoiding it.

I'm thankful to everyone who has ever read anything I wrote or listened to any music I have made - it encourages me to keep writing and creating.

I'm thankful that I'm not perfect but even more thankful that I have the ability and tools to try to constantly better myself.

I'm just thankful for life.

Thank you all for being a part of mine.

Dolphin Striker Restaurant Review

15 Bow St.
Portsmouth, NH 03801
603.431.5222
www.dolphinstriker.com

Fancy pants restaurants are becoming more prominent in Portsmouth and although this restaurant has matured into one (having been around since the mid-seventies) it certainly is in the running for fanciest pants. Not knowing this before dining and having called asking about dress expectations, we showed up in jeans and t-shirts, which might have been out of place if we hadn't been the only two customers in the place at 6 PM on a weekend night.

Our waitress was friendly (enough) and not overbearing presenting us with a wine list, telling us about some of the specials, and then giving us time to contemplate our decisions. The recommendation for the Panarroz Jumilla (Spain) was a good one but the touting of the on premise curing of the meats in the charcuterie was a whole different story altogether. A mix of meats, sausage, and pate served with a terrifically average small pile of sliced baguette, the charcuterie was not impressive. Each of the three types of meats were unique but none were even particularly good.

For entrees we tried the "tasting of Lamb" and the Sirloin Steak. It didn't take too long for them to arrive and the presentation was beautiful. They looked as if they were going to be terrific but oh how looks can be deceiving. As with the restaurant itself, too much time, thought, and effort was put into the appearance and not enough into the quality.

Don't get me wrong, the lamb was good, flavorful, paired well with the sweet corn, and the steak was decent - cooked properly and relatively flavorful. Both were things that we could have made at home with ease though, there was no real discernible skill used in the creation of either.

For the dessert we again went with the waitress who recommended the ice cream and cookies. Being a fan of ice cream it is always nice to get a selection of ice creams for dessert. The ginger, white chocolate with mint, and the pumpkin were again, all pretty average. Not too sweet which can be a wonderful thing as long as that means the flavors are used properly and they were either too flavorful (in ginger's case) or near flavorless (in the white chocolate with mint case). The cookies were the same, three different kinds, all either overwhelming or just too plain. The coffee though was a bright spot, strong and flavorful.

This seems like the sort of place that a date might go nicely at (in fact - I'm certain of that), but other than the idyllic setting, you would have to count entirely on your date to bring you joy as the food here isn't likely to. Worth a look around, maybe a cup of coffee, not worth the investment.

Addendum to Red Shirts....

Under no circumstance should you win anything and gloat about it. Nor should you lose something and be a sore loser. If you aren't willing to accept what happens in a competition you should not enter it and if you win said competition you should be a good enough human to be proud of what you accomplished without being a scum. If you lose, accept the fact that you might need to try harder next time to accomplish what you had attempted to. Nothing more, nothing less.

Please.

Red Shirt Freshman.

As a new found fan of college football (I get it - I'm wicked late, sorry middle America) it is incredibly interesting to see how different it is than the NFL. The insanity of the fan-base (so much more fanatical than even the most absurd caricature of a NFL fan) is one thing but there are so many things that have struck me as interesting;

1. These guys loooove football - it's not a job (yet), it is just something that they are passionate about (and hope to get a job in). Now, that being said, it's not a job but I guarantee the majority of these really competitive guys are being allowed to completely forgo any real educational college experience in order to focus on football (which does sicken me but I'll get to that later).

2. Everyone, I mean everyone, gives 100% at all times - the players, the fans, the coaches, the marching band. You just don't see that in pro football for some reason (already obtained the job I guess). They are finally getting (legally) paid for their sport and the passion disappears.

3. They talk about the impressiveness of 'red shirt freshman' as if it's impressive that college students are actually of college age. I get it, college football is almost as big a money maker as pro so they refuse to go the NBA route and allow 18 (or is it now 19) year olds to join the pros because they need to ensure they stay as big as they are (and I'm sure they explain it through the necessity of education as well...).

What really amazes me the most is that I absolutely love watching it. I hate meatheads and on any given camera shot there are twenty drunk frat boys screaming uncontrollably about what? They couldn't tell you. I get it, sports are fun to watch, mob mentality, and they are really fun to play, but where along the line do people lose control or give up control and think it is alright?

In college, a roommate of mine and I were assaulted by a member of the football team and when we tried to actually do something about it we were scoffed at - as if the mere idea of punishing someone who is trained to be maniacal is unreasonable. I can't even imagine if I had attended a school where football wasn't an amazing embarrassment what those football players might have been able to get away with.

So although it's impressive how athletic these guys are, and it is impressive to see an 18 year old playing with the same intensity (and occasionally skill) as a professional football player, and I love football and love watching it, maybe we need to make sure that it is only their age that ends up making them a red shirt and not their behavior or mind-set.

Choose Your Own Way To Be Impressed By The World.

In the middle school I work in there are electives, well sort of. There is AN elective that can be designed by teachers (or the time can be used by students who need to keep up with the course load). Some students prefer to use their time out of school to play catch up - there are some students who prefer to have a teacher there though to give them a hand. Both good options depending on your learning style. There are however students who choose to opt for the enrichment electives. This time around we are writing a book in mine. Not just any type of book - a Choose Your Own Adventure book (in the vein of the master himself, R. A. Montgomery). Twelve students signed up to write a book, no hesitation, no qualms with the fact that I told them there would be extra homework, they just wanted to be involved in this and learn. The most pure form of education - when someone chooses to push for the sheer joy of learning something new.

Anyhow, I requested that all of them write an intro to the book (the first couple pages) and that they would then, as a group, decide which one started the story off best. I was impressed with them all yet I was specifically impressed with one of them (and was happy that the students chose that as the beginning). In reality this is better written than the actual CYOA books that I remember reading as a wee lad and it was written by an eighth grader; color me impressed.

Anyhow, I am trying to pre-sell thirty copies of the book (at $10 a book) so that I can afford to actually self publish this when they finish it (which wont be for a few months). Really though what have you to lose? Ten bucks to support children and encourage them to write. Plus, choose your own adventure books are awesome. So if you are interested in supporting this great cause, please e-mail and I'll give you the address to send it to! Thanks in advance for your support. Oh yeah, here's the first couple pages.....

I couldn’t believe it. Here I was sitting in what seemed like an endless land of dry grass and dirt. The heat was atrocious and the bugs swarmed around me maniacally pecking at my exposed skin.

“I hate Africa!” I shouted to my mom as we say on two rocks staring at nothing.

“We’ll only be here for two weeks,” my mother replied soft-spokenly.

“Two weeks too long!” I replied nastily.

“You know I have to be here. I have to study the tigers to find a cure for them. It is strictly working,” my mother answered in a calm tone.

I despised her relaxed attitude and crunchy personality. Let Africa take care of its own problems! We’ve been here three days and so far all I’ve done is sit around and draw in the dirt. All the other African kids stare at me in suspicion. My mom and I are staying in a tiny hut constructed of straw with walls made of cow poop – lovely.

The sun was kissing the top of the trees about two miles away. The sunset was just about to melt behind the dense forest and soon enough it would be dark.
“We should head back in,” my mother stated.

I didn’t reply; I just picked up my backpack and canteen and trudged in the direction of our shack.

That night when I was laying down in my uncomfortable straw bed I took a minute to listen to the animals outside our shack. I held my breath as I heard several birds chirp and tweet in the distance; occasionally I heard the faint screech of an unknown animal. If I hadn’t already absorbed so much hate for Africa it might actually be…nice. I tried to get comfortable and was basically using my brown curly hair as a pillow. After what seemed like hours of tossing and turning my eyelids slowly blanketed my almond shaped eyes and I let the animal sounds lull me to sleep.

The next morning I rose earlier than usual; as a sixteen year old ten o’clock was my earliest. For some reason today I felt alert and it was barely seven o’clock. I wasn’t sure what to do with my spare time so I decided to write a letter to my best friends Felicia and Gabriella back home in Chatham, Delaware. I told them about my trip so far and told them to take care of my cockatoo Evie. The letter wasn’t very detailed but not much had gone on so I ended my letter with a ‘love Ally’ and then sealed it away in an envelope. When I finished that I noticed I only used up fifteen minutes. I was just taking out one of my favorite Nancy Drew books when I thought of another idea. Maybe I’ll write to my dad; I hadn’t seen him in years but we had an occasional phone call.

My dad lives in Kentucky so there were rarely visits but for some reason I had the urge to write to him so I sided with my gut feeling and did. When I was done I felt good but I had a lot of extra time still available.

“There has got to be something I can do,” I quietly commented to myself.

I glanced out the window past my sleeping mother and out at a little red bird fluttering at the window frame. I gasped in amazement at the beautiful colors radiating off of the fragile creature. The bird was a masterpiece of articulate color and design. It seemed like a fantasy and I was drawn to its beauty. The bird started to drift away and I was so hypnotized that I couldn’t let it escape my sight. I scribbled a quick note for my mom, grabbed my backpack, and headed after the bird.

The small bird had not gone far; his glossy black eyes, blood colored feathers, and ocean blue-green belly was impossible to lose sight of. I danced after the bird for the longest time; I remained hypnotized by the black marbles the bird had for eyes. The longer I followed him the darker it got. I was oblivious to my surroundings; all I could see was read and blue.

Finally, the bird stopped and I thought it would let me stroke its feathers but instead it flew straight up into a large tree and was out of sight. Wait – a tree?? There weren’t any trees! Just a minute ago I was in deserted grassland; where am I?

I looked around; I was enveloped in massive trees, overgrown plants, and wild flowers. In all directions I could see trees beyond trees. I smelled the damp leaves and dirt; it smelled fresh and clean, not like the woods back home. Here everything was dark and shady and I felt as if I was being watched. My hands got all sweaty and my mouth dried up; suddenly I was desperate for my canteen.

The sounds of the jungle startled me, I jumped at every sound. I couldn’t remember what direction I came in. Was it left? No, it must have been right? I questioned myself about where the bird had gone as I paced in small circles. Then suddenly I heard a noise; a rustling in the giant plant in front of me. I couldn’t see anything behind or in it. I heard a low grumble and the plant rustled more and petals fell off their flowers.

“Hello?” I tried weakly, my voice raspy and cracked when I said it. I gulped and swallowed whatever saliva was in my mouth. I gripped my hands and my stomach felt like it was trying to run away from the mess we were in. The rustling became more forceful then abruptly stopped.

If you decide to jump on the shrub to find out what was rustling go to page ______

If you decide to run in the opposite direction as fast as you can go to pace ______

Radici Restaurant Review

Radici
142-144 Congress St
Portsmouth, NH
603.373.6464
www.radicirestaurant.com

Located in Downtown Portsmouth, Radici is a quaint "authentic" Italian restaurant that serves up more than just good food and drink. Although the use of the word authentic is old hat these days (and usually not that true) there are plenty of truly authentic dishes on both the appetizer and entree menu.

The restaurant itself has a main room that holds only around twenty and is next to a bar which holds approximately twenty more. Although upon entering it was basically empty and I could have made life easier for them by taking a tall table in the bar area I opted for a regular seat in the small dining room which, in the end, had a positive effect on my meal and no negative effect on their other customers. The lighting and ambiance was terrifically welcoming, very warm feeling (and of course literally warm due to the 20 degree weather outside) and very comfortable. Inviting would be the best way to describe it. Dim but not dark, quiet but not awkward.

Upon arrival the various employees were all working together to perfect a single corner table for a couple. Apparently the man was intending on proposing to his girlfriend and had chosen this night and this restaurant to do it (not a shabby choice by any means). The staff had adorned the table with roses, kept it free of crowding and were even going as far as to practice kneeling down where he probably would in hopes of clearing all potential obstacles and to ensure no surprises might arise when it actually happened. All of the staff were (rightfully) focused on this yet still helped me find a seat to my liking without any delay.

I started off with a glass of 2006 San Rocco Pinot Grigio (Italy) and it went well with the first appetizer I ordered, the braised short ribs. The herb polenta and balsamic fig demiglace served with it had the consistency of a cheese sauce and very little taste, the short ribs themselves were also relatively subtle in the flavor department. It was the pickled onion it was topped with though that made the flavor unforgettable. Gita, the waitress, was more than kind enough to ask the kitchen about their pickling methods and it's no different than anything else. Salt, lots of vinegar, time, oh and onions instead of cucumber. A world of difference if you ask me. Basically any dish could potentially be carried by that pickled onion.

The bread that came prior to the short ribs deserves little attention (hence my forgetting to start with it), it was mildly overcooked, crunchy, average. The roasted garlic that came with it though was terrific and when I return I foresee myself asking for them to create something based solely around said garlic as it was flawlessly roasted and covered in oil.

For a second appetizer I order the gnocchi. The use of prosciutto and baby spinach in the alfredo sauce was delectable and the pasta itself was as soft as butter. With the flavor mixed together it made the wonderful texture of perfectly cooked potato meld flawlessly taste wise with everything else. This dish went wonderfully with a glass of 2006 Louis Guntrum Riesling (Germany).

Throughout these appetizers two party's who had been there prior to my arrival had gone and both the waiter and my waitress very always very attentive of my needs but not overwhelming or overbearing. When my glass was empty it was filled. When my food was done it was cleared. When my mouth was filled I wasn't bothered.

For my entree I tried the Chicken Saltimbocca after it was recommended by Gita (and as it is something that I tend to be quite fond of). The prosciutto was perfectly complimented by the fontina cheese and the far too underappreciated (and under-utilized) sage. The chicken was soft yet not mushy. Polenta is an acquired taste and although it doesn't usually float my boat, (as it did not this time as well) this was the lightest polenta that I have ever eaten; lighter than cornbread, or even Wonder Bread really. The La Crema chardonnay (Sonoma, California) was the wine highlight of the night and although was substantially stronger than the chicken itself, contrasted nicely with the prosciutto.

The dessert recommendation from Gita was the tiramisu (how properly stereotypical of an Italian restaurant) and she did let me know that it was "more cake-y" than most and also happened to be just about her "favorite thing ever." Adoring the idea of being able to try someone else's favorite I ordered it and a cup of black coffee. The coffee arrived and was most certainly not the strength one hopes for or expects in any respectable "authentic" Italian restaurant. Fortunately the beautifully presented tiramisu was about to make up for that. A better description of a food has rarely been given as it was certainly more like eating a tiramisu flavored piece of cake than eating a piece of standard tiramisu - and this is no bad thing. One of the downsides on occasion to tiramisu can be its lightness - its ability to not really feel like a sturdy enough dessert. Unfortunately this tiramisu behaved more like a dessert for two and with only one man there to do the job it ended up being too much (not as if that stopped me from polishing it off though).

Radici may not be what I view as a traditional Italian restaurant but it certainly is an authentic one - and an original one. Simple food made simply with a twist might be a good way to describe it. No matter how you describe it though it is worth a visit. Even if you don't get to see two people in love promise each other the rest of their lives you will still be able to enjoy a terrific meal.

I Didn't Even Have To Use My A.K.

Usually when you head to work and are almost immediately pulled over and given a ticket for $250 you assume the day isn't going to be all that stellar. Oh no, not me though. I knew I was getting a ticket the second I sped past that policeman (just didn't expect it to cost so much in Life Free or Overcharge due to no Income Tax country). Maybe it was the e-mail I got in the morning that just put a smile on my face. So then I arrive at work and the day starts fairly smoothly, students are jovial enough, friendly as usual. One comes up to me though and hands me a homemade card - a thank you for my teaching her. Seriously? That's amazing. I've had family members who haven't even put that much thought into something for me, and on no special occasion to boot.

Skip to Advisory. I have a group of students who have decided they want to fundraise for UNICEF in order to support folks in Darfur. Oh my god, they're eighth graders. I don't know a single adult who does that in their spare time. They made a pamphlet and want to teach the younger grades about what is happening to get them involved. And they are actually doing this work on their own with only the smallest amount of direction from me.

Fast forward to my fourth period class - where I had asked two students (since it is National Teacher Week or some-such-nonsense and specifically 'let your students teach day' or some-such-genius) to take over as teachers of the classroom. I expected decent little five to ten minute presentations from them (they are both tremendously smart young ladies but they ARE in eighth grade) and they both taught the class for about forty minutes - and it was good, I'm talking as good as I teach. Bump graduate school, just hang out with those two.

I then proceeded to head to the one students house I visit every week with a social worker to try to keep him up to date with his work. It usually is cordial enough but not always a happy go lucky scene. Today though it was like walking into an episode of the Brady Bunch. There were kind-hearted jokes flying back and forth, smiles, hugs, please and thank you. It was one of those moments I wish I could have shown to everyone at school just to be like, "See, everyone IS the same, we just don't all have the luxury of ALWAYS being this functional."

After that I returned to school and spent a good amount of time cleaning my desk and finding treasure after treasure that students had turned in that I hadn't forgotten per se, just hadn't remembered well enough. I checked my e-mail before leaving and one of the people I respect more than anyone else in life had sent me their own "This I Believe" based on my writing about the project. It actually brought a tear to my eye how beautiful what he had to say was.

After closing up for the night I headed back to my new place in Portsmouth and tried to get company to join me for dinner. With no takers I contemplated cooking a burrito myself but thankfully went to Radicio (an Italian restaurant I've wanted to go to for some time that will be reviewed quite soon) by my lonesome. I could not have possibly picked a better restaurant with better waitstaff with a better situation than I did. A young man was asking a young woman to marry him there tonight, he asked, she said yes. A customer covered their dinner. It was how life and society should be - look out for each other, care about each other, love each other.

Today was one of those days where I look at it now, it not even being completely over yet (I mean I JUST got an email from the author of Elsewhere who is going to let one of my students interview her!!!! AMAZING!) and I just can't say how thankful I am for everything in my life. Thank you to everyone who made today one of the best days of my life.

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

It is so rare that I read a book that makes me think about more than just the book. A piece of writing that makes me look at myself and actually question my beliefs - in fact, it is so rare that I'm having a hard time thinking of another example other than Gabriel Garcia Marquez's challenging of my beliefs about love in "Love in the Time of Cholera" - and I'm still not sure my questioning there was valid (or will better my life in any way at the very least). Ms. Gabrielle Zevin has managed to do something I never thought was possible; challenge my long standing beliefs about life after death in a novel for teenagers.

The story of a fifteen year old girl who dies after a hit and run accident, 'Elsewhere' is the most innovative take on life after death I have ever encountered and, although it starts off a bit slow, does an absolutely terrific job challenging preconceived notions of what really matters in life.

"A life isn't measured in hours and minutes. It's the quality, not the length." - Liz Hall

It is so incredibly simple to take life for granted in so many ways. From sitting watching TV inside on a sunny day instead of taking a bike ride, to eating at McDonald's instead of having a BBQ with friends, to not making someone a thank you card when you are thinking about how thankful you are for them, to just being a student in my classroom staring idly out the window instead of reading a breathtaking book such as 'Elsewhere' when you are going to be there anyway. We get but one life, at least here on Earth, and I certainly have no idea what happens after that but I do know that with this one, for whatever time I am still afforded, I want to try to do the best for everyone I encounter. When my life ends I don't want it measured in hours and minutes, I want it to have been the best life I could have lived with the time I was given.

Album Review - El Guincho's "Alegranza"

Hypnotic is not a strong enough word to describe El Guincho's debut album. Imagine if Paul Simon had recorded Graceland in say, Barcelona (where mastermind Pablo Diaz-Reixa of El Guincho hails from) or the Caribbean (where he grew up), and then remembered to pay the kinds locals who made the music but went a little too wild himself and forgot to record vocals - this is what you would end up with. Starting off with the first "single" 'Palmitos Park' there are no more than three minutes/one song during the entire album where, if you were dancing, you would be able to rest. Nonstop, Latin faux-techno beats infused with Caribbean sounds your bag? Stock up. Repetitive mind-numbing music just what you want to hear? You now know where to find it my friend. The one saving grace of the album is the closing track "Polca Mazurca" which sounds more like the backing for a good Buju Banton song (even though Buju has shown his truly ignorant self lately and as such I cannot support him - he still knew how to write some great music).

Not as memorable as Simon or Buju, but then again someone has to write the background music for clubs they go to after they finish recording their albums, right?

Children are a daily reminder that growing up isn't a good thing.

Recently I decided that I would have my students write (and subsequently record) a "This I Believe" (as done on NPR). It started off slow for many students, having barely tweaked the directions from the NPR site and giving them only two or three examples each probably didn't help that either. What started though as a nice little exercise where I assumed students would take the easy route topic wise (IE. everyone is equal, racism is wrong, don't judge a book by its cover, etc.) turned into what I believe to be one of the most meaningful pieces of work many of them will complete this year.

Of course there were some of the old standards but it absolutely blew my mind how seriously most eighth graders took this exercise. Some even completely redoing it in order to better get across what they were trying to say (and not based on my expectation of them - I had requested two drafts, some students did five or six of their own volition for fear they weren't getting their message across). I can think of only a handful of adults that I have EVER met who put this much thought into their beliefs. When you ask most adults why they believe something they tend to respond with something ingenious such as, "I just do," or, "because I said so." Really? Color me unimpressed adults.

I was driving home from work today and stopped at a gas station and saw a group of teenagers just being obnoxious loud scumbags. I got to thinking that folks are always talking about how it never used to be like that, as if everyone used to be respectful, and there wasn't any violence, etc. etc. I used to have all sorts of big ideas as to where I would go if I could time travel, really though I'd just like to go back sixty years or so, teach, and see how folks acted and if it is really THAT different.

Sure, students can be rude these days, and maybe back in the day they were better at hiding it (or feared consequences more than just the lunch detentions we offer), but they are also absolutely amazing these days. I'm amazed daily by the thoughtfulness and consideration these young people have towards their community and the world and only wish that more adults could emulate them in that respect (and many others come to think of it - ever heard of playing? It's still fun!)

As of now only one of my four classes has actually recorded it and I then "released" it on CD and they all got a copy. That was yesterday and today they came in and were curious if we would listen to it aloud because they wanted to hear each others and be able to comment on them. When I said I wasn't sure they all started telling each other how amazing each others' were - and they weren't doing it for reciprocation or to impress me - they were doing it because they are genuinely terrific human beings.

I believe that children bring out the best in people and showcase the best a person can be, and I believe that I am one of the most fortunate people in the world for having the opportunity to work with the young adults I work with every day.

The Windy City.

Since returning to the Boston area I have fallen in love with cities in a manner I never have before. I can credit this primarily to two things;

1. I was not in a city in Colorado and missed what they had to offer and
2. I discovered the joy of biking in Boston (which really led to just discovering more of what I didn't know about Boston)

There are few cities in the world where I think it is as simple to bike them (relatively) safely as Boston. There are trails and parks, so many squares to explore and, once you figure the route, it's not even a hassle to bike all the way to Concord or to Jamaica Plain - in fact, it's a lot of fun. This biking around though has shown me so much more of Boston than I had ever previously experienced. I'd driven by the Mary Baker Eddy museum before but I had never known there was a beautiful fountain behind it that you can actually walk into (if you don't mind getting a bit damp). And sure there are plenty of places to see the Boston skyline but if you don't experience it from the dock near the Museum of Science and the BU Bridge, you haven't REALLY experienced it.

That being said, I'm here to blather on about Chicago not Boston. Boston is great, but I already live there. I have spent the last few months exploring it and now that the weather is getting colder I find myself biking indoors and taking trips outside of Boston - the most recent being Chicago. And although I didn't bike through Chicago in it's 30 degree weather I did what I probably should have done earlier - really explored the city.

My good buddy Post lives in Chicago and although I'm happy that he's in love, and getting married and moving to sunny Arizona, it does mean that after this past visit I likely won't be visiting Chicago anytime soon so I wanted to make the most of it. I've been there probably fifteen times in the past three years since he moved there and I know all the bars in his neighborhood awfully well. I also know some good BBQ places and I'd explored downtown a bit as well. This time though I went all out and goddamn was I impressed.

Eating -

There are so many food options in Chicago it is almost dumb. I'm talking more options than Boston, better options than NY (yup, I said it). Feeling fancy and want a five hour experience of eating? Go to Alinea (1723 North Halsted, Chicago Illinois 60614, www.alinea-restaurant.com) - Gourmet magazines best restaurant in the country. Twenty-five courses (all a few bites or less) paired with more than ten glasses of wine (not all full sized of course) over the course of an entire night? Insane and exciting as it is expensive. Not want food that you've never heard of? Then gussy yourself up and head over to Spiaggia (980 N Michigan Ave # 2, Chicago, IL 60611) - the favorite of fancy-pants all throughout Chicago. Don't miss the potato gnocci with black truffles but more importantly stay for dessert and get the terrina alla gianduia with a bottle of Birbet - single greatest end to a meal ever.

Not feelin' fancy? No worries, there's even more for you to love. Deep dish Chicago pizza designed to make you fit the role of Chris Farley in an old SNL skit can be found many places but if you only want to get it once go to Gino's East (162 E. Superior St, Chicago, IL 60611). A small serves (at least) two and bring a bottle of white out or a selection of sharpies - for real, you totally won't regret it. Or if you are feeling BBQ head to the unnecessarily lame named but utterly delicious Smoque (3800 N Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60641). Just want a coffee and a scone? The adorably designed Cafe Avanti (3706 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL‎ 60641) is not to be missed.

Entertaining -

Again, so many choices it almost seems foolish to just name a few but since I don't want to write forever and you don't want to read (me) forever here are the musts.

You must go to a Bears game. Yup, it's that fun. Sure, a pro football game is a pro football game, poor sports on the field and on the stands but the weather is insane here due to the location on Lake Michigan and you can't help but smile and think about the fact that you are watching Da Bears. I guess you could check out a Bulls or Blackhawks game too, but Bears is a must.

You must ride the train all around. Boston has the best T system I have ever seen but all of the best lines are underground and the ones above ground are slow and crappy. Chicago is the opposite - most are above ground and the views tend to be spectacular. Plus the folks are just so much nicer - you can actually start a random conversation with just about anyone and it doesn't seem weird at all. Who said the midwest doesn't have positives?

You must check out Millenium Park and go to the Art Institute. Not only is the Married...with Children fountain in Millenium park but so is one of the coolest amphitheatres ever constructed as well as one of the largest unnecessary but awesome reflective sculptures I have ever seen. The Art Institute (111 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60603) is huuuuge and has a terrific selection of photography right now as well as a Bill Peet exhibit (not to mention countless works of art including but not limited to one well known Georges Seurat you might recognize from a little movie called Ferris Bueller's Day Off.)

What it really comes down to is that every city has something to offer but the difference with Chicago is that it has just about EVERYTHING to offer. Good food, great sports (I didn't even mention the beloved Cubbies), culture, entertainment, friendly folks, good public transportation. There is no good reason to not get to know this city better.

And so although I'll miss visiting Chicago on a regular basis I wouldn't have missed a single trip there for the world. Some of the most fun I've had in my life has been in Chicago - thank you Matt (and Jess) and to a much lesser extent Cooper and not at all to Lucky. Be well.

Second Collection Of Work Available Soon!

The one hundred copies of my first collection of writing are long gone and so the second installment is on its way. This time though it is a nine song, four story CD release (with some bonus material - including 'What I Want' on tape). About thirty of the limited edition seventy-nine of these being made are already promised to folks but that leaves a bunch up for grabs.

Want one? Just e-mail me your address. All I request is that you promise to listen to the whole thing and if you like it bootleg it for folks, if you don't like it, give it to someone you think might.

This is a rare opportunity for me to thank all of you who read this, so thank you.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist Review

Michael Cera was just terrific in Arrested Development and it wasn't because he's a skilled actor - it is because he IS not Michael Cera: boy actor, he IS George Michael: awkward hipster. While this could be sort of endearing it loses its initial charm when he starts getting big roles and he's the same indie rock awkward relative loving, crappy band playing in, d-bag that I wouldn't want to be around in real life. And boy oh boy does the script for his newest allow, nay, insist on him being more pretentious and smug than ever before.

Skimpy on premise, Nick and Norah's is a "love" story about two teenagers who are inept with relationships and fall in "love" with each other after a night of liking and loathing each other culminating in a tape recorded orgasm in Electric Ladyland Studios and a (potential) promise of eternal love once the two of them go to the most fittingly stereotypical colleges the shoddy author of this book turned abomination could think of (Emerson and Brown - can you say cliche?)

With Mark Mothersbaugh Devo'ing up the soundtrack you know it's filled with songs that should make it on the radio but never will - and so really what you should do it go buy the soundtrack, use a few of the songs to make a mix for a girl/boy you have absolutely no chance with, give it to them, be rejected (possibly after a thank you make out session), and then not only did you get the only benefit of the movie aurally but you also got to live it! Hooray for real life. If a movie is going to imitate the simplicity of a sturdy storyline in place of good acting, film making, or screenwriting (such as in "Juno") it needs to have a storyline as worthwhile as "Juno" and neither Nick nor Norah made me want to do anything other than scream. Although Juno the character made me want to do that now and then she also managed to make me smile once or twice.

So buy the soundtrack, or bootleg it, since I'm pretty sure that's what fancy-pants Nick would have done himself.

Oh, and PS to Jay Baruchel, you suck, you always have.

Get your vote on, go buy music, and let people know how much you appreciate them.

Get your vote on - Today in school I had my students write a prompt about why it was important that you vote in a Democratic society. I was (as I always am) impressed with their thoughtful responses. Responses that make grown ups look like embarassingly infantile in their close mindedness. Any intelligent person who thinks by virtue of their own free will and doesn't just follow what other people say should only get smarter with age, alas, the fact that 8th graders are officially more enlightened than my peers is embarrassing on so many levels...well, for everyone except the eighth graders.

No matter who wins tomorrow I will be surprised. Who I think would be better doesn't matter and I'm sure you are too enlightened to be swayed by some low budget media maverick such as myself. Either way though I expect myself to be disappointed with what either one of them accomplishes. I don't believe in rhetoric and that's all you hear these days - sound bites, embarrassing little bits of drivel that someone wrote FOR them because they are too cowardly to come up with thoughts and opinions on their own for fear that someone might take offense and subsequently boycott them. I'm too lazy to boycott - and I will give whoever wins the benefit of the proverbial doubt - until they start doing wrong by their constituencies. And if history has taught us anything that won't take too long.

Buy some music - there is so much good music out there these days. One of my students was talking about how he wishes he lived when his dad did so he could have seen Queen, Led Zeppelin and AC/DC. And yeah, those bands all rocked, and I'm sure the shows were sweet and everything but it's crazy to act like some of the music being made these days isn't that innovative cause honestly that's what made those bands so good. It wasn't just that they rocked hard or something goofy like that - they were doing something new and terrific and exciting. Check out Willy Mason's first album, go buy ANYTHING from Aesop Rock, ever heard of Robert Earl Keen or the Swingin' Utters?

The popular response is that these bands are novelties compared to the classic rock bands of yesteryear. Seriously? Led Zeppelin wrote songs about the Hobbit for god's sake. Queen was fronted by a gay man who wrote a song about women with large asses. Novel yes. Novelty? Hardly. Even the best musicians can be nerdy or funny. So why act like in order to be great it has to be old? Bump that. Go buy some new(er) stuff and in twenty years your kids'll be talking about how they love YOUR classic music.

Let people know how much you appreciate them - Lastly today in school I did an activity that I stole from a teacher I used to work with (Mr. Caron - thank you). He had every student in the class write their name on a sheet of paper. The papers were then passed around and everyone had to write SOMETHING nice about every student that was not about their looks, popularity, or things they owned. I did that with three of my four classes today and I would never have expected the response to be as overwhelmingly positive as it was. Students were asking all day if they could see theirs (I'm taking a break from typing them in order to type this). And the things they wrote - especially between students who I KNOW do not regularly get along was just beautiful. I do believe that if we all took a few minutes to look at the good in each other that we really could abide by Mr. King's words. We CAN all just get along. So (ideally anonymously as ours is) let someone know something you admire about them or something that you think was cool they did. It will take seconds and mean so much.

GET OUT AND VOTE!