Just a few thoughts . . .

1. I am a lucky man. I have great kids. I had a wonderful chat with evil_nicola today. She told me a cool story that I am sure she'll relate on her LJ at some point. I also had a cool talk with theresat who has an important camp visit this weekend. She will also undoubtedly be posting something cool later.

2. Speaking of evilnicola, I got my Father's Day gift in the mail today. (Ooops, I forgot it's not until Sunday). Anyway, she got me a copy of "Flags of Our Fathers," by James Bradley. Perfect, perfect, perfect. A book I don't have and probably would not have gotten around to reading but it about one of my favorite topics (World War II). Bradley, who also wrote "Flyboys" was the son of one of the six men who hoisted the flag on Mount Suribachi during the battle at Iwo Jima.

You gotta love a book with this sentence on the first page: "Tired, scared, thirty, brave; tiny integers in the vast confusion of war-making, trying to do their duty, trying to survive."

3. I am not a huge Francophone, but you gotta love a minor-level baseball (Can-Am League) team called the Capitales de Quebec who play in Le Stade Municipal.

4. Why do World Cup summaries use the phrase "award" when it comes to a yellow card. It's not like a fricking trophy.

5. First sighting of Arisia '07 flyers this afternoon at Pandemonium.

6. Of all the people I read on LJ, jdulac is consistently the voice of reason and class. (That's an opinion developed over a long period of time.

7. Took the new camera out for a spin today. Went to the Stone Zoo. I figure I cannot screw up pictures of jaguar cubs. We;ll see.

8. Speaking of cameras. I expect to be taking a lot of pictures. Recommendation on the best photo-hosting site. Yes, I will pay for a good one.

9. Seanan McGuire lyric from "Fly Little Bird:" "You dance to my tune when it's my hand that guides you."

An E-ticket ride of a day

(Wow, E-ticket has an entirely different meaning for us old folks . . . think roller coaster)

At 11:20 a.m., I was sitting in my empty room with my head in my hands, crying. I had a really rough first half of Fifth Period. I fell into the trap of little a few kids push my buttons, and I pushed back. Not good. We're all weary of reviewing, but dammit, I am gonna have these kids ready for exams.

At 3:20 p.m., I was bounding out of school after an absolutely terrific meeting with my National Honor Society officers, who may be more pumped up about NHS than I ever have been.

Oh, earlier in the day, I had a high note when the sophomores were giggling, and I realized that one of them had put a picture on my desk of my head photoshopped onto Mr. T.'s body. (Where did he get a headshot of me?")

Forst exam tomorrow.

Let's see what happens.

Musings on Forrest Gump

I love this movie. True, mad, "Animal House"-level love.

I find it very painful to watch, but I love it.

You may not know it, but Winston Groom's original novel was a dark story about how someone with a 75 IQ (and a pure heart) could achieve some of the most lofty perches in our society. Kinda freaks the kids (most of whom have seen it), when I tell them that.

I don't show full-length theater movies in class, but I will show some scenes (Why, yes, I *do* show the St. Crispin's Day speech from "Henry V,"

Anyway, I do show the Vietnam scenes from "Forrest Gump" because they so sum up the insanity of the time and place, as I understand it.

As we finish the painful process of reviewing for exams, I am showing the Vietnam stuff from the movie.

There are so many great quotes, just in the 20-30 minutes of Vietnam stuff, but these stick in my mind:

• Now, I don't know much about anything, but I think some of American's best young men served in this war. There was Dallas, from Phoenix. Cleveland, he was Detroit. And Tex was, well, I don't remember where Tex come from.



• Bubba was my best good friend. And even I know that ain't something you can find just around the corner. Bubba was gonna be a shrimpin' boat captain, but instead he died right there by that river in Vietnam.



• We was always taking long walks, and we was always looking for a guy named "Charlie".



• Oh, yes sir. Bit me right in the buttocks. They said it was a million dollar wound, but the army must keep that money 'cause I still haven't seen a nickel of that million dollars.

When I am teaching about the Viet Cong (Victor Charlie), I actually use Gump's "Charlie" quote.