Saturday evening -- Touching all the bases . . .

1. Welcome, gxdm. Join the party.

2. I decided not to travel to an event today, even though there were four that I kinda wanted to go to, all within driving distance. (There may be more about that later).

So, I headed out a little after 10 a.m., went across the street to a Farmers' Market, got the papers and a coffee, then went to Saratoga for their Farmers' Market. I got some good chevre cheese, fresh carrots, goat for stew and a small lamb roast. Went to the Saratoga Comic Com. It was not that big, but it was cool. I am not a big comics guy, but I enjoyed browsing. I picked up some 33.3-sent comics. Spent $2.

Went to the Used CD store, Borders and the hot-sauce place, but didn't get anything. Lunch was Shepherd's Pie at The Parting Glass, then it was off to EBI (a package store) to pick up a couple surprises for a friend. Chatted with the guy behind the counter, who told me there was a place there in Saratoga Springs that had a great tap line. He was right. It's Called "The Local." I had a single beer -- Blue Point Hoptical Illusion -- and read my newspapers and chatted with folks. I found one possible teaching job lead (in Johnsburg) and headed out, then stopped at Barnes & Noble, hit the grocery store (needed some essentials, plus rosemary for the lamb). Skipped the other good package store and came home.

3. Stupid Red Sox. Stupid Liam.

First of all, if the Yankees are going to lose two straight, we need to win at least one. The good news: The Magic Number to eliminate the Yankees is 82.

Second, I was watching one beer's worth of last night's game at a bar (Saranac Pomegranite Wheat), and I could not for the life of me figure out why the Red Sox -- note that, Red Sox -- were wearing green uniforms. I will say they were spiffy, but they were still green. Finally, the guy next to me says, "I bet that's to honor the Celtics." Wow, I says to myself, you ain't so bright."

So I was also asking myself last night: Why is Kevin Cash catching?

It doesn't occur to me until this afternoon, when I start to call up the box score to see who caught that Tim Wakefield pitched last night. (Jason Varitek cannot catch the knuckleball that well.)

4. Oh, and I missed the boat on the female basketball player playing for Russia in the Olympics.

She's not Russian!

No Russian blood.

She plays over there, and the agreement was they would give her dual citizenship and let her play in the Olympics for them if she would sign for four more years.

She was not in the pool for the USA team, thopugh maybe she should have been.

To me, that makes sit a little more complicated.

5. I have been in a  country mood, so I have been watching YouTube.

I love Brad Paisley!

"I'm gonna miss her!"

Well I love her
But I love to fish
I spend all day out on this lake
And hell is all I catch
Today she met me at the door
Said I would have to choose
If I hit that fishin' hole today
She'd be packin' all her things
And she'd be gone by noon

Well I'm gonna miss her
When I get home
But right now I'm on this lakeshore
And I'm sittin' in the sun
I'm sure it'll hit me
When I walk through that door tonight
That I'm gonna miss her
Oh, lookie there, I've got a bite

6. More Brad, but this one is especially for hughcasey and eeknight.

"Online"

Trust me. Wait until the 3:16 mark.

No, not John 3:16. Just check it out!

Saturday evening: Second verse, same as the first . . .

1. So, yeah. Took a second weekend in a  row off from the SCA. (You will also notice that while I am posty tonight, I had not posted here in four days. (Wow!)

Anyway, last weekend, alethea_eastrid had to work. So we stayed home and made a nice weekend of it, including a day trip to Vermont Sunday with the lovely jenphalian.

This weekend, I could have gone to K&Q Archery with alethea_eastrid, to Coldwood with jenphalian and lbitw  or to Sommer Draw, which would have delighted evilnicola and chrystie69, but I decided to hang out by myself. (See previous post).

I don't know how much of it was having a little too much SCA lately and how much was just that I am a bit depressed and worn out from stuff at work.

I will be at Bhakail Investiture next week, and boy, is Northern Region War Camp gonna be a hoot!

I hope to see you at one or both.

2. Has anyone been following the Time Magazine article "Pregnancy Boom at Gloucester High"?

Just scares the heck out of me.

If you saw "The Perfect Storm," that movie was set there.

Gloucester, Mass., is not that far from Peabody. Folks up the still talk about "going across the bridge" when they visit the North Shore or go to Boston. I am unsure just how much of it is true, but it's the kind of place where it makes sense that it could happen.

I find it incredibly ironic that one of the theories is that since the school is welcoming to tee-age mothers, girls think it will be OK, and they will be taken care of.

3. Trailer for "The Mummy". This is on the must-see list!

And for all of you "Remember The Titans" fans, you are going to want to see "The Express".

4. Sometimes I shake my head at posts on the Teacher Net message board:

Have you heard of "Second Life?"

I just heard about it on the radio, and it sounds pretty bizarre!  (With link to SL home page.)

One response:

I remember seeing a little girl on Dr. Phil (I think that's where I saw her.) She didn't have many friends in "real life"; and she claimed to be very involved and happy with her "virtual life" and avatar she created to be her in that world. She said she spent hours and hours in front of her computer dressing her avatar and buying virtual clothes, having a virtual boyfriend, etc.

Followed by: "There are loads of educators on Second Life.

There are 11 workshops at the NECC conference next week. It's the latest thing in education. Lots of teachers are joining Second Life.

Should I make sure these folks know there's a new edition of Dungeons & Dragons out, too?

On the same board, someone posted about GLBT teachers, and someone actually had to ask what it meant. (Then some moron chimed in about a male teacher who was fired for paddling boys).

Then, there was "What is a firewall?"

Do I just live in a different world than some of these folks?

5. I know some of you read about the Ohio teacher who burned a cross into a couple of kids' arms with some kind of electrostatic device.

From The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The school board of a small central Ohio community voted unanimously Friday to fire a teacher accused of preaching his Christian beliefs despite staff complaints and using a device to burn the image of a cross on students' arms.

School board members voted 5-0 to fire Mount Vernon Middle School science teacher John Freshwater. Board attorney David Millstone said Freshwater is entitled to a hearing to challenge the dismissal.

Freshwater denies wrongdoing and will request such a hearing, the teacher's attorney, Kelly Hamilton, told the Mount Vernon News.

6. One of this year's top college football players is tailback Knowshon Marino of Georgia. I love it!