So just when I was thinking that the Highway 40 construction was the worst idea ever and would have no redeaming value, a silver lining presents itself. Seriously, you have to look at this.
http://fortysil.com/
Great media stems from the worst of situations. If I am going to sit in traffic for a third of my day, I should at laugh at it.
If I actually worked downtown, I might buy one of these things. Alas, those of us who slave away in the county and haven't the stomach to move to suburbia will pay for our hubris. It starts next week so you might want to also visit:
www.modot.com
Best of luck my little ones.
Cathi
Friday, May 18, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
And so it ends...
And as quickly as it began it ended in a burst of blinding homework...
It seems like just yesterday that Spring 2 began. But now, it is almost over. Let's reflect on what happened.
We learned how to write. Maybe not perfectly, but certainly better.
We wondered what ever happened to that one guy. You know.
We learned how to pronounce things in the voice of God from Gary.
We learned how to laugh and how to cry. Mostly how to cry. Mainly when we saw how long it would take to do our homework.
Mainly, we learned that, if you really try, you can write something that G-Ford might submit at his work. That has to count for something.
It seems like just yesterday that Spring 2 began. But now, it is almost over. Let's reflect on what happened.
We learned how to write. Maybe not perfectly, but certainly better.
We wondered what ever happened to that one guy. You know.
We learned how to pronounce things in the voice of God from Gary.
We learned how to laugh and how to cry. Mostly how to cry. Mainly when we saw how long it would take to do our homework.
Mainly, we learned that, if you really try, you can write something that G-Ford might submit at his work. That has to count for something.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Reefer Madness
Maybe I just am not hip and with it. Certainly, I have been accused of being a wet blanket before. But this time, I just don't get it.
All over town, people are talking about DUI's, liquor law and Josh Hancock.
The Post-Dispatch devoted its Sunday cover to a feature on liquor policies and bartenders. The in depth piece, a testament to the probing journalistic practices the paper espouses, probed the issue of restaurant staff who serve alcohol to blameless adults. It seems I have been incorrect in assuming that adults are responsible for monitoring their own alcohol intake. Untrue. Instead, servers and bartenders are now your (poorly paid) babysitters.
People are trying to explain how such a promising young man threw his life away over booze. Cardinals fans rant about how drunk driving is a.) an activity in which EVERYONE participates b.) completely acceptable and c.) just not a big deal- even if it kills you. Media personalities liken the young man to Darryl Kyle, a responsible respectable player whose death inspired tears the Cardinals nation over. All of this misses the point.
The guy smoked dope. Weed. Ganja. Reefer. He was a pothead. The Anti-Doping Agency must not test for the wacky tabacky. Why isn't anyone upset about this?
Writing off drunk driving is one thing. Drinking a legal activity. Driving drunk is not, but it is a fine enough line between buzzed and drunk that it is easy to see how someone might misstep. Marijuana, exception- medical marijuana in California and a few other locations, is not legal. People go to jail for dope. A lot of people.
Where is the rage? Why aren't people asking if maybe, just maybe, being high contributed to his death more than alcohol? Why aren't they awaiting his next set of toxicology reports the way that they did the first set? Why is smoking pot okay so long as you are a sports or movie star?
I am no puritan. I do not promote prohibitions of any nature. But, I do believe that society has ground rules. Breaking these rules should be considered anti-social behavior. It promotes a lawless individualistic society of soft self-centered over-grown five year olds. Often, being an adult means contributing to the whole even when it isn't the fun thing to do. People who flagrantly violate these rules probably shouldn't be made into martyrs.
The Hancock death is unarguably tragic; the Hancock death was unarguably avoidable. Maybe, instead of focusing on naming a stretch of highway after him, St. Louis City Government should consider a more fitting tribute. I suggest a D.A.R.E. van.
All over town, people are talking about DUI's, liquor law and Josh Hancock.
The Post-Dispatch devoted its Sunday cover to a feature on liquor policies and bartenders. The in depth piece, a testament to the probing journalistic practices the paper espouses, probed the issue of restaurant staff who serve alcohol to blameless adults. It seems I have been incorrect in assuming that adults are responsible for monitoring their own alcohol intake. Untrue. Instead, servers and bartenders are now your (poorly paid) babysitters.
People are trying to explain how such a promising young man threw his life away over booze. Cardinals fans rant about how drunk driving is a.) an activity in which EVERYONE participates b.) completely acceptable and c.) just not a big deal- even if it kills you. Media personalities liken the young man to Darryl Kyle, a responsible respectable player whose death inspired tears the Cardinals nation over. All of this misses the point.
The guy smoked dope. Weed. Ganja. Reefer. He was a pothead. The Anti-Doping Agency must not test for the wacky tabacky. Why isn't anyone upset about this?
Writing off drunk driving is one thing. Drinking a legal activity. Driving drunk is not, but it is a fine enough line between buzzed and drunk that it is easy to see how someone might misstep. Marijuana, exception- medical marijuana in California and a few other locations, is not legal. People go to jail for dope. A lot of people.
Where is the rage? Why aren't people asking if maybe, just maybe, being high contributed to his death more than alcohol? Why aren't they awaiting his next set of toxicology reports the way that they did the first set? Why is smoking pot okay so long as you are a sports or movie star?
I am no puritan. I do not promote prohibitions of any nature. But, I do believe that society has ground rules. Breaking these rules should be considered anti-social behavior. It promotes a lawless individualistic society of soft self-centered over-grown five year olds. Often, being an adult means contributing to the whole even when it isn't the fun thing to do. People who flagrantly violate these rules probably shouldn't be made into martyrs.
The Hancock death is unarguably tragic; the Hancock death was unarguably avoidable. Maybe, instead of focusing on naming a stretch of highway after him, St. Louis City Government should consider a more fitting tribute. I suggest a D.A.R.E. van.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
I've Been Thinking...
I've been thinking about our professors a lot lately. It's hard not to as finals draw near. Generally at this point in the semester, I would be cursing their names. I would rant on and on about what terribly wastes of humanity they must be to torture me so with assignments that are obviously designed only to cause maximum pain. But, this semester, I am looking at things a bit differently.
The Virginia Tech. massacre made me think. It made me think about who is around me during class. I linger a bit longer when looking at a fellow student who I might consider strange. My reflection resulted in skepticism and fear, not a resolve to treat others more kindly. Except for professors.
I stare intently at professors knowing that, it is possible that they would throw themselves in harms way to save us. I get now that they aren't just dedicated being stuffy or difficult. They actually might care. Sure, there are notable exceptions. There are profs that would just as soon throw a tardy student in traffic. But, there aren't many.
Maybe I was juvenile. I wanted to believe the worst in my professors to excuse my own failings as a student. Maybe I just never got over second grade.
This exam season, I feel differently all the way to my core. I want to perform and excel as a thank you. I strive to do work that pays homage to the time and energy that my teachers have invested in me. Bitter irony- it's my last semester.
The Virginia Tech. massacre made me think. It made me think about who is around me during class. I linger a bit longer when looking at a fellow student who I might consider strange. My reflection resulted in skepticism and fear, not a resolve to treat others more kindly. Except for professors.
I stare intently at professors knowing that, it is possible that they would throw themselves in harms way to save us. I get now that they aren't just dedicated being stuffy or difficult. They actually might care. Sure, there are notable exceptions. There are profs that would just as soon throw a tardy student in traffic. But, there aren't many.
Maybe I was juvenile. I wanted to believe the worst in my professors to excuse my own failings as a student. Maybe I just never got over second grade.
This exam season, I feel differently all the way to my core. I want to perform and excel as a thank you. I strive to do work that pays homage to the time and energy that my teachers have invested in me. Bitter irony- it's my last semester.
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