Amazing...

And that's why we watch, folks! How exciting was that?? A goal in the 91st minute to take the US from not getting through to the next stage, to winning the pool!

edited to add ESPN snarky comment... ESPN had the soccer win as the lead story on their afternoon edition. Alexi Lalas (retired American soccer star) and some South African (retired soccer star) analyst talked with the ESPN analyst (who was obviously less than interested in soccer) for all of about 5 minutes. They showed some video... talked about it, and then cut to commercial. When they came back, the soccer guys were gone, and the ESPN announcer then spent the NEXT TWENTY FREAKIN MINUTES talking about the marathon Wimbledon match between two guys no ones ever heard of with video of point after point after point after point. Sure, that match broke (totally smashed) every tennis record for longest match ever. But it's only interesting in a kind of train-wreck fascination kind of way, and only one of the guys was American (Isner)... who came off as surly and pissed-off in his brief interview (opposed to Mahut who was gracious and excited to be part of something amazing). As of this morning (June 24) they still haven't resolved the match...

Give me the soccer story anytime and all the time. Thanks.

Things I like but not like me...

As I poke around the links to blogs that share interests with my own, I came across a few that are not remotely like me. For example, I clicked on the link to bloggers who also like to nature journal. Woooooo... lots of homeschool, religious types there. And while I am not opposed to homeschooling per se, nor am I opposed to religion (in small controlled doses), I cannot in good conscience suggest that I am in any way interested in those two subjects. But I do like to sketch, draw and write about the outdoors; taking notes while standing in the rain by a rocky outcrop was something I learned to do as a geology student. And I like it.

I've occasionally used this idea of writing and drawing about nature in my science classes... with mixed results. As one would expect, some students really enjoyed it and performed superbly, providing me with excellent examples of nature journaling. Others... not so much, even to the point of wondering what my 'agenda' was in promoting something so touchy-feely in a science class.

So it struck me as odd that something I enjoy is so often related to others things that I don't enjoy or care about.

Pictured is an example of a nature journal page found on this site: http://www.moocowfanclub.com/blogs/fw/naturejournal

World Cup 2010

I didn't grow up playing soccer. My first exposure was in college on an intramural team... where it took about 10 seconds for me to realize that I knew absolutely nothing about the game. The St. Louis kids made it look so easy (at that time St. Louis was the soccer capital of the USA). My second exposure to 'big-time' soccer was during my NROTC cruise to Italy during the 1978 World Cup. Visiting Rome during one Saturday while Italy was playing, one could walk down a street and hear the game on every radio and TV in the city. And nobody on the streets or in the shops and markets.

Despite intense marketing and promotion, the game has never really caught on in the US. We cannot handle the long stretches where nothing much happens. A 0-0 game? Where's the fun and excitement in that? And... I confess that sometimes I watch and wish that something would happen. But the pure athleticism, the chess-like strategy, and the heart-pounding excitement when something DOES happen.... is unsurpassed. So I'll be watching this year, cheering when the USA ties England 1-1, grousing about yellow cards, or what should be yellow cards. And maybe dream of retiring to a place where soccer is a national passion.

modern technology

Like this picture? Real time from South Pass Wyoming. I spent 3 summers knocking around out there ~25 years ago courtesy of the University of Missouri's 6-week geology field camp. This website has real-time webcams all over the state... fun to check in on occasionally and you often get reminded as to why few people actually live in some of these places. The one below is the same view on a 'normal' summer day.

To be fair, South Pass is at about 8000 feet of altitude. It's called South Pass because it passes just to the south of the Wind River mountains on the Oregon Trail. Off to the left in the pictures (you can't actually see them from the highway) are two mining ghost towns; South Pass City and Atlantic City. There are a few people who still live in these two towns, and a rather well-known saloon is a bit of a tourist attraction.

Weeds?

Who knew? Showtime series presents ... Weeds; five seasons of comedic drama based on surburban family (sans dead dad) in the pot-selling business. Hilarious in the beginning, becoming darker and deadlier later on. Strong language, sex, marijuana in all shapes and uses... pretty good show. I've watched all but the last few episodes of season 5 over the last 3-4 days. Kinda warped me I think. I like seasons 1-3 better than 4 & 5; less dark drama, more comedy. Season 6 starts this fall on Showtime... I'll be watching.

On to jollier things

Tired of naval gazing... soooo

I've been rereading John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series, at least the ones I can find in the local library. I first read these stories when I was stationed on the USS Kitty Hawk CV-63. To fill the time between watches and ship's work, I hid out in the ship's library and grabbed the first few off of the paperback rack. I was hooked. Paperbacks make great time fillers while standing in line, of which there is a lot of on a large ship... waiting for chow, to get paid, to get a haircut etc.

I like and admire Travis's take on life, his philosophy, and his ability to find a way out of almost any problem he found himself in. I think there are worse role models. I'm probably going to get a tattoo of his houseboat on my back... right shoulder blade I think.

Catching up...

Spring has definitely sprung (80's tomorrow finally) and my reading pace is picking up. For some reason I always read more in warm weather, maybe it has to do with my being a teacher and having summers off? Not sure that's it since I seem to be just as busy with activities in the summer as any other time. Anyway here's an update on some of my reading... as always check the entire list to the left.



Butcher's Hill by Laura Lippman; third and best so far in the Tess Monaghan in Baltimore series; when I was young I lived in D.C. for a year and a half. My dad took me to several Baltimore Orioles games, back when they were very good (Frank & Brooks Robinson, Jim Palmer etc) and playing in the old Memorial Stadium (right). Pictured above is Baltimore's "new" stadium: Oriole Park at Camden Yards which is one of the first "retro" stadiums built. I would very much like to see a game there.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe; liked this very much

The Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston; Agent Pendergast & The Museum of Natural History... very good

Smart is the new sexy?

God I hope so! I don't normally reflect much on my TV viewing habits... sports, favorite movies, and a few shows that I tend to watch over and over (Everybody Loves Raymond, NCIS) make up my television viewing. But the Big Bang Theory is one of the funniest (at least to me) shows on TV. I actually watch the current show on network TV which is something that I've NEVER done. I far prefer the daily repeats on USA or TBS. Granted I didn't actually START watching until season 3... but still.

What's the attraction? Physics for one. The main characters all work or teach in Caltech's department of physics. I teach high school physics. David Saltzberg, a real physicist, works as a consultant on the show and writes a blog discussing some of the actual physics that appears in each episode. Secondly, Kaley Cuoco. She's gorgeous, funny, & sweet. The very best scenes in the show are not between her and Leonard (her boyfriend), but between her and Sheldon. Finally, my son LOVES the show. My son is pretty smart, is kind of geeky, and I like that he can watch a popular show that says that it's ok to be smart and geeky.

Happy er.... New Year?

My 2010 (dosKX as my students put it) resolutions include reading 100 books (see here), completing Wood Badge (here), and losing a few pounds (as always). I don't get too ambitious about New Year's resolutions, recognizing that failure is not the end of the world.

My reading through January includes:

1) The Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott; received as an ARC.

2) Jubal Sackett by Louis L'Amour

3) Wicked by Gregory Maguire

4) Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam (I'm amazed that I had never heard of this guy until last summer)

War! What is it good for?

I was born in 1959. My father served in the US Navy from 1948 to 1958, missing World War 2. My father-in-law just barely caught the end of WW2, serving in the Navy on the west coast, mostly, to hear him tell it, in the function of processing discharges at the end of the war. My grandfather was born in 1902 and so was a bit too young for WWI and then too old for WW2 (although that certainly would not have been true in any other major combatant country, which goes to illustrate just how fortunate the United States has been during these world wars).

My point being that I have no direct experience, nor do I have any close family that has had any direct experience of war as described by Rulka Langer in her book The Mermaid and the Messerschmitt. Ms. Langer was a Polish citizen, wealthy and talented enough to have been educated in the US at Vassar, that lived in Warsaw during the German invasion in 1939. Her husband was on assignment at the time in the US, so she was raising her two school age children, and living with her mother. She was very fortunate (and wise) to take the opportunity that having a husband working in the US gave her and escaped the city about 6 months after the Germans took over. Her story describes the events leading up to and during the seige and subsequent takeover. Bravery, determination, courage and a good measure of luck, were the determining factors on who survived those 6 months (the winter following the invasion was one of the harshest on record) and who didn't.

Being twice removed (through time and distance) it is hard to imagine an ordeal like that. Yet many places in the world are currently embroiled in similar circumstances. Afghanistan comes to mind. I sometimes wonder that we, as a people and a culture, perhaps have lost something important by NOT having had to face and overcome such horrific events. That we've perhaps lost some of our resilience and certainly some appreciation for the good things we have.