life of riles

The Green Bay Packers Lost a Game, and This Woman Lost Her Mind

2012-01-18T18:37:00.000-08:00

I came across a great video today, and it must be shared.

As an owner of the Green Bay Packers, Sunday's game was indeed upsetting. Fans of the Green and Gold worldwide took the loss hard, but perhaps none as hard as the woman in this video.

Apparently she's garnered a dose of fame from this video, and really, why not.

Drowning My Sorrow in the Golden Globes

2012-01-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

Well, the Green Bay Packers picked a really bad time to play their worst game of the season. I spent a ridiculous amount of time on the phone commiserating with friends. This is a little discussed aspect of being a fan, but talking with friends after a loss is a strangely satisfying feeling, the idea that we've experienced the same disappointment, venting to the only people who get it.

Meg patiently waited for me, and then we watched the Golden Globes. Meg and I love the Globes. We're always hopeful that drunken celebrity hijinks will break out, but it didn't look like anyone was outrageously liquored-up last night.

I loved Ricky Gervais last year. He took some heat for being too mean-spirited, but I thought he was hilarious. Gervais was quite funny again last night, but I do think he dialed it back a bit. I especially liked his exchange with Johnny Depp, a big star who isn't afraid to poke a little fun at himself. The show could have used a lot more Gervais if you ask me, with drink in hand of course.

Here's a rundown of the awards (my comments in red):

BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA: The Descendants I had this as my #4 movie of the year, so definitely a deserving winner.

BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA: George Clooney, The Descendants I don't think Clooney is a very expressive actor, but I kind of like that. Makes his performances feel more realistic, and his style was perfect for this movie.

BEST MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL/COMEDY: The Artist I haven't seen this one yet. It will certainly be nominated for an Oscar, so I'll be seeing it soon. I was kind of hoping Midnight in Paris would win.

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady Is it possible for Meryl Streep to be in a movie and not be nominated for awards? Probably not, she's just that good. I haven't seen this one yet, but I'm interested to learn a little bit about Thatcher.

BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL/COMEDY: Jean Dujardin, The Artist Again, I haven't seen this one, so I don't have much to go on.

BEST DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese, Hugo A bit of a surprise I guess, but we're talking Marty here, so not too big a stretch. I love Scorsese, and I loved this movie (my #7 this year).

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Octavia Spencer, The Help I didn't read the book, but I did enjoy the movie (not enough to make my top 10 though). I was more taken by Viola Davis, but Spencer's performance was noteworthy.

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL/COMEDY: Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn I haven't seen this one, but I like Michelle Williams, so I was happy to see her win.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christopher Plummer, Beginners I would call Plummer an actor's actor. I liked the movie, and his performance was excellent.

BEST COMEDY SERIES: Modern Family Great show. Ty Burrell is my favorite, but the whole cast is stellar.

BEST ACTOR, COMEDY: Matt LeBlanc, Episodes Seriously Hollywood Foreign Press Association? Matt LeBlanc? True, I haven't seen the show, but come on, Matt LeBlanc?

BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA: Claire Danes, Homeland I haven't seen the show, but I like Danes. Well, kind of. She still has cred with me from My So Called Life, but I better like her in something else soon.

TV SERIES, DRAMA: Homeland This feels like one of those shows with a small audience that critics like to spotlight. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Anybody out there watching this show? Tell us about it.

BEST ACTOR, DRAMA: Kelsey Grammar, Boss I have a hard time believing Grammar can still find work, let alone receive an award.

BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY: Laura Dern, Enlightened I've caught bits and pieces of this show. I feel like I might like it, but I haven't been able to bring myself to watch a whole episode yet.

Anybody else watch the Globes? Impressions? Thoughts?

When Last Friday Night Already Feels Nostalgic

2012-01-10T19:19:00.000-08:00

A strange thing has happened to me the last couple years. Particularly enjoyable moments are quickly tinged with nostalgia. Case in point: last Friday, Meg and I watched a bunch of Portlandia episodes. We stayed up late, drank the leftover beer from the holidays, and laughed, a lot.

Not even a week later, I'm already feeling nostalgic. Is that weird? Is that what happens as one gets older?

Anyway, premature nostalgia aside, Portlandia is a great show. Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein are hilarious. Meg and I especially loved this skit/song about the 90s. As former wannabe 90s hipsters (the Minneapolis variety), we thought this was brilliant.

Gabby Giffords

2012-01-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

January 8, 2011, was a tough day. My dad had passed away just 8 days earlier, leaving this world in the early hours of a new year, and things were still feeling surreal on a day I should have been wishing him a happy birthday. Instead, my sister and I took my mom cell phone shopping.

As we weighed the merits of various phones, I got a text from Meg. Gabby Giffords had been shot and CNN was reporting that she was dead. I told my mom and sister, a wave of texts slowly spreading the news in the store and across Tucson.

January 8 was now one of those days people in Tucson will always remember. One of those days you remember where you were when you heard the news.

Unbelievably, Gabby didn't die that day.

She continues to battle back, her strength and courage a true inspiration. If you saw her interview on TV recently, you know she still has a long way to go. I'm not sure she'll be able to return to office, and that will be a huge loss for Tucson. Of course, there are more important things.

I admired Gabrielle Giffords before January 8, 2011. I admire her even more now.

Top Ten Movies of 2011

2012-01-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

I watched 68 movies in 2011, not including all the bits and pieces I caught while channel-surfing. The first movie I watched in 2011 was Easy A and the last was The Help. Overall, I think it was a solid year for movies, with a particularly strong summer crop of films. Unlike my top ten books, I've only included movies that were released this year.

10) Cedar Rapids: Ed Helms plays Tim Lippe, a staggeringly naive and genuine insurance salesman in a small Wisconsin town. Lippe attends a conference in the big city, Cedar Rapids, and hijinks ensue. This wasn't a big hit at the box office, but if you love Ed Helms as much as I do, you'll want to check this one out.

9) Rango: This is the only animated film on the this year's list, and like any great animated film, it's not just for kids. Johnny Depp brings life to a chameleon who finds himself the sheriff of Dirt, a small Western town with a serious water issue. The CGI is amazing, and the allusions to classic Westerns are fun, especially the homage to Clint Eastwood.

8) Super 8: J.J. Abrahams is an unapologetic Steven Spielberg fan, and this film can simply be described as Speilbergian. A young boy, with the help of his movie-making friends and a displaced alien, learns to live after his mother's death. I recently watched this one again with the girls, making it even better the second time around.

7) Hugo: A beautiful family film from Martin Scorsese. A young boy and an old man help each other connect to their pasts while forging new futures. Even though we didn't pay the extra money for 3D, I love the irony of Scorsese using 3D to pay tribute to early film. Almost makes me want to see it again, in 3D.

6) Soul Surfer: This was perhaps the biggest surprise of the year for me. I had absolutely no interest in seeing this movie, but after nothing but raves from other parents, I gave it a shot. I'm sure you've heard about Bethany Hamilton, the girl who lost her arm in a shark attack. Her story is truly inspiring, and I have to admit, this one brought tears to my eyes, more than once.

5) Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Another big surprise. I have to say, I was never a big fan of the whole Apes franchise, but the trailer for this movie got me in the theater. This is a creative and thought-provoking prequel. I watched this again with Meg and the girls, and like Super 8, it was even more fun the second time around.

4) The Descendants: I made sure to read the book before seeing the movie. I loved the book, #5 on my top 10, and the movie is an excellent adaptation. I'm a big fan of Alexander Payne and George Clooney.

3) Midnight in Paris: Gil Pender, an unfulfilled writer, magically finds himself in 1920s Paris. He mingles with Hemingway, F. Scott and Zelda, Gertrude Stein, Picasso and Salvador Dali. His experience in the past forces him to make the future he's always wanted. I haven't enjoyed a Woody Allen movie this much in a long time.

2) Bridesmaids: Kristin Wiig is brilliant. I'll be disappointed if she isn't nominated for an Oscar. Come to think of it, this movie should be nominated for Best Picture. It is hands down the funniest movie of the year, but it's also a poignant take on the changing nature of friendship.

1) Win Win: Paul Giamatti plays Mike Flaherty, a lawyer/wrestling coach. To make ends meet, Flaherty takes in a troubled teen, who just happens to be a wrestling prodigy. Alex Shaffer plays the kid, and he's fantastic, reminded me of a young Sean Penn. Amy Ryan, one of my favorite actresses, is great as the wife. This a movie about people quickly losing hope, finding unlikely lifelines, and creating a new path.

Let me know what you think of my choices, and of course, I'd love to hear what you enjoyed watching this year in the comments, maybe some movies to watch in 2012. Your top movie, top 3, 5, 10, whatever works for you.

Top Ten Books of 2011

2011-12-27T10:39:00.000-08:00

I'm a big end-of-the-year list kind of guy, and I enjoyed doing my own book and movie lists last year. I'm back at it this year, and since I'll be squeezing in a few more movies this year, I'll start with my top ten books of 2011. I read 42 books this year, down from 49 in 2010. I read more YA last year, which tends to go faster for me. The books on my list weren't necessarily published in 2011, just books I read this year.

10. The Member of the Wedding, Carson McCullers: Published in 1946, this is the oldest book on my list. Frankie Addams dreams of escaping her Southern hometown, going away with her brother and his fiance. McCullers nails the Southern gothic thing. Hell, she may have created it for all I know. I am certain Harper Lee was a fan of this book, as there are many similarities to her own Southern coming-of-age book.

9. Half a Life, Darin Strauss: This is one of two nonfiction books on the list. Strauss struck and killed a girl with his car when he was 18. He writes unblinkingly about the next half of his life, his reaction to the tragedy and his struggle to accept happiness again in his life.

8. Red Hook Road, Ayelet Waldman: Newlyweds Becca and John die on their wedding day, and the remaining members of their families must find meaning with the rest of their lives. Heavy stuff, to be sure, but Waldman is able to find beauty in tragedy.

7. the imperfectionists, Tom Rachman: This book tells the story of the rise and fall of an English newspaper in Italy. Within the larger story of the dying paper, Rachman gives us the lives of the people who are affected by its demise.

6. The Art of Fielding, Chad Harbach: This one had me with the northeastern Wisconsin setting, the description of which brought back more than a few pleasant memories. Much of the book centers around a baseball team, but this book, like all great books, is about so much more than what is presented on the surface. A passing knowledge of Moby Dick makes this book even more impressive.

5. The Descendants, Kaui Hart Hemmings: Matt King is an out-of-the-loop husband and father who must step up after a tragedy. I have to admit, I read this one after hearing about the movie. I knew I'd see the movie, so I wanted to read the book first. I didn't have many expectations, but I really enjoyed the book. Hemmings has a sparse writing style, much more direct than your typical literary fiction, a style I quite like.

4. Townie, Andre Dubus III: This is the second nonfiction book on the list, and it's a powerhouse. This book shows the evolution of a man, from fear and anger to some kind of understanding. Ultimately, it's about Dubus coming to terms with his father, coming to understand, perhaps not fully, but enough. Sometimes that's the best we can do.

3. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran Foer: The beautiful story of Oskar Schell, a young boy learning to live after losing his dad on 9/11. Some may find this one overly sentimental, but if it's well done, and Safran Foer is a master, I'm a sucker for sentimental.

2. The Financial Lives of the Poets, Jess Walter: Matt Prior's life is a mess. He loses his job, he can't pay the mortgage, and to top it off, his marriage is crumbling. What's a guy to do? Matt has a unique idea to solve his problems, if he doesn't get himself killed. Walter uses one man's personal descent as a metaphor for the times.

1. a visit from the goon squad, Jennifer Egan: This is a brilliant book. Don't take my word for it, Egan won a little something called the Pulitzer Prize for this baby. Egan masterfully uses multiple characters, weaving their stories together to create a transcendent whole. I don't want to give anything away, but at one point Egan uses the power point format, and if for no other reason, you should read this book just to see how she pulled it off.

Let me know what think of my choices. I'd love to hear what other people enjoyed reading this year in the comments, might give me some ideas for 2011. Your top book, top 3, 5, 10, whatever works for you.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-23T16:47:00.000-08:00

I caught the SNL Christmas special earlier this week, and this skit killed me. I hope everyone has a better time than the family in this clip (obviously someone filming their TV, but it's all I could find).

Happy Holidays!

On Perfection and Loss

2011-12-19T17:06:00.000-08:00

The Green Bay Packers quest for a perfect season ended yesterday in Kansas City. I suppose most people thought the Packers would waltz out of KC with another victory, but as any football fan knows, Any Given Sunday and all that.

The Packers had won 13 in a row this season, 19 going back to last season, the 2nd longest streak in NFL history. Before yesterday, the Packers hadn't lost in 364 days.

I remember that game well. It was Dec. 19. The Packers played the Patriots on Sunday Night Football. Aaron Rodgers was unable to play due to a concussion he'd suffered a week earlier against Detroit. With a back-up quarterback, no one gave the Pack much chance. The team rallied behind Matt Flynn and battled admirably, in the end falling just short.

It wasn't the kind of game that most fans will remember, but it's a game I'll never forget. It was the last game I watched with my dad. He was in the hospital, but he thought he might go home the next day. He was in good spirits as we watched the game. When the Packers fell short, he characteristically went into positive spin mode, seeing the loss as a springboard to bigger things.

As it turned out, he was right about the Packers. Wrong about his health. My dad was technically still alive the following Sunday when the Packers beat the New York Giants, the beginning of their Super Bowl run, the first of 19 straight wins, but he was in a morphine haze in hospice, the game just background noise because it felt like the right thing to do.

So the Green Bay Packers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday, ending the quest for perfection. It was the first time the Packers lost a game since my dad died. Man, he would have loved those 364 days.

My dad would have said this was just a bump in the road, something to learn from. As I drove home from my friend's house, I could hear our conversation. It brought a smile to my face, and tears to my eyes.

A Little Girl and her Piglet

2011-11-22T18:50:00.000-08:00

Our trip to Anaheim was quite eventful. The girls danced beautifully, but failed to qualify for Nationals. This was Quinn's first Oireachtas (O-rock-tus), so she was mostly just happy to be there. Scout, on the other hand, had high hopes. This was her third crack at it, and she worked very hard the last couple of months. Her disappointment was palpable, but she mostly kept it together. She stayed to watch her friends who were recalled, and bugged us to stay for the awards. We opted for Downtown Disney instead, but I was proud of her for wanting to support her friends.

As we walked around Downtown Disney, Scout was unusually distant. I figured she was still recovering, but when we got back to the hotel, the truth came out. Scout burst into tears and told us that she had left her Piglet back at the Hilton (we'd moved over to the Best Western that afternoon). First the dancing, then Piglet, it was all more than she could take. It's silly I know, such trivial things in the big picture, but no matter what the cause, watching your heart-broken child is never fun. Especially when you're the one who did the final look-through in the room.

We called the hotel, but no Piglet in the lost and found. We left our number in case he turned up, but there wasn't a lot of hope.

I knew Disney would buy us some time. No matter how sad she was, Scout couldn't resist the happiest place on Earth.

There were many great moments during our two days at Disneyland, but the highlight of our stay was when the hotel called to tell us they'd found Piglet hiding out in the bedsheets. We were standing in the Tower of Terror line, and I'll never forget the look on Scout's face when Meg told her the news.

I'm not exactly sure when Scout got Piglet, but I know he's been around for a long time. It's a bit like Toy Story 3, Piglet a symbol of Scout's childhood. Scout wouldn't have been the only one devastated if that little guy hadn't shown up. Here's hoping Piglet is around for a long time to come.

Quick Check-in

2011-11-16T17:47:00.000-08:00

I'll spare you the details, but I've been feeling a little overwhelmed lately. I feel like JoBeth Williams in Poltergeist, that scene where she runs down the hall to save her kids, going as fast as she can, but always farther (farther/further-never been very sure about these two) away. We watched Poltergeist with the girls recently, so it's fresh.

The Rileys are heading over to Anaheim tomorrow for a big Irish dancing competition and a couple days at Disney. Things have been so hectic lately, I'm actually looking forward to 8 hours of blissful driving. I never thought I'd be a big Disney guy, but we went a few years ago, and I have to say, the place worked its magic on me. I'm looking forward to a whole bunch of things over there.

There's still a lot to do before we go, but I wanted to post a quick video. There was a great skit on SNL this weekend involving Adele's song "Someone Like You." I love the song, it's a musical short story, a quick shot of melancholy to make it easier to face the rest of the day with a smile . The skit is hilarious and perfectly captures why the song is so popular.

Enjoy.

Fast Five Friday: Scary Movies

2011-10-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

My oldest (she's 11) is really pushing to watch some scary movies. She loves reading scary books, and now she wants to check out what the movies have to offer. In another sure sign that western civilization is crumbling, she tells us about all the movies the kids at school have seen, or at least say they've seen.

Meg and I aren't ready to get into the really scary stuff, but we are ready to start easing into some scary movies. Little sister has a sleep over Saturday night, so we're going to watch Signs. Meg and I love M. Night, well, early M. Night anyway, and we think this will quench our daughter's tween thirst for cinematic thrills. For now.

The oldest has also been asking what our favorite scary movies are, and since it's almost Halloween and all, why not. For this week's Fast Five, I present the five scariest movies I've ever seen.

5) The Thing: I watched this with a buddy this summer, and we were surprised by how well it's held up over the years. I know there's a remake out, but I doubt I'll see it.

4) An American Werewolf in London: A couple scenes stick out from this one: the two travelers being attacked on the moor, and of course, the famous scene where the guy turns into the werewolf.

3) The Shining: I remember reading somewhere that Stephen King was disappointed with Kubrick's adaptation, but it scared the hell out of me.

2) Alien: When that alien popped out of John Hurt's chest, I nearly lost my mind.

1) The Exorcist: To this day, the very thought of this movie reduces my chances of getting a good night's sleep.

What are some movies that send chills up your spine?

Young Writers

2011-10-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

I've been in the computer lab the last couple days. My students are typing the final drafts of short stories they've written. It's the final project for a unit on the elements of literature: characters, setting, plot, theme. We read a number of stories together, identified the elements, and now the kids have to demonstrate their knowledge by writing their own story that incorporates all of the elements.

Last week we worked on our rough drafts in class. I let the kids listen to music as we worked. This isn't something I normally do, but I thought I'd give it a try. A colleague of mine told me Michael Jackson is usually a big hit, so I brought in Thriller. I have to say, the kids worked very well to MJ.

My school is in the process of becoming an International Baccalaureate school, and one of the goals of the International Baccalaureate program is to foster open-minded students. Let's just say, it is quite the challenge to open the average middle school mind. In an attempt to open minds through music, I decided to bring in some music from international artists.

Day two I played some Beatles for the kids. I wish I could tell you they were excited about it, but alas, there was much whining. Mr. Riley patiently explained to his students that it was important for them to expand their musical horizons. And when that didn't work, he told them, kindly mind you, to shut up and listen to the Beatles.

I was ready for more whining day three, but I was pleasantly surprised. When I told the kids we'd be listening to Bob Marley, the room exploded with enthusiasm. Score one for the reggae master.

On day four, I went with Ireland's finest, U2. I thought most of the kids would be familiar with U2, but I was wrong. Having established a whine-free environment, the kids managed to muffle their skepticism. I could see it in their eyes, so I tried explaining that just last year I had seen U2 in Phoenix, along with 80,000 other life-long fans, but this didn't seem to impress them. To the kids credit, they gave it a chance. I don't think Bono and the boys won everyone over, but they may have managed to open a few minds.

Friday was the last day to work on the rough drafts. I needed the most conducive environment possible, so I let the kids choose the music. Three of the classes played it safe and chose more Michael Jackson, but a couple classes told me to mix it up. I complimented them on being open-minded and did my best dj imitation.

It was a fun week. There were plenty of kids who squandered their time, but unfortunately, that's par for the course. You can lead a horse to water, as they say. I do think the music helped, and I can see myself using music when we write in the future.

The final product is due Thursday, and I'm looking forward to reading the stories. Let's hope MJ, Bono, Bob Marley, and yes, even the Beatles, helped my students write some decent fiction.

Fast Five Friday: Movies in the Big Apple

2011-10-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

I saw a fun infographic on /Film last week about movie landmarks in NYC. It reminded me of the carriage ride we took with the girls through Central Park a few years ago. Our driver, in a movie-thick Russian accent, pointed out a number of spots in the park that have featured in popular films. I can't really remember the spots or the movies, but I still chuckle remembering that guy's delivery.

New York is of course one of the great movie settings, a city so vibrant, so alluring, it is often a character in its own right. This week's Fast Five features some of my favorite movies set in the Big Apple.

5) A Bronx Tale: This movie was based on a Chazz Palminteri play and directed by Robert De Niro. It tells the story of a father trying to keep his son on the right path after he is befriended by a mafia boss. De Niro clearly learned a lot from working with Scorsese over the years, especially the art of picking great music for film.

4) Quick Change: Bill Murray starred in and directed this movie about bank robbers at the mercy of New York City. This is one of my favorite Bill Murray movies, right up there with Rushmore.

3) Annie Hall: There has to be a Woody Allen movie on any list of great New York movies. This was my first Allen film, and he painted a beautiful picture of New York City for this kid from Green Bay, Wisconsin.

2) Do the Right Thing: This one sparked a lot of controversy when it was released. Spike Lee challenged audiences with this story of racial tensions erupting on the hottest day of the summer. Wherever you stand on the ending, this movie made you think.

1) After Hours: In my mind, Scorsese is the ultimate New York filmmaker. This isn't one of Scorsese's most popular movies, but it may be my favorite. The main character's journey through a wild and wacky night in the city captured this Green Bay kid's imagination.

What are some of your favorite New York movies?

Just a Thought

2011-10-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

I haven't been paying much attention to the news lately, but I did plug in last night for a little while to catch up a bit. I knew about the Occupy Wall Street protests, but I hadn't put much thought into them. If anything, I thought they were just a flash in the pan.

As I flipped between CNN and Fox (I like to keep tabs on what everyone is saying), an interesting thought occurred to me. What if the Wall Street Occupiers and the Tea Partiers worked together?

Sound crazy? Allow me to elaborate.

The common perception, and one that I would have to agree with, is that Wall Street Occupiers are liberal and the Tea Partiers are conservative. Fair enough.

But.....

Banks really do seem to be pushing their luck these days, what with Bank of America, and logically, all their banking brethren, about to charge $5 a month to use a debit card. That surely riles up every red-blooded American. Who knows what other rapacious fees banks will devise if people don't cause a ruckus.

We know the Tea Partiers can mobilize. Hit 'em in the wallet enough, and they might just find some common ground with all those good-for-nothing Wall Street Occupiers.

That would be something, wouldn't it?

Discuss (think Mike Myers doing his Linda Richmann voice)

Fast Five Friday: Pay it Forward Blogfest

2011-10-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

I came across a fun Blogfest this week, and I though I'd incorporate it into my weekly Fast Five. The Pay it Forward Blogfest is the brainchild of Matthew MacNish and Alex J. Cavanaugh, and here's how it works:

The idea is to introduce everyone to everyone else. We want this to be an easy post that allows you to meet and follow as many other bloggers as you can. In your post, we would like you to please list, describe, and link to three blogs that you enjoy reading, but that you suspect may fly under the radar of a lot of other bloggers. Or they can be famous blogs, as long as they're awesome.

But don't stop there! Certainly visit and follow all the blogs that are featured in people's posts the day of the blogfest, but those don't have to be the only blogs you visit. You can visit everyone who enters in on the fun, and signs up on the linky list. In the interest of time you don't even have to leave a comment. You can just follow, and come back another time. After all, we all know we don't have time to visit every blog we enjoy every single day.

I hope that Matthew and Alex don't mind, but since this is a FFF post, I'm going to give you 5 blogs (and there are plenty more) that I enjoy reading.

1) Munk Davis: Consistently funny and thought-provoking, with great tips on music. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Munk is simply blogalicious.

2) Suburban Soliloquy: Blogging with a literary flair.

3) Brits in the USA: One of the first blogs I ever followed, and still going strong. An eclectic blog with excellent writing.

4) Bards and Prophets: There are a lot of blogs that deal with all things writing, but this one stands out for me.

5) SLC Kismet: One of the more unique perspectives I've come across in the blogosphere.

This is a Blog Hop!

1. Alex J. Cavanaugh	2. Untroubled Kingdom
3. Matthew MacNish	4. Live High - oceangirl
5. A Daft Scots Lass	6. Been there, done that
7. Laura Pauling	8. JP @ ~Where Sky Meets Ground~
9. CineMarvellous!	10. Clarissa Draper
11. Kid-Free Living Humor	12. Jennifer Shirks Me, My Muse and i
13. Writers Ally/SA Larsen	14. Sommer Leigh @ Tell Great Stories
15. Shannonigans	16. Christine Rains
17. Talli Roland	18. Abby Has Issues
19. Ashley Elston	20. Em-Musing
21. The Daily Harrell	22. A Shift in Dimensions
23. Deana Barnhart	24. WriteEscape
25. Rebecca Mahoney	26. Stephanie M. Lorée
27. Michael G-G	28. Stephen Tremp Breakthrough Blogs
29. Catch the Rush	30. The Word is My Oyster
31. Daily (w)rite	32. Dont Forget the Samovar
33. The Written Word	34. Writer Musings
35. Donna K. Weaver	36. Arlee Birds Tossing It Out
37. Nancy S. Thompson	38. Melissa Bradley
39. Notice Your World	40. Life by Chocolate
41. Mark Noce Stories	42. DG Hudson - Rainforest Writing
43. Susan Oloier	44. Huntress aka CD Coffelt
45. Susan Kaye Quinn	46. Think Dream Inspire
47. My Not So Secret Writing Life	48. Dafeenah
49. Fantasy Nibbles	50. Sub Radar
51. Putting pen To Paper	52. Kelly Polark
53. Stina Lindenblatt	54. Thats Write
55. Christina Lee	56. Fabulosity Reads
57. Fabulosity Nouveau	58. The Eagles Aerial Perspective
59. The Character Depot	60. Alison Pearce Stevens
61. SLC Kismet	62. Inside Out
63. Musings of a Restless Mind	64. Mary Pax
65. Angela Orlowski-Peart	66. Dawn Kurtagich
67. Angela Brown in the Pursuit of Publishness	68. kpfwrites
69. Real World on Writing	70. Susan Says
71. Milo James Fowler, Speculative Fictioneer	72. Tyreans Writing Spot
73. Beanstalks & Bookends	74. Empty White Pages
75. LynNerds Random Acts of Writing	76. StrangePegs
77. Michael @ In Time . . .	78. Elizabeth Mueller
79. Mithril Wisdom	80. Creepy Query Girl
81. Healthy Sustainable Living Today	82. Amity
83. Literary Rambles	84. One stiletto At A Time
85. KH LeMoyne	86. Kathy- Imagine Today
87. A Pocketful of Dreams	88. My Pet Blog
89. Jemi Fraser	90. Barbara Kloss. . . the adventures of a writer
91. Notes Along the Way	92. Jonathon Arntson
93. Miranda Hardy	94. Writing In A Nutshell
95. Cynthia Lee	96. Mike Chens (Brilliant Unpublished) Novel Blog
97. Daily Dodo	98. Beths Blog
99. Laugh Quotes	100. mainewords
101. Patrick Tillett	102. Jessica Bell: The Alliterative Allomorph
103. Sierra Godfrey	104. Left Brained by Day; Write Brained - All the Time
105. L. Diane Wolfe - Spunk on a Stick	106. Silver Lining
107. Liz Fichera	108. From Pen to Paper
109. Isis Rushdan	110. Joanne Brothwell - Thoughts Interred in Phrase
111. ali cross	112. Pensuasion
113. Donna Hole	114. CINDERELLA TRIPPIN
115. Bish Denham	116. tara tyler talks
117. Christine Fonseca, Author	118. Just Following a Dream
119. Fantasy Author KH	120. Nicole Zoltack
121. David Powers King	122. Ciara Knight
123. Carolyn Abiad	124. The Corner
125. Patricia Stoltey	126. Another Slightly Scary Story
127. Ellis Shuman Writes	128. A Gay in the Life of Melinda Finch
129. The Sentinels Son	130. Get Your Giggle On
131. thefeatherednest	132. Drewciferianisms
133. Write About Now	134. Donea Lee
135. Angela Orlowski-Peart	136. PK HREZO
137. Donnas Book Pub	138. Marta Szemik
139. Susan Roebuck, author	140. One Little Spark
141. Word Doodles	142. Kiwis Life
143. Culture Shock	144. Have You Heard
145. Crazy California Claire	146. cluelesseve
147. They say everyone has a story. .	148. Wannabuyaduck
149. Sangu Mandanna	150. Stuart Sharp
151. Culture Shock	152. Book Dreaming
153. Judy Black Cloud-Writing up a Storm	154. Cate Masters
155. Reading on the F Train	156. C. K. Bryant @ Day Dreamer
157. Shelly Brown	158. Emily White, Author of Elemental
159. Piedmont Writer -- Anne Gallagher	160. Green Monkey Tales
161. Loralie @ Apathys Hero	162. Lady Readers Bookstuff
163. Patti Nielson	164. Ninja Girl Reads
165. The blog that helps you diagnose your character	166. Elle Strauss "writing otherworldliness. . . "
167. Lynn Kelley: LynNerds Random Acts of Writing	168. Uniquely Moi Books
169. Brand New Day	170. B-Word
171. Forever Rewrighting	172. A. J. Walker, fantasies & mysteries
173. Civil War Horror (Sean McLachlan)	174. J. C. Martin, Fighter Writer
175. Katie OSullivan	176. Ginas Writers Blog
177. misadventures of a chunky goddess	178. the purple goddess
179. The Dancing Paralegal	180. All Things Scots
181. Dreamers Perch	182. Kristi-TheBookFaery
183. Confessions of a Watery Tart	184. Writers Quandary
185. then she writes	186. A. B. Keuser
187. Sarah McCabe	188. Blogfestivus For The Rest of Us!
189. [sic]	190. Gypsy in my Soul
191. Cherie Reich - Author	192. 4 boys and 2 divas newbie
193. CPatLarge	194. All Things Books
195. Castles in the Air	196. Deniz Bevan
197. Janet Sumner Johnson	198. Concrete Pieces of Soul
199. Life Lines: Positive Thoughts About Random Stuff	200. The Blutonian Death Egg
201. Danette	202. =]V[= Throughs of a computer geek / dad
203. CherylAnne Ham	204. Free romance ebooks!
205. Joe Lunievicz	206. Ai @ {Sakura Haruka}
207. Rie & Pabkins @ Mission to Read	208. life of riles
209. emilou gnu	210. Rooikat in France
211. Javids notes	212. Calling Shotgun
213. Jennifer Hoffine	214. Jeremy [iZombie]
215. A Book, A Girl, A Journey	216. Life on the Muskoka River
217. A Quiet Corner	218. Novel Addict - Enter to win an edit!
219. Leovi - Abstract Photos	220. Appalachian Morning - Creativity Blog
221. Brits in the USA	222. Juliana Haygert
223. Christines Words	224. Callie Hutton
225. Casea Major	226. JenUnedited
227. Katy Upperman	228. My Daley Rant
229. Mikes Ramblings– Hide – Always show	230. Thriller Writer Pat Newcombes blog
231. Her World	232. Connecting with Stephanie
233. Vive le Nerd	234. Just Another Day in Paradise
235. Day By Day	236. Blogging for YA
237. Far Away Series	238. Pagan Spirits book blog
239. Girl In Shoes	240. Reflections on Writing
241. Claudia Del Balso, Writer	242. Maynard Morrisseys HORROR MOVIE DIARY
243. Jennifer Rumberger	244. From Flab to Fab
245. Mommy Has a Headache	246. Cocktails at Naptime - a funny baby book
247. rwryastyle. blogspot. com/	248. Once Upon a Time. . .
249. Writing and Living by Richard P Hughes	250. Em Dashes and Ice Cream
251. a shot og laughter	252. A Little DVersion
253. Hope Faith & Life	254. Greetings from Monmouth County
255. Fiction and Film	256. Tanya De Leeuw Photography
257. the writer in me	258. To Move Forward Live
259. Everything You Didnt Want to Know About Writing	260. One Thousand and One Parsecs
261. Julie Daines	262. Write. Skate. Dream.

Fast Five Friday: Diamond Memories

2011-10-07T18:21:00.000-07:00

I'm starting this post as I watch the Milwaukee Brewers play the Arizona Diamondbacks in a decisive game 5. The Brewers lead 2-1 in the bottom of the 8th, so things are a little tense. I'm not much of a baseball guy anymore, but we took the girls to a Brewers' game this summer, and that rekindled my interest a bit. Even though I don't follow baseball very closely, this game has the ol' juices flowing. Something about the slower pace of baseball makes a close game particularly nerve-wracking.

Arizona just tied it. Damn. Hold on, I gotta watch this.

Wow. Arizona almost took the lead, but we're tied going to the bottom of the 9th.

As I was trying to say, I'm not much of a baseball fan anymore, but I do have some fond baseball memories. This week's Fast Five is all about diamond memories.

And we're going to extra innings..........

5) The Brewers played the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1982 World Series. This was a very difficult experience for me. I loved the Brewers, but when it came to baseball, I was a huge Cardinals fan. My little league team was the Cardinals, so I'd always cheered for them. I would have been happy either way, but unlike all of my friends, I was not devastated when the Brewers lost a hard-fought series in 7 games.

Arizona didn't score, going to the bottom of the 10th.

4) In 1987, the Brewers started the season 13-0. I remember listening to the games on the radio with my buddies as we drank Jolly Good soda in their basement. I remember how our excitement built with each win.

Brewers just won it!!!!!!!!!! Brilliant!!!!!!!!!!! This calls for a beer.

3) I had a friend in a fraternity at the University of Wisconsin. He invited me and my Jolly Good buddies to go to a game with the fraternity. We weren't interested in joining the fraternity, but we knew there'd be a keg on the bus, so we were in. I may have been seeing double, but I'm pretty sure Kirby Puckett went 6-6 with 3 home runs and an unbelievable over-the-wall catch to rob the Brewers of a grand slam. We were in the bleachers at the old County Stadium, and I remember the bleachers giving Puckett a standing ovation as he came out to center in the 9th-very cool.

2) Baseball went dormant for me for a long time. Last summer, Scout and I went to a Minnesota Twins game with my brother-in-law and his daughter. Target Field is a beautiful ballpark, and we had a great time. It was a good game, but the most memorable thing happened in the stands. A couple drunks got into a pretty nasty fight about 20 feet from us. My brother-in-law and I tried to shield the girls, but it happened so fast, they saw enough. I thought they'd be traumatized, but the rest of the night they kept making up conversations that might have led up to the fight, all of them extremely funny to them, and quite honestly, the dads too.

1) As I mentioned before, the Rileys went to a game in Milwaukee this summer. I think the picture explains why this is my #1 baseball memory.....to date.

I don't know if you have any favorite baseball memories, but if you do, leave them in the comments.

Focusing on the Positive

2011-10-04T20:18:00.000-07:00

I had a meeting yesterday that really got my blood boiling. The meeting was about our test scores. I work at a failing school, so the test scores aren't good. The scores bother me, but it was more than that. I don't want to go on a rant right now, so I'm going to wait, let a coherent post form in my mind before trying to write. Instead of focusing on the negativity, I want to focus on a couple of positive things going on at school.

Last Friday we had our first Student of the Month breakfast. I've written about our Student of the Month ceremony before, but for the uninitiated, every month each teacher selects a deserving student to honor. We host a big breakfast for all the kids and their families. There's a lot of love in the room. It's a very cool thing.

This was probably the first time my choice actually surprised me. I chose a girl who I had a fairly serious run-in with last year. I subbed for a colleague, and this girl was a real jerk. We got into it pretty good. When I saw this girl's name on my roster this year, I was fairly certain she would be a major thorn in my side. To my surprise, this girl has been amazing. She works hard every day and her attitude has been great. She is one of my favorite students. I give kids second chances (and 3rd, and 4th, and 5th.....you get the drift) for a living, so I probably shouldn't be so surprised by this turn of events. But I am. Just another example of why I enjoy teaching.

My 8th grade team has set up a study hall after school from 4-5 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We've identified a number of kids who have to show up because of poor grades, but everyone is welcome. We're three weeks in, and on average, 15-20 kids are showing up. We'd like there to be more, but we'll take what we can get. I'm working with kids on assignments from my class, and I'm really enjoying the chance to work with the kids individually, giving them the extra help they need. I was working with a couple kids this afternoon, and it just sort of hit me, I was having a blast.

I'll get to that post about test scores, the particular statistical inanities that bug me even as I type this sentence. I'm just glad I have so many other positive things to focus on every day.

Fast Five Friday: TV Edition

2011-09-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

A new TV season is upon us. It's good to have my favorite shows back, and I've tried out a few new shows as well. Here are five thoughts on the current state of my television viewing.

5) Really glad Kristen Wiig is back for another season of SNL: I did watch Bridesmaids last weekend-brilliant. I'm sure it'll make my top 10 of the year. With all of Wiig's success, I wasn't sure if she'd be back.

4) Person of Interest: This is one of the new shows I'm trying out. It's got Michael Emerson from Lost (man, I miss that show), and it was created by J.J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan (Christopher's brother). The show has an interesting premise, but the first two episodes have been underwhelming. Not sure if I'm going to stick with this one.

3) Prime Suspect: I like having a good cop show in the mix. I love Southland, but I'm not sure if that's coming back. If the first episode is any indication, this show may become a regular for me. Maria Bello is the real deal, and it looks like she's found a role she can sink her teeth into.

2) Parks and Rec: This show has grown on me the past couple years. The ensemble cast is great, and I have a feeling it may give The Office a run for its money as my favorite show on TV.

1) The Office: I am seriously going to miss Steve Carell, but Ed Helms is one funny guy. I'm hoping his expanded role will keep the show running smoothly. I like the addition of James Spader. It feels like he's doing a middle age version of Stef from Pretty in Pink, which is a damn good idea in my book.

What shows are you watching? Are your favorites holding up? Any new shows to recommend?

Show Me How to do the Raji

2011-09-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

The Packers play the Bears later today, a continuation of one of the longest and most intense rivalries in all of sport. The last time the two teams met, the Packers defeated the Bears to go the Super Bowl, perhaps the most meaningful win in this long and storied rivalry. It was the day after my dad's memorial service, and I still can't believe how it happened. I wrote about it back then, and I'd like to repost that piece in my dad's honor today:

My Dad Was Smiling Down

My dad loved the Green Bay Packers. He had to be smiling down yesterday. The Packers beat their archrival, the Chicago Bears, to reach the Super Bowl. It doesn't get much better than that. My brother and I got to watch the game together, and my dad's spirit was definitely there with us. The way the game unfolded would have been particularly satisfying for my dad.

My dad was a year round fan. One of the biggest weekends of the year for my dad was draft weekend. The last few years we watched the draft together, hours of talking about football and life. Those draft days are really great memories. Two years ago my dad predicted the Packers would draft a nose tackle from Boston College named BJ Raji. I'd never heard of the kid, but sure enough, the Packers drafted this guy. My dad was adamant Raji was going to be a great player for the Packers. My brother and I bought him a Raji jersey for Christmas. I was wearing the jersey yesterday in my dad's honor. I know it's corny to think my dad's spirit had anything to do with what happened yesterday, but I'm going to think it anyway.

I'm not a guy who cries about sports, but big ol' BJ Raji brought tears to my eyes yesterday.

There will probably be a few more today.

Fast Five Friday: Funny Women

2011-09-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

For last week's Fast Five, I chose my favorite comedies. It was pointed out, and fairly I think, that my choices are male-centric. I have written about my own bias before, particularly as it applies to my reading habits. I am not about to argue that my taste in comedy is devoid of bias. It is unintentional, but it's hard to deny it's there. The stuff that makes me laugh, makes me laugh, what can I say. That being said, there are many hilarious women in movies these days, so this week's FFF is for the ladies.

5) Kristen Wiig: The only reason I have Wiig at #5 is because I haven't seen Bridesmaids yet. Not because I don't want to. Meg and I prefer to watch most movies at home these days, so we decided to wait. We're going to watch it tomorrow night, and I have no doubt I'll love it. With the success of Bridesmaids, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of Wiig on the big screen. She's probably my favorite SNL player of all-time, so I look forward to many more funny movies from her.

4) Holly Hunter: I loved Hunter in Broadcast News, and of course, Raising Arizona. I love movies about families, usually dysfunctional, coming together for holiday hijinks. Hunter stars in one of the very best, Jodie Foster's Home for the Holidays. Hunter is understated and hilarious.

3) Jane Lynch: So far Lynch has been relegated to fairly small roles in the movies. No matter how small the role, she always manages to steal the show. She is hilarious in Role Models and Talledega Nights, and mind-numbingly funny in 40-Year-Old Virgin. With the success of Glee (which I've never watched), I'm hoping to see Lynch in bigger roles in the movies. By the way, you really might want to google her and Bill Maher reading Anthony Wiener's emails.

2) Frances McDormand: McDormand is married to one of the Coen brothers, and she's been in many of their movies. She's always great, but her crowning glory is Fargo. Marge Gunderson is one of the great female characters, period. Minnesotans will try to tell you the accent is exaggerated, but I lived in Minnesota for 8 years, and let me tell ya, she nailed it.

1) Tina Fey: I thoroughly enjoyed both of Fey's major star turns in Baby Mama and Date Night. She wrote the screenplay for Mean Girls, a wickedly funny take on the modern female high school experience. I know Fey has the whole 30 Rock thing going, but I really hope she keeps cranking out the movies.

There you have it, five seriously funny women. As always, let me know what you think of the choices, and let us know which women and movies tickle your funny bone.

Things on my Mind

2011-09-20T18:45:00.000-07:00

I feel like writing, but my mind is a bit scrambled. I usually have a specific topic in mind when I sit down to write a blog post, but a unifying theme is eluding me right now. I do have some things on my mind though.

Meg and I watched Everything Must Go this weekend. This movie was barely in theaters and didn't make much of a splash, but I loved it. Will Ferrell, very toned down, plays Nick Halsey, an alcoholic who loses his job. His wife leaves him, locks him out of the house and dumps all of his things in the front yard. Halsey has a yard sale and with help from two strangers, starts the road to recovery. The movie was based on a Raymond Carver short story, and it definitely had a literary feel.

I was flipping through channels last night, and I came across Greta Van Susteren interviewing some guy about the state of education. It was hardly surprising to hear more teacher-bashing, but it got me pretty riled up. According to Fox, and quite frankly, way too many liberals in this country, teachers have become the enemy, the evil teachers' union and exorbitant teacher salaries the sole reason the American education system is struggling. I try to ignore the anti-teacher rhetoric that seems de rigueur these days, but sometimes it can't be avoided. At least Matt Damon has teachers' backs.

On a final note, today is the day "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" finally goes away. It's about time. I was very disappointed in Obama for not getting this done earlier, but I'm glad he finally came through. In my book, he has a few more promises to live up to, but this is a big one.

Fast Five Friday: Comedies

2011-09-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

I had two inspirations for this week's Fast Five. Earlier this week, James over at Luke, I Am Your Father dreamt about funny movies and posted his top ten. Then yesterday, /Film had a link to Time Out London's Top 100 comedies of all time. With my penchant for lists, it's no wonder I can't stop thinking about my own favorite comedies. This is one of the more fluid lists I've done for FFF, but these are my top five comedies on this particular Friday afternoon.

5) Raising Arizona: This was my first Coen brothers' movie, and I've been a huge fan ever since.

4) Fletch: I've been quoting Fletch for most of my life, and the lines never get old.

3) Midnight Run: This one may be a little under the radar, but the combination of DeNiro and Charles Grodin was brilliant. The best part of the movie though was Dennis Farina.

2) Old School: This is the most recent comedy on the list. I have a feeling it will be a lot like Fletch, people quoting the lines for years to come.

1) The Big Lebowski: My favorite comedy of all time, probably my favorite movie of all time.

Let me know what you think of my choices, and please, leave some of your all-time favorite comedies. We all can use a good laugh, and this post might be a great resource.

Thoughts on This School Year

2011-09-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

I got an email today that blew my mind: mid-quarter grades are due by Friday. The passage of time seems to be defying the laws of physics, or whatever scientific principle applies to the passage of time. Let me remind you, I'm an English teacher. When it comes to science, unfortunately, I'm a bit like Michelle Bachmann discussing Paul Revere.

The year is off to a great start. My school is a failing school, and we have put an aggressive plan in place to change the culture. Changing the culture of a school is a Herculean effort, and I feel like I'm going a hundred miles an hour all day. The kind of change we're trying to make takes a long time, but I can feel a different vibe in the building. The kids feel it too. More than one kid has complained about how strict things are now. That may not sound like much, but let me tell ya, it's huge. I am cautiously optimistic we're on the right track.

I wanted to share one of the highlights of my year so far. Last week I took my classes to the library to check out books. In one of my classes, two boys checked out the same book. They went off to a corner and began quietly reading, taking turns. On the walk back to class, they kept right on reading out loud, completely immersed. It was a sight to behold.

We have a lot of really cool kids this year, but as usual, a few stand out. There's the girl whose outfits are just crazy enough to be fashionable, the African American kid who I can only describe as the black Michael Cera, the new kid who is so dorky and smart (he reads The New York Times on his mother's phone), the other smart kids already defer to him. And then there's the boy who wants to eat lunch with me every day. I usually say no when kids want to come in for lunch, but this kid is just so damn sweet, I can't turn him away. He came to Open House last week with his mom, and he introduced me as his lunch buddy.

That's just four kids out of the 125 I have in class every day. I know plenty of other kids will make an impression as the year wears on.

Fast Five Friday + 2

2011-09-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

This week was even busier than last. This school year is kicking my butt, and soccer started this week. I should have things under control soon, but once again, only one post this week.

L.G. Smith and Hektor Karl kindly gave me a cool award recently. L.G. and Hektor are both amazing bloggers. Do yourself a favor and become followers immediately. The 7 x 7 Link Award involves looking back at old posts to find pieces of writing that made a mark. I dig that.

Most Beautiful: I've written a number of posts about the bittersweet nature of parenting, but The Raft may be my favorite.

Most Helpful: I'm not sure the blog is much help, but if there's one thing I know, it's movies. My Top Ten Movies of the Decade may give you some ideas for your next movie night.

Most Popular: I just reposted Leonard Smalls vs. Anton Chigurh in July, but with twice as many pageviews as the next closest post, it fits the bill.

Most Controversial: I don't think I've riled up much controversy, but my post on Gender Bias in Reading comes to mind.

Most Surprisingly Successful: During the A-Z Challenge, I whipped out a post for B about Ferris Bueller. I didn't think it would get much of a response, but as of today, it's the post with the most comments.

Most Underrated: I've written a lot about teaching, and Leave it to the Bard nicely captures the essence of why I love my job.

Most Prideworthy: I'm a proud Papa, and I write about my girls quite a bit. My S and Q posts from the A-Z Challenge are oozing with pride.

Now I get to pass the award on to 7 more outstanding bloggers. As always, give 'em a read and follow their exploits. I look forward to seeing their selections.

Munk Davis
David Macaulay at Brits in the USA
Michael Offutt-SLC Kismet
Nubian
James at Luke, I Am Your Father
Olga at Artful Nuance
Carrie at Kiwi's Life

Fast Five Friday: Great Nonfiction

2011-09-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

This was a crazy week, so I wasn't able to fit in a midweek post. While I was too busy to get myself in front of the computer long enough to crank out a coherent piece of writing, I did see on Twitter that Time Magazine put out a list of the top 100 nonfiction books. Now that's something I can wrap my head around. I've been thinking about my favorite nonfiction for the past couple of days, and as of right now, here are my top five nonfiction books.

5) Seabiscuit, Laura Hillenbrand: I'm not a huge horse racing fan, but this book isn't just about a horse. Hillenbrand manages to tell the story of the US during the Depression, when an underdog nation cheered for an underdog horse.

4) We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families, Philip Gourevitch: This is a book about the genocide in Rwanda. I didn't know anything about Rwanda, about Hutus and Tutsis, and I remember feeling shocked and angered as Gourevitch explained how the world essentially turned a blind eye as hundreds of thousands of people were slaughtered. This was were I first learned of Paul Rusesabagina, the hotel manager who risked his life to save hundreds of others, whose story later became the film Hotel Rwanda.

3) Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich: Ehrenrich took a series of low wage jobs to highlight the struggle of working class people in modern America. With the economy in its current state, this book may be even more relevant now than when it was first published ten years ago.

2) A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers: This is a memoir, and while Eggers certainly takes his share of creative liberties to tell his story, the honesty and power of this book floored me.

1) Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns: This is history that reads like fiction. Kearns details how Abraham Lincoln managed to put political differences aside, inviting three men who ran against him to join his cabinet. Lincoln successfully navigated complicated personal and professional relationships on the path to abolition and victory in the Civil War. A lot of people think Obama took a similar approach with his cabinet.

I'm always on the look-out for a good nonfiction read. What are some of your favorites?

Fast Five Friday: Mind-benders

2011-08-26T06:03:00.000-07:00

Meg and I went to see The Tree of Life this summer. That was one crazy movie. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I can appreciate a piece of art that challenges me, but The Tree of Life is a little too out there for me to fully embrace. Don't take my word for it, even Sean Penn told a French magazine he didn't get it. He thought a more conventional structure would have served the story better, and I would have to agree.

The Tree of Life is the latest example of mind-bending cinema. Mind-benders are movies that defy logic, stretch reality, embrace the absurd. Some of the best movies are mind-benders. Some don't quite hit the mark. This week's Fast Five shines the light on 5 mind-bending films.

5) Mulholland Drive: There are certainly other trippy David Lynch movies, but I'll go with the last one I saw. I enjoyed this movie, although I will admit to generally not knowing what the hell was going on.

4) Memento: This is a movie I highly recommend. Talk about nonlinear storytelling. The movie starts with the final scene and works backwards. I read recently that you can watch the movie in chronological order on the DVD. I'm gonna have to do that some time.

3) Being John Malkovich: I really enjoyed this one. A man, a puppeteer no less, walks through a door into the mind of John Malkovich. He then begins charging $200 a pop for the experience. Charlie Kaufman has written a number of mind-bending scripts, but this is my favorite.

2) Inception: This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I dig the whole dream within a dream within a dream within a dream - thing. I just let the this one come to me, and when it clicked into place, it was movie nirvana. Needless to say, I am a big Christopher Nolan fan.

1) Synecdoche, New York: Next to The Tree of Life, this may be the strangest movie I've ever seen. Charlie Kaufman not only wrote the script, this was his directorial debut. The movie is about a guy who stages his life as a play in a warehouse, blurring the line between reality and art. I hate to say it, but this was a dud for me. The best thing I can say about it, is that I'm glad we still live in a world where people thought putting up their own money for this was a good idea. Kinda how I feel about The Tree of Life. Glad it's out there, just not my cup of tea.

What are some other mind-bendng movies you loved? How about some that just left you scratching your head?

Jon Stewart, Warren Buffet, and Those Damn Poor People

2011-08-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

I don't watch The Daily Show very often, but I do like Jon Stewart a lot. Roger Ebert tweeted a link to a great bit Stewart did on the deficit last week. I couldn't find it on YouTube, so I had to go to The Daily Show's website. I'm not sure why, but they broke the segment into two parts. They're both hilarious, and spot-on. Enjoy.

The Daily Show - World of Class Warfare - Warren Buffett vs. Wealthy Conservatives
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

The Daily Show - World of Class Warfare - The Poor's Free Ride Is Over
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Fast Five Friday: More Than a Game

2011-08-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this as I watch the Packers play their second preseason game. I don't get too worked up about preseason games, but I'm missing my dad tonight. I probably would have gone over to his place to watch the game. My dad loved watching all the young guys fighting to make the team. We would have talked about the game, and so much more. I'll miss those times with my dad. When you grow up in Wisconsin, football is very much something passed from father to son, so tonight's Fast Five is a little more personal than usual (might be a few of these this year). These are five great memories of football, and my dad.

5) In 1983, the defending Super Bowl champ Washington Redskins came to Green Bay for Monday Night Football. It was the first time MNF came to Green Bay, and my dad's excitement was palpable. It was a wild game, with the lead changing hands all night. The Packers eventually won 48-47, and I'll never forget the electricity in our house that night.

4) I've written before about Steve from New Zealand. Steve lived with us when I was in 4th grade, and in 1985 (might have been '86) he came through Green Bay as he spent a year traveling the world. The Packers were a bit of a train wreck that year, but my dad considered it his duty to take Steve to a game. I remember watching Lawrence Taylor through binoculars, and feeling awed by the man's intensity. It was the first time I felt like one of the guys, and it felt good. I've never forgotten the feeling.

3) The year after Mike Holmgren left Green Bay for Seattle, he came back to Lambeau with the Seahawks. I was living in Arizona by then, and my parents were in Nevada. My mom, who could have cared less about the game, called to talk during the game. At one point, Favre hit Corey Bradford on a long touchdown. Bradford was one of those young guys my dad cheered for, and he jumped on the phone to announce that "Bradford's too fast, they can't catch him." He sounded like a little kid.

2) Favre's last year with Green Bay, the Packers made the NFC Championship. My dad came over to watch the game. It was just the two of us. The game was a nailbiter the whole way, with the Packers losing a heartbreaker in overtime. My dad was disappointed to be sure, but he went into Dad mode, trying to cheer up his son. You're never too old for a pep talk from your dad.

1) In 2010, the Packers played the Cardinals the last game of the season. My brother and a good friend from Green Bay were in town, and we drove up to Phoenix for the game. Both teams had already clinched playoff spots, so the game was essentially meaningless. We had a blast anyway. We drank a few beers in the parking lot, settled for Arizona brats, and cheered the Pack to a victory. My dad hadn't been feeling well for quite a while before the game, but he mustered the energy to enjoy the day. It's a day I'll never forget.

I Knew Casey Kasem, and you, Ryan Seacrest, are no Casey Kasem

2011-08-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

My daughters have a new obsession: pop music. They picked it up from their cousins this summer. I was hoping it would fade away when we got home, but it seems to be picking up steam. They have the radio on all the time in their rooms, listening to the likes of Katy Perry, Pink, Adele, Rhianna, Bruno Mars, Usher, Taio Cruz, and The Black Eyed Peas. Apparently someone named Pitbull is a fixture on the pop charts these days.

I can appreciate a good pop song every now and then, but the pop station the girls listen to plays the same songs over and over. The repetition is mind-numbing. And don't get me started on the lyrics. When did I become the old guy who thinks the state of popular music is a sure sign the world is going to hell in a handbasket?

To prove they've gone all in, the girls have started listening to American Top 40. I didn't even know AT40 was still around. I have to admit, I did love the Top 40 for a while when I was a kid. I can hear Casey reading a long-distance request even now.

I was cool with the whole Top 40 thing until I found out Ryan Seacrest is now the host. I am not a big Ryan Seacrest fan. In fact, I wrote a post a while back about the people I love to hate, and coming in at number #1 was good ol' RS.

This will surely sound ridiculous, but I'm not sure I want to live in a world where the voice of Ryan Seacrest is seared on to the brains of unsuspecting children, especially my own. I may be able to tolerate the likes of Ke$ha coming from my girls' rooms, but Seacrest, that's gonna take some work.

Fast Five Friday: Teachers in the Movies

2011-08-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

It was back to work this week. Meg and I did a couple days of training on Monday and Tuesday, and then it was back to our schools on Wednesday. The kids show up on Monday, and then things get crazy.

Think of the life of a teacher like the Starship Enterprise. Peacefully drifting through space, and then, BAM, warp speed. That's how it feels on the first day of school. Everything is calm and peaceful, and then that first bell rings, BAM, warp speed.

With school right around the corner, this week's Fast Five is an homage to some of my favorite teachers from the movies.

5) Dewey Finn, School of Rock: Dewey assumes his roommates's identity and accepts a substitute teaching position to pay the rent. He has no idea what he's doing, but he uses his love of music to connect with kids. Jack Black is very funny as Dewey, and the movie is surprisingly charming.

4) Mr. Hand, Fast Times at Ridgemont High: The sound of Sean Penn saying, "Mr. Haaaand," is a soundbite that perpetually runs in my head. And for that I say, thank you Sean Penn.

3) Economics teacher, Ferris Bueller's Day Off: I mean, who will ever forget the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930? Anyone.....anyone.....anyone. OK, how about something D-O-O economics?

2) John Keating, Dead Poets Society: Robin Williams is great as a teacher who uses poetry and literature to inspire a group of young men to follow their hearts. As an English teacher, it's hard not to love Keating.

1) Jaime Escalante, Stand and Deliver: The #1 spot is reserved for a real teacher, a man who is an inspiration to all teachers. People thought Escalante was crazy for trying to teach calculus in East Los Angeles, but he proved them wrong. Escalante died in 2010, but his legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of the students he affected.

Who are some of your favorite teachers from the movies? What are some of your favorite movies that deal with education in general?

Spreading the Love

2011-08-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

I want to thank Lynn at Do One Thing Every Day That Scares You for thinking of me with an award last week. I've seen this floating around, and it's fun to be included. The Liebster is a way to spotlight blogs with under 200 followers. The rules for this one are pretty simple:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.

Thanks again Lynn, you are too kind.

2. Reveal your 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog. Most of my favorite blogs have less than 200 followers, so it's hard to choose 5. For this award, I went with blogs I haven't given a shout-out to yet, or if I have, it's been a while. Check 'em out and give 'em a follow-it's always nice to see that little number go up.

The Art of Being Conflicted

Suburban Soliloquy

After Troy-Hektor Karl

Play off the Page

think.stew

3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.

5. And most of all - have bloggity-blog fun!

To fulfill #5, I have a little video to share. With the American economy imploding, I think it's important to remember another calamity that recently befell Americans.

One more thing before I go. The Rileys watched Soul Surfer for Family Movie Night on Sunday. I'm sure you've heard about Bethany Hamilton, the young girl whose arm was bitten off by a shark. I really enjoyed this movie. My daughters will tell you I cried, maybe even a couple of times, but really, I just had something in my eye. Great movie.

Fast Five Friday: Music That Tells a Story

2011-08-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

The Rileys are back in Tucson after another great July in the Midwest. Meg and the girls flew home, but I drove with my father-in-law and the dog. On the last leg of the trip, I put on one of my favorite records (is this word outdated in our digital times?), Hollywood Town Hall by The Jayhawks. Memories drifted in and out, mostly the Minneapolis days and other road trips, and all felt right with the world. There's something about listening to great music on the road. It clears out all the clutter and frees my mind to wander. Even though it was only a couple days ago now, this latest communion with The Jayhawks already has a nostalgic feel to it.

A great record is like a book. Each song is a chapter, building on the one before it, all of them coming together to tell a story. Hollywood Town Hall is a Minnesota story for me, and I love every song. You can't say that about many records, and it got me thinking about other records that create a story for me.

In the order I discovered them, here are 5 records with great songs from top to bottom, great individual songs working together to create a story.

5) Born in the USA, Bruce: Springsteen is a master storyteller, and this is his best story. It's the story of looking back and finding the meaning in your life. I didn't really understand that when I was young, but when I listen now, I hear a story of reflection with an eye to the future.

4) Joshua Tree, U2: This record spawned a number of hits, but the songs that weren't radio hits are just as good. When I listen to Joshua Tree, I hear the story of my transition from high school to college, a time in my life when this record was perpetually playing in my head.

3) Nevermind, Nirvana: In a lot of ways, Nevermind tells the same story as Joshua Tree. I graduated from college in '91, and this record feels like a chronicle of that time, another time of great transition. Nevermind was a snarling record, a call to make the transition to adulthood on your own terms, regardless of what others might say.

2) Hollywood Town Hall, The Jayhawks: My first night in Minneapolis, I walked up to the Uptown Bar and Grill to listen to some music. I'd never heard of The Jayhawks, but I fell in love straightaway, and this record is the story of my years in Minneapolis, a time when I became a teacher, met my wife, bought a home.

1) Day and Age, the killers: Hailing from Las Vegas, the killers know a thing or two about the desert. The desert is an unforgiving place, but it is also a place of unrivaled beauty. Day and Age is a story about seeing beauty all around me, the beauty of creating a family in a troubled world.

I hope I'm not the only one who hears stories in his favorite music. What are some other records that tell great stories?

Leonard Smalls & Anton Chigurh Redux

2011-08-02T03:24:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be on the road for the next few days, but I'm trying to stick to a Tuesday/Friday blogging schedule. It's hard to come up with something original at the La Quinta in North Platte, Nebraska, so I'm going to the recycling bin.

Today's post ran last August. I didn't have a lot of readers last summer, so I'm thinking this will be new for most people. According to Blogger stats, this post has more page views than any post in life of riles history. Only two people left comments, so apparently there are a lot of people out there searching for images of either Leonard Smalls or Anton Chigurh. Who knew. Please feel free to weigh in on my amateur film analysis.

I'm a huge Coen brothers fan. The Big Lebowski is my all-time favorite movie, but that's not what I want to write about. I recently watched Raising Arizona again, and I couldn't help noticing some striking similarities to another Coen film: No Country for Old Men.

If you've seen both of these films, the comparison may seem like a stretch, but I've been thinking about this a lot the past couple weeks (just ask my wife), and not only do I think the films are eerily similar, I think a case can be made that they are essentially the same movie. For the record, I don't consider that a bad thing. In fact, I think it's genius.

Both films have the same basic premise. The protagonist takes something that doesn't belong to him, and then is relentlessly pursued by a demonic antagonist. The Coens deftly use both Leonard Smalls and Anton Chigurh as symbols.

You don't have to be a film expert to realize these two characters represent pure evil. On a deeper level, the Coens use the bounty hunter and the hitman to symbolize the evil of the times, which happens to be the 80s in both films, catching up with America. Or something like that. The Coens do love their symbolism. I'm certainly open to other interpretations.

There are other, smaller similarities as well. Both movies are set in the desert Southwest. Both films have friendly police officers, and finally, both movies feature lengthy scenes with dogs chasing the protagonist. There are more, but you get the point.

Now, having tried to make the case that Raising Arizona and No Country for Old Men are basically the same movie, I want to give the Coens their due. These cats are auteurs, so I'm pretty sure they did it on purpose. Even though the films are quite similar, the tone is completely different. Raising Arizona was made pre 9/11, and the movie is essentially a comedy. NCFOM was made post 9/11, and it is most definitely not a comedy, unless you tend to the very dark. I have a feeling the Coens made the same movie to illustrate how different our world has become.

Of course, this could all be complete nonsense. I can't help myself. I watched a lot of Siskel and Ebert growing up.

Fast Five Friday: Sad Movies

2011-07-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks again to Squilla's Aunt for guest posting on Tuesday. Her post got me thinking about some of my favorite moments in movies, those moments that make me feel.....something. Judging by the comments left for Squilla, a lot of those movie moments make us sad.

Then on Wednesday, I saw something on Twitter about the saddest movie of all time. Apparently there has been actual research conducted to determine the saddest scene in film history, and that scene is the ending of Franco Zeffirelli's The Champ. Embedding was disabled, but here's the link if you want to check it out.

Sometimes a sad movie is just what we need, a form of catharsis if you will. There are a lot of great sad movies, but these are my top five.

5) Marley and Me: I had no intention of ever watching this movie, but Meg and I came across it on cable one night. It was one of those nights when we couldn't find anything else, so we settled. I'm glad we did. This is one of those movies that took me by complete surprise. I've lived with dogs most of my life, and this movie reminded me that dogs truly are members of the family.

4) Ordinary People: This is a devastating movie. Timothy Hutton was perfect, but OP was really the Mary Tyler Moore Show (sorry, couldn't help myself). Maybe the best performance by an actress of all-time.

3) Up: I know this is an animated movie, but I wouldn't call it a kids' movie. This is filmmaking at its finest. There are two scenes in Up that get me every time: the married life montage in the beginning and the scene near the end when Carl is flipping through Ellie's adventure book. Simply beautiful.

2) Mask: We all knew how this one was going to end, but it was inspiring to see how Rocky Dennis made the most of his life.

1) Life is Beautiful: There are many great films about World War II and the Holocaust in particular, but this is my favorite. Roberto Benigni is brilliant as the father who convinces his son they are playing a game while being held prisoner in a concentration camp. This movie proves that there are few things more beautiful than a parent's love for their child.

Man, I get verklempt just thinking about these movies. Let me know what you think about my choices, and I hope you share some of your favorite sad movies as well.

Harry Potter and Movie Moments

2011-07-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer I put out a request for guest bloggers, and three kind souls answered the call. If you haven't read the two previous guest posts from David and Munk, they are definitely worth a look. Today's guest is known on the blog as Squilla's Aunt. She doesn't have her own blog, so she is really putting herself out there with this post. Let's give her some love in the comments.

I went to see Harry Potter 7, Part 2 opening weekend. I read all the books, saw all the movies, and was really anticipating this one. So much so, in fact, that I brought a pack of Kleenexes. The book gets me every time, in two specific places (and these shouldn’t be spoilers to anyone, should they? Consider yourself duly warned, if you haven’t finished reading Book 7: SPOILERS AHEAD, for the book and the movie.): first, when Harry is walking to meet Voldemort in the forest, and his parents and Sirius appear to him. Second, when Book 7 ends, with Harry as an adult, waving at his kids on the Hogwarts train.

The forest scene was so unexpected for me and was so touching – the parents coming to support their son, to give him courage when he needed it most. Isn’t that what we all want at the end? The knowledge that we are loved and not alone?

And then there’s the train station scene. It was the end of all of it, the final goodbye, and a wave of grief just rose up in me reading through it. When the last words were read, it couldn’t be undone. All those of you who have loved a book, loved a character, loved the world that was created within the book – you know what I’m talking about.

So back to the Kleenexes. I was prepared for those two scenes – prepared for them to move me to tears, to see and feel them in all their visual glory on the big screen. But one of the things I love most about books and movies is when out of nowhere, there’s a moment, and it just ambushes you.

For me, watching the movie, the moment was when the professors began to use all their experience, knowledge and strength to cast a protective web around Hogwarts. There was something so powerful about it – when those who had bided their time under evil began to step out and fight. And then the students joined in, taking up their own wands and standing side-by-side with their elders, as full partners in the fight.

Doesn’t sound like much, I know. I’m not going to be able to describe what it did in me or do it justice. I don’t even expect that it will be “the moment” for anyone else. But for me, that was when the Kleenexes came out, that’s when it all came alive for me, that’s what will stick.

What was one of your ‘moments’? What book, what film, had a moment that ambushed you, that sticks with you even now?

Fast Five Friday: To Tweet Or Not To Tweet

2011-07-22T06:28:00.000-07:00

When I first heard about Twitter, it just sounded like a bunch of people sharing way too much information. I doubted any meaningful communication could happen in 140 characters or less.

I started an account just to see what it was all about, but my account sat idle for months. Things changed last summer when a friend of mine told me I should be using Twitter to promote the blog. For the last year or so, I’ve been Tweeting when I have a new post on the blog, and I can see on Blogger stats that quite a few people link to the blog from Twitter.

Along the way, I’ve been Tweeting more frequently, just random things about reading, sports, music, whatnot. My new phone has a Twitter app, and I have to admit, I dig it.

There’s a lot of crap on Twitter to be sure, but that’s life isn’t it. We learn how to filter out the crap and focus on what we like. Turns out, there’s a lot I like on Twitter. If you do Twitter, here are 5 Voices From the Stream worth following.

5) Walter Kirn/@walterkirn: If you like your social media with a dose of skepticism, Kirn is your man. Walter’s tweets (and his blog) are often glorious rants. He is concerned about the evils of social media even as he proves himself to be a master of using it.

4) Ayelet Waldman/@ayeletw: Waldman is a writer and a serial tweeter. She might fall into the category of TMI for some people, and her politics are way to the left, but I find her funny and insightful. Her tweets often contain links to interesting articles.

3) Peter King/@SI_PeterKing: This is my sports fix. King reports on the NFL, but he comments on all sports like an average fan. He responds to questions and comments from followers.

2) Katie Rosman/@katierosman: I have a Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon type connection to Rosman, but I think I’d follow her anyway. She writes a lifestyle column for the Wall Street Journal and her tweets are frequent and funny.

1) Roger Ebert/@ebertchicago: I grew up watching Siskel and Ebert, and I’ve always respected Ebert’s opinion when it comes to movies. He’s much more than a movie critic on Twitter; his thoughts cover a wide range of topics. Ebert may tweet more than anyone on the planet.

I’ve connected with a few people from the blog on Twitter, and if you’re interested, my Twitter handle is @triles.

Have you embraced Twitter or do you detest it with all your heart? If you know of some cool Tweeters to follow, feel free to mention them in the comments.

The Beginning of the End?

2011-07-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

I’m sure most of you have heard that Borders is going out of business. The news broke Monday afternoon, and it got me thinking about the future of books. My last post highlighted five great independent bookstores, and a number of people added their favorites in the comments (thank you very much by the way). I know there are a lot of great bookstores still out there, but I can’t help wondering if the fall of Borders is the beginning of the end for brick and mortar bookstores.

For the record, I’ve bought a lot of books at Borders over the years. My daughters love the place. Going to Borders was one of those things we did together, and those are memories I’ll always cherish. I know I just wrote about my love of independent bookstores and all, but I have to admit, I’m going to miss Borders.

Borders isn’t the first casualty of the digital revolution, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Barnes and Noble may stick around for a while, but eventually it too will be steamrolled by the ebook. My guess is that some of the independents will survive for people who still want to read books the old-fashioned way.

As much as I love a great bookstore, I wonder if I’ll be one of those people. The thing is, I think I might be falling in love with ebooks. I got this fancy new smart phone this summer, and it came with an Amazon Kindle app. I got an Amazon gift card for my birthday, and I bought a couple books, just to check out what all the fuss is about. I recently finished reading the first one, and I have to say, it was an enjoyable reading experience.

So while it’s sad to think that Borders is just the beginning of the end for brick and mortar bookstores, I can’t deny the appeal of ebooks. I will continue to buy physical books, supporting independent bookstores as long as they’re around. I will also continue to buy more digital books, embracing the future despite longing for the past.

Have you embraced ebooks, or are you deadest against them? Do you think bookstores can stay viable in a digital world?

Fast Five Friday: Independent Spirit

2011-07-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of our summer trip is going to the bookstore in Copper Harbor, Michigan. The store is called Grandpa’s Barn, but it’s really more of a quaint little log cabin. The woman who operates the store does a great job of selecting books. We spend a lot of time in bookstores throughout the year, but without fail, we find hidden gems at Grandpa’s Barn. We never leave without making a dent in the inventory, doing our best to help the store’s bottom line.

Driving back from Grandpa’s Barn the other day, I got to thinking about independent bookstores. There’s a lot of talk in our digital times about the demise of bookstores, but I have to believe there will always be a place for well-run independents. Here are five great independent bookstores that I hope are around for a very long time.

5) Antigone – Tucson, AZ: This store is located on 4th Avenue in the heart of the University of Arizona campus. I don’t get down there as much as I should, but every time I do, I find great books. My wife once showed up to a Barbara Kingsolver reading so early she was afraid the store’s employees might think she was stalking Kingsolver.

4) Powell’s Books – Portland, OR: I’ve been to Portland twice in my life, which means I’ve been to Powell’s twice in my life. Powell’s is huge, occupying an entire city block in downtown Portland. Without the benefit of any data, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Powell’s is the most successful independent bookstore in the country. If it’s not, I’d like to see the independent bookstore that’s doing better.

3) The Wild Rumpus – Minneapolis, MN: You have to love a place that takes its name from Where the Wild Things Are. The Wild Rumpus is a children’s bookstore, complete with all kinds of animals running around and on display. The store has an iconic entrance, a door within a door for the kiddos.

2) Grandpa’s Barn - Copper Harbor, MI: A Keweenaw Peninsula treasure.

1) Singing Wind Bookshop – Benson, AZ: This one is WAY off the beaten path. Benson is about 30 miles east of Tucson, and Singing Wind is located on the outskirts, down a long private dirt road. When you get to the end of the road, you’ll find a fully functional cattle ranch. The bookstore itself is a series of rooms in Winn Bundy's home, and she will gladly show you around. Winn specializes in all things Southwestern, but her interests are diverse, and you’re sure to find a book you need to have. Singing Wind has been written up in the New York Times, and people from all over the world have purchased books at this truly unique place.

The independent spirit is still alive and kicking at these amazing bookstores. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, make sure you stop in and spend a little money. You’ll be richer for the experience.

If you know of any other great independent bookstores, be sure to tell us about them in the comments.

You Gotta Have GUTS!

2011-07-12T01:00:00.000-07:00

The Rileys attended the 54th Annual International GUTS Frisbee Tournament this past weekend in Calumet, Michigan. I’ll do my best to describe the action, but if you really want to know more about GUTS Frisbee, give it a Google.

GUTS (not an acronym-the caps are simply a sign of respect) is a team game. There are 5 players on a team (2 subs rotate in). Each team stands in a straight line, an arm’s length apart. 15 yards separate the teams, and a point is scored if the Frisbee makes it through the opposing team’s defenses. 15 yards isn’t that far, and let me tell ya, a well-thrown Frisbee is seriously moving. Defenders can only use one hand to grab the Frisbee, thus blocking the other team from scoring. If you’ve got some serious hand-eye coordination, you can snatch the Frisbee out of mid-air, but a lot of the time, someone simply bats the Frisbee in the air, hoping someone else on the team will then be able to grab it. It’s not uncommon for the Frisbee to be batted around numerous times until it’s tame enough to be firmly grasped. There’s more to it of course, but that’s the general idea: people throwing Frisbees at each other-really hard.

Apparently the game has become quite big in Japan, and two of the top Japanese teams played in this year’s tournament. One of the Japanese teams was selling their club Frisbee to raise money for tsunami relief back home. We bought one and all the members of the team signed it for us. The only female competitor was one of the Japanese players, and she kindly took a few pictures with the kids.

Back in the 60s, my father-in-law and a bunch of his buddies in Michigan’s UP created GUTS. In fact, we found out that he’s in the USGPA GUTS Frisbee Hall of Fame for his role in the birth of the game. He’ll tell you the game is a lot different now, but then again, aren’t they all. GUTS is a niche sport, to say the least, but more than 50 years later, they’re still throwing Frisbees at each other in the UP and beyond.

Fast Five Friday: Munk Style

2011-07-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to introduce today's guest blogger, Munk Davis. I can't remember when I first came across Munk's blog, but I knew right away he was an original, a blogging maverick if you will. If you aren't following Munk already, check him out and become a follower today. Without further ado, here's the man himself.

Hi y’all,

My name is Munk and I am guest posting for Tim this week. Buckle up; you may be in for a bumpy ride.

I often find documentaries more entertaining than feature films. They make me uncomfortable, they inspire me, and they make me think. Rather than listing just five, I’m breaking the rules and shot-gunning as many favorites as I can think of. If you are not a regular doc-watcher and don’t know where to start, have no fear, I will **star** a few that I think exemplify the art.

**Surfwise (2007): The story of the surfing Paskowitzs’ and their alternative lifestyle deserves every inch of its R-rating and all of your attention. I once described it as 45-minutes of “Why can’t I just quit my job and live like that?” and 45-minutes of “holy-s—t, that’s why.”

**The Times of Harvey Milk (1984): The story of Harvey Milk told through interviews and images of the day. I found it more affecting than “Milk”. I first saw this film in 1985 and the river of candles, near the end of the film, still chokes me up today.

**Tyson (2008): Love him or hate him, this bio-doc will help you understand him. A truly sensational work of editing proves the man’s dominance in the ring, both psychologically and physically.

**The Fog of War (2005): A riveting view through the unblinking eyes of Robert McNamara. He is aging; he is brilliant, at times he is detached and scary, as one of the “Harvard whiz-kids” he was hired by Kennedy as the U.S. Secretary of Defense. He was good at his job.

**Exit through the Gift Shop (2010): Take a spin through the world of guerrilla street art and hypocrisy. One hour of, “hey that’s cool,” and 30-minutes of, “You have got to be f’ing kidding me!” Banksy’s comments are brilliant.

*My Architect (2003): A brilliant expose on Louis Kahn and his architecture. You will come away enlightened.

Visual Acoustics: the Modernism of Julian Shulman (2008): If you enjoy the modern architecture movement of the late 50’s and 60’s you must love Julian Shulman.

*Dust to Glory (2005) and Step into Liquid (2003): Two very fun, high-action documentaries that even the kids might like (but you’ll want to check the language ratings). Dana Brown wrote and directed both (Dana is the son of Bruce Brown, the documentarian famous for On any Sunday and The Endless Summer… ). These are sports movies for the casual fan.

It Might Get Loud (2008): What happens when you put Jimmy Page, Jack White, and The Edge in a London warehouse with amplifiers and axes? It might get loud… a pure joy to watch.

Food Inc. (2008): Michael Pollan in your living room.

King Corn (2007): Inspiration for my book.

Clear Cut: The Story of Philomath, Oregon (2006): A story about my little town, the logging industry, talking to God, and the cost of higher education (this one might be tough for you to find, but worth it).

Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage (2010): Three nerdy Canucks, a whole lot of music, and one great movie.

Man on Wire (2008): Phillippe Petit strings tight ropes between really high things and then walks across them. This movie made the backs of my knees tingle. Come down from there you idiot, before somebody gets hurt.

*The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002): The story of Paramount’s legendary producer Robert Evans. This very engaging bio-doc was one of the first to manipulate still pictures to create visual depth.

*No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005): Just when you thought you couldn't like Bob Dylan more.

Honorable mentions: Spellbound, Mad Hot Ballroom, Word Wars, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, Super Size Me, Little Dieter needs to Fly, Jesus Camp, The Civil War, and Baseball.

Do you have any favorites?

Guest Post: A Brit at life of riles

2011-07-05T01:00:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a great Fourth of July. Last week I put out an open call for guest bloggers, and I'll be running posts from the kind souls who took me up on the offer the next couple of weeks. There's still time to get in on the guest posting thing if you're interested, so don't be shy.

My first guest is David Macaulay from Brits in the USA. David is one of the first bloggers I followed way back when I started hanging out in BlogWorld. His writing is funny, insightful, and quite often poetic. If you aren't following David, stop by his blog and become a follower as soon as possible. David sent along something that he had previously posted that fits nicely with my last Fast Five about moments from the road. Feel free to leave David a comment and maybe share some of the quirky places you've come across in your travels.

I always love to find a naff tourist attraction so imagine my joy on the way to Williamsburg today when I took a wrong turn and found Presidents Park.

The site of a collection of gigantic white heads in a wooded glade was enough for me to cut across a few lanes of traffic clutching my camera, almost causing a six vehicle pile up.

Presidents Park closed down last September when it ran out of money. I assumed it had been there for decades but apparently it only opened up as a tourist attraction in 2006.

In presidential terms it would be William Henry Harrison, the ninth president of the United States who decided not to wear a coat or hat when he took the oath of office on a rainy day and made a two hour speech. A month later he died of pneumonia.

On a sunny March day the heads were quietly gathering mold and bird droppings in silence while the fence around them was steadily rusting away. Nobody cared about these big old presidents gathered in beffudlement under the trees. I was amazed by the size of the busts but less so by their craftsmanship.

As one reader rather drily described Presidents Park beneath an article describing its demise it was like "Easter Island for the lame."

Apparently there are 43 giant busts in the park and that of the 44th president lies unfinished in a workshop somewhere.

Owners of the park said failure to secure the 44th bust was a tipping point, and the Obama statue, would have been a huge boon to the business, possibly even saving the park.

Oh really. It's not as if Barack Obama is ever on TV is it?

The mind boggles about what the park's owners are going to do with these giant busts. It's not your average member of the public who will say: "Forget the garden gnome Mavis. Let's get a 20 foot high bust of James Polk for the rockery."

Ever since the Griswalds went on the hunt for the world's largest ball of string, I've been somewhat fascinated by America's strangest and naffest tourist attractions, not to the point of obsessing at 4 a.m. or anything.

The string ball was fiction but apparently the world's largest twine ball can be seen in Darwin, Minnesota. When in Minnesota and all that, I guess.

More correctly it's known as the "World's Largest Twine Ball Rolled By One Man" because a rival twine ball in Cawker City, Kansas, is regularly added-to by visitors and townspeople. Darwin feels that this is cheating.

Someone should perhaps have told twine man to get a life. But obviously he didn't. Apparently the creator died of emphysema, and the townsfolk figured 30 years of exposure to twine dust, did for him.

Other gems are contained in a website of the worst tourist attractions in America. They include Seattle's wall of brightly colored chewing gum, the world's largest ball of paint (sadly the world's largest hairball disintegrated, after choking a few dozen cats), The Barbed Wire Museum in Texas, The National Museum of Funeral History (another naff Texas museum), and South Dakota's Corn Palace which looks like a mosque but is a veritable shrine to corn.

You have to be a special kind of person to want to visit these places, either that or you have to live in somewhere like South Dakota.

All of which makes those busts of presidents or the tedious model villages I used to be dragged around back in England as a kid, suddenly seem like a great day out.

Fast Five Friday: On the Road

2011-07-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

I was on the road most of this week with my father-in-law and my dog. We left Tucson Monday morning and pulled into Minneapolis Thursday afternoon. There are certain things that stood out, fresh memories to add to the slide show in my mind, one big road trip continually building on itself.

Here are my top five memories from my week on the road:

5) Mexican Hat: This is a little town in Utah, one of those blink and you miss it kind of places. The town is named after a rock formation that does indeed bare a strong resemblance to a sombrero.

4) Cornfields in Iowa: Maybe it’s my Midwestern upbringing, but there’s just something about the sight of cornfields stretching to the horizon that stirs my soul.

3) Elk: We saw a number of elk while driving through the Rockies, but the highlight was a mother and her calf that we saw while visiting my father-in-law’s friends in Estes Park.

2) Snow in June: There was quite a bit of snow in the upper elevations of the Rockies. The girls had given me strict orders to take a picture of the dog in snow, and thankfully, mission accomplished.

1) Grass: This one took me by surprise. I was walking the dog at a rest stop in Iowa. As I walked through the grass in my sandals, I could feel the dew on my feet. The sensation triggered memories of early mornings from my youth, the promise of good things to come.

What are some of your favorite memories from recent travels?

Open Call

2011-06-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

I'm hopping in the car with my father-in-law and my dog tomorrow morning to begin the trek north. We'll be in Minneapolis by Thursday night. We're in Minny Friday, and then it's back in the car Saturday, destination Eagle Harbor, Michigan. We spend most of July in the Upper Peninsula, and wifi is hard to come by, so my posts will be sporadic at best for a while.

I've seen other blogs do the guest post thing, and if anyone is interested, that would be cool. I'd love to have some guest posts for the next few weeks. I'm open to just about anything. Maybe you have an old post you want to recycle, maybe you have a great top five list for a Fast Five Friday, maybe you have some new material you want to try out. I'm open. If you're interested, I think you can just send me a post in email and I'll take care of the rest on my end. I probably won't get to any posts until this Friday at the earliest. If I have any takers, I'll try to schedule the posts before leaving Minneapolis to run while I'm off the grid.

Fast Five Friday: Teardrops On The City Edition

2011-06-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

The music world suffered a great loss last week. Clarence Clemons, the sax player for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, passed away at the age of 69.

The Boss and The Big Man, a musical combination like no other. It's hard to explain how much I love the E Street Band. Born in the USA was the first gift I ever bought for my dad with my own money. He wasn't a huge fan, but I'd heard him say he liked Springsteen, so I was excited that we might finally have some music in common. I remember driving around Green Bay late at night with my friend Mike, driving our own Backstreets, listening to Springsteen on his boom box. I finally got to see Bruce and Clarence on their last tour. I've seen a lot of great shows in my time, but let me tell ya, the old guys put on the best show I've ever seen. I play a lot of Springsteen for my girls. It's important to me that they know the music. They may never love it like their old man does, but I want them to know it and appreciate it.

Clarence was a huge part of the E Street sound, the underlying pulse of the music, his solos turning good songs into great ones and great songs into classics. I've been listening to a lot of E Street this week, and here are the five songs where Clarence was at his very best.

5) Secret Garden: This song was featured in Jerry Maguire, one of my favorite movies. It's a mellow song, and Clarence brings it home in style.

4) Thunder Road: This is classic E Street. Clarence takes center stage around the 4 minute mark.

3) Bobby Jean: This is one of my favorite songs on Born in the USA. The Big Man's solo near the end perfectly captures the melancholy of this song.

2) Born to Run: Probably the most beloved Springsteen song, and with good reason. I love this video. The crowd in Barcelona is so passionate. That's what I remember about the show I saw, the passion of the crowd, people singing the whole time.

1) Jungleland: This may be the best sax solo in rock n' roll history. It's a long song, with Clarence coming in around the 4 minute mark. The solo itself is quite long, about 3 minutes, and it gets me every time.

If you're an E Street fan, feel free to share some other favorites in the comments. RIP Big Man.

Favorite Book Challenge Blogfest

2011-06-21T06:42:00.000-07:00

I'd forgotten that I signed up for this Blogfest a while back. Time to make good.

This Blogfest is the brainchild of Teralyn Rose Pilgrim. For a full list of all the participants, check out her blog, A Writer's Journey. Here's the skinny:

*Pick your top five favorite books
*Between Jun 20 and 22, write one line of what each book is about and then write one line of why you liked it. Think of it like a twitter pitch for other people’s work. Semi-colons are cheating, but you can use them anyway.
*Go to other blogs and discuss the books.
*If you do not keep a blog, put your challenge in the comments on the day of the event.

I'm always game for a top five list. If you're a new reader, come back and check out my Fast Five Fridays. The Twitter pitch idea caught my attention, so let me see if I can pull that off.

5) Geek Love, Katherine Dunn: The owners of a traveling circus alter the genes of their children, breeding the ultimate money-making freak show.

The premise is outrageous on the surface, but it is spot-on satire if you look a little deeper.

4) The Book Thief, Markus Zusak: A young girl learns the power of the written word in Nazi Germany.

Zusak's language is unique and frequently profound, and the story is disarmingly beautiful.

3) The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger: Teen angst at it's very best.

There's nothing phony about Holden Caulfield.

2) The Road, Cormac McCarthy: A father and son struggle to survive a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Parents guide their kids down the road, but one day they must walk alone.

1) To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee: A young girl comes of age in the Depression-era South.

Scout and Atticus are two of the most memorable characters in literature.

You don't have to do a full five, but how about a Twitter synopsis for at least one of your favorites, and another Tweet explaining what you love about it.

Life's Rich Pageant

2011-06-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there. If you're a Dad and you love the E Street Band, make sure you play some for your kids today. RIP Big Man.

This is the first Father's Day without my dad. I know it's trite to say things are bittersweet, but man, that word just works, why resist using it. Today is a bittersweet day. I love celebrating Father's Day with my girls, but it's hard not to miss my dad. Sorry for being so personal, but the blog is that kind of outlet for me. I want to share a story about my dad, a story that I shared at his memorial service in January.

My dad wasn't a big talker, but he taught me a lot of things through example. One of the best lessons my dad ever taught me was on the golf course, and I think it's a perfect example of what a great Father he was.

My dad was in a league one year, I think I was 11 or 12. One of his teammates couldn't make it, so my dad asked me if I wanted to fill in. I wasn't sure at first, but my dad assured me my game was up to it. My dad knew my game well, so I agreed. I even started to think I might actually be an upgrade for his team.

Golf is a uniquely humbling endeavor, and to say I didn't play well that day would be an understatement. It was bad from the get-go, one terrible shot after another. It was like I'd never picked up a club in my life. With each shot I became more and more frustrated. I was really holding things up, and I kept expecting my dad to tell me to pick up my ball, put me out of my misery. Instead he encouraged me through every shot. There was no talk of quitting, only of moving forward and doing my best on each and every shot. When it was finally over I'd shot a 99 - for nine holes. I felt like I'd let my dad down, but he told me everybody has bad days, you have to leave this one behind and do better the next time. It's one small moment, one shared over hot dogs in the clubhouse, but that lesson stuck with me, and not just on the golf course.

There were a lot of little moments like this with my dad: sitting in boats waiting for fish to bite, standing around tee boxes and greens, during commercials while we watched football. You had to be on your toes with my dad, you never knew when he might slip in some wisdom. You put all these little moments together and my dad taught me how to be a man. His memory will help me be the best man I can be.

I miss you Dad. Happy Father's Day.

Fast Five Friday

2011-06-17T01:00:00.000-07:00

This week's Fast Five was inspired by LeBron James. I thoroughly enjoyed watching LeBron and the Miami Heat lose in the NBA Finals. As if that wasn't fun enough, LeBron proceeded to put his foot in his mouth in the post game press conference, reminding all the haters that their lives are still pathetic and his life is still outrageously awesome. I consider myself one of those haters, and while LeBron almost certainly has a point, I loved being a hater this year. In fact, I loved it so much, I'm going to keep right on hating LeBron and the Heat next year.

LeBron got me thinking. He's not the only famous person I love to hate. Before I continue, please let me explain. Hate is a strong word. I don't really hate anyone. When I say I hate someone, what I mean is that I really, really, really, really, really don't like them. Now that we have that out of the way, let me present five people who I love to hate.

5) LeBron James: You have to have villains in sports, and LeBron is a great one. The only problem is, LeBron thinks he's a hero. The guy doesn't understand his role. Who knows, if LeBron accepts being the villain, I may actually start liking the guy.

4) Donald Trump: I'm not going to lie. I watched the first couple seasons of The Apprentice. I found Trump's schtick mildly amusing, the whole "You're fired" thing. I grew tired of the constant self-promotion, and now I can't stand the guy. He took things to another level with all that birther nonsense.

3) Snooki: As far as I can tell, Snooki has no discernible talent, other than getting drunk and making a fool of herself. I guess that's all it takes to be famous these days. To quote the maitre d' in Ferris Bueller, "I weep for the future."

2) Sarah Palin: I truly hope we have a female President in my lifetime. I'll be seriously disappointed if it's Palin. She's one of these politicians who feels the need to define what it means to be a "real" American. Somehow I don't think I'd pass her test.

1) Ryan Seacrest: Is it ironic that a guy with no talent hosts a popular talent show? In all fairness, I may hate Seacrest so much because I can't stand American Idol. The best thing about Seacrest is that Kathy Griffin makes fun of him all the time.

Let me know what you think of my choices. Agree? Disagree? Who do you love to hate?

Inspiring Words

2011-06-15T06:49:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I have a hard time remembering where I hear or see things these days. Was it on the news? Did I see it on Twitter? Did I read it on someone's blog. Hell, did an actual person tell me something in an actual conversation? So many different sources of information, they all seem to blend together after a while.

Someone, somewhere, wrote or said something about Toni Morrison's commencement address at Rutgers University. I remember being interested at the time, I've always been a big Toni Morrison fan. I saw hear speak when I was a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin. She spoke at the basketball stadium, and with all due respect to the Badger b ballers of my day, it was probably the best thing to happen in that building during my time in Madison. I made a mental note to look into it further when I had more time.

While I was looking for video of the speech, I came across this excerpt:

I have often wished that Jefferson had not used that phrase “the pursuit of happiness” as the third right — although I understand in the first draft it was “life, liberty and the pursuit of property.” Of course, I would have been one of those properties one had the right to pursue, so I suppose happiness is an ethical improvement over a life devoted to the acquisition of land, acquisition of resources, acquisition of slaves. Still, I would rather he had written “life, liberty and the pursuit of meaningfulness” or “integrity” or “truth.” I know that happiness has been the real, if covert, goal of your labors here. I know that it informs your choice of companions, the profession you will enter. But I urge you, please don’t settle for happiness. It’s not good enough. Personal success devoid of meaningfulness, free of a steady commitment to social justice, that’s more than a barren life; it is a trivial one. It’s looking good instead of doing good.

I wonder if the kids at Rutgers were inspired by these words. I know I was.

Thoughts on Dirk and LeBron

2011-06-13T01:00:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't say I was a big LeBron James fan when he played for Cleveland, but I was trending that way. The man is a freak of nature, a truly awesome combination of size, speed, and strength. As a basketball fan, it's impossible not to admire his game. Cleveland sports fans haven't had much to cheer about through the years, and I would have been happy to see LeBron and the Cavs bring a championship to the city.

As a fan of a small market sports team, I was irked by the way Lebron left Cleveland. Then LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh had their little dance party before the season, talking about 5, 6, 7 championships, like the first one was a mere formality. It was just too much. For the sake of all that is good in sports, LeBron and the Big Three had to be denied.

Nobody expected the Dallas Mavericks to be the team to deny LeBron and the Heat. I'm no Mavs fan, but I badly wanted them to win. I cheered for Dirk and the Mavs with a surprising intensity. Dirk is the anti-LeBron. He could have bailed on his teammates the way LeBron did, joined a team with a better chance of winning. Instead, he stayed with a team that supported him and put in the work needed to become a champion. Who knows, LeBron may wind up winning more titles than Dirk. If I had to bet, I'd say he will. No matter how many titles LeBron wins, his success will pale in comparison to what Dirk accomplished this year.

Fast Five Friday

2011-06-10T06:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in life, a piece of art can be so bad, it transcends the boundaries of all rational taste to win over even the most jaded of hearts. One of those times happened this week for the Riley family.

Like their parents, my daughters are big movie fans. They're very interested in older movies, so my plan this summer is to show them a bunch of movies from that golden era of film, the 80s. I searched Netflix for something I could stream, but the girls had seen most of the movies available. One movie did catch their eye though, Mac and Me. I had never seen M & M, but I did remember hearing it was outrageously bad. I was intrigued.

Mac and Me is the touching story of a young boy befriending an alien. Did I mention this movie came out after E.T.? I'm pretty used to product placement in movies nowadays, but man, I've never seen a movie with so much blatant advertising. It's like the advertising arms of McDonald's and Coke decided to make a movie. I could probably go on and on, but simply put, Mac and Me is quite possibly the worst movie ever made.

Here's the thing. I loved it.

My daughters were initially confused. How could I love a movie that I thought was one of the worst movies ever made? It is indeed complicated. With time, I know they will come to understand the beauty of a movie that is so bad, it's awesome.

Hollywood has given us any number of bad movies over the years. Not all of these bad movies are able to break the barrier of good taste to become classics. Today I present five films that are so bad, they just might be brilliant.

5) Weekend at Bernie's: You have to love a movie where everyone is too dumb to notice a couple of guys lugging a dead body around. Don't even get me started on Andrew McCarthy.

4) Howard the Duck: This movie was thoroughly trashed when it came out in 1986. Of course, on the heels of Back to the Future, Lea Thompson could do no wrong in my eyes.

3) Breakin: This movie capitalized on the burgeoning breakdancing craze. I couldn't dance to save my life, but a buddy of mine could do a passable moonwalk. I still have fond memories of riding our bikes downtown to see this one multiple times.

2) Mac and Me: I think I've said enough.

1) Roadhouse: This is the awesomely bad movie by which all others are judged. To this day, if I come across Roadhouse on TV, and it happens quite a bit, I can't turn the channel.

Please feel free to comment on any of these fine films. For all of you who love truly bad movies, make sure you tell us what they are so we can watch them too.

Technology Is Messing With My Brain

2011-06-06T22:38:00.000-07:00

I almost had a meltdown in the Scottsdale Hilton this past weekend. Not long after we had settled into our room, I called guest services to get the password for Wi-Fi access. I was on hold for way too long, but that's another rant altogether. I finally got the info and successfully logged on. That's when things went sideways. Not since the days of dial-up had I waited so long to reach my desired web destinations. My connection was slower than one of my middle school students going to their next class. I thought I was going to lose my mind.

The thing is, this wasn't the first time I've lost my patience with technology. In fact, it seems to happen quite frequently. My computer at work acts up so much, I'm afraid I might fling it across the room one day during class.

"What happened at school today honey?"
"Well, Mr. Riley threw his computer out the window because he couldn't get YouTube to play this cool double rainbow video he wanted to show us."

It's not just that I'm reliant on technology, that almost goes without saying nowadays. Technology is so fast now, I expect instantaneous results. I want my computer to give me a list of every single document mentioning Anthony Weiner's penis, and if it takes longer than the blink of an eye, someone's head needs to roll.

I wasn't always like this. Hell, I didn't even use a computer until I was 18 years old. In the last 5-10 years I've noticed a change. The exponential increase in technological speed seems to directly correlate with my decreasing level of patience with said technology. Sometimes I feel like we may be living through a permanent evolutionary change that is wiping out the human brain's ability to wait. Or maybe it's just me.

Fast Five Friday

2011-06-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

My last post was about gender bias in reading. I was responding to a list put out by Esquire, 75 Books Every Guy Should Read. The list included one woman, which is utterly absurd.

Even more absurd were the recent comments by VS Naipaul. In an interview with the Royal Geographic Society, Mr. Naipual said there are no women writers who he considers his equal. Apparently female authors are too sentimental for Mr. Naipaul. In fact, Ol' VS insists he can tell if a book was written by a man or a woman in the first one or two paragraphs. Try this little quiz and see if you can too. Full disclosure, I took it this morning and got 5 out of 10.

All this talk of gender and reading this week got me thinking about my favorite books. I admit that many of my favorite books are written by men. Let those of us free of bias throw the first stone. I have read many great books written by women, and I will continue to search out female authors. I am, after all, a work in progress. It seems fitting that this week's Fast Five be my top five books written by women.

5) Case Histories by Kate Atkinson: This is a literary detective novel. The detective, Jackson Brodie, deals with his own family troubles as he investigates three gruesome crimes that ripped families apart.

4) Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison: We follow the protagonist, Milkman, on his journey to find his identity as a black man in 20th-century America. As the title of the book implies, Morrison's writing is truly lyrical.

3) The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri: Immigration is a central theme of this book. A Bengali couple moves to the US, and the story focuses on the religious, social, and ideological conflicts that arise between the parents and their son.

2) Geek Love by Katherine Dunn: This book is twisted, and I mean that in the best way possible. Al and Crystal run a traveling circus. When business goes bad they start breeding their own freak show. As social commentary, this book feels more relevant to me now than it did the first time I read it.

1) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: This isn't just my favorite book written by a woman, this is my favorite book, period.

Alright people, let's hear it. What are favorite books written by women? Doesn't have to be a full top five, could be just your favorite, whatever works for you. If you happen to take the quiz, I'd also love know how you did.

Gender Bias in Reading

2011-05-31T13:43:00.000-07:00

There was a bit of a stir in the literary world recently. Esquire published a list of 75 books every guy should read. Esquire is a men's magazine, so it stands to reason that such a list would be dominated by male authors. A lot of people have taken umbrage with the list because it includes just one female author, Flannery O'Connor. Even for a men's magazine the list seems out of whack.

This got me wondering about gender bias in our reading habits. Are we more likely to connect with books written by someone of the same gender? My guess is that we are, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. It doesn't mean guys should only read books written by guys, and women should only read books written by women. Not at all. I guess that's my problem with Esquire's list. By including only one book written by a woman, the message seems to be that guys shouldn't waste their time reading books written by women. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hell, I checked out three books on my last trip to the library with the girls, all written by women.

Esquire's list got me thinking. If I were to create a list of 75 books that I think everyone should read, how many of those books would be by women? I know the top spot would go to a woman, Harper Lee. I know books by Katherine Dunn, Kate Atkinson, Geraldine Brooks, and Toni Morrison would make the list. I'm sure there would be other books written by women, but I have a feeling a considerable majority would be books written by men.

My list would certainly be more inclusive than Esquire's, but there would still be some gender bias. Some degree of gender bias is probably unavoidable when it comes to our reading choices. I may be putting this too simply, but guys can relate to a male point of view more easily, and women can relate to a female point of view more easily. I don't have a problem with that. There are plenty of exceptions to this rule of course. I hate to break it to the people over at Esquire, but Flannery O'Connor isn't the only female author their readers should be checking out.

All this begs the question: do you think it's easier to connect with books written by someone of the same gender? And if so, is that a bad thing?

Fast Five Friday

2011-05-27T11:58:00.000-07:00

This week's Fast Five was inspired by my mother-in-law. She sent me a clip of dance scenes from various movies set to "Footloose." My MIL knows my love of all things Footloose, so I had to include the video. It's kind of fun, check it out. You'll have to click on the link because embedding was disabled. The video got me thinking, so today I present my top five movie dance scenes.

5) (500) Days of Summer: I really enjoyed this movie about the rise and fall of a young couple. You don't expect to see a dance scene in this kind of movie, but somehow it fits perfectly. It's set to a Hall and Oates song, and well, in my world, that's brilliant.

4) Napoleon Dynamite: Another great dance scene you don't expect. It's hard not to smile while Napoleon busts a move to help out his buddy, Pedro.

3) West Side Story: I have a real soft spot for West Side Story. I watch it with my students just about every year, and it's always a hit. There are classic dance scenes all over the place, but this one is my favorite.

2) Pulp Fiction: Another movie that doesn't feature dancing, but has one of the all-time great dance scenes. Travolta had been off the cultural radar for quite a while, and Pulp Fiction was one heck of a comeback. It was fun to see Travolta strut his stuff again.

1) Footloose: What can I say. Footloose came out when I was teenager, and it's just one of those movies from my childhood that made a huge impression. I think I like the scene where Ren teaches Willard to dance because I am not the most graceful dancer myself. I sure could have used a Kevin Baconesque mentor to teach me some smooth moves.

Lots of great dance scenes in movies over the years. Let me know what you think of my top five, and as always, I'd love to know which five would make your list?

A Million Bucks

2011-05-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

Two more days of school, and they should be a lot of fun. Tomorrow we practice for our 8th grade promotion ceremony in the morning, and in the afternoon the 8th grade gets together to watch the end of year slide show. Each kid makes a slide in technology class. The slide is meant to be a representation of who they are as they leave middle school and a chance to say goodbye to their friends and teachers. The technology teacher includes pictures taken throughout the year, and this year he asked the teachers to bring in baby pictures for a then and now kind of thing. The slide show is a very cool event.

We started a new incentive program with the kids this year. They earned points for positive behaviors, and then every so often we had auctions where they could bid for prizes. It was quite successful, and after the slide show, we're going to have our final auction. One of the prizes will be the chance to throw a pie in my face, and oddly, I'm pretty excited about it.

Wednesday is promotion, and that's always a bittersweet time. While there are certainly kids I'll be happy to see go, there are plenty of kids I'll miss. I'll probably write about these next couple days in more detail later.

Last Wednesday we had our annual 8th grade barbecue. This is a night where we honor our top students. The kids with the top 10 GPAs are invited, along with a number of Student of the Year recipients. The kids bring their families, and it really is a beautiful night. We honored 38 kids this year, all of them quite amazing people. Each teacher prepares a little speech about their Student of the Year, and things can get very emotional. Teachers tear up, parents tear up, kids tear up, it's very cool. It's the kind of night where a Dad jumps out of his seat and rushes to hug his son in front of a cheering crowd. It's hard not to be moved.

My Student of the Year was a kid I wrote about back in January. Let's call him the Quickwrite Kid. I think I knew even then that he would wind up being my choice. I started my speech with a funny story about my man, and then I told the story of the Quickwrites, just one of many ways my man made our school a better place this year. After my speech, I turned to give my man a congratulatory handshake. He wasn't having it and moved in for a hug. I'm not gonna lie, I got a little choked up.

As a teacher, I'll never make a lot of money. Driving home last Wednesday night, that didn't matter, I felt like a million bucks.

Fast Five Friday

2011-05-19T22:36:00.000-07:00

This is the last full week of school here in Arizona. The kids have three days next week, and then it's Alice Cooper time. Teachers have a grading day on Thursday and that puts a wrap on another year in public education.

It feels like I say this every year, but man, this school year went fast. The older I get, the faster time seems to slip away.

There was a lot going on this last week, so I haven't had a chance to post since last week's FFF. When I have some time this weekend, I want to write a post about our annual 8th Grade Barbecue. It's a great event, and the kind of night that makes me proud to be a teacher.

This week's Fast Five Friday was inspired by Roger Ebert. I follow Ebert on Twitter, and he posted a link to an article he wrote about movie sequels. It's an interesting article about the record number of movie sequels coming out this summer, and what that says about the current state of Hollywood. I'm not a huge fan of sequels, and generally speaking, they're never as good as the original. With that said, I have enjoyed a number of sequels over the years. This week I present my top five movie sequels.

5) The Empire Strikes Back: This came out on my birthday, and the memories are still vivid in my mind. My dad gave me money in the morning, and I waited in line all day with some friends. I immediately fell in love with Yoda, and I nearly lost my mind when Vader told Luke he was his father. Like a lot of people, the Star Wars movies were a big part of my childhood, and TESB was my favorite of the original trilogy.

4) The Dark Knight: I'm a big Christopher Nolan fan. I enjoyed Batman Returns, but The Dark Knight blows that movie out of the water. Heath Ledger was brilliant, and Nolan managed to make a summer blockbuster that had a lot to say about the world we live in.

3) Toy Story 2: This is another sequel I enjoyed more than the original. Just another day at the office for the folks at Pixar.

2) The Color of Money: This sequel was 25 years in the making. Paul Newman first played Fast Eddie Felson in 1961. Martin Scorcese brought him back in 1986, this time managing a young Tom Cruise. Big Paul Newman fan, and I loved the music, especially "Werewolves of London."

1) Aliens: This one holds a special place in my heart. My dad loved the original Alien, and he was really excited to see the sequel. Opening night was a family event. I think this was the first movie where I truly felt the sensation of being on the edge of my seat. My buddies and I saw this one so many times, we still quote it to this day. Not to mention I had a crush on Siguorney Weaver. I had her Time cover on my wall.

Now it's your turn. What are your top five movie sequels? Of course, feel free to belittle me for not including The Godfather II.

Fast Five Friday

2011-05-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

I rolled out the Fast Five Friday idea last week, and by my standards, 23 comments, I'd say it was a success. Thanks to everyone who left a comment, the feedback was great.

If you read my last post, you know I was in Florida earlier this week for work, an educational conference on the shores of St. Petersburg, Florida, no less. If you read the post, you might also have seen the comment left by Munk Davis linking my absence to the filming of The Hangover 3. Is it bad when a comment is the best thing about a post? Thanks for that one Munk, it made my day. By the way, if you're not following Munk's blog, you really should. It's not like most blogs, and I mean that in the best way possible. If you follow him, he might follow you back and drop some comments your way. You'll enjoy them.

On to business. Since I was on the road this week, I thought travel would be a good choice for the second installment of Fast Five Friday. I'm not the most traveled person in the world, but I've gotten around a bit. Excluding places I return to annually for family reasons, these are the top five places I've visited:

5) New Orleans: Met a guy from NO in college, and a bunch of us went down there for Spring Break one year. I'm not going to lie, there was drunken debauchery involved. I'll never forget when my buddy's parents covered the kitchen table with newspaper and dumped out a grocery bag full of crayfish. Washed 'em down with cold beer-brilliant. My second visit to The Big Easy was for a Packers game. Again, there was drunken debauchery involved. Let's just say, that weekend still lives in infamy among the participants. Oh, and the Packers lost.

4) NYC: I've been to NYC a number of times over the years, but my favorite trip was when we took the girls out. We stayed with my brother and his wife, and the girls loved everything. Their enthusiasm was infectious, and I enjoyed the city in a whole new way.

3) Prague: I went to Prague with my brother and sister-in-law. They were living in Moscow at the time, and Meg and I had gone to visit them. Meg went home early and the three of us took a short trip to Prague. Everything was so old and beautiful. I look forward to crossing the Charles Bridge again some day.

2) San Francisco: I've been to San Fran a few times, and I hope to go many more. San Fran is probably my favorite place in the US. If I had the money, I'd love to live there.

1) Golden Bay, New Zealand: I wrote about my connection to New Zealand during the A-Z Challenge. Meg and I went down over our Christmas break in 1999, and that trip is easily the best trip I've ever taken. New Zealand is a place of stunning beauty. People want to know if it's as beautiful as it looks in The Lord of the Rings movies. Absolutely, and then some. My favorite spot is Golden Bay, which is on the northern shore of the south island. Our friends have a batch there, and the time we spent there is seared into my memory. Even after all these years, my mind retains details that should have faded with time.

Now comes the fun part for me. What are the top five places you've visited?

I Should Probably Be Enjoying This

2011-05-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this post from my hotel room at the swanky Tradewinds Resort in beautiful St. Petersburg, Florida. Since the resort is right on the ocean, I'll probably go hang out on the perfect white sand beach when I'm done, take a dip in the ocean, that kind of thing. Later tonight, I'm sure I'll use my two free drink tickets at the Social Hour, followed by a middling dinner that will easily be covered by my allocated per diem.

Ah, the life of a business traveler. As a teacher, not something I experience very often. I've been teaching for 15 years, and this is only the second time I've been to a conference out of town. A few years back, I went to a conference at Disneyland. I had a good time, but I had a good friend to hang out with on that one. This time I'm with a couple women from work, and while they're very nice, socializing is awkward at best. I do have my own room, which seems like it would be great, but I actually feel strangely isolated.

I think I would be having a really great time if Meg and the girls were here. Meg and I have often talked about doing a resort vacation, where all you do is hang out at the beach all day. This would be a perfect place for that type of vacation. There's a fridge in the room, so we wouldn't have to eat out all the time. They have these huge inflatable slides and trampolines in the water. It's expensive, but it really is a great place for a family vacation.

This is my first time in Florida, and I feel like a whiner. I just can't get into it. My family isn't here, and that sucks all the fun out of a place like this for me. The truth is, I can't wait to get home.

Trying Something New

2011-05-06T06:06:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that some people have weekly themes on their blogs: Ten Word Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, that kind of thing. One of my favorite weekly themes is Friday Night Frolic at Suburban Soliloquy. I look forward to reading it every Friday. There are other cool weekly themes out there. I caught the debut of Sippable Stories at allison writes last Sunday. It's a great idea and I hope it becomes a running segment. I've always liked the idea of a weekly theme, and I've been mulling different ideas over for a while now.

I've decided to try Fast Five Friday. The plan is to post a top five list every Friday. I enjoyed the random thing with the A-Z Challenge, so I'll go random for FFF as well. My brain works a lot like those guys in High Fidelity who make top ten lists all the time. Except I'm doing top five lists. You get the point. Hopefully people will share their top fives in the comments, and it'll be all kinds of blogging fun. Of course, this idea could be a complete bust. If so, well, it was worth a shot. Don't worry, I'm used to ideas flopping.

So here we go, the first FAST FIVE FRIDAY.

FAST FIVE FRIDAY: Top five all-time sitcoms

5) Diff'rent Strokes: They had me at the apostrophe. What am I talkin' bout? I know, this show wasn't remotely funny, but come on, I was a kid. I loved that show.

4) Family Ties: Again, in hindsight, not particularly funny. Hard not to love Michael J. Fox though.

3) Curb Your Enthusiasm: Larry David kills me. I love the whole awkward silence kind of humor.

2) The Office: Very sad to see Steve Carrell go. I'm not sure how long the show can last without him, but I do love the ensemble cast.

1) Seinfeld: It's amazing how many times Seinfeld episodes still pop into my head. Just the other day, a student was driving me nuts, and in my mind I heard George Castanza screaming, "Serenity Now!"

OK, let's hear it. What are your top five all-time sitcoms?

Reflections on A-Z

2011-05-02T19:05:00.000-07:00

The A-Z Blogging Challenge was a lot of fun. I posted more in a month than I normally do in three. While I can't imagine continuing such a torrid pace long-term, I can certainly see myself participating again next year. In fact, I have a feeling I'll be thinking of topics for letters all the time now. I should probably start a file or something. I was posting about twice a week before the Challenge started, and that feels even more right now. I'm always curious about blog frequency. How many times do you try to post a week?

Blogging is about writing first and foremost, but it's also about reading. I tried to check out as many blogs as possible. There were over 1200 participants in this year's challenge, so there was no way I was going to get to them all. I'm comfortable with the number of blogs I was able to visit, and I found a number of excellent writers to follow. I'm looking forward to reading what they come up with now that the Challenge is over.

Right before the Challenge started, I had a string of three or four posts in a row with double digit comments. That was new for me. I'm happy to say, the streak of double digit comments is still alive as I head into May. I don't know how long the streak will last, but I'm riding it out like Kramer testing how far he could drive on a tank of gas. The point is, more people were reading and felt compelled to leave comments. I don't know about anyone else, but getting feedback on something I've written is the best part of this whole blogging deal.

There were a few surprises in the data. The post I put the least effort into got the most page views and comments. Some of the posts I worked on the longest had the fewest page views and comments. Just goes to show. You never know. That's what I liked most about A-Z. It challenged my preconceived notions of my writing on a daily basis, something that can only make me better.

Z is for.....

2011-04-30T06:01:00.000-07:00

Z is for.....Zoo

Before I had kids I wasn't much of a zoo person. I do have a few fond childhood memories of trips to the zoo, but they're pretty faded and worn now. Way back in the recesses of my cluttered memory, I can see old Samson, the giant 650 pound gorilla from the Milwaukee Zoo.

I did work at a zoo the summer after freshman year in college. That was a wild experience, one that might make a pretty funny book one day. A coming of age story with elusive spider monkeys, wacky co-workers, raccoons on leashes, and hissing badgers. Years later I spent a memorable afternoon with Meg at said zoo. We watched in sociological awe as a family straight out of Deliverance got peed on by a lion they were harassing. Meg and I have gotten a lot of mileage out that story over the years.

We have a nice little zoo here in Tucson. You can walk the whole thing in about an hour, which makes it perfect for quick visits with the kids. When the girls were little we had a membership, and we went just about every weekend. First came the stroller years, when Meg and I could dictate the pace and enjoy some time out of the house. Then came the toddler years, when we let the girls walk on their own, herding them through all the sights. Finally, we reached the point where the girls could walk slightly ahead of us, Meg and I able to have a little adult conversation while the girls checked in with all their favorite animals.

We don't go to the zoo much anymore. I wouldn't say the girls outgrew it, but other interests have taken over. Every once in a while they'll get excited about going, maybe to feed the giraffes. I miss the days when a trip to the zoo was a major family outing. I'm sure we'll make at least one visit during summer vacation. I hope the girls will have fond memories of our trips to the zoo. I know I do.

Well folks, there you have it, the last post of the A-Z Blogging Challenge. Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting. The feedback has been awesome and greatly appreciated. The Challenge was a lot of fun, but I'll be glad to get back to a more sustainable blogging schedule, probably a couple times a week kind of thing. The hosts of A-Z have a reflection post scheduled for May 2, so I'll share more thoughts then. Again, thanks to everyone for making this challenge a rewarding experience.

Y is for.....

2011-04-29T06:05:00.000-07:00

Y is for.....Yoda.

I wouldn't call myself a full-fledged Stars War geek, but there are tendencies. I can't tell you the names of all the creatures in the cantina scene or anything, but I will gladly proclaim my love for Yoda.

I have a giant Yoda poster in my classroom. I tell my students that Yoda sees all and gladly informs me of any wrongdoing I might miss. I also have a few Yodas strategically placed around the class. One is a Yoda Magic 8 Ball, and every so often I'll let the kids ask Yoda some questions. I may or may not answer those questions in a lame Yoda voice. We have a few Yodas around the house as well, and I'm proud to say my daughters love the wise green one as much as I do.

George Lucas gave us two very different Yodas. The Yoda of the original trilogy is broken down, barely able to lift Luke's ship out of the swamp.

The Yoda in the prequel triology is an ass-kicking whirling dervish.

It was pretty cool to see Yoda bust out the light saber and mad fighting skills, but when push comes to shove, I have to go with the original Yoda.

Last summer I discovered a new version of Yoda. Origami Yoda.

This Yoda plays a prominent role in Tom Angleberger's great book The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. The book is a sweet story about a socially awkward 6th grade boy (is there any other kind?) who dispenses middle school wisdom through a perfectly constructed origami Yoda. It's ideal for 3rd-6th graders, and their parents of course.

Original Yoda, prequel Yoda, and yes, even origami Yoda. What's not to love?

X is for.....

2011-04-28T05:57:00.000-07:00

X is for.....Xenophobia.

When I decided to do the A-Z Challenge, I made a list of the alphabet and wrote ideas for each letter. Some letters were easy, some where hard. I had multiple ideas for certain letters and none for others.

The one letter that never caused me a single problem was X. That's right - X. Sounds weird you say? There aren't many X words, certainly not good ones for this type of exercise. Well, I live in Arizona. 'Nuff said.

I had grandiose plans to write a searing 5 paragraph essay about xenophobia. The history of xenophobia in America. The recent xenophobic leanings of my adopted state. A systematic approach to wiping out xenophobia in American politics. I'm pretty sure it was going to be great. But then I came across this clip from The Daily Show, and I figured this would be a lot more fun.

It's about a year old now, but sadly, with our legislature obsessed with birth certificates and the like, the general point still applies.

The Daily Show - Law & Border
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

W is for.....

2011-04-27T06:05:00.000-07:00

W is for.....Writing.

The writing bug hit me a couple years ago. I started working on a book in June of '09, and the plan is to finish the first draft this June. Two years may strike a lot of writers as way too long for a first draft, but it is what it is. I'm still working on the discipline thing, but I also don't want to make writing a chore. Writing is fun, and I want to keep it that way. For comparison, I'd love to hear how long other people have taken on first drafts.

I did take a break from the book to write a short story. A funny thing happened and it struck me as worth writing about. I'd read that writers are always working on more than one thing at a time, so I figured it was OK. I've sent the story out to a few places, but so far, no luck. Like they say, you're not a writer until you've been rejected. I would like to dedicate some more time to sending the story out. That's a pice of the writing process I hadn't really thought about, the work of getting something published. My goal is to spend a chunk of time this summer getting the story out to as many publications as possible. That way I'll feel like I gave the story a chance.

There is one other reason the book is taking so long. THE BLOG. I'd read somewhere or heard somewhere that writers need to have an online presence. This made sense, so I started the blog in January of 2010. I thought it would be a nice break from the book, while sticking to my goal of writing every day. I know I spend too much time on the blog, time I could be working on the book. I have to go back to the fun thing. The blog is fun. It may not be a book or even a short story, but it is writing. People are reading (thank you very much) what I write and giving feedback with comments. Seems to me that's what writing is all about.

Who knows where it all leads. If anywhere. Does there have to be a destination? Eventually I'll look for an agent, try the traditional publishing route. If that doesn't work there's always self-publishing. Either way, the odds of making any real money as a writer are long. I may never be able to quit my job and write full-time, but as long as I'm having fun, I'll keep writing.

V is for.....

2011-04-26T06:03:00.000-07:00

V is for.....Vincent Vega.

This post is for all the Quentin Tarantino fans out there. I was blown away when I saw Pulp Fiction for the first time. The nonlinear storytelling felt exciting and new. Pulp Fiction was cinematic and literary at the same time. I read recently that Jennifer Egan, who just won the Pulitzer for A Visit From the Goon Squad, was inspired by Tarantino's narrative structure. I'm sure she wasn't the only writer inspired by Pulp Fiction.

There are so many great characters in Pulp Fiction, it's hard to pick a favorite. I particularly loved Travolta's performance as Vincent Vega. Here's an interesting bit of movie trivia for you. Tarantino initially wanted Michael Madsen to play Vincent. Madsen had played Vic Vega (Vince's brother) in Reservoir Dogs, but he passed to be in Wyatt Earp. I bet there's not a day that goes by that Madsen doesn't regret that decision. I liked Madsen in RD, and I'm sure he would have done a great job with Vincent, but it's hard to imagine anyone doing a better job than Travolta.

Vincent and Jules are the heart of the movie, and their scenes together are full of hilarious, spot-on dialogue. My favorite Vincent scene though is when Vincent stabs Mia Wallace in the heart with that wicked needle. We're talkin' cinematic genius.

So what do you think Pulp fans? Which character is your favorite? Which scene stands out the most for you?

U is for.....

2011-04-25T06:50:00.000-07:00

U is for.....U2.

Like a lot of people of my generation, I fell in love with U2 in the early 80s. I was a little young to be fully on board when Boy and October came out, but U2's third album, War, was a musical turning point in my life. I remember seeing the videos for New Year's Day and Sunday Bloody Sunday on MTV, and I was hooked. From that point on, the music of U2 has been like a soundtrack to my life.

I've seen U2 live three times in my life. The first show was in 1992 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. It was right before I left Madison for Minneapolis. The songs of Achtung Baby always remind me of that transitional time in my life. The second show was in Phoenix in 2000. Meg and I were new parents, and it was our first night away from Scout. It was after 9/11, and near the end of the show the names of all those who died in the towers scrolled down the huge screen. The emotion in the building was palpable; it was a night I'll never forget. The third show was in Phoenix again, last October. I'm not a huge fan of the latest album, but it was a fun show. We were on the floor of the football stadium, and I remember looking up through the open roof at a beautiful star-filled sky as I listened to songs that took me back in time. Me and 70,000 other people.

When I decided on U2 for this post, I got to thinking about my favorite U2 songs. The U2 catalog is full of classic songs, a perfect repertoire for a nice little top ten list. Ask me to name my top ten U2 songs another day, and I might come up with a completely different list. As I sit here writing, these are the songs that make the cut.

10) Where The Streets Have No Name
9) I Will Follow
8) One Tree Hill
7) Ultraviolet
6) Bad
5) With Or Without You
4) Sunday Bloody Sunday
3) Beautiful Day
2) One
1) Pride (In The Name Of Love)

If you're a U2 fan, let me know your top 3 in the comments. Concert stories would be good too. If you're not a U2 fan, what band or musician has provided the soundtrack of your life?

T is for.....

2011-04-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

T is for.....Teaching.

I've been teaching for 15 years now. I started out teaching at an alternative high school in Minneapolis. That was a wild three years, but it was an extremely rewarding experience, and really, nothing shocks me after all the craziness I had to deal with in that job.

Meg and I moved to Tucson in '99. My first teaching job here was a 6th grade gig at one of the more challenging middle schools in town. It was a tough job, but I would have gladly stayed. There were only bilingual positions open at the time, so I moved to a different middle school on the other side of town. I finally got to settle in at a school and I was there for 10 years. This is where I came into my own as a teacher, where I honed my style. I like to tell people my teaching style is Father Flanagan mixed with Bobby Knight.

I've been successful in my career at raising test scores and two years ago I was offered a chance to participate in a federal study to see if teachers who get positive test results in one school can replicate that success in underperforming schools. There was a bonus involved, and I made the move. Last year was probably the worst year of my teaching career. I was seriously second-guessing my decision. Fortunately, this year has been the complete opposite, reaffirming my love of teaching, perhaps making it stronger than ever.

Teaching is a demanding profession. Each day in the classroom is a microcosm of life. Every day good things happen, amazing things, profound things. But bad things happen too, and you have to be able to learn from them, bounce back from them, leave them behind.

It's not the best time to be a teacher in the United States. We don't seem to have a lot of allies out there nowadays. The one thing Democrats and Republicans seem to agree on is that schools are failing and teachers are the problem. I would say the politicians are the real problem in public education, but that's a whole other kind of post my friends.

I could go on and on, trying to distill the essence of teaching, but I probably wouldn't do a very good job. Let me leave you with a story that nicely illustrates why I love teaching.

I took Scout and Quinn to the middle school city track meet last Saturday. I wanted to support my students who were competing. Right before I left, a former student came up to say hello. Here was a young man, now 21, who I had taught years ago. He told me what he was doing with himself, and then he surprised the hell out of me. He thanked me for teaching him how to write. He said he learned to love writing in my class, and he was really happy to have the chance to thank me.

That's what teaching is all about.

S is for.....

2011-04-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

S is for.....Scout.

I have two daughters, Quinn and Scout. Quinn was the inspiration for my Q post the other day, which means today has to be Scout's day. It was hard to choose just one picture, but this one just feels like Scout.

When Meg and I found out we were having a girl, it didn't take long for us to decide on a name. We both love To Kill a Mockingbird, and when I suggested Scout, Meg was game. It's funny, Scout is very much like her namesake: adventurous, smart, inquisitive, kind, wise. Scout may be an unusual name, but it fits her perfectly.

Scout is a voracious reader. The kid reads so much, sometimes I'm surprised there are still books she hasn't read. Seriously. We go to the library at least once a week, and Scout always checks out a huge stack of books. For Christmas this year all Scout wanted was Borders and Barnes and Noble gift cards so she could buy new books. I love coming across Scout in one of her many reading spots in the house. Years from now, certain places in our house will remind me of her.

Scout is a kid with inner strength, more than she even knows. Life is quickly providing opportunities for Scout to figure out how strong she really is. One opportunity came on the soccer field this past season. Scout took a nasty fall in a game. I coached the team, so once I was sure she was physically OK, I asked her if she wanted to stay in. She said she did, so I kept her in the game. Later in the same quarter, one of her teammates blasted a ball that hit Scout square in the face. I could see the impact knock the wind out of her. As I ran out to make sure she was OK, I figured she'd have to come out of the game. Once she calmed down though, she wanted to stay in. I was reluctant, but I let her keep playing. I thought Scout might be tentative, but she was her usual aggressive self. Scout scored two goals in a span of ten minutes, and I simply could not have been more proud.

Another opportunity came at an Irish dancing competition. Scout fell during one of her dances. She popped right back up, and without missing a beat, kept right on going. She had to stay on stage for two more dances, and I was worried she might be too rattled to do her best. She kept her composure and danced them both beautifully. I was incredibly impressed, but hey, I'm the Dad. Apparently the judge saw what I saw. Despite the fall, Scout won that first dance, and she took first and second in the other two.

That's what comes to mind when I think of Scout. A kid who falls down, picks herself up, dusts herself off, and keeps going. A kid finding her inner strength and learning she can do whatever she sets her mind to do. I can't wait to see where she sets her sights.

R is for.....

2011-04-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

R is for.....Regret.

I'm not typically someone who spends much time with regret. For better or worse, I've learned to live with the consequences of my actions. I think my life playing and watching sports has helped me escape the grip of regret. Athletes learn early on that you make mistakes during games, and you certainly don't win them all. You can't hang your head, dwell on the play or game that went wrong. You need to get ready for the next play, next game, and give it 100%.

This isn't to say that I never think about my mistakes. I absolutely do. I use my mistakes to inform future decisions all the time. I just don't beat myself up. Every bad decision was made with the best of intentions, and I've tried to learn from every mistake. If I regretted every bad decision I've ever made, my life would be pretty miserable. Instead, I embrace the opportunity to grow from my mistakes. I'll hang out with regret for a little while, but then it's game time and I've got to be ready.

Regrets are like old friends you don't see very often. You get together every once in a while to get caught up, but then you go your separate ways, hopefully made better by the experience. You see some friends more than others over time, and there are some decisions that you revisit more than others. One decision that frequently shows up for me was made right after I graduated from the University of Wisconsin.

I was working at a park in Madison, running a summer program for neighborhood kids. Two of the kids were from Italy. Their mom was from Madison and they were visiting for the summer. The boys really took to me because I made everyone play soccer with them. The boys knew about baseball from their mom, and they wanted to try it out, so we played a lot of baseball that summer as well. Right before the family left to go back to Italy, the boys' dad asked me if I would come to Italy for a year and start a baseball league in their town. I don't even remember the name of the place anymore, but when I think of it now, it's always the most idyllic town in the history of the world. They had a guesthouse I could stay in, they'd feed me, pay me a modest monthly salary. Looking back, this should have been a no-brainer.

This post is about regret, so obviously I declined the offer. I had my reasons, but in hindsight, they weren't good ones. I often think about that lost opportunity. Who knows, I could be an Italian hero by now, the man who brought baseball to Italy. I could have written a bestseller about my year teaching baseball under the Tuscan sun, that kind of thing. I'm not saying the course of my life would have been dramatically altered, but I'm pretty sure it would have been a really good time.

When this memory fights its way to the surface of my consciousness, I briefly regret my decision to pass up a year in Italy. The reasons that led to my decision seem foolish now, but they were legit at the time. That's the thing, our decisions may not make sense in retrospect, but they were probably the best thing for us at the time. I still haven't been to Italy, but I believe I'll get there when the time is right.

Q is for.....

2011-04-20T07:34:00.000-07:00

Q is for.....Quinn.

I wasn't going to write about my kids for A-Z, but my mind just can't wrap itself around another word for Q. I had some other ideas for Q, but my heart just isn't in it. I hope I'm not turning people off by writing about my daughter, but when I think of the letter Q, it's hard for me not to think of this face.

Quinn, Quinny, Q-bird, just plain Q. It's hard to believe the little girl in the picture is 8 years old now. There are a million reasons why I'm crazy about this kid. I won't go on and on, just a few highlights.

If Quinn had a theme song it would be Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life." The girl is full-on, all the time. Quinn is a kid who can play outside in the backyard by herself for hours. She sings, dances, pretends to be on the phone, sits in the palo verde tree holding intense conversations with imaginary compatriots. It's hilarious and beautiful. Sometimes I just stand at the window and watch her out there. It always makes me smile, and it's inspiring.

Quinn is also a kid who cries hysterically whenever we see one of those help the animals commercials. I'm talking heaves, sobs. We can be flipping channels and just the slightest glimpse of one of these commercials sets her off. It's hard not to laugh sometimes, but then it's hard not to cry right along with her.

Quinn is a kid who dances all the time. She's been Irish dancing for a few years now, and she's always practicing her moves. Seriously, the girl doesn't stand still. If she's upright, she's doing one of her Irish dance moves. When she runs out of a room, she does it with steps from one dance or another. Quinn has even made me love a Katy Perry song with her dancing. She and a friend made up an Irish dance routine to Perry's "Firework," and I know I'll always love that song.

If you're still reading, thanks for putting up with the ramblings of a Dad who's head over heels for his kid. I'm sure there are a lot of great Q words I could have gone with for Q, but sometimes you just have to go with your heart.

P is for.....

2011-04-19T06:07:00.000-07:00

P is for.....Pixar.

Pixar movies are those rare gems that connect with people of all ages. I've watched all the Pixar movies with my daughters, and I'm not sure who loves them more, me or the girls. There is definitely a nostalgia factor in play with the Pixar movies for me, each movie evoking memories from specific times in my kids' lives.

But it's more than the nostalgia. The animation is stunning, and even more importantly, the stories are creative and well-crafted. Pixar has made 11 movies since 1995, and I love every single one of them. I also love making lists of movies, so here's how I would rank the Pixar movies.

1) Up
2) Finding Nemo
3) Monsters Inc.
4) Toy Story 3
5) A Bug's Life
6) Cars
7) Toy Story 2
8) Toy Story
9) The Incredibles
10) WALL E
11) Ratatouille

Let me know in the comments which Pixar movie is your favorite. I'll leave you with a video highlighting 25 years of Pixar brilliance. If you're anything like me, you may very well find yourself getting a little verklempt.

O is for.....

2011-04-18T05:57:00.000-07:00

O is for....Owls.

I've always been fascinated by owls. I lived in Wisconsin and Minnesota for most of my life, and while I'm sure they were all around me, I never actually saw one in the wild until I moved to the desert. Now I see them all the time.

Our first house in Tucson was in the middle of town, so I didn't see any there. Our current house is on the outskirts of town, near a National Park. All the lots in our neighborhood are fairly large, with natural desert yards. We get a lot of owls out here.

I saw my first owl about a month after we moved in. I was turning off the lights outside when I noticed this little guy. He just sat there staring at me. I'm sure the poor guy was paralyzed with fear. I had plenty of time to get Meg and the camera. That was four years ago now, but my eyes still go to that spot every night when I close up, hoping for a return visit.

We see Great Horned Owls quite frequently. I don't have any pictures to share, but man, they are so cool. Our neighbors had this dead tree in their yard, and the Great Horneds loved to perch at the top, surveying the land for prey. They would just sit up there, hooting away. The neighbors took the tree down a while back, and unfortunately we don't see as many Great Horneds these days.

I remember lying in bed one night and the hooting was particularly loud, it was like the owl was in the room with us. It sounded so close, we went outside to look for it. A giant Great Horned Owl was right on the old TV antenna directly over our bedroom. It was so cool we got the girls out of bed to check it out.

This little guy is around so much we had to give him a name. We named him Horatio, but recently the girls decided we should add Papa to his name in honor of my dad. So now our little friend is Papa Horatio. I believe Papa Horatio is a Western Screech Owl. There's a hole in the brick he's on, and there are normally birds nesting there. Papa Horatio shows up every so often for a feast, hangs out for a while, and then he's gone. This owl spends so much time at our house, I've actually toyed with the idea of getting a falconer's glove and trying to train it. I told the girls I was thinking about training Papa Horatio one time and they nearly lost their minds laughing. Yeah, guess I'll just settle for taking pictures.

N is for.....

2011-04-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

N is for.....New Zealand.

When I was 9 we welcomed an exchange student from New Zealand into our family. Steve lived with us for a year, and even though he was busy being a normal high schooler, he always made time for me. I've never forgotten the time he took me rollerskating. I felt like I had a big brother, and when Steve went home after a year of living with us, he was very much a member of our family.

That bond strengthened over the years. Steve came back to the US right after we moved to Green Bay. I was a sophomore in high school, and having a hard time adjusting to Green Bay. I really enjoyed having Steve around for a little while as I tried to find my place. Steve has always been a big music fan, and he brought me a copy of New Order's Blue Monday and a Joy Division T-shirt. I had never heard of New Order or Joy Division, but I proudly wore the T-shirt to school. It was my interest in New Wave music that finally broke the ice for me at school. I'm not exactly sure how long Steve stayed with us that time, but for me his visit was perfectly timed.

Life carried on, and the next time I saw Steve was in Carson City, Nevada. My parents had moved out West when my dad found a new job, and I was living in Minneapolis by then. Steve had started his own family, and we happily welcomed Jo and their son, Connor, into our extended family.

In 1998, I was the first Riley to make it to New Zealand. Meg and I went down over Christmas vacation for a couple weeks. Steve is a proud Kiwi, and he made sure we saw as much of New Zealand as possible in our short time. New Zealand is stunningly beautiful. Every time I thought I was looking at the most beautiful place on Earth, Steve would take us somewhere else, and I'd have a new top spot. The scenery was brilliant, but the best part of the trip was meeting Steve and Jo's family. I left New Zealand feeling like my own family had grown exponentially.

After having two more sons, Elan and Henry, and doing the family thing for a while, Steve and Jo couldn't fight their wanderlust anymore. Steve and Jo left the kids behind and came to the States with Steve's Uncle Paul and Auntie Carol. We had a great visit with them In Eagle Harbor, and then a classic night in Minneapolis. I'll never forget Paul and Carol busting a move to Hollaback Girl in First Ave.

The Kiwis value travel, and that was never more evident than a few years ago. Steve, Jo, and each of the kids picked a place they really wanted to see, and they set out on a family world tour. They went to the Great Barrier Reef, Siberia, Mongolia, Brazil, New York City, and they threw in a Tucson stop to see the Rileys.

My parents finally made it to New Zealand in 2009. My dad's health had been dicey for a while, but for those three weeks in New Zealand, he was full of energy and life. He was never really the same after that trip, but I'm glad his body gave him the chance to truly enjoy the experience. I think my parents had the same experience Meg and I did. They loved the spectacular beauty of New Zealand, but the best part was the people. They were among family.

Steve flew up for my dad's memorial service in January. He spoke eloquently at the service, sharing his unique impressions of my dad, a man he greatly admired. Steve ended his remarks by announcing that Jo and the boys had woken up at 6 that morning for a moment of silence to honor my dad. They didn't have to do that. Steve didn't have to come. That's just how it is with family.

And then last week, Steve's oldest son, Connor, called. He's taking a year off before university to travel. He'll come to Tucson in September, the next chapter in a long relationship. I can't wait to see what comes next.