Jerusalem and Bethlehem

It's around 9:00 here in Jerusalem. I would have posted sooner, but amazingly, our hotel doesn't have free Wifi.....anywhere. I needed to facetime with the girls, so I'm paying for a day of access. I'm ready for bed, but I want to get caught up with the trip.

Day 3 of the trip began with a stop in Tiberias, a key city in the Israeli diamond industry. It was cool to learn a little about the diamond industry, but the whole point of the stop was to get us to buy jewelry. I'm sure the tour company gets a kickback from the diamond company, but I could have done without this stop.

can't beat the view, but no Wifi.....seriously?

Our next stop was Beit She'an, another Roman ruin. It was a beautiful day, and I thoroughly enjoyed walking around the ruins. From there it was a couple hour drive to Jerusalem. Our hotel is very centrally located, and we walked around for a while, soaking the city in.

Day four was the Big Daddy. We started at the Mount of Olives to get a full view of the Old City. Then it was on to the Garden of Gethsemane, the place where Jesus was betrayed and arrested. From there we went inside the Old City. Our first stop in the Old City was the Western Wall.

entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

After the Western Wall, we made our way to the Via Dolorosa, the route Jesus carried the cross. We made our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the sight of the crucifiction and burial. Interesting note about the Church of the Holy Sepulchre: security for one of the most sacred sites in Christianity is handled by Muslims. The politics of this area are thick and complicated indeed. Walking the Old City was an amazing and emotional experience. I slept well last night.

That brings me to today. We started with a trip to the Church of Visitation, the place where a pregnant Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, and the birthplace of John the Baptist.

From there we went to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial. Talk about a moving experience. Our last stop in Jerusalem was the Israel Museum, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed.

hard to imagine peace with this kind of wall

Then things got really interesting. Our Israeli guide drove us to Bethlehem. The city of Bethlehem is under Palestinian control, and security is intense. Israel does not allow Jewish citizens to enter Bethlehem, so after going through the border, we were met by an Arab Christian who guided us to the Church of the Holy Nativity. This was the first time on the trip that I felt a little uneasy. Certainly one of the more memorable stops of the journey.

Tomorrow we go the Dead Sea, where I have every intention of doing some floating. I probably won't have a chance to write again until I get home. I'll do a final post then.

Time to crash.

Galilee and the Golan Heights

We've had two great days here in Israel. I'm writing this post from the Kibbutz Lavi Hotel in Galilee, where the rooms all have free Wifi.

a view from Haifa

We left Tel Aviv early Monday morning. Our first stop was Caesarea, where I saw my first Roman ruins. From there we went to Haifa, Israel's third largest city. The views of the Mediterranean in Haifa are stunning.

Our next stop was Meggido, the place where the final battle between good and evil, or Armaggedon, is supposed to take place. We ate lunch in a town called Akko. Our guide took us to a great restaurant and we ate a ridiculous amount of amazing food. Out last stop of the day was Nazareth. This was definitely my favorite part of the day. We went to a church built on the site of Mary's home, the place where she learned she was pregnant with Jesus, the Annunciation. I have to admit, I was quite moved. I can only imagine how some of the other places on our tour will make me feel. Adding to the atmosphere, as we left the church the Muslim call to prayer began. Our last stop was another church, this one built on the site of Joseph's home. By the time we made it to the kibbutz, we were exhausted.

from the boat on the Sea of Galilee

Today began with a very nice breakfast at the kibbutz, and then we drove to the Sea of Galilee. It's really a lake, but they called any large bodies of water Seas back in the day. We took a short boat ride, and the views from the water of the surrounding area were beautiful.

Back on land, we went to Tabgha, where there is a church built on the site where Jesus multiplied 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread to feed thousands. Not far from there is Mt. of Beatitudes. This is where Jesus delivered his Sermon on the Mount. There is a church at the site now (common for these historical sites), and I watched as a Romanian priest led his group in prayer. This was another moment where I was surprisingly moved. The next part of the trip took us through the Golan Heights.We stopped in Banias, where the River Jordan originates. Coming down from the Golan Heights, we ate a late lunch on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. After lunch we went to Capernaum, the village where Jesus lived with Peter. Our last stop today was the River Jordan again, this time the place where John baptized Jesus. It's common for people to be baptized in this spot, or rebaptized, and it was interesting to watch a couple women being baptized..  

We had a late dinner with the tour group here at the kibbutz, and I'm quickly winding down. We leave for Jerusalem tomorrow, so it'll be another busy day. Isarael seems to have Wifi everywhere, so I'll check in again tomorrow or the next day.

Greetings From Tel Aviv

I am writing this post from the lobby of the Dan Panarama Hotel in Tel Aviv. That's right ya'll, I'm in Israel. We traveled damn near a full day to get here, but we watched the sun set into the Mediterranean Sea tonight-not too shabby.

My mom has always wanted to see the Holy Land. She was raised Catholic, and in turn, raised her kids Catholic. Even though I'm what you would consider a lapsed Catholic these days, I offered to accompany my mom to Israel. She took me up on the offer, and here we are. We're like the Irish Catholic version of Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand in that mother/son road trip movie that no one saw. But you get the point.

We'll be hitting all the sights any good Christian would ever need to see. I wish I could tell you what those are, but like I said, I'm a lapsed Catholic. I'm sure it'll all come back to me though. I'll post as much as I can this week to document the trip. We're going to be staying at a kibbutz most of the week. I don't know what the Wifi status will be, but I'll do my best.

Shalom for now.

A Class Act

I was sad to see one of my all-time favorite Packers, Donald Driver, retire last week. Driver's story is the stuff of fiction. He grew up in poverty in Houston, living out of a U-Haul for a time during high school. Driver was drafted in 1999, a 7th round draft pick from Alcorn State, an afterthought really. He wasn't even supposed to make the team, let alone become the all-time leading receiver for one of the NFL's most historic franchises. 

Driver was loved for his toughness on the gridiron and his charity work in the community. He won over fans, including my daughters, on Dancing with the Stars. The guy even writes children's books. Driver was a helluva player, and an even better person. Just ask this lady. 

A-Z is Just Around the Corner

April will be here before you know it, so it's never too early to sign up for the A-Z Blogging Challenge. When I signed up last week, there were already over 400 blogs (I'm officially #418) on the list. I think there were about 2000 blogs last year, and it looks like there will be a lot more this year.

Some of the best writing in the blogosphere happens during A-Z, and I can't wait to see what my favorite writers come up with this year. There's still time to get in on the fun, just click the link, scroll on down and get yourself signed up. I've been cruising the list, and I've already found a bunch of new blogs to follow.

I went random my first two Challenges, but this year I'm going with a movie theme. My idea is to write about the movies, characters, actors, and directors that have contributed to the images and dialogue floating around in my movie-filled mind.

Are you doing A-Z this year? Do you have a theme?

This is Teaching

My students had a test yesterday on elements of literature vocabulary, things like protagonist/antagonist, conflict, 1st and 3rd person POV, that kind of stuff. I told the kids that they needed to study. I told them that if they studied, I had no doubt they would ace the test. I also told them that if they didn't study, well, in my experience, they wouldn't do so well.

Before school started, a number of kids came in to tell me that they had studied, and it was fun to see their excitement. They were prepared and they knew it. That's one of my favorite things about teaching, seeing kids who know they're ready. As with any test, I was optimistic. I felt like I had prepared the kids for success. I felt like just a little bit of studying should be enough for all of the kids to do well.

I was grading some of my 1st period papers while my 2nd period was taking the test, and my optimism was rewarded. Sure, there were kids who didn't do well on the test. A lot of them were nailing it though, including many of my strugglers. I was particularly impressed with one student who got a perfect score. And then I focused on what she'd written across the top of her paper:

I studded very hard.

That's right, she studded very hard.

I had to laugh. A teacher's work is never done my friends.

Kids in the Movies

I recently watched Beasts of the Southern Wild, and like most people who've seen it, I marveled at young Quvenzhane Wallis. I wanted to like the movie more, but it didn't quite connect with me. I found Wallis riveting though. Her performance perfectly captured the innocence and purity of childhood. She absolutely deserves her best actress nomination, and it would be very cool if she actually won.

Wallis got me thinking about other great performances by kids in movies. A list has been rattling around in my head for a few days, and of course, a top five has emerged. These are my favorite performances by actors 16 or younger:

5) Mary Badham, To Kill a Mockingbird: Badham, like Quvenzhane Wallis, had never acted before her film debut. She was also nominated for an Oscar, at the time the youngest best supporting actress nominee ever.

4) Keisha Castle-Hughes, Whale Rider: First of all, if you haven't seen this movie, check it out. There's a scene in this movie that had me bawling like a baby, a scene that will stick with me for life. KCH was nominated for best actress, and I remember being very bummed that she didn't win.

3) Haley Joel Osment, The Sixth Sense: Osment was nominated for best supporting actor for his performance. Could anyone else have made "I see dead people" such a memorable line?

2) River Phoenix, Stand by Me: I love this movie. The scene at the end when Chris Chambers fades away makes me verklempt every time. I miss River Phoenix.

1) Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine: Breslin is like a mini Meryl Streep. She's always good. LMS is one of my favorite movies, and Breslin is a big reason why. You gotta love Olive Hoover.


Let me know what you think of the choices, and by all means, share some of your favorites.

Love from LeBron

Without out a doubt, LeBron James is the best athlete I have ever seen. I really want to like the guy, but when he famously took his talents to South Beach, I had to stand with jilted Cleveland fans and cheer against him. 

Then he goes and pulls this stunt. Keep it up LeBron and I might just change my mind about you. It's pretty hard not to like the guy in this video.

Oprah Can't Save You, Lance

You didn't have to be a cycling fan to admire Lance Armstrong. In fact, I would guess most of Armstrong's fans were as clueless about cycling as I was. That's what made Armstrong a true icon, he transcended his sport.

How could you not admire the guy? The man was given very little chance to live, and not only did he survive cancer, he went on to dominate his sport. I have no idea what it takes to win a big time bike race, but it doesn't take a genius to know it ain't easy. 

It also doesn't take a genius to realize the emperor had no clothes.

The world of modern sports is full of cheaters. Performance-enhancing drugs make many of today's athletic feats suspect at best and contemptible at worst. It seems to me the dividing line, as always, is the truth. I don't blame Armstrong for taking substances banned by his sport to gain a competitive advantage. If he'd just come clean when the accusations started flying, we'd be good. Unfortunately, Armstrong went into denial mode, attacking his accusers like a mob boss.

The truth wouldn't go away, so Lance went to Oprah looking for redemption. I didn't watch the interview because as far as I'm concerned, you can't trust a thing the guy says.

And that's what disappoints me the most.

Top Ten Movies of 2012

I watched 82 movies in 2012, not including all the bits and pieces I caught while channel-surfing. The first movie I watched in 2012 was Beginners and the last movie I watched was In Bruges. Overall, 2012 was a very strong year for movies, one of the better years I can remember. If you're heading out to the theaters or looking for something to rent, you can't go wrong with any of these films. Unlike my top ten books, I've only included movies that were released in the US this year.

10) Big Miracle: This great family film is based on a true story. Back in the late 80s, a group of people came together to save some whales in Alaska, proving that people with very different concerns and opinions can indeed work together to solve problems. I think the US Congress should sit down and watch this one.

9) The Grey: A plane crashes in the Alaskan wilderness, and the survivors must evade a pack of wolves as they try to get back to civilization. Liam Neeson is great as the leader of the survivors. Some of the wolf special effects are iffy, but thanks to Neeson, this little action/adventure movie was surprisingly compelling.

8) Bernie: This is the second of three movies based on true stories on the list. Jack Black plays Bernie, a beloved mortician who shocks everyone in a small Texas town. Black's performance is brilliant, and I won't be surprised at all to see him nominated for a bunch of awards.

7) Salmon Fishing in the Yemen: This was a classic case of liking a movie a lot more than I thought I would. A fisheries expert helps a sheik with his seemingly impossible dream of bringing fly-fishing to the desert. While I didn't like the romantic angle of the film that much, it didn't lose me. The unusual friendship between the fish guy and the sheik ultimately made this movie for me.

6) The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: A group of aging Brits take up residence in a suspect retirement home in India. Score one for the old folks. This movie nicely shows that new beginnings aren't only for the young.

5) The Dark Knight Rises: The Avengers may have won the box office battle, but for my money, TDKR was a much better movie. I didn't like this one as much as The Dark Knight, but it is certainly a worthy conclusion to Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy.  

4) The Silver Linings Playbook: I'm not a big fan of romantic comedies, but this one is quirky, the good kind of quirky. The romantic relationship at the core of this movie is excellent, but it's everything else going on in this movie that makes it so great. Of course, any movie that weaves football into the lives of its characters so thoroughly and genuinely can't miss in my book.

3) Flight: Denzel is typically brilliant as a pilot who prevents a catastrophic plane crash despite being drunk and hopped up on coke. There have been a lot of good movies about addiction, but this may be the best one I've ever seen.

2) Argo: Don't look now, but Ben Affleck has become one helluva director. Dare I say, Eastwoodian. Of course, let's hope we don't see Affleck talking to a chair any time soon. Or maybe we should hope for that. Sorry, I digress. This is another movie based on real events, this time the stranger-than-fiction escape of 6 American diplomats during the Iranian hostage crisis.

1) Life of Pi: Ang Lee took a beloved book and created an eye-popping film masterpiece. The best thing I can say about this movie is that it will leave you asking life's ultimate question: What do I believe?

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 2013. Your top movie, top 3, 5, 10, whatever works for you.

Top Ten Books of 2012

I'm a big end-of-the-year list kind of guy. I read as many as I can, and I've enjoyed doing my own book and movie lists the last couple years. I'm back at it this year, and since I'll be squeezing in a few more movies, I'll start with my top ten books of 2012. I read 58 books this year (still working on #58, but I'll be done by the new year), up from 42 in 2011. The books on my list weren't necessarily published in 2012, just books I read this year.

10) The Age of Miracles, Karen Thompson Walker: This is the only YA on my list. The Earth's rotation begins to slow, and life is profoundly altered. Walker gives readers a believable teenage protagonist who continues to deal with the average problems of adolescence. 

9) Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, Ben Fountain: Billy Lynn and the rest of Bravo unit are war heroes. The Bush administration has brought them back from Iraq for a PR tour. This is an excellent look at the US during wartime and the soldiers doing the fighting.

8) Canada, Richard Ford: How's this for an opening line: "First, I'll tell about the robbery our parents committed. Then about the murders, which happened later." If that doesn't grab your attention, I don't know what will. Ford's writing is sparse and graceful.

7) Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness, Alexandra Fuller: This is the third memoir Fuller has written about her family's life in Africa. The Fullers are fascinating people, and I hope the memoirs keep coming.

6) Salvage the Bones, Jesmyn Ward: This is a brilliant book, but don't take my word for it, Ward won a little something called the National Book Award for this one. Ward shines a light on rural poverty in Mississippi with piercing and poetic language.

5) A Hologram for the King, Dave Eggers: A struggling businessman must travel to Saudi Arabia in a last ditch attempt to keep his life afloat. This is one of those rare books that comments on the times by showing the plight of a single character.

4) Beautiful Ruins, Jess Walter: I would call this one an epic. Walter expertly weaves together the lives of multiple characters over the course of a lifetime, with unrequited love always the driving force. Walter is emerging as one of America's finest writers.

3) Telegraph Avenue, Micahel Chabon: Not many writers will drop a 12 page sentence on you, and make you love it. Channeling his inner Quentin Tarantino, Chabon has given us a book about America, an America where black, white, gay, straight, male, female, live and struggle together. This one goes in the Great American Novel category.

2) Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand: Nonfiction doesn't get any better than this. Louis Zamperini is a true American hero, and you will be a different person after reading his heroic story. Simply put, Hillenbrand is a nonfiction master.

1) Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn: This book is such wicked fun, I had to put it #1. I like to think of it as War of the Roses.....on steroids.....or even better, meth.  Flynn's first two books are really good, but this one was a coming out party for a great writer.

Let me know what you 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 2013. Your top book, top 3, 5, 10, whatever works for you.

Pay for Play

Each December, I finish off the year reading three of my favorite books: The Best American Sports Writing, The Best American Travel Writing, and The Best American Magazine Writing. These anthologies are chockfull of powerful stories written in prose of the highest order.

I just finished reading The Best American Sports Writing, and one story in particular has me thinking,  "The Shame of College Sports" by Taylor Branch. The article was first published in The Atlantic, and while it's a long piece, I highly recommend it.

There is huge money in college sports, particularly men's football and basketball. Professional basketball and football players have powerful unions that guarantee money and healthcare for their members. College athletes do not have that luxury. Many American universities make obscene amounts of money on football and basketball. Branch makes the case that these universities should be paying their athletes.

This is something I've gone back and forth on for a while now, but after reading Branch's article, I would say that I am now firmly of the belief that universities need to compensate their athletes beyond the cost of a scholarship. Lots of people cling to the idea that a free education is more than adequate compensation for playing a game, and twenty years ago maybe it was, but the times have changed. The money involved in big-time college sports is staggering, and the kids who make the money should be getting a bigger piece.

I love college football and basketball. My alma mater, the University of Wisconsin, makes a ton of money on football and basketball. It's time my fellow Badgers get in on some of the money they bring to our school. The situation is the same at many campuses across the country. Every student benefits from the money generated by football and basketball, and I think it's time alums everywhere start demanding their universities take better care of the kids they cheer for on the fields and courts.

I Love Pi

I did a post back in August when I saw the trailer for Life of Pi, Ang Lee's adaptation of Yann Martel's novel. I love the book, and the trailer had my expectations sky high. That's usually a recipe for disappointment, but after seeing the movie on opening night, I'm happy to report that Life of Pi is awesome. As in, it inspires awe.

Most of the reviews highlight the film's look, and there is no doubt that this is one of the most visually intriguing movies I've ever seen. I read they used four real tigers for different shots in the movie, and the CGI is so good, it's hard to tell when the tiger is real or computer-generated.

While I'm not a fan of 3D, I have to say, it gives the movie an added texture that accentuates already beautiful imagery. I'll probably go to the movie again, without 3D, and it'll be interesting to compare.

Suraj Sharma is great as the teenage Pi. He is the only human actor on screen for a big chunk of the movie, and he commands your attention. Irrfan Khan packs an emotional punch as the adult Pi. Khan's face is so expressive, he makes you feel.

I don't want to get into the plot too much. If you've read the book, you already know, and if you haven't, the less you know the better. Two central themes resonate in Pi's story: Faith and Doubt. As Pi searches for the presence of God, we are right there with him. That's the beauty of this movie, it shows us a young man's journey, and challenges us to take it with him.

I'm glad Ang Lee took me on that journey, and you will be too.

Veterans Day

Photo by Joe Oliva/Joe@Jetpix.com

A number of people have emailed me pictures of a tribute the Green Bay Packers did for veterans last year. The images are truly awesome, if I do say so myself.

Photo byJoe Oliva/Joe@Jetpix.com

My parents met while serving in the Navy, and I was born on the Naval base in Chelsea, Massachusetts. As the son of two veterans, I appreciate all that our veterans have done, and continue to do, for our country. As the son of two veterans, one a Democrat and one a Republican, I know that love of country crosses all personal politics. As the son of two veterans who worked in health care their entire lives, I know America must take care of the men and women who come back from the battlefield wounded and scarred.

I always think about this on Veterans Day, but it especially strikes me this year. On Friday, my mom went to an event at my daughter's school for veterans. I'm incredibly proud of my mom. If you met her, I doubt you would peg her as a veteran, but she most surely is, and I was so happy that she got to share that part of her life with her granddaughter.

My heartfelt thanks to all the men and women of our armed services. And to my mom, who is a regular reader, you are a true Patriot.

Pumpkin Yoda

Yoda features prominently in my classroom. A huge posterized Yoda faces the class, and I have four sweet Yoda dolls strategically placed around the room. My students know Yoda is always watching. What can I say, Yoda brings out my inner dork.

Last week one of my students surprised me with a Yoda pumpkin kit. It really caught me off guard, and I'm not gonna lie, I was a little verklempt.

It's a small thing, but as teaching constantly reminds me, it's these little moments of grace that make a big life.

Happy Halloween.

Books to Movies

Cloud Atlas is an amazing book. Despite mixed reviews of the movie, I needed to see it, out of respect for the source material if nothing else. Meg hadn't read the book, so she wasn't as enthusiastic, but she was a trooper and came along.

We both liked the movie. Didn't love it, liked it. Now having said that, I have a feeling this movie will grow on me, much the way the book did, and in time, I may very well consider Cloud Atlas a cinematic masterpiece. This happens with a lot of great books and movies, they hang around in my brain, prodding me to continue thinking about them until I realize their true brilliance.

I would say more about Cloud Atlas, but here's a link to a really great review of the movie that puts anything I have to say about it to shame.

Got to see the Life of Pi trailer again, and I am deliriously excited about that one. Life of Pi and Cloud Atlas are two outstanding novels made into movies, and I've been thinking about my favorite book/movie combos all day. Thus, a top five list is in order: the five best book/movie combos.

5) Up in the Air: Being a sucker for marketing, I picked this book up in the Denver airport. Walter Kirn's protagonist, Ryan Bingham, is certainly a man for the times. Always on the move, but never getting anywhere. I love the book, and George Clooney delivers an understated performance in a great adaptation of the film.

4) The Color Purple: I actually saw the movie first. As a child of the 80s, anything Spielberg did was required viewing. Whoopi Goldberg was brilliant, and the last scene of this movie is remarkably powerful.

3) No Country for Old Men: I'm a huge fan of Cormac McCarthy and the Coen Brothers. This may be the ultimate combination of literary and cinematic genius to date.

2) Wonder Boys: I love Michael Chabon. I started reading his new one, Telegraph Avenue, this weekend. This is one of those times when the movie might just be better than the book. Michael Douglas is perfect as Grady Tripp, a best-selling author who breaks out of a funk over the course of a crazy weekend with one of his students.

1) To Kill a Mockingbird: I've written about TKAM numerous times here on the ol' blog, so let me just say this. Classic book and classic movie. Not sure you can say that too many times.

Let me know what you think of my choices, and by all means, share some of your favorite book/movie combos.

Am I Undecided?

A lot was made of the first presidential debate; the TV talking heads lost their collective minds. Conservatives were giddy that Romney performed well, and liberals were dismayed that Obama performed poorly. I actually had something better to do, coaching soccer, and while I normally record things I want to watch later, I purposely skipped the debate. My plan was to let the media coverage do my thinking for me. I mean, that is what CNN, FOX, and MSNBC are for, right?

So Romney won and Obama lost. But does it really matter? I don't think anyone bases their vote on debates anymore. All the information is out there already, and most of us picked our guy a long time ago.

But apparently undecided voters are still out there, and they may very well decide the election.

As this recent Saturday Night Live skit points out, that's kind of scary.

My apologies if you are an undecided voter. But seriously?

Banned Book Week

I did a banned books post a couple years ago, and since there weren't many people reading this blog back then, I thought I'd do a repost. I have added to the old post, and that will be in red.

This is banned books week. The American Library Association has a list of the most challenged books of the decade, and I highly recommend checking it out. If you're like me, the list will boggle your mind. It's important to remember that there are still people out there who would censor some of the best books ever written. A number of the bloggers I follow have written about their favorite banned books, and reading these posts has inspired me to write about the banned book that means the most to me.

To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite book of all time-hands down-banned or otherwise. I didn't read the book in school, which is surely an indictment of my education. I read it on my own after graduating from the University of Wisconsin. I read it over the course of a Western road trip with a good friend of mine, and it had an immediate, profound effect on me. For my money, Atticus Finch is the best character in American literature. His integrity and perseverance in the face of evil still inspire me to this day.

Then there's Scout. Let's just say Jean Louise Finch made quite an impression on me. When the doctor told Meg and I that our first born was going to be a girl, I knew her name had to be Scout. Luckily for me, Meg was amenable, and I have to say, our Scout embodies the spirit of her namesake.

We did get a little push back from Scout this summer about her name. Like any good millenial (I think that's what they're calling her generation), she googled her name. There's not a ton out there (I did some googling myself), but there are some negative comments: Scout is a dog's name, no one will ever take anyone named Scout seriously, that kind of thing.

Ah, the internet, home of anonymous ignorance and cowardice.

I think Scout was mostly concerned about the transition to middle school and fitting in. As much as it bugs me, middle schoolers, for the most part, don't like to stand out. I was sympathetic to Scout's feelings and we had some long talks about the things that truly make a person unique. Now that Scout has made it through her first quarter of middle school, I think she's feeling better about her name. We were talking about names in the car the other day, and Scout commented that there are a lot of unique names nowadays, much more so than in the past. I told her that sounded about right, sensing that she had made her peace with her unusual name. I've always known Scout would need to be older to truly appreciate her name. I can respect that she's still working it out, and I have faith that she'll get there.

I think the main reason people have tried to ban Mockingbird is because of racist language, particularly, use of the n word. The language makes people uncomfortable, but that's the point. Harper Lee was shining a light on hatred and racism. Yes, the n word is abhorrent, but to exclude it from a book set in Jim Crow Alabama would have been dishonest. And that's the thing about To Kill a Mockingbird. It is the most unflinchingly honest book I have ever read.

I make it a point to reread The Bird every year. If you haven't read it in a while, maybe now is the time.

Stunned in Seattle

If you allow yourself to love a team the way I love the Green Bay Packers, heartbreak is part of the deal. You can't enjoy the success without the pain. And let me tell ya, last night was painful. The never-seen-anything-like-it kind of pain. The Packers lost on the last play of the game, and if you haven't seen it, here it is (the audio stinks, but you get a bunch of angles).

If you're a Packers' fan, you will go to your grave swearing our guy intercepted that ball. The Stunner in Seattle will go down in Green Bay lore. Future generations will be forced to listen to gloriously detailed accounts of the injustice perpetrated by replacement referees on our beloved GBPs.

I spent a good two hours after the game venting and commiserating with friends who I have watched football with since I was a boy. It's all you can do after something like that.

At the end of the night, I found myself sitting in my backyard, drinking a beer in the light of the moon. My thoughts turned to my dad, and despite the pain, I had to laugh. That was one hell of a game Pop.

WWW Wednesday

Blogging is clearly taking a backseat to teaching this year. I don't usually bring work home, but I've actually been enjoying grading papers and making lesson plans while I sit with the family as they subject me to ridiculous TV shows. God help me, another season of The Voice has started.

Back in July I did an inaugural WWW Wednesday post. I didn't commit to doing it every week, but I didn't think it would take nearly two months to do another one. Whatareyagonnnado?

I've actually read quite a bit since that last post, but I'll stick with the format:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

I'm reading Tolstoy and the Purple Chair right now. I saw this one while browsing at Barnes and Noble this summer before we went to see Brave. I added it to the book list I keep on my phone, and I got it from the library this past weekend. This is one of those memoirs that chronicles a year of doing something or other. I'm kind of a sucker for that do-it-for-a-year thing. Nina Sankovitch lost her sister and to cope she decided to read a book a day for a year. I'm not very far into it yet, but so far it's quite good.

I recently finished The Odds by Stewart O'Nan. I've been on the O'Nan bandwagon since I read Last Night at the Lobster a couple years back. Both books are extremely short, about 170 pages, and both are top-notch. The Odds is about a couple seemingly at the end of the line. O'Nan is one of those authors who perfectly captures the intricacies of every day life and relationships.

Next up for me is father-mucker by Greg Olear. How 'bout that title? See what he did there? This is another one I saw browsing at B & N, and rather than pay for it, I added it to my phone list and got it from the library. It's about a stay-at-home dad on the brink. I haven't read Olear before and I always enjoy reading a new writer.




If you've read any of these books, I'd love to hear your thoughts. If you're not doing your own WWW Wednesday post, how 'bout sharing in the comments what you're reading, what you've read, and what you will be reading.