Odds & Ends & Meeping

With Christmas break just a day away, those darn tootin’ yearbook pages demanding my attention and grades and all matters of stuff that needs tending to, I may not post my normal insightful reparatee this coming week.

I did, however, post a rather interesting and amusing post on Technorati a few days ago entitled “Jeepers, Creepers, Watch Those Meepers!”  It even made the Technorati front page. While I encourage you to go over there and read it and post comments, I have include the post below as well…

Jeepers, Creepers, Watch Those Meepers!

Blame the soothing effects of tryptophan from my Thanksgiving turkey that lulled me into a semi-comatose, ignorant state. Otherwise, how could I have possibly missed the Meeps story? Or how could I possibly explain that I probably wouldn't even have discovered the story if I hadn't been researching, planning and updating my First Amendment unit for my high school journalism class.

According to the Student Press Law Center and the Salem News, the principal of Danvers High School in Massachusetts sent one of those recorded computer messages (that we all love) to parents warning them that any student who said or displayed the word “meep” at school could face suspension.

Hmm. Let me get this right. Forget about your basic profanity and let's instead move into the realm of made up words. "Meeps" supposedly is a word that can mean just about anything and everything. It's origins apparently come from the sound that the Muppet Beaker makes.

And if all that wasn't bad enough, there was some online talk of a mass meeping somewhere in the school. Now, school administrators aren't the only ones who take a dim view of school disruptions. While I know judges generally do not uphold First Amendment freedoms for kiddos if they cause such disruptions, I'm not exactly sure how the high court would feel about a meep-ruption.

No such meep-ruption occurred and the principal never did provide an explanation for why the word itself should be banned. The whole thing seems to be, well, rather silly.

Now, I am not a lawyer or a Supreme Court judge or a Fox News expert on constitutional law, but I do think I'm a pretty good judge of things that are just plain silly stupid.

I think this meeping thing fits rather nicely into that category.

Workshops, Bill Cosby and Dancing Food

Call it challenging. Call it crazy. Call it dumb.

I just want to call it a day.

But no siree, Missy. I'm still here.

At a workshop.

With 22 kids.

Oh, and let’s not forget the 500 or so kiddos from other high school newspaper and yearbook staffs.

So call me just a tad perplexed when I read recently that comedian Bill Cosby said, “We’ve got to get people into the system who want to teach. We need principals who want to train teachers. In the name of God, or anyone else you believe in, 420 students need more than one counselor. Our children deserve better.”

Hey, Bill, in the name of God, or anyone else you believe in, what do you call this?

While I admit I would rather be sitting by the pool with my husband, swimming with my dogs, reading one of those books still stashed on my “books to read if only I can find the time” shelf and eating chips and salsa, well I’m here, aren’t I? And what about the 60 other journalism teachers here? I’m pretty sure they’re at this workshop because they want and love to teach.

Now before all you Cosby lovers and Richie hatas get all worked up into a tizzy, let me assure you that I love Bill Cosby. I’m just not sure it’s ever a good thing to toss everyone into the same generic teacher bashing grab bag.

Sure we have our moments. Hails bails, I have my moments. Sure there are those in the education profession that should have opted for a job somewhere flipping hamburgers instead of standing in front of a classroom of kids. Sometimes I even think I’d make a pretty good dancing hot dog, or better yet, one of those Chick-fil-A dancing cows. (Now, that’s a scary image.)

That one little remark by Bill Cosby really got me into a full court-press-5-alarm-dizzy-tizzy-frenzy. And because of that, I came up with this…

Richie’s Top 5 Jobs
She Could Do If She Decides
To Ditch The Teaching Thing

No. 5…Dancing Food…A Chick-fil-A cow, a Route 44 Sonic drink or an Oscar Mayer Wiener. How fun would that be? Think about it. You’d never have to figure out what to wear to work. Now, on the down side, it might be just a tad challenging to drive to work encased in a Sonic cup, and perhaps just a smidge warm in a hot dog suit. We also have to consider my dancing ability, too. For those of you familiar with that or my sad little foray into the Zumba dancing world, well, such a job would probably be short lived. (You can read about that here.)

No. 4…Sandwich Sign Girl… We’ve all seen them standing on the corner. No silly, not those girls. I’m talking about the people wearing the “Going Out of Business Signs” placards. I could do that, and as an added bonus, no dancing required.

No. 3…Clicker Counter… Even though I am certifiably math challenged, I think I could still manage to click one of those counters when things pass by. Things like cars. I could sit in a little lawn chair by the side of the road with my glass of lemonade, some chips and salsa, and click, click, click away. I’d need an umbrella, of course. And maybe a little kiddy pool to keep my feet cool. And perhaps even a little lemonade stand on the side for those passersby who want to chat and sit a spell, but I'd probably end of chatting too much and clicking too little, so that job option might not last either.

No. 2…Flag Changer… Although I’ve never actually seen it done, someone must change the warning flags on the beach when conditions change. Bluish flags for jelly fish type warnings or yellow for calm to moderate waters. I could sit at the ready, flags by my side, lemonade in hand, and of course, chips and salsa for sustenance. I could probably even read some of those books from my “books to read if only I can find the time” shelf while I’m waiting to change those warning flags.

But the No. 1 job on my list…can I have a drum roll pah-leese…

Paint Color Namer…Yep. Paint Color Namer…My friend Mary (the Queen Bee of high school journalism advisers) came up with that one. Somewhere there is a person who has to name the color of paint. You know, things like “Steamed Milk” and “Saybrook Sage.” I could do that. Hails bails, I could do that sitting by my pool, eating chips and salsa, swimming with my dogs, all the while coming up with color names like Jack Shepherd Tan, Chilpotle Speckled Red or Wild Willy Weeds. See what I mean?

I could do that, but as funnyman Cosby said, “Our children deserve better.”

So I guess I'll stay right here…with my 22 kiddos and the other 60 advisers and their kids. That color naming gig is just going to have to wait.

(Writer’s note-A version of this post originally appeared at BlogCritics.org.)

My blogging absence

Fans of this blog may have noticed the absence of recent posts. Part of this was due to spring break and my New York City trip. And, yes, we will post photos of the Rubber Chicken in New York as well as bring you up to speed on some of the funfilled things that occurred including conversations at the Museum of Modern Art that went something like this…

staffer… “Richie, how come some of that stuff is in here? Did you see those photographs?"

me…“Yes, dear.”

staffer… “Why are they in the museum? I took better photographs for your photography class than that but you gave me a bad grade…”

me… “Yes dear… I’m just mean…”

But all of that funfilled extravaganza will have to wait. On my way back from NYC, I received word that my father–a true patriot and family man–had lost his battle with cancer. Even though expected, knowing never dulls the ache of the loss. I have much more to say about this and will post more later. I can’t tell you how much I have appreciated the thoughts and prayers of friends who knew. May God bless all of you.

The Carnival of Education & Get Out The Vote!

The Carnival of Education is out and up and running at Teacher in a Strange Land. With a very clever inauguaration theme, you’ll really want to dance your way over there to see what’s going on in the EduSphere. My post “Fatsos, Lockdowns & Stella” was included. Our gracious host Nancy Flanagan even said it “will make you laugh out loud,” but you don’t have to go there to read it here.

In other news, here’s a bit of shameless self-promotion. Yesterday I stumbled upon my nomination for Best Educational Blog, Best Humor Blog and Best Blog of All Time over at the Blogger’s Choice Awards. If you are a fan of this site, then I ask you to beebop over there and cast your vote or votes. You can vote in all categories. You have to register first, but registration is free. After you register, they will send you an email to confirm your registration. By clicking on the link, it will take you back to their site where you can vote. You can find my ballot by searching for Bellringers.

So let’s vote early and let’s vote often. Oh wait, I think that was in another state… for another election… So let’s just say, vote!

Carnival of Education--Seasons of Change Edition

Woo-hoo for Wednesday and, of course, the Carnival of Education! This week’s Education Carnival is being hosted over at the Examiner. It has a nifty little theme--Seasons of Education. My post, “Semester Exams, Snarkiness & Ring Tones,” was included, but you don’t have to go there to read it here. But, you know that if you want to be in-the-know, you need to go there to see what else is being blogged about in the EduSphere.

Woo-hoo Wednesday, Carnival of Education and Voting

It’s Wednesday and you know what that means! It’s time to Woo-hoo and time to head on over to the Carnival of Education hosted this week by Right Wing Nation. So zip on over there to see what’s going on in the EduSphere. You know the drill. My post “Holiday Endings, Soreheads & Billboards” was included, but you don’t have to go there to read it here.

Also, before I forget, if you get a chance, I wish you would head on over to two locations and cast a vote for my sister M.H. Bonham and her two books–one is an anthology, WolfSongs and the other is her novel, Lachlei. If you haven’t had a chance to read them, Jeez Louise what in the world are you waiting for? I can vouch for Lachlei. WolfSongs is in my ever-growing “to read” pile.

So vote for Lachlei by zipping on over here and vote for WolfSongs by beebopping over there. The instruction are easy. Hails Bails, even I could do it!

Carnival of Education--Transition Team Edition

It’s Wednesday and we all know what that means… Not only is it time to Woo-hoo, it’s Carnival of Education time hosted over at the Core Knowledge Blog. And what a nifty theme we have this week--it’s the Transition Team Edition. My post “Blogging, Planes & Teachers in the Skies” made the cut and earned me the nomination for Secretary of Transportation. Woo-hoo! But you don’t have to go there to read it here, but you certainly should go there to see what’s going on the EduSphere.

So, hey, what are you waiting for?

Carnival of Education, Stressful Jobs & Super Secret Chocolate

Well, there are three things you need to know about today…

#1…The Carnival of Education is up and running over at Leading from the Heart. Over there you’ll find everything and anything happening in the EduSphere. You know the drill… My post “Scanners, Mowing Lawns & Things You Just Shouldn’t Learn How To Do” was included, but you don’t have to go there to read it here, but you really need to go there so you’re in-the-know (and you want to be in-the-know, don’t ya?).

#2…Perhaps some of you have already seen this. Teachers, my friends, were listed as having one of the Top 8 most stressful jobs by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Really? Hmmmm. As if we needed verification or validation.

As if.

That definitely explains how half a bag of that Emergency Chocolate ended up in the Super-Secret Emergency Chocolate Drawer instead of over in the original Emergency Chocolate Drawer (ECD) over in the publications room, and it also explains how half that Super Secret Chocolate somehow ended up not-so-super-secret on my hips.

#3… It’s Woo-hoo Wednesday. Surely, you can find something to Woo-hoo about!

152 Carnival of Education is Out

Joel over at So You Want to Teach graciously hosted the 152 Carnival of Education. Since I had to go back to work today, sigh, I haven’t had a chance to peruse very many of the submissions, but there’s a lot there that sound really good and I am looking forward to reading them this evening. My submission “Slackers, Inspirations & New Year’s Resolutions” was included, but you don’t have to go there to read it here.