Making the Grade

The cartoon explains it all, for most educators. Consider that the 2008 national average teacher salary put Texas at 34th of 50 states. That's nothing new, of course. The good news is that beginning Texas teachers rank 16th in the nation, in terms of pay. Quite a disparity, eh? In my district, newly-hired math teachers get a $5000 bonus. Old-timers like me get nothing extra, and never did. Not surprisingly, less affluent students are the real losers in such an incentive system, as quality teachers can move from district to district every couple years to cash in on signing bonuses. As district priorities shift, the economy plunges, and education funding drops even more, we all look for answers. As for me, I'm still in the same spot, for the last 17 of 20 years, because the students there still need me. That goes a long way toward job security, no doubt. But for parents hoping to get their kids a quality education, is their only option to move to the affluent suburbs? Is that what no child left behind really means?

A Day In The Life of Ringo

Not too long ago, former Beatle Ringo Starr announced on his website that he would no longer sign autographs. This raised a bit of a stir in the media, and he caught a little flak for it. An example of this is the lampooning of Ringo in the cartoon below, by BP Perry. (Taken from his blogspot " In Through The Out Door But Then Back In Again". Be sure to click it to get a larger image. Thanks to my friend Todd Sinclair, for this one.)

Design Your Own Superhero!

If you're on your computer and you've got nothing important to do, head on over to Marvel's website and design your own superhero! (I think you'll note the resemblance, right away!)

20 Million Rupees!

A week ago, Lisa suggested we see the film "Slumdog Millionaire." We usually decide together, and I didn't know anything about her choice, but off we went. She is a smart cookie, I tell ya.

The film, I was later surprised to learn, was nominated for 4 Golden Globe awards. I am not at all surprised, however, that Sunday night it won. All four. It is that good. "Slumdog" took the GG for Best Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Musical Score.

The strange thing is, this is a love story. Sort of. And it has a fairy tale ending. I'm not a big fan of either, generally. Moreover, there is a prevalent dance soundtrack, throughout. I hate dance music, but I was caught up in all of it, anyway. Fairy tales and love stories rarely carry an R-rating, so you know something about this film is different. Very different.

There is pain. There is violence. There is child abuse, and seemingly insurmountable hardship. Some characters are despicable. Some are heroes.

Lisa and I talked about it, and we both knew that trying to describe the full power of the film would be impossible. The trailer (see above), doesn't do it justice, either. One must see it. You really should.

Lisa lamented that the boys didn't get to see it. I mentioned the movie to my students, and one of them had already seen it, too. Our enthusiasm for it was enough to persuade others to see it. All had the same reaction. There is just something about it that makes us all appreciate the human condition.

One of my Indian students told me that the movie was very typical of all Bollywood productions. Maybe so, but the folks who crowded the theater with me very likely didn't know that. Everyone stayed through the dance scene of the ending credits!

If you have someone dear who needs a reminder that life is precious, that love is all, that good can triumph over evil, and that we all are put on this planet for a reason -- all of those sappy sentiments -- take them to see this movie. You'll be glad you did.

(Thank you, Lisa.)

On The Radio Today

Every once in a great while I hear a song by an artist I've never heard of, and I stop whatever else I'm doing. I was sweeping the dial of my XM Radio (The Spectrum, Channel 45), and there it was, a song called "Camera One," by Josh Joplin.

The song is a great slice of pop rock, well written, both lyrically and musically. I'm always excited to hear something new, so I've checked this Josh Joplin out online. It turns out that Joplin has been releasing music since 1998. I've crawled out from under this rock, now, and you might want to listen to some of his music at his myspace page.

A Short Story

Whether I want to be, or not, I am a role model to youngsters. It's part of my job. As a result, I'm always aware of my role, and always careful to be just that when Justin and Kevin are around. I have to teach them all the right things, and lead by example, of course.

Let me give you a for instance. When AC/DC came to town, I knew I just had to take the boys to go see them. Beside the obvious entertainment value, there is much to emulate in the onstage presence of this upstanding rock and roll band. Lead guitarist Angus Young has an unparalleled work ethic. He probably loses 10 pounds nightly, just to put on a good show. And he always manages to show off his best side.

Now, really, who could ignore such showmanship? Dare I say, citizenship? So, naturally, the boys and I are obligated to do our part(s), too. You can thank us later.

For those about to rock, we salute you!

About Town

Once Lisa and I got off of work for the holidays, we played a little bit. OK, a lotta bit. First, we went to see a play at Houston's Alley Theatre, called "The Santaland Diaries." It's the real-life story of David Sedaris' experience as Crumpet the Elf in department store Macy's Santaland display. The production is completely irreverent and we were quite amused to hear the tales of odd elves, Santas, and parents with kids in tow. Then, we headed on over to an upscale Italian restaurant called Birraporetti's. I had the cheese tortellini, and I can highly recommend it. Lisa liked her garlic mashed potatoes, as part of her La Dolce Vita. (See their menu, and your mouth will be watering!)

We also made a visit to Galveston's Moody Gardens last week, to see their aquarium and their Festival of Lights display. I admit it was awesome to see a giant sea turtle, several sharks and a barracuda swimming just a couple feet over my head. If you watch the goofy penguins long enough, you will laugh. We had Italian cuisine that night, too, this time at Napoli's. The bar upstairs is actually pretty cool, with a great view.

For another very special night out, we dined at Bonnie's Beef and Seafood. My Porterhouse was pretty good, but Lisa didn't care for her catfish. The salad bar is very good, though, and the place is very cozy. Lisa did get a loaded baked potato, too, so we both left full.

I figure if Lisa and I do enough of this, we could start our own service on the web as your entertainment guide for Houston. You'd all fund such a service, right?