Aggie

When I first met her, Aggie would greet my knock on the door with loud barking. She used to scare people she didn't know like that, but truthfully, as soon as you entered her domain, she'd more likely lick you all over, and jump up and down, standing on her hind legs. Indeed, it wasn't long before Aggie would meet me at the door like Fred Flintstone's Dino.

As anyone who's ever met Aggie will tell ya, she also had that poke to the crotch with her snout. That was always a fine howdy-doody. Not quite as good as running from the back of the house to meet me, every time I came over, though.
There are so many things that made Aggie the best Golden Retriever, ever. Like the way she made me pet her for hours on end, and if I stopped for a split second, she'd nudge me, or paw at me. She had a way of climbing through my legs when I stood, wedging her head against my legs, and then twisting her backside around so I'd pet her. She'd clackity-clack around Lisa's wood floor to great effect, signaling that she was there, and you'd better be ready to take care of her. She'd go out in the yard in the warm sun, roll over on her back and just dance with all legs flailing in the air. She chased squirrels and birds off her property. Not that she'd know what to do if she could've caught up to them.

Best of all, she had a way of making me realize that the moments I had with her were special -- while we were having them. Her intuitive sense of mood often caught me off guard. She was braver, stronger and more giving than most humans I've ever known. She fought through a stroke, learned how to walk again, lived with arthritis, and a giant tumor in her belly. If she occasionally barked when I left the room because she wanted attention, I think I could forgive her for that. As Lisa said to me, she was a real trooper.

Just after Hurricane Rita came through Texas, Lisa and I took Aggie to my house and she just ran free in the backyard. She really liked open spaces.

She's running free, now. I'm gonna miss her.

Why Did The Cricket Cross The Road?

With the still-fresh Beatles remastered CDs buzzing around here, two clear winners benefit the most from the new technology: The White Album and Abbey Road. Both are particularly stellar in their sonic-soothing-ness.

And since Abbey Road turned 40 just a few weeks ago, it is fitting to offer a quick nod to the seminal album, that almost everyone I know has at least heard of, if not owned many times over. The Rock Band video game commercial, as seen above, is one of the coolest salutes to the Beatles I've ever seen. (How in the heck did they do that?) I have an Abbey Road poster given to me by one of my students a couple years ago, in my classroom. One of my current students wears her Abbey Road hoodie to school. Never fading in popularity, the vinyl record version of the album is still available, and I picked one up from a Best Buy store. It is iconic, and it's everywhere.


Witness then, my wacky brother, Clarence, aka "Cricket", crossing that famous road, in 1984. (Look, Mom, no shoes!)

Notice in the above photo, members of my class of 2008 reenacting the event at our school! And, check it out, the weird looking guy to the right, who is clearly out of step with the others. He also has a calculator in his left hand, and he's right-handed, proving that indeed, he is not dead, but very much a mathematician!

There's a pretty decent article about the re-mastering of Abbey Road, here:
The Beatles: Repaving 'Abbey Road'

Consume: Cons, U, Me.

That "genius" Glenn Beck said the video "The Story of Stuff" is socialist propaganda, so for that reason alone, you should watch it. Take 20 minutes of your time, stay with it, and learn. As you watch, take a look around the room you're sitting in, and wonder how you ever got so much stuff.

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Tards Who Lose Their Phones

OK, so I've never actually misplaced any phone, ever, but I know some youngsters who lose everything they've ever touched. Here's a handy website that does nothing but dial any phone number you provide to make that phone ring. If you can hear it, you'll be able to find it. I tested it, and it really works!

Go there and try for yourself!

http://www.wheresmycellphone.com/

Quoth The Raven, Nevermore

While wading through the Beatles remastered CDs, I stumbled onto something quite entertaining for us nerdy types, on the world wide web.

The University of Texas in Austin's Ransom Center has digitized its Edgar Allan Poe collection. Pictured at right is Poe's fair copy manuscript of the last stanza of his famous poem, "The Raven."

In addition to the manuscripts of “The Domain of Arnheim,” “The Spectacles,” and some of Poe’s most famous poems, the collection includes many letters written by and to Poe, and books belonging to Poe . One of my favorites is Poe's own copy of the book "The Raven and Other Poems [and] Tales," from 1845, with handwritten revisions and corrections by Poe, himself.

The Beatles Are Coming!

Number nine, number nine, number nine...

On 9/9/09, we'll get the new Beatles remastered CDs. They're pricey. So what? If you haven't heard, you've been hiding out like bin Laden (I'll bet that even he's buying them!), but this has been a looong time coming. The old 1987 CDs leave much to be desired, sonically, and the new discs take full advantage of the latest technology. I won't bore you with details about how it was done (that's just for us nerds), so, just go buy 'em when they come out, ok? I just read a bunch of new hype, and I'm all giddy. See the links below, and the video above.

I already ordered my mono box set online, because it'll be harder to get, I think. (If you don't know about mono, all the songs are different from the stereo, and what's more, the Beatles themselves mixed the mono versions, as they wanted them, way back in the 60s!)

Yeah, mom, I'm buying them all -- again!

Beatles Remasters Reviewed

Remastered Beatles CDs: A sneak preview

Teach Your Children Well

Two weeks ago I was invited to dinner at a cool little restaurant in town call Baba Yega. Sure, the cuisine was tasty -- but what was special about it was those who invited me. Ryan and Elizabeth graduated from my high school, where they were subjected to my brand of tutelage and torture, in 2004. (Ever notice how close the word tutor is to the word torture? I have, and have made a career of it!) They both graduated from universities not long ago, and while they had a chance, they wanted to hang out for a couple hours with, of all people, me.

That's very special in itself. They were great kids then, and they're great "kids," now. Ryan works in a music studio and also is the music director at a church, which, as it turns out, has some of Lisa's family members in its congregation. He is a very talented musician, with a band of his own. Liz will be a rookie English teacher at an area high school, and her soon-to-be students don't know how lucky they are. (Liz doesn't understand yet, what's in store for her, either, but that's a whole career and lifetime ahead of her.) Both Liz and and Ryan are very bright and talented in so many ways, but moreover, they are wonderful kind-hearted, genuine human beings.

Yeah, you got me -- I paid for dinner.

Today, I was invited out for a Mexican lunch by Stephen, the videographer I mentioned in a previous post. He gathered several more former students of mine, namely, Heather, Monica, Drew, Danny, Chris, Henry, and Josh. I know they're going to go on to be leaders of our planet, too.

I am fortunate enough to be a part of these kids' lives, and nothing is lost on me as to how incredibly lucky I am. Lucky that more often than I can count, I have reached some truly gifted young people that I know will make our world a better place. I am indeed, counting on that.

Forgive me if I sound like I'm bragging. These Kumbaya moments do occur a few times every year, thank goodness. Problem is, I rarely speak about it. Right now, I think it's time I mentioned how good it is, and remind myself that I am proud, and grateful. Counting my blessings, that's all.