Sunday, October 30, 2005
Gridlock
A quick post before bed: Looks like there's a public transit strike here in the city.
Given that the school district does not provide buses beyond public transit, there are likely to be a lot fewer kids in class tomorrow.
More news including the shocking story of the first shooting that has occurred at Underwood since I began teaching.
A quick post before bed: Looks like there's a public transit strike here in the city.
Given that the school district does not provide buses beyond public transit, there are likely to be a lot fewer kids in class tomorrow.
More news including the shocking story of the first shooting that has occurred at Underwood since I began teaching.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Still Here
Some of you may have noticed a slight decline in the content volume on ye olde bloge (blogge?) the past few weeks. Most of this was due to a combination of laziness and exhaustion. But the past week or so has been because some jokers decided to crash my building's wireless network, and I've been sans net until yesterday.
Never fear though, the Invisible Ben is still here, and hopefully there will be posts a-plenty in coming days.
And it would be more fun than having your window punched in by a developmentally retarded boy at school if you would come back and join me here. Trust me...I speak from experience.
Some of you may have noticed a slight decline in the content volume on ye olde bloge (blogge?) the past few weeks. Most of this was due to a combination of laziness and exhaustion. But the past week or so has been because some jokers decided to crash my building's wireless network, and I've been sans net until yesterday.
Never fear though, the Invisible Ben is still here, and hopefully there will be posts a-plenty in coming days.
And it would be more fun than having your window punched in by a developmentally retarded boy at school if you would come back and join me here. Trust me...I speak from experience.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Little Cat Feet
When I woke up this morning, I opened my window to discover that my normally fantastic view of the city skyline had been completely obscured beyond a distance of maybe 3 feet by the thickest cloud of fog I have ever seen. We're talking a solid wall of white here. And I have to say...it's rather disturbing to gaze out onto a featureless canvas that used to be the world.
When I woke up this morning, I opened my window to discover that my normally fantastic view of the city skyline had been completely obscured beyond a distance of maybe 3 feet by the thickest cloud of fog I have ever seen. We're talking a solid wall of white here. And I have to say...it's rather disturbing to gaze out onto a featureless canvas that used to be the world.
The Wheels On the Bus
Yesterday, I decided I would head downtown to run some errands and rediscovered the joy of public transportation. No, I'm not talking about the seemingly endless wait for the bus to arrive and whisk me home. Nor the overcrowded and noisy conditions on the bus itself. I'm not even upset we had to take a detour due to another futile effort to stop the city from being consumed from within by potholes.
No...the problem with public transportation yesterday was the public: the non-bus traveling public. Specifically, the kid who thought it would be a bright idea on his day off from school to spend time throwing rocks at buses. And wouldn't you know it? He shattered a window throwing from at least 100 feet away. Kid must have been only 7 or so, but he had one heck of an arm. Needless to say, the reaction from the people near the window was justified annoyance which took the form of yelling at the driver to do something. Which is why I ended up having to wait for another 15 minutes or so in order to switch to another bus. Not that anything was done to the kid in question.
I did enjoy the offhand remark of one passenger who noted that this is what happens when the kids are off from school. Didn't really have the heart to comment that they aren't that much better behaved inside a classroom than out. Probably wouldn't have believed me anyway.
Yesterday, I decided I would head downtown to run some errands and rediscovered the joy of public transportation. No, I'm not talking about the seemingly endless wait for the bus to arrive and whisk me home. Nor the overcrowded and noisy conditions on the bus itself. I'm not even upset we had to take a detour due to another futile effort to stop the city from being consumed from within by potholes.
No...the problem with public transportation yesterday was the public: the non-bus traveling public. Specifically, the kid who thought it would be a bright idea on his day off from school to spend time throwing rocks at buses. And wouldn't you know it? He shattered a window throwing from at least 100 feet away. Kid must have been only 7 or so, but he had one heck of an arm. Needless to say, the reaction from the people near the window was justified annoyance which took the form of yelling at the driver to do something. Which is why I ended up having to wait for another 15 minutes or so in order to switch to another bus. Not that anything was done to the kid in question.
I did enjoy the offhand remark of one passenger who noted that this is what happens when the kids are off from school. Didn't really have the heart to comment that they aren't that much better behaved inside a classroom than out. Probably wouldn't have believed me anyway.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Happy New Year
The school district where I work has arranged what is arguably the most convoluted schedule for these two weeks.
Consider:
Monday: In school. (regular day)
Tuesday: Off (Rosh Hashanah)
Wednesday: Off (ditto)
Thursday: In school (regular day)
Friday: In school (ditto)
Saturday and Sunday: Off (weekend)
Monday: Off (Columbus Day)
Tuesday: In school (regular day)
Wednesday: In school (most likely extended homeroom schedule, but just in case we also have district wide benchmark tests and PSATs scheduled that day)
Thursday: Off (Yom Kippur)
Friday: In school (regular day)
So for those keeping track at home, that's:
One day on.
Two days off.
Two days on.
Three days off.
Three days on.
One day off.
One day on.
Not that I'm not enjoying my second weekend. It gives me time to see family, run some rather crucial errands, reflect on my future. And I should not forget: celebrate the new year, both in the religious sense (Happy 5766!) and the secular one. (Happy 2 year anniversary blog...that means on average about 100 posts a year. Not bad, but I could do better.)
Oh, and because people were curious on my opinion: Serenity was a pretty damn good movie. Sadly, left a lot of my questions from the series unanswered, but I guess that's what sequels are for, right? I may touch on this more later.
The school district where I work has arranged what is arguably the most convoluted schedule for these two weeks.
Consider:
Monday: In school. (regular day)
Tuesday: Off (Rosh Hashanah)
Wednesday: Off (ditto)
Thursday: In school (regular day)
Friday: In school (ditto)
Saturday and Sunday: Off (weekend)
Monday: Off (Columbus Day)
Tuesday: In school (regular day)
Wednesday: In school (most likely extended homeroom schedule, but just in case we also have district wide benchmark tests and PSATs scheduled that day)
Thursday: Off (Yom Kippur)
Friday: In school (regular day)
So for those keeping track at home, that's:
One day on.
Two days off.
Two days on.
Three days off.
Three days on.
One day off.
One day on.
Not that I'm not enjoying my second weekend. It gives me time to see family, run some rather crucial errands, reflect on my future. And I should not forget: celebrate the new year, both in the religious sense (Happy 5766!) and the secular one. (Happy 2 year anniversary blog...that means on average about 100 posts a year. Not bad, but I could do better.)
Oh, and because people were curious on my opinion: Serenity was a pretty damn good movie. Sadly, left a lot of my questions from the series unanswered, but I guess that's what sequels are for, right? I may touch on this more later.
