Natural Selection

Straying from my usual mutterings tonight. NOVA is profiling Darwin and his theory of Natural Selection tonight. Sure natural selection works at a micro-evolutionary level, but it doesn't lead to new species. The examples being given - different beak shapes for finches and tortoise shell shapes in the Galapagos - don't prove the origin of species. The program itself says that Darwin unwittingly - because they looked so different from each other - had selected something like 17 different different species of finch. Well I gotta ask isn't a finch a finch? I mean yeah we've got different beak shapes or what other physical differences you might find, but are these finches incapable of producing offpsring that can in turn reproduce? If so, are they really different "species"?

It really drives me nuts when they discuss local variation of an animal and chock up different physical appearances to a different "species". And don't even get me started about how nature "selects" blah-blah-blah. Nature selects nothing! It is dumb luck! Their current example is some dumb mouse in Death Valley and wouldn't you guess, the dark ones live on dark rocks, the light colored ones one the desert floor. Well I'm sure Audrey could figure this out and the girl has absolutely no formal education. She does have common sense though. Makes me think of something from the Bible - roughly that man as he glories in his knowledge, is lost in foolishness.

Anyway, I'll move along. Enjoy New Years Eve.

Fat Guy in a Little Coat

How do you unvolunteer yourself from a goodwill action by someone? A family relative recently purchased a new TV and I off-handedly inquired about the "old" TV. Before I knew it, we'd been selected as the new parents of a 45" Hitachi projection TV. The only problem is that it is HUGE in our rather small living room -- a fact we didn't totally realize until it sat down in our living room -- and I don't know how to "tactfully" unvolunteer ourselves.

Planet Hoth

I have quite a bit of sympathy for those poor rebels on Hoth, not being able to get their speeders to work in the cold and whatnot (my wife, incidentally just looked at this post's topic and called me a dork). See, we're having our own problems here at Rustic Woods - like not yet having our parking lot touched by a snow plow - so it's a crapshoot trying to get out of the parking lot. Oh sure, you can back out of your spot or what-have-you, but don't you dare lose momentum or you're more of a sitting duck than the Millenium Falcon sans hyperdrive. Well, on the positive side I didn't have to work today and everything I need for tomorrow was done in anticipation -both planning ahead and excitment-wise - of a snow day today.

Will you forgive me? NO!

Is it wrong to laugh at your 3 year old when they unintentionally say funny things? We went to Jennie's dad's tonight and watched Bolt. As we were driving home, Audrey was talking about it and kept referring to that boy and his dog. Apparently, she is unshakeably convinced that only boys can have red hair. Furthermore, the "boy" could not be named Penny, because pennies go in your pocket, they are not a name. It was slightly humorous at this point, but we've been having a little battle with rudeness and disrespect lately, and Audrey was terribly offended when we disagreed with her and I accidently laughed as she insisted that pennies are for pockets only. I tried to apologize and was met with an immediate NO!, which only made the whole situation even more humorous because she spit it out almost as I was finishing.

American culture

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm attempting to learn German and have been listening to music to hear pronunciation, etc. in a fluid setting. Kerri nicely offered some suggestions of less harsh music than the industrial-metal of Rammstein, et al., and as I was listening to music on YouTube and trying to find lyrics, I realized that I go to Google for everything - what do people in other countries do? Well it turns out there is a Google for German speakers, which I should have thought of since Google often comes in for criticism for blocking pro-democracy sites in various totalitarian regimes.

Anyway, it was just interesting to ponder how much English permeates worldwide culture. You might have considered it vis a vis Muslim complaints of its corrupting influence on youth or nutty French farmers boycotting McDonald's, but it was interesting - and a little sad - to read that American music is so domininant that top-40 stations in Austria play Shania Twain as the top-40, not Austrian or pan-Germanic bands.

Ohne Dich*

So I mentioned awhile ago I was trying to learn German. Well, with school, kids (my own) and everything I never really got anywhere. In the last week or so I've been thinking about it more, so I'm trying again - I know, right before school starts again.

Anyway, this time in addition to the Deutsche Welle website and my Warum Nicht! podcasts I've been trying to listen to some music in German. Unfortunately, all I've been able to find on Pandora is industrial stuff like Rammstein, Eisbrecher, etc. The music itself isn't bad (I kinda like it), and it certainly gives me a better "picture" of pronunciation, etc., but it is rather ... dark.

Of course, emo is a little angsty at times, but this stuff is more angry/bitter than frustrated. I was reading about Eisbrecher on Wiki, and Oliver Riedel was quoted as saying "German language suits heavy metal music. French might be the language of love, but German is the language of anger".

*Ohne Dich means without you.

Sassy Pants

NO! If I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times today. Apparently aliens kidnapped "real Audrey" last night and left "sassy-clone Audrey", with no common sense, in her place. If it's an attempt to see what our planet is like, this clone is going to think our planet consists of a single ~9'x~13' room.

The summer draws to a close

And I'm torn about what to do. At the moment, it seems like everything is up in the air, as usual I guess. We've given notice on our apartment, so we're looking around the Fox Valley. Jennie got the morning shift at the YMCA Drop-In, so we'd be home together - it would be the first time ever that she hasn't had to work until 6-6:30 at night - Audrey is signed up for T, Th Pre-School, oh and there's Jack. So quite a bit that is exciting.

However, as usual, I've been on the job-hunt and I can't decide if I should hang it up for the summer or apply for the last few that are dribbling out here at the end. The job thing's been ok this year - the economy has really put a damper on job postings, although I did interview for a summer school job (didn't get it), and with contract in hand I know at least someone wants me.

I'm working 2nd shift at School Specialty, so I've been doing school stuff in the mornings: class notes/handouts, outlining the year, cobbling together a resource book since I don't like the beginning of one of the textbooks, etc. Part of me can't wait to get back to FVCA and see the kids again, but the other part of me so desperately wants a public school job with a livable wage, a sense of stability and to know I'm going to be around awhile so I can relax a little and not have to do things with an eye on my resume.

[Sighs] Oh well.

Mystery Science Theater 3000

Happy Day! I discovered a link to the entire run of Mystery Science Theater 3000 you can stream. For all of you who loved Omega Cop, this is for you. I used to come home on Saturday mornings after the paper route and watch this. Man I love the internet!

Are you for real!!!

I found an interesting job posting today. There is a school district in Wisconsin that is seeking a Social Studies teacher, and a F.A.C.E. teacher, AND it would be great if this could be one person, AND they would like it even more if you spoke Spanish. I assume they're trying to keep this a 1.0 position, but seriously, there is NO ONE who is certified in Soc Stud, F.A.C.E. and can also speak Spanish. I'm giving serious thought making a dummy email account and to email and ask them if they're crazy and/or delusional.

A Man Without a Shred of Honor

I don't usually comment on politics in this space, but I have to make a comment. For those who follow politics, you are well aware that Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter has switched party affiliation from the Republicans to the Democrats. He's from the Northeast and was politely called a Liberal Republican, which out here in the heartland is simply a Democrat. As such, he was never a reliable Republican - as Mark Hemingway put it yesterday at National Review Online.

My biggest complaint is with Mr. Specter's motivations. In his press events, he has blamed the Republican party for drifting to the right, becoming an ideological straight-jacket, blah, blah, blah. This is just window dressing, according to the editors of The New Republic (a moderately left-wing publication itself). And then he gets to the real argument. 

During the last election, Pennsylvania Congressman Pat Toomey mounted a serious - and almost successful - effort in the Republican primary to replace Specter. Specter, apparently, doesn't want his 29 years in the Senate to be "judged" by the Republican primary voters. 

Uh, Excuse me! That's who you are responsible to - the voters of Pennsylvania. They're your boss!

So, to avoid being defeated in the primary, he switched parties. That's it folks - it isn't a respectable reason like you don't reflect the values of your party anymore, it's crass self-preservation.

If I could summon the strength to projectile vomit at will I would!

Congratulations! How's he doing?!?!

I've been on the congratulations circuit as of late, with the arrival of our young super-spy. And while it's fun in a certain sense, it's also tremendously difficult to come up with substantive things to say when asked "how's he doing?", because in all honesty he's doing alright, but (as to be expected for his age) he doesn't really do much in the way of you know...doing anything. I usually smile and mumble something about how he seems to have figured out that night time is when the rest of us sleep, so he should just channel surf and raid the fridge, but I'm pretty sure I get to miss some of the nighttime excitement - not being equipped for certain essential functions and all. I miss being home the week after Easter for FVCA Spring/Easter Break and being able to do things with everyone. So that, in a nutshell is Jack.

That special hunting season is also upon us once again. I refer of course to the job hunt. I'm a lot less angsty this year, with a reasonable level of confidence in the security of my position at FVCA, but for a variety of reasons (mentioned previously or available upon request in private, non-Googlable formats) I am actively searching. I went ahead and got myself provisionially certified to teach in Minnesota, so I've been dividing my time this year.

Jack Ryan Barth

That's Not My Name

Last weekend we went to an Easter Egg Hunt at Smith Park in Menasha. We almost missed it, but as you can see, Audrey had some fun afterward. Sorry it's not rotated, I'm working on it. If anyone has a suggestion for quick, free software I'd appreciate it.

Right on time

Jack arrived, as predicted for today, at ~ 4:45. No idea on the stats as of yet. He didn't follow the birth plan and was stubborn. Pictures to follow once I get the cords from home.

"Hallelujah"

Interesting how sometimes a memory can back and hit your really hard. Jennie and I were watching Without A Trace last night and the Season 1 finale has a guy whose wife was killed on 9/11 and he can't let go of her and move forward. At the end of the episode, as everything is wrapping up they play Rufus Wainwright's version of Hallelujah.

It's been stuck in my head all day. I was listening to it on YouTube at school tonight between P/T conferences and stumbled upon a 9/11 tribute set to the music and I started link-surfing video coverage of the attacks. You always hear people talk about how they know where they were when JFK was shot or FDR died (pick your generation) and this is totally our JFK/FDR moment. I mean I don't live every day thinking about what happened, but if I'm somehow reminded it's like I'm right back there again in Matt and Jeff's room watching everything unroll on TV (didn't have a TV of my own).

Anyway, I've been totally thinking about it since last night. I can't believe it's been almost 8 years. I keep thinking about how someday I'm going to be an old crusty teacher and this is a part of the history textbooks and I'll be telling my kids about where I was when the towers fell. Ok, I was asleep in my dormroom, but I found out in my Geography of Nat'l Parks class in McPhee. And scouring newspapers and websites for the rest of the semester hooked me on news and policy-wonk discussion and that prompted me to switch my minor to Poli Sci (and dump Spanish - sorry Jenny).

[Edit/Update]

Well, after a day and a half of phone tag, I finally managed to speak with the Superintendent of the school district in question. Turns out, she was responding to a call I had left. What's really odd about the whole thing is I don't remember calling her before she called and talked to Jennie. I mean, I don't think I'd had the opportunity to call her before she called me - I was in meetings all morning at the point she called.

That being said, the weirdest thing is she responded to my phone calls - twice! I count on zero fingers how many times a school district has bothered to respond when I've contacted them (before the perfunctory thanks... email). Oh well, it wasn't completely what I was hoping for, but at least she knows I want the job and that I'm persistent. If nothing else, now I'll stand out a little bit from the rest of the crowd - hopefully in a positive light.

Hopeful Pondering

Does it mean what I think (hope) it does if you apply for a job and they contact you and leave a message before you call them?

Why's he sad?

I was leaving for work the other day and I had Lightning Rod by Guster stuck in my head, so I popped it on before I left. Audrey was listening and asked Jennie "why's he sad?" The girl is amazingly perceptive – she obviously doesn’t know what the guy is singing about, but it “sounds” sad. So she sat with Jennie and decided why he was sad – his friends left him behind, he had owies and needed a band-aid, etc.

The UWEC Advantage

Interesting night ... I've applied for a Minnesota teaching license and their Dept. of Ed. site has a search function to find licenses by name. I've always wanted to see what other people who graduated with me are up to now, especially if they've found jobs. I managed to track down the UWEC commencement ceremony "bulletin" thingy and spent some time seeing what recent Social Studies grads are up to in WI and MN. I might have taken a little too much enjoyment from seeing that a lot of them don't have teaching jobs.


Oh, I've also changed the color - I got bored.

Full Time

I start full time tomorrow at FVCA, pretty exciting. One of the other teachers is going on maternity leave early, so I'm taking over two of her Bible classes, and another teacher gets her Health. Thank God I'm not stuck teaching Health!

Look at this Richard. Just look at it.

If you want a good laugh, check out this rant to Richard Branson regarding the quality of food on a flight from Mumbai to Heathrow on Dec. 7, 2008.

Come Closer

So Audrey pulled her first completely original prank today. She was sitting on the toilet doing her thing, reading a book (we're making sure she knows the whole drill) and Jennie poked her head into the bathroom to see how she was doing. Audrey told her "Come closer", and repeated it a couple times. Then when Jennie was right next to her, Audrey bopped her on the nose with her book.

Unbelievable.