UPDATE

Two items to update you on:

1) The pencil sharpener that I "fixed", is dead.  It had been getting a lot of use lately, and it started to give off the odor indicated that it was burning.  I took it apart and saw that a piece was starting to melt.  It's really a lovely odor.

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2) The STAFF team won the basketball lunchtime tournament.  It was a lot of fun, plus I did not pull anything.  But it is sad that by the end of the 8 minute (running clock) game, I'm out of breath and sweating like a hog.  My class right after lunch always enjoys a sweaty math teacher.

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Why Cliff Lee Went to Philly

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Everyone thought that Cliff Lee was going to either the Yankees (the favorite), or the Rangers (the sentimental choice).  They had very good reasons to think that way.  The Yankees and Rangers ponied up the money to make Lee's great-great-great grandchildren very wealthy.

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 The word was Lee was looking for top dollar, and he had the ability to take it.

But Lee had a great perspective.  It appears to me he was thinking, "I'm going to be VERY rich.  How about I pick a team that is 1) going to challenge for the World Series, and 2) will do what it takes to keep that team going.

 

FACTORS:

1) PITCHING:  Yankees-pitch with C.C. Sabathia and then a big fall off.  Rangers: Me and ? ? ?  Phillies- join 3 STUDS.  Big advantage to Philly.

2) HITTING: All three have great line ups.  I'd put them in this order: Phillies, Yankees, Rangers.

3) COMPETITION:  Being a National League Baseball fan, I'm sad to say it is "easier" in the National League.  Lee probably leaned towards Philly, having a higher probability to 1) make the playoffs, and 2) get to the World Series.

4) MONEY: People are saying Lee left money on the table taking a "smaller" deal signing with Philly.  The fact is Lee will average more money per year with the Philly deal, although he will be missing out on an extra year.  If Lee makes all his bonus, it turns out that he will be short less than $10 million, not $50 million. 

Good for Lee.  Good for Philly.  Good for all the Yankee haters.

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I DID IT!!

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Today I was victorious.  The electric pencil sharpener in my classroom went out today, and I tried to fix it.  Here is the set up...my class was taking a test, so it was very quiet.  Many of the students were finished, waiting for others to do the same, and most who were done watched the show, "What is Mr. Street Doing?"

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I'm always giving my students crap about how they can't get the $1.99 electric pencil sharpener (you know a really, quality sharpener) to sharpen their pencil.  Many times I'll go over, sharpen it for them, and move on.

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So when I went over to sharpen my pencil, and the sharpener didn't work, I could feel students thinking, "Okay Mr. Smart Guy, see if you can get it to work now!"  So after doing the normal tricks to get the "old lady" to work, I realized I had to try something different.

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So I go to the old faithful "Bang-it-really-hard" theory, but again no luck.  This brings more attention to what I'm doing, and more students are quietly watching as I try to solve my problem.

I got a screwdriver out of my desk, and unscrewed the bottom part, exposing the insides.

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I thought to myself, "Yep, looks like everything is in its place," while I have NO IDEA what the heck I was looking for.  I pulled out the insides, blew off the pencil shavings, moved around some wires, stuff like that so that maybe those observing me think I know what I'm doing.

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I put the "insides" back, screw the bottom, back to normal.

Insert pencil.

NOTHING.

So I unplugged the thing, getting ready to throw it away but then thought, maybe there is something wrong/stuck in the chamber where the pencil goes.

So I took the sharpener over to my desk, grabbed a toothpick and fished out a small sliver of pencil.  I plugged it in, put a pencil in, and SUCCESS!!!

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I put the sharpener back, and I hear a student say, "You're like Handy Manny."
 

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I tried not to laugh.


And yes, the first picture is a guy running with the runs.  I believe there is a phrase that goes with that...

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Oh No He Didn't!!

We have lunch time intramural sports at the high school I work at.  I am part of the staff basketball team, and today was our first game.  It was my first time playing basketball in MONTHS.  Needless to say, I was a tad rusty.

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The nice part about the games are that they are half court and 8 minutes long (running clock).  This allows me to avoid keeling over and dying.


The highlight for me today was when I made the crowd go "OOOOOOOOOOOOHH!!!"  Here's how it went.

I got the ball and took a few dribbles towards the hoop, while a defender was racing towards me.  I could see it in his eyes as I got ready to shoot.  He was thinking, "I'm going to block this fool's shot!"

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So I pulled a Maverick (-What are you doing? -I'm slowing down. -You're going to do what??!! -I'll hit the breaks, he'll fly right by.)

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I did a pump fake (pretended to shoot), and the guy jumped, flew by me...I paused, looking at him (for dramatic effect), then calmly nailed the shot. (I put him in the "Popcorn Machine" -RIP Chick)

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I won't lie, it was great.

We ended up winning the game.  Not a bad way to start off the "season".  Here's to more wins than pulled groins or hamstrings.


Where's the Tylenol?

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Name That Slogan

These are actual slogan, some from the past, some from the present.  Good luck.

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1. "Enjoy the ride."

2. "Reach out and touch someone."

3. "Connecting people."

4. "Get N or get out."

5. "No battery is stronger longer."

6. "Let your fingers do the walking."

7. "Do more."

8. "Flick my bic."

9. "Pleasing people the world over."

10. "Take it all off."


Give up?  Some of them are found here and here

Name That Tune

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Name the artist from the lyrics:

1.  "Bass from the back of my car feels soothing, Eight bazookas is what I'm using, I'm Mike D and it's been proven, I love it when I see the party people just movin."

2. "Oh my gosh, Becky, look at that butt."

3. "No I'll stand my ground, Won't be turned around, And I'll keep this world from dragging me down, Gonna stand my ground, And I won't back down."

4. "Strangers waiting, Up and down the boulevard, Their shadows searching in the night."

5. "I get knocked down, But I get up again, You're never goin to keep me down."

6. "Your best friend Harry has a brother Larry, In five days from now he's gonna marry, He's hopin' you can make it there if you can, 'Cause in the ceremony you'll be the best man."

7. "No love for the haters, the haters mad cause I got floor seats at the Lakers, see me on the fifty yard line with the Raiders, met Ali he told me I'm the greatest."

8. "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm, Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm."

9. " Black bandana, sweet Louisiana, Robbin' on a bank in the state of Indiana, She's a runner, rebel and a stunner, On her merry way saying baby what you gonna, Lookin' down the barrel of a hot metal .45, Just another way to survive."

10. "When we returned to the pad to unload everything, It dawned on me that I need new home furnishings, So once again we filled the van until it was full, Since that day my living room's been much more comfortable."

Black Friday

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I had my first Black Friday experience this morning, and it wasn't as bad as I thought.  I had thoughts of long lines, outside in the 20 degree weather, like the one I saw when I drove by Best Buy.  Luckily Walmart was open all night, so the line I had to wait in was indoors. 

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While in line, I overheard the guy in front of me say he got in line at midnight, then got a wristband at 2am.  Meanwhile I got in line around 4:45 (the electronic sale started at 5am).  I did have to wait until around 5:30 before the laptop was in my hands.


So to all those who waited outside in the elements, hope it was worth it.  I think you are crazy, but hopefully you enjoy your crazy discounts.

Just to add a little spice to this post, here's a very strong chair (look how little the chair leg is):

"I can't feel my legs."

Bad Joke of the Day

Best bad joke I've heard from a student:

"What do you get when you put an elephant and a rhino together?"

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Elephino (say it out loud EL IF I NO, now say it again a little faster)

LOCKDOWN

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Of all the days I decide to go make some copies during my lunch period, it just happens to be the day that we have a lockdown at work.  For about one hour and 45 minutes!  

Luckily the lockdown did not happen while I was teaching ("Mr. Street, I need to go to the bathroom!").  Luckily I wasn't in a gym or caf with hundreds of students.  Although I was not in the best place (in my own room), I settled in the staff lounge with three other teachers, a dozen or so students, and a dozen or so adults.  

Here's where you can find the article.

Go Drillers!!

That's My Boy!!

Tonight I was watching the Giants/Braves playoff game, and the following dialogue takes place between Jackson & Rebecca.

Jackson: "Mom, I'm going to watch the Dodger game."

Rebecca: "It's not the Dodgers, it's the Giants."

Jack: "We don't like the Giants."

 Proud dad over here.

Dodgers 2011

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With the 2010 season coming to an end, and the Dodgers playing as if the season ended at the All-Star break, here are some notes on this season and the future.

Clayton Kershaw (picture above), has had a great season.  He has developed into the best pitcher on the staff.  He has a 2.70 ERA in the second half, but only has 3 wins to show for it.  He has the potential to win Cy Young Awards.  The kid is 22 years old, so hopefully this is just the beginning of a great career (and hopefully in LA).

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Chad Billingsley has rebounded from his debacle at the end of last year.  Over his last 11 starts his ERA is 2.11, but is only has 4 wins to show for his efforts.  He may not be an "Ace", but a nice #2 option.  He's only 26 years old. 

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Manny Ramirez is gone.  At least McCourt was able to find a sucker to take Manny and save Frank $4 million (which is spent on legal fees, or whatever shenanigans he's involved in.)

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Kemp, Ethier, Loney, Broxton, Martin all have some good stretches, some longer than others, but ultimately they all fail to improve on last year.  This core, along with Billingsley & Kershaw, will need to take another step forward if the Dodgers are going to contend next year because...

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Divorce (Mc)Court is going on and the Dodgers are the "children" paying the price on this one.  Joe Torre can read the Bigelow Tea Leaves, and is getting the heck out of Dodge.  Good luck to Donny Baseball, hopefully you can lead these young guys to the promise land.

As far as the future (2011) goes, there are MAJOR issues.  The divorce is one thing, which Frank doesn't see how that's going to play a role in the teams performance.  I would love to believe that, but then I read this...$38 million dollars are being freed up for next year with players contracts running out.  So what are the Dodgers planning on doing with that cash?  Get a leftfielder who can drive the ball?  Get a top of the line starter?  Get an infield with some offensive skills?  Get bullpen help?

Here's the title for an article on what the Dodgers plan to do during the offseason (from the Dodger website), "Colletti plans no radical roster changes", which means don't plan on them signing an major impact player.

And what does Frank have to say about this?

"McCourt said he was committed to spending "whatever it takes" to field a championship contender next season."

So with so much in the air for next year, it looks to be a cold winter ahead for Dodger fans.  Maybe Frank will stick to his word of doing "whatever it takes", maybe the young Dodger players will be ready to make the next step next season, or maybe the Dodgers will stand pat and add cheap veterans and hope for a miracle.

Either way I will cheer for them, put on my rosy colored glasses on next spring, and hope for the best.  

One thing is for sure, NO MORE MANNY.  And here's to hoping no more McCourt.

Ode to Brooklyn

You know the old question you get growing up, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"  Well there were two answers that came to mind right away.  #1, I wanted to be a Dodger.  I love baseball, and when you are growing up you think you have what it takes to make it to the pros.  But at some point, reality sets in and you try to figure out what's next.

The other thing I knew I wanted to be when I grew up was a dad.  I've been blessed with 3 children, 2 boys and 1 girl.  This post is about my daughter.

Brooklyn is currently 2 years old, and we have so much fun together.  She is such a sweet girl and sister.  She loves Will and treats him like one of her dolls.  When Will is crying she says, "Don't cry."

One of Brooke's favorite thing to do is to dance and sing, in particular to the Backyardigan's theme song.  One of my favorite things to do is to dance with her, usually in the bathroom, where no one can see me acting like a fool for my daughter.

You see there is nothing that I wouldn't do for her (or for any of my kids).  She is a daddy girl, and I love it.

Over the past few days Jackson has been at my parents house, Will is still in the phase of eat-sleep-poop, so Brooke has been getting a lot of alone time with Daddy.

She's at the phase where she is developing exponentially.  She loves to help and to "do it myself."  She also loves the Dodgers (I have successfully brainwashed her).  Anytime there is sports on TV, she'll say, "Let's go Dodgers!"

Even when she is having a bad day...

I will always be there to hold her and tell her it's okay.

So keep smiling Brooklyn...

And know that whatever I got to be, I'll be for you.  If you ever need my help, just turn around and I'll be there.

9 Years Ago Today

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I will always remember the month of September, 2001.  I had recently graduated college and was on a trip of a lifetime.  Two of my college buddies and I went backpacking through Europe.  We hit 8 countries (England, Scotland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Italy and Spain) in 30 days.  

We spent a day or two in a particular city before moving on.  We spent the first week or so in London, Edinburgh and Paris.  After Paris we headed to Berlin on September 11th.  We checked into a hostel, got settled in, and were getting ready to go see the Berlin Wall.  Right before we left we decided to check our email, and as I was sitting there I noticed the "living room" was packed.  Being in Europe I thought they were all watching a soccer game.  I got off the computer, walked in to see what was sooo entertaining and I could not believe what I saw.

The TV had a split screen with New York and Washington on fire.  It took me a second or two to figure out what the heck this meant.  I told my buddies, "You gotta see this."  We couldn't believe it, America had been attacked.  

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First thought was fear.  We are in Europe for 19 more days.  Do we finish the trip?  Do we try to get home before World War III breaks out?  Will more attacks happen? 

As we got more and more details we could not believe what had happened.  Story of people jumping out of the windows to their death to avoid being burned alive, the rescue efforts of all the people in the different cities, the heroes on Flight 93, all bringing up such emotion as we continued on our trip.

We saw many people paying their respects to what had happened in America.  The front entrance of the U.S. Embassy in Prague was covered with flowers, candles, poems, and the like.  The silence there was deafening.  

The flight home was half empty (versus a nearly full flight there).  When we landed, we expected to see our families there as we entered the terminal, but no one was there.  (Do you remember being able to go all the way to the gate?)  

It was my first view of what it was like in the States when I was driving home and seeing all the car flags flying, messages on the overpasses on the freeways, messages on windows, etc.  It still felt surreal.  

It still feels surreal when I take the time to think about it again.

So to those who lost love ones that day, my thoughts and prayers are with you today.  For those who are fighting the good fight over seas and at home, a big thank you.  Keep it up, stay strong!

And to those who want to do harm to the U.S. again...you better hope we don't find you first.

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Presenting William Denton Street

Today, September 4, 2010, William Denton Street was born at 7:09am.  Momma and Will are doing great.  Jackson & Brooklyn enjoyed meeting him.  Here are some pictures.

What a stud!