Wonko's Corner

There Are So MANY Colors

2010-07-18T21:25:00.001-06:00

Well, TEA did release the changes from the SBOE meeting last May regarding changes in the Social Studies TEKS. TEA even color coded the changes for us to see what was changed, when and by whom. Trouble is, there are so many colors, it is a tough document to read let alone not gag through...

Share and Enjoy

-WTS

July Already?

2010-07-16T21:07:00.002-06:00

Man, been out and about since vacation started and my body is having a real tough time believing that the month is over with and it is time to get back to grind. Although very thankful to be going back, sometimes it occurs to me that a winning lottery ticket would be welcomed with open arms.

-WTS

I Scaled Another Mountain...

2010-07-03T21:17:00.010-06:00

Remind me to tell you the story of how I conquered Mt. Everest and lived to tell the tale of meeting the Yeti before shooting down from the peak in a train...

-WTS

Pamplin Park

2010-07-01T21:10:00.003-06:00

If you are ever in Virginia right outside of Richmond, visit a place

called Pamplin Park where you can experience the Civil War not from the viewpoint of the famous soldiers, but from the perspective of the soldier. This place is so well done and offers such a unique experience, I highly recommend it!

-WTS

Summer is Here

2010-06-16T08:52:00.001-06:00

Ahhh vacation is finally here. True, I'm working still, but it is nice
to wear shorts and do stuff from my mobile office.

-WTS

It Was Only A Matter of Time...

2010-05-31T21:01:00.000-06:00

With the exposure that Baby Einstein wasn't really worth all of the money that parents poured down the drain, I really had hoped the endless scheming of Madison Avenue to persuade families to purchase items that will make their toddlers instant geniuses...

I was wrong.

Click and Cry

-WTS

This Sucked

2010-05-24T21:04:00.000-06:00

First Dio, now Gray...

Man, this really sucks...

-WTS

OK, now I'm Lost

2010-05-23T20:35:00.000-06:00

Was I the only one who thought the ending of Lost was lame?

I wanted the black smokey thing to fight a white smokey thing with fireworks and blasting rockets. Instead, I got the cliche "throw him off the cliff" scene.
I wanted to see the island sink under the ocean and then blast up from the bottom with streaming geysers. Instead, I got a scene the was half The Dark Crystal and half The Lord of the Rings.
I wanted to have the survivors wake up in their new lives that we have been watching this season and realize that life does not suck. Instead, I was given the ending similar to The Five People You Meet In Heaven.

What was once one of the most original shows that I have seen in a very LONG time turned out to be just like the rest.

Lame, lame, lame

-WTS

You Were Expecting...

2010-05-22T20:17:00.021-06:00

Now that the SBOE has finally slammed the gavel down on the Social Studies student expectations, I am sure many of you that I know were somewhat waiting on me to virtually explode. While that makes entertaining video for youtube, it really becomes yet another asshole with an opinion when expressed in written form.

But seeing that I am such a person that can be described as a sphincter with an attitude...

It comes to me as no surprise that the hearings plus the final vote went the way that it did. When people who, for the most part, write curriculum when they have never stepped foot in a classroom, disaster will ensue. When people begin to change what happened in the past and add in what they feel is important against all suggestions from field professionals, our children grow up with no sense of history at all. When prejudice and political agendas run what our future leaders are taught, society suffers.

They were charged to review what the committees had written and then avoid writing the curriculum. Alas, they decided to give a virtual kick in the groin to the educators, not to mention the former Secretary of Education, and continue on with skipping down the path of ignorance. I am sure many of the SBOE went home the other night patting themselves on their narrow-minded backs thinking they have accomplished great things.

If they truly understood history, then they would realize of what it takes to accomplish "truly great things." Rewriting history to fit personal agendas, bringing back ignorance and prejudice, and misconstruing facts does not qualify.

I feel for those of us who now have the job of mowing through this quagmire of a "balanced" curriculum and transmit the intentions of the new standards to our children. We must, for it will be tested to the letter...

-WTS

Why Is It?

2010-05-21T18:09:00.002-06:00

You never have gas until you are talking with your boss during an annual job review?
It doesn't rain until the weekend?
People don't talk to you until you have food in your mouth or something green stuck in your teeth?
The AC at your workplace worked fine all during the winter and then decides to go down on the first 90 degree day?
The only people who volunteer for something are those who have no business volunteering for anything?
The only time there is a long wait at the local drive thru is apparently the only time you pull into the line?
Big retail chains can not seem to keep your favorite cookie brand in stock?
Restaurants take off the things you really enjoy about going there off of their menus?

Hmm, looking at the last few wonderings, I think I need to get something eat. Hopefully, what I am wanting right now isn't the one thing that I forgot to get from the store.

-WTS

Five Years Already?

2010-05-20T20:43:00.024-06:00

Damn,

I have been a slacker. It wasn't until just this very moment that I realized that I have been on this blog for five freaking years this month. Thanks to Rob, I am quickly approaching six years since I got my start on Quality-Television. I sometimes have to chuckle about this whole thing and how my voice has changed over the years.

I mean, I started this writing crap as a way to escape reality of what I was going through at the time. I never directly talked about what was going on because I promised myself that I would write to hone my ability to talk about things around me. I did not want this forum to become a "feel sorry for fucking Wonko" place. I still refuse to talk about things that are deeply personal for the main reason that, well, I don't talk about it on this forum.

For sure the words came quicker to me back then and the irritation at all things in life made me quite the cynical crank. I have gone back to the earlier years of this blog and wondered who in the hell wrote all of this crap.

See, I bitched about everything else because I was never willing to deal with my deepest fears and pains. I was afraid of everything that even resembled hope for a better life. When I got glimpses of it, I shut down and shut people out, even those that I cared deeply for. At the time, I really didn't know that I was doing it. Now, I do and the difference between then and now allows me to see things with greater clarity. I am a recovering asshole but I am working on it.

Bright and cheery, I know. It has taken me almost a year to get things cleared up in my head and in my life. Funny thing about life that when you finally face your deepest fears, it tends to change how you look at things.

Speaking of Rob, check out his Higher Power Shower blog which not only looks real spiffy, but his stories lately have kept me up past my bedtime. Hey Rob, thanks for getting me into this gig and yes I've slacked. Life gets in the way.

My those who have read my drudge, I apologize and thanks for coming back and maybe I have reaffirmed to myself why I use an alias for this blog...

-WTS

Now Its Time

2010-05-18T20:36:00.001-06:00

For the annual I am a freaking slacker who never writes posting.

Share and Enjoy

-WTS

Of Bunnies and Beans

2010-04-03T21:31:00.002-06:00

With the coming of Easter tomorrow, I had a flashback of yesteryear earlier this week which made me smile and remember, as most people my age say, an easier time.

In my house, it was something to look forward to. The Easter Bunny (EB for short) was about to arrive and my siblings and I would plot on how we were going to find all of the hidden treasures and somehow avoid eating egg salad sandwiches for the next month. The season of egg hunting would always begin a few days before the main event with the ritual of dying the eggs.

Back then, things were tight in the house but my parents would always find a way to get the requirements for the egg transformation ceremony. We would rarely see the fancy PAAS fashions on our hard boiled wonders, but thinking back, I am not sure we really gave a flying snoot about having cheap stickers ruin our works of art. Of course my mom would lay out the dyes in separate bowls, make sure that the water-vinegar ratio was correct and then would finally warn us not to make eggs that were colored so badly that the EB wouldn't use them.

So there we were huddled around the kitchen table with our little oval canvases in hand. The first to be done had our name on it, not sure even to this day why this was but who am I to question the powers that be. Most of the time each of us would choose to be a solid color, usually green or blue but after our namesake was finished, no holds barred. We would experiment with dipping one end in one color and then the other side in a different hue. One of us would drop the egg during this process and end up with a polychromatic combination that was close to purple charcoal on one side and some kind of puke green on the other.

Once that warm-up even was completed, then we were prepared for such a hunt that Elmer Fudd would have been proud. Me and my siblings would wait to about 5:30 in the morning or so and stake out the house, making a mental treasure map all along the way. We made sure that we noted where the plastic eggs were and the locations of the hard boiled ones. For what ever reason, the EB had an endless supply of plastic eggs (that were filled with candy and sometimes even pennies and nickels) but needed hard boiled ones from us to hide. However, when you are 7, things like this do not bother you as much as trying to locate as many treasures as possible when the house is too dark to see clearly.

Around 6:00 or so, my parents would come out and then FORCE us to have orange juice before the hunt was to begin. Even today I am not sure if it was the joy of seeing us fidget or the need to get us something in our systems before the sugar onslaught. So there we were back at the table not really paying attention to what we were drinking, we just wanted to make sure that our mental maps were still accurate through the use of quick glances. Finally, we were released and the game was afoot.

One sibling of mine was the miser of the group and would scramble around looking for the plastic ones that had the change in it. Upon spotting one, he would give it a cursory shake and if it sounded like candy, he would ditch it quickly and move on to the next. Later on, he discovered that if he kept the candy, he could barter it for pennies. My dad of course delighted in sitting on the couch and giving up hints as we looked around. He was partial to the "hot and cold" method whenever we were near a hard-boiled egg. Maybe he did not realize that those eggs were not as valuable in the opinion of us egg hunters, so in desperate attempt to keep him quiet for a bit, we would reluctantly put the egg he was hinting towards, which we had known about since 5:37 that morning, into our basket.

Finally, after 15 minutes or so of hard work, we would compare our stashes and delight at the fact that the EB had left us Easter baskets with treats inside of them. I always knew which one was mine since at a young age I was sensitive to chocolate and somehow the EB instinctively knew to get me a white chocolate bunny. Usually there was a good assortment of chocolate-marshmallow bunnies, some peeps, those malted eggs that never tasted right, and of course jelly beans. I was always careful to ration out my swag for I knew that it had to last me longer than a few days for nothing was better then to grin and eat a peep when your sibling looks on with mournful eyes.

So there I was the other day, musing over something that happened well over thirty five years ago and still remember it like it was last week. Wanting to recapture some of that feeling, I decided that what I really wanted and not had for a very long time was jelly beans. I grabbed my car keys and headed over to the local Walmart to begin a different kind of hunt. I first saw the PAAS display and almost lost my lunch seeing how much a simple kit costs. Never mind the ones showing egg monsters and fish. I was on a mission and could not be distracted by going on a rant about wondering what monster and fish eggs have to do with Easter.

My worst shock of the day was not being able to find normal jelly beans. I found beans made out of that chewy gummi stuff. Then there were the beans that looked like the jelly type but were labeled spicy. That mad my stomach roll a few times remembering what happened the last time I ate something spicy. On another shelf I located a bag of sour beans and wonder what twisted Willy Wonka came up with these candies. Oh, and I shouldn't leave out that I did find a few bags of jelly bellys but who in the hell wants to pay that much for something that does not really taste like a $.99 bag of jelly beans should.

I left disgusted having failed on my mission but smiled once again as I remembered my family. See, back then we did not worry about the 10,000 flavors of jelly beans. Nor did we care that we were eating a hard boiled egg that had been sitting outside of the refrigerator for about six hours. We had not a thought about the fact that we were using the same baskets from last year that did not have stuffed animals or some useless plastic toy in them. No, all we knew is that we were having a blast and it was a time for the entire family to be together.

Monday, I think I will go to Target and see what they have on the clearance counter...

-WTS

And Stuff

2010-03-27T20:59:00.027-06:00

When people are talking to you and say "and stuff" to you, does that make you wonder exactly what in the hell they are talking about?

I certainly do for I always have worried about "stuff" and the quality as well as the quantity of "stuff". Dropping the quotations, the concept of stuff has always been one that has troubled me. I know that George Carlin once said that your stuff is someone else's shit. (get your shit out of here so I can put my stuff here) For me it goes deeper then that because to me stuff is not anything you can quantify. In the lexicon, stuff, when used as a noun, has fifteen different interpretations of what it can mean. While I am told that its origins come from a word that meant to equip.

How did we get from equipping something to a word that can mean anything it wants to?

So when people say something such as "I am mad at you and stuff," what in the hell are they trying to tell me. "I'm mad at you and you can kiss my ass" I can deal with, but "and stuff" I can't. Here are some other quick examples of what I am talking about:

I built this huge building with the strongest steel and stuff - no confidence in the builder at all.
If you elect me, I will rebuild the community and stuff - no vote there.
If we spend billions, we will improve the quality of life and stuff - not a red cent I tell you!
George Washington was the father of our country and stuff - So, he fathered a lot of stuff as well I guess.
I take you as my wife and stuff - Is that a verbal prenuptial agreement?

That is why sometimes when people talk to me I look like I just found a rabid squirrel in my shorts...

-WTS

You Are Such a Man

2010-03-24T20:38:00.058-06:00

A friend of mine said that his wife told him, "You are such a man," and was wondering whether or not that was a compliment of some sort. This got me to thinking as to when we of the male gender are reminded of our sexual assignment whether or not we are in fact being complimented. My best guess is that it depends on the situation. Many of the male gender have difficulty picking up on the tone of the female being very important when interpreting this simple phrase. So, for those who don't know the difference between sarcasm and an honest compliment, here are a few situations to begin with.

Examples of sarcasm and/or exasperation:

We are such a man when we

are trying to fix something mechanical, electrical or plumbing related and make it worse.
get caught speeding, running a red light or any other traffic violation (soon after being reminded/told not to by our mates) by the local constabulary.
purchase the latest electric tool and/or electronic gadget.
forget any important date / anniversary in the relationship.
have no clue the reason for a shoe, sweater, and/or purse collection.
fall asleep during Dancing With the Stars or any similar show of the genre.
feel that watching a sporting event is more important than going to a craft show.
think that a blowing of the nose is a signal for wanting sex. (you can also add actions such as wanting to take a shower after doing a workout, leaving the room and even breathing)
pass gas and want you to rate it on a scale of "nada dude" to "I just threw up in my mouth"

Examples when it is a compliment:

We are such a man when we

do a chore and/or favor after only being asked/ordered once.
compliment hair/shoes/purse/sweater and mean it.
remember when important dates are weeks in advance without having to look at the highlighted dates on the refrigerator calendar .
use coupons in the store.
warm their side of the bed before they climb into it.
curl their toes without complaining about all of the extra work.

-WTS

Texas in Action

2010-03-22T18:37:00.002-06:00

This video speaks for itself...

Watch and be PROUD

-WTS

You Have Gone Too Far!

2010-03-16T09:01:00.005-06:00

The recent fascination with the living undead and all things vampire is something that I can handle. I have been known to watch the classic versions of the horror genre and have the soundtrack to Lost Boys. However, this time, I must put my foot down!

Click and Get Ready To Cry - iTunes Store

Click and Get Ready to Cry - Amazon Store

Maybe I am a bit old-fashioned but this is why students can't get the history of not only our nation, but the world figured out. So what we can expect next?

George Washington the Dragonslayer

Napoleon the Cross-Dressing Truffle Hunter

The Wizarding World of Galileo

-WTS

Milka What?

2010-03-15T17:10:00.016-06:00

During the Superbowl Commercials, I was greatly amused by the eTrade contributions. Of course, a talking baby in a commercial is as common as seeing a starlet in rehab.

Speaking of which, it was almost as amusing when self-proclaimed owner of the name "Lindsay" decided to file a lawsuit against eTrade for the commercial because she felt that she was being persecuted by the commercial. Apparently The Lindsay knows that the commercial was referring to her and that damaged her reputation.

Never mind that the commercial was referring to an addiction to milk, not illicit drugs and alcohol.
Never mind that the commercial had babies that weighed more than she does.
Never mind that the Lindsay in the commercial completed a sentence that made more sense than anything I have heard from The Lindsay.
Never mind that there are other people that share the same name.
Never mind that I might end up on someone to sue list for this posting and never mind that I have no money to speak of.

-WTS

NEWS

2010-02-27T20:28:00.002-06:00

After seeing the new commercials during the Winter Games over, over, over and over again, I found out the real truth...

Windows 7, it really was my idea

Tired of seeing these misleading commercials...

-WTS

Not Often I Geek Out

2010-02-26T20:45:00.000-06:00

Over browsers that is, but Google caught my attention finally with their web browser.

*sigh* I totally geeked out while playing with addons and working with the different themes...

Get started with Google Chrome

-WTS

There is Something Wrong...

2010-02-19T18:26:00.003-06:00

When trying to watch my evening ritual on an independent station, this commercial keeps coming on and, without being to explicit here, there is something inherently wrong with this product.

-WTS

You Have Too Much Time On Your Hands

2010-02-08T18:40:00.003-06:00

Okay, I am one of the billions of bloggers that have to comment on the Super Bowl commercials and originally, I was just going to hit the ads website, but per usual, it was down due to high traffic. Hoping to see some actual news, I tuned into NBC Nightly News and it was there that I ran into something that made me wonder what people actually do while watching the game.

NBC ran a story about the hidden messages of the ads themselves. The bottom line for one person that they interviewed was the ads were anti-women and sexist. They quoted the ads that talked about men without spines and how a brand of car was Man's Last Stand. When did we become a society that feels like EVERYTHING has to be analyzed?

To me, the ads are things that are to be enjoyed and see what Madison Avenue has come up with. Last year's offerings were boring, unoriginal and really took the joy out of watching the Super Bowl. This year was a totally different story with punchlines ranging from Betty White talking smack to milkaholics babies. I could have done without all of the men in tighty whities...

If someone should be outraged it should be cats since there were several ads with dogs but none with the feline... Talk about bias in the media...

-WTS

Man...

2010-02-08T18:37:00.002-06:00

Was it just me or was watching the band formally known as the Who very painful?

I would like to go into a full-blown rant on this, but as with the train-wreck performance of Brian Wilson, I shall let the tears speak for themselves...

-WTS

There is NO End to Your Shame

2010-02-06T18:30:00.002-06:00

I caught a commercial for scalp itch and almost choked. I was not too shocked about the advertisement for scalp itch. Mine does every once in a while but it occurs normally when faced with an algebra problem. It was the fact that their scientists have developed, get this, wipes to run through your hair to cut the itch.

Give me a cry break please...

Actually the concept is genus since certain companies have turned our population into millions of germ-a-phobes who bust out a wipe every time a fly farts. However, I am not quite convinced that rubbing a wipe over the surface of your head will take care of the problem.

Me, when my head itches, I scratch with neanderthal gusto and have been known to purr like a lion with an antelope in its mouth.

-WTS

Hmmm Hmmm to Meeeeee

2010-02-02T18:28:00.002-06:00

Thanks for the messages from those who wanted to wish me a wonderful celebration of celebration another rotation around the sun.

This past year has been one of great change both good and bad and I have made it to the other side. While I am not sure what this year will bring, I know that for once in a very long time, I am looking forward to it.

I wanted to give you my deepest appreciation and thanks.

-WTS

Quit Stalling

2010-02-01T18:20:00.002-06:00

Is it just me or are we are creatures of habit?

Here is an example:

At your workplace, do you find yourself always going to the same stall when using the restroom? Why do we feel the, pardon the pun, urge to use the same one over and over again? It seems to me that either its the undeniable need to feel secure and we know that this one place is where we can feel safe. I also have a suspicion that it is also the illusion that what happens in our special stall can not emanate outside of that magic little box.

Also, why is it that if someone is in our favorite contemplation haven, we get angry and resentful and quite often will leave and come back after the transgressor has vacated the premises?

Or is it just me?

-WTS

Don't Touch the Goats Wilber

2010-01-17T13:53:00.003-06:00

How many of us in the asylum have a few childhood memories of visiting the petting zoo? I am sure that those who live on farms and regularly participate in the FFA program think that petting zoos are laughable. However, those of us who did not grow up under those conditions found the petting zoo to be not unlike Dr. Doolittle's home. To actually get the chance to pet a GOAT was something of amazement and wonder.

I remember dragging my parents to the one corner of the zoo where I could actually TOUCH one of the animals and as a bonus spend a quarter of my allowance to feed these creatures of wonder. To a six-year old, a goat is still an animal you could be amazed by even though they are considered to be non-exotic. We would arrive to the pen and cautiously approach the first animal as if stalking it in the savannah. With one hand stretched out and the other strongly gripping the food, I would make my move to try to pet the closest animal.

Looking into its eyes, I would try to mentally communicate to it that I was a friendly person and that in my now sweaty fist, I had some treats for it. After achieving what I considered a basic rapport with the chosen goat, I would gently stroke its head then give an offering of food to it just to make sure it knew that I was not wielding any type of weapon. If my libation was accepted then I knew it was ok to continue to pet it. Once I had spent my reserve of food, I would try to pet a few others and even pretend to listen in earnest to the zoo expert who was going on about what goats did all day.

Finally, we would leave the pen and I always felt cooler than the other kids I knew for I had tamed the savage goat with a simple pat on the head and an offering of sweaty, mashed-up food.

Last time I was near the petting area, I had a fleeting urge to try the trick again, but when I saw what was going on in there, the childhood bubble popped and the adult cynicism kicked in. For you see the kids were still flocking to the petting zoo alright. However, the parents were telling their kids not to touch the "filthy" animals and then had them spend almost five minutes using an ungodly amount of anti-bacterial wash. Yes, even at the petting zoo, there are many stations where kids can now sterilize themselves from nature.

-WTS

Haiti

2010-01-16T13:43:00.000-06:00

The recent tragedy in Haiti is one that nobody could have ever foreseen nor wanted to happen to any nation. The amount of people who are affected by this disaster is insurmountable. When I heard about it last Tuesday, my deepest hope was that America as well as other nations would react swiftly, honorably and generously. The list of nations who came to the aid of Haiti is miraculous and once again renews my hope in people.

For those of us here, we can make phone calls and donate whatever we can. iTunes has a link in their store where you can donate and all the proceeds go to the cause. We should find it in our hearts to reach out to those who we don't know and let them know that their tragedy has not gone unnoticed nor their please for help unheard.

As previous Presidents have done, President Obama recruited two former commanders in chief to head up the American relief program. While I am not about to take this chance to over politicize this calamity, I am disappointed in those who have spoke out against Obama's call to action from President Clinton and President Bush. It never ceases to amaze me the times that people take to be narrow-minded. Instead of signing a check, they throw poop and for something like this, it is time to shut up and put up.

The only fear that I had was when G.W. Bush got up to the microphone and said something to the effect of, "...just send us money. We will take care of it for you."

I just hope that it is Clinton who is signing the checks and doing the math...

-WTS

Shutter This

2010-01-15T21:52:00.004-06:00

I swear, if I have to hear one more newscaster/reporter use the word "shuttered" once again I am going to scream.

When did it become proper in the mangled US version of English to use the word "shuttered" when describing something that is about to close.

Examples:

Saturn shuttered today for good by General Motors.

The school may be shuttered.

Even while typing this, my lips are curled, my spine is twisted and I am about to have a violent round of gas.

This drives me insane every time and ranks up there with people who can not use ellipses correctly.

...

-WTS

So Long Old Friend

2010-01-10T21:40:00.004-06:00

While on my recent hiatus, I lost my four-legged sidekick that I have had for the past 17 years. Kidney failure is a real bitch and he was quite the trooper when it comes down to it. Last July, I was told that six months was all that he had left and he would let me know when he was finished fighting. The Friday before Thanksgiving he was all bounce and vinegar but by the next evening, he let me know that it was time and the next day I took him for the long ride.

I am thankful for this feline to have come into my life. He was always there for me during the rough times to let me know that he was there and that his food bowl was empty. He was there to entertain and to be entertained. He taught me that life is all about food, sleep and a good poop.

It is an eerie feeling that after having a companion for such a long time and not have him around when I get home makes me feel, well, empty. I have recently been thinking about finding another rescue cat soon, wondering if I will find the right one. Then again, just like my sidekick, I am sure that the next one will let me know when its time to go home.

-WTS

Postscript:

Originally I was going to reprint a song from a Garfield cartoon from years back and leave it at that. But, it had occurred to me that I don't ever recall my cat particularly enjoying that cartoon. If you are curious, it goes like this:

So long, old friend

I wish that I could see you once again

I never knew the time would come when I'd be losing you

I hope you know I never meant to treat you badly and now I know just what a friend like you is for

I never thought that it would end so sadly, and you'd be walking through that door

So long, old friend

I wish that I could see you once again

I never knew the time would come when I'd be losing you

I always thought our fun and games would just go on and on

I never knew I'd have to say so long

I never knew I'd have to say so long

Zen Again

2010-01-08T21:37:00.002-06:00

OK I was perusing my usual RSS feeds and came across papercraft from the Got Milk campaign. Intrigued, I navigated to their website and figured out how to get my patterns. They were a bit crafty (pun, sorry) in the way you can download the pattern. You see, you have to play each of the games before you are allowed to get each of the patterns. So, off I went learning about teeth, sleep and muscles and how milk can help you on all of the above. What I didn't know is that now milk has other benefits as well.

*drum roll*

Milk can help with the symptoms of PMS.

Seriously?

Sorry, being of the male persuasion, I do not have much practice on what to do during the onslaught of PMS except apologize a lot to the closest female and arm myself with lots of chocolate. Now, thanks to this website, I know that the best thing to do is to supply the suffering person with MILK. Go to their website and check it out.

The game is called Zen Again and you have to put the pieces of the soothing contraption together before Cranky Hen blows her lid and you have to start all over again.

Not only is it entertaining, but you get a cool paper model at the end that will remind you to always stock up on milk. (a crummy commercial?)

-WTS

Back to the Blog

2010-01-06T21:24:00.003-06:00

Well once again I think Wonko is back to observing the asylum. The trouble is that once you put something down whether voluntary or not, it is real difficult to get back into the swing of things. So I ask for your patience as well as forgiveness during my elongated absence.

While I have not made it a habit to discuss deep personal things on this blog, I will only say that things have been finally settled for me and now it is time to get on with life. As it stands, there are some things that have yet been settled for me, such as certain memories that stab at the psyche. However, with time, these too shall pass.

I would be surprised if anyone even checks this blog out anymore and quite frankly I do not blame them a whist. But if you are out there, please allow me to get on bended knee and say, "Hello, sorry it's been so damn long since I've talked to you."

-WTS

Questions, Questions

2009-07-18T07:10:00.006-06:00

Pride posted a wonderful question on her blog a few days ago and it started me thinking once again. As usual, she has a talent for getting to the point rather quickly and it normally causes me to contemplate how things go for me.

Here is a sample, if I may be so bold as to copy her words:

How is it people can meet and fall in love instantly??
What is it that makes it possible?
Can it be explained? Can you read about it somewhere?
Do you just trust your instincts that it is what it is?
How do you not look into someones eyes and wonder, "what the hell took you so long to get here!".
Do we go through all the "other" relationships to learn how to appreciate the one that is really going to matter?

When it comes to love, I can not explain how it works. There have been times where I thought I knew, only to have it dashed from my hands. There are millions of books around that try to explain when it is true and when it is not, but I don't think even the authors can fully explain how each of us feel. Instant love happens, at least in my opinion, when two people match and they both know it at the same time. The cynic in me would want to claim that as wishful thinking in a desperate attempt to find love. However, I have been able to smack down the internal critic and just say that all things are possible, even love on the drop of a dime.

Instincts are a wonderful thing when it comes to not placing your hand in a fire and knowing that running around downtown naked is not a good idea. Instinct when jumbled with desire is not always accurate. However, when things are taken at a pace to allow instinct to catch up with the heart, then we can get a better idea of whether or not something is right. We go through our experiences to learn, to grow, and to hopefully find the balance in life that we need. Sometimes, it is right in front of us while other times we must search for it. We sometimes get into the complications of a relationship and end up feeling that our souls have been shattered whether the ending was for a good reason or not. While other experiences have made us feel like nothing could interfere with the love we have for someone else.

The trick is to be true to one's own self and keep the faith that the person who finally showed up is supposed to be in your life for that moment and hopefully for more moments to come. If we live in our past experiences too deeply, we might miss the moment that was intended to place us in the clouds. If we become so cynical and not believe ourselves the chance to be loved, then we doom ourselves to eternal misery.

BTW - Happy Birthday Pride! 40 is the new 30!

-WTS

Here We Go Again...

2009-07-09T07:24:00.001-06:00

The latest round of TEKS updates have been released by TEA. If you have a moment to rattle through a few hundred pages of prattle from the so-called "experts," then by all means click here, then click on the links from each of the members of the panel.

When done:

1. Cry for the people in our past who are now considered "not important enough."

2. Weep for the narrowing of exploring other cultures and learning why they should not be studied.

3. Mourn for the children and their limited education if these suggestions are followed.

-WTS

The Quest for a Shirt

2009-07-07T08:35:00.002-06:00

Before leaving town, I was online and describing the upcoming journey to Rob, he made an odd request at the time. He needed a new shirt from a west-coast chain of fast food restaurants known as In-N-Out Burgers. Not being familiar with this particular chain, I checked out their website to find out more. To me, it seemed just like another chain of burger stands that have a catchy, if not a bit suggestive, name. However, I let Rob know that I would hunt high and low for a shirt for him.

Once arriving in California, the thought of getting Rob's shirt was always in the back of my mind. However, whenever I spotted one of the fabled In-N-Outs, they were usually on the other side of the highway or the next exit to turn around was too far. As the ending of my journey west was coming to a close, I had made an appointment to visit a WOW friend that lived in the area near where I was visiting.

The thing was that I had made a journey into Los Angeles to see North Hollywood and other places in the area. Being from Texas, a 45 mile trip should only take about 45 minutes. However, on the west coast, it took over three hours and I was dreadfully late for my meeting and I had to sadly cancel so my friend could feed her starving children and get them into bed. Disgruntled and hungry, I took the next exit and decided to make my way back to where I was staying.

Needless to say, that I was delightfully surprised to find one In-N-Out burger stand right in front of me. I parked the car and almost skipped to the doors knowing that I was about to complete my other quest. Well, in the end, I am glad to report that the journey was well worth it seeing how the service and food were outstanding. I also purchased a shirt for myself as well as the one for Rob.

Cheers!

-WTS

The Quest of Five Mountains

2009-07-06T08:14:00.000-06:00

I finally arrived to my first destination and it has been over twenty years since I have been there. It seems silly to many that a grown man with some education would be fascinated with this one place. The memories of being here as a child are ones of family and great joy. Also, before this point, I had only been to two of them and it was time to see the other three. For my dear readers, I was on a quest to see the five mountains and here they are:

-WTS

New Mexico Gets Existential

2009-07-05T08:29:00.004-06:00

*This post has been modified* (See the July 3rd Posting for the explanation of the quests)

The journey west has begun and going through west Texas is pure joy. This is not sarcasm my dear readers for the landscape is beautiful and the journey from hills, to flatlands to mountains is

one that is not to be missed. Even the sighting of 12 highway officials on the Texas highways is something to be seen. With the posted speed limits being what they are now, the journey to the Texas border did not take as long as I remembered and soon I was in New Mexico.

I love southern New Mexico for its desert and landscape. The people are friendly and the signs for the "Thing" kept me amused for quite some time. The "safety corridors" that encourage you to turn on your headlights and remind you that traffic violations will cost you double were a good distraction. I just don't remember being that many traffic cameras on the road before though... Just when I thought New Mexico did not have an imagination. This road sign proves to me that even in the middle of the desert, we are able to get a bit existential. Then again, after passing the sign, I wonder if the sign existed.

The journey through New Mexico is short and then it was time to travel through southern Arizona. I will try to be kind to our western neighbor, but getting through Arizona was arduous and seemed to have lasted forever. You learn how to correctly gage how far a tank of gas will take you since the distance between gas stations is something you really need to keep track of. This becomes especially important when you circumnavigate Phoenix. Arizona does have somewhat of a sense of humor as they strategically place correction facilities near gas stations and remind you not to pick up hitchhikers. Their signs that tell you "Blowing Dust is Possible" is amusing on a fifth grade level but not as creative as the ones I saw in New Mexico.

After six hours of the desert, I arrived at the Colorado and passed into California. This is a tricky part of the journey since I knew that I had finally arrived to the Golden State, but the journey for my quests was still hours away from completion.

-WTS

Happy Birthday America!

2009-07-04T08:25:00.002-06:00

Happy July 4th to all and throw one on the BBQ for me. At this moment, I am on the road again but this time, I am going to be on vacation for the first time in many, many years. Today was spent some of the most beautiful people I have had the pleasure to have met. There was food, fellowship and even time to sit and watch the Boston Pops belt out the Overture of 1812. Please, don't mention the appearance of Neil Diamond since I am trying to erase the worst performance I have ever seen in my life...

-WTS

The Quest...

2009-07-03T07:29:00.001-06:00

It has been over a decade since I have done any type of traveling for myself. It was this year that I decided to pack up a few belongings and do a road trip. The plan was simple, get the hell out of Dodge and not think about anything that had to do with work or any other troubling thoughts. I would make my journey west and since I am a historian of sorts, I also decided that I would set up a few quests for myself. For you see, historians are actually the adventurous type who love to discover stories and see places where great things happened.

I thought about what types of quests I would send myself on. At first the thought of visiting a presidential library or some fantastic museum occurred to me until I realized that this is typical behavior of a historian and besides that is what I normally would do. Thinking again, I decided that I would do the following:

1. The Quest of Five Mountains

2. The Quest for a Shirt (This was Rob's Request)

Here it goes...

-WTS

Disperse Ye Rebels Disperse

2009-06-21T07:58:00.001-06:00

History has a way of shoving an irony down your throat. Take for an example of one Major John Pitcairn. The major was stationed in Boston during the infamous Intolerable Acts that resulted from the Boston Tea Party of 1773. Although a British soldier, he was not totally disliked by the people of Boston and seemed to be fair to those in the city.

As the story goes, the British troops were going to hit the road to Lexington and Concord to seize ammunition and capture some of the rebel leaders before things got worst out of hand. The infamous two lanterns went up in Old North Church and Revere, Prescott and Dawes rode out to warn the townspeople that the soldiers, not the British, were on their way. Major Pitcairn, as the account goes, tried to prevent the violence of that day but as history tells it, lives were lost and a revolution had begun.

The major survived that bloody day and made it back to Boston. He would lose his life on the battle field of Bunker/Breeds hill. His body was taken back to Boston and his body was interred underneath the church that had a role in taking his life, Old North Church.

-WTS

I was Sent This Link

2009-06-18T07:52:00.001-06:00

It never ceases to amaze me the ability of mankind to do things. Here is a perfect example of human know-how.

The Underground City of Derinkuyu

-WTS

How I Have Been Spending Some TIme... 2

2009-06-17T08:15:00.004-06:00

Here are a few examples of what I was talking about earlier. So far, the moonkin has been the favorite. Right now, I am trying to put together the Mark Twain paddleboat from Disneyland but the

small parts are about to make my eyes cross...

-WTS

The Door

2009-06-15T07:02:00.001-06:00

It seems that I have heard the phrase "When one door shuts, another one one opens" many times before. For the most part, this particular idiom made my head itch only because it seemed to me that there should be millions of open doors somewhere that were not waiting for something to close. In other words, it seems to me that the choices that we make on this journey are affected by so many other factors that knowing if you have done something right is a always a gamble. Knowing, however that you are not cemented into the ground by one choice might be more like it instead of the door analogy.

Okay, I'm sorry I got off track on that one, but by now you should know me well enough to realize that my ramblings are quite often a subliminal message. Last December, I think but at the moment I am a bit too lazy to check, I decided to nail shut a door that has been part of my life for quite some time. As you also well know, I really don't go into deep detail about personal stuff, but rest assured, I shut that door.

Funny thing is, without looking or expecting it, another door opened and it has been like an awakening of some sorts. I can not really express the full impact of it right now, but it has made me reflect and realize that in my life, I have done things to hurt those who I care about because I was so damn miserable at times. I became isolated which is really not my character, really. I chose to ignore problems until they became overwhelming and that is not in my nature. I can only hope that those who know me in person will forgive me for being somewhat selfish and introverted for I know that you do care, its just that I was not who I am now.

Where this new door is going to take me, I have no idea, but for now I will take it for now things are better then they have been for a very long time.

-WTS

How I Have Been Spending Some TIme...

2009-06-06T05:17:00.004-06:00

My mother had the philosophy that idle hands were not necessarily the work of the devil, but the means for impeding disaster. Growing up, she often kept us busy with arts, crafts and tinkertoys. I have always enjoyed creating things out of legos and the favorite girders and panels. Well, lately I have taken to papercraft. It started out when I came across this website which had 3-d models of the different versions of the haunted mansions. Well, being a huge fan of the ride, I immediately downloaded the model and printed it out. Looking at all the pieces, I began to let the scissors fly and the glue splatter this way and that.

Well, needless to say, my first attempt was not exactly stellar and the mansion looked more like a shanty. I took it home, well at least tried to for it fell apart and ended up in the trash bin. Not to be discouraged, I tried a different version and it came together better. Well, several months later, I have found a real passion for creating things out of paper. I am sure it has a little bit to do with my love of architecture for I found myself working on Big Ben and the Tower of London. I even found myself making moving models of Copernicus and Ptolemy. I also suspect that the influence of a mother who made us do arts and crafts growing up also plays a part...

Then I found the Warcraft Papercraft sites and I was off to the races building sabers, moonkins, hearthstones and even the fabled Wopletinger. After putting the more complex models together I figured I would begin searching for some of my favorite science fiction movies and shows to see if there were patterns for them, and I was not disappointed. Now, that I am on vacation, I have time for things such as the Eagle Lander and the Enterprise and of course Galactica.

Here are some of the ones I found:

Share and Enjoy!

-WTS

Reviewing the Social Studies TEKS

2009-06-04T05:10:00.001-06:00

A very good question BA when you asked about the TEKS Review process. A huge glitch in the process happened when some of the notes from one of the committees was leaked and the SBOE had a fit over what they read. What people need to understand was that the committees had just barely begun the process of the review and were shuffling things around. They barely had the chance to set up a skeleton let alone flesh out some of the changes.

When the notes were released, apparently there were some pieces missing and all hades broke loose. In typical fashion, a huge fit was released and the committees were shown the door. I really have no idea why these things were done let alone begin to comprehend why the committees were not allowed to finish their work. Then again, I questioned the demographics of the committees to begin with a few months ago.

Well, if you want to look at the "professional" review committee, click here to look at the members.

Hopefully, with summer here, we can get back on track before we hit another stonewall in the process...

-WTS

Indeed It Has Been Some Time

2009-06-03T05:14:00.002-06:00

Well, the previous posting pretty much outlines my thought processes for the past month. Between shutting down the school season, test results from the state assessment and getting ready for the summer holidays, I have been having an internal debate on keeping up with the blog. Trying to catch up on a blog is definitely an uphill battle sometimes.

Hell, I missed talking about the issues with the state legislature and what a total waste of time the past few months with them has been. Why is it that they seem to be more concerned with banning smokers, what outfits cheerleaders should wear, and raising gas taxes then with funding schools and balancing the budget. The new regulations on graduation from high school are a joke and are going to cause more turmoil.

Then there was the State Board of Education's move to appoint a professional committee to review and edit the TEKS for Social Studies. I am sure that the Evolution debate from the science revisions will pale in comparison from what is going to come out of their discussions. Another thing, no one has even begun to determine what is going to be assessed nor how the scales are going to look like. You would think that giving teachers a heads up on these tiny details would be a good idea.

I could have talked about how proud I am of our President and how great it is to see things getting done. His recent trip abroad was incredible including his speech in Egypt.

Well, I could go on forever about what I missed, but time to get on with my day...

-WTS

Hemispheres

2009-06-01T04:56:00.001-06:00

"Dude," said the right hemisphere, "you need to quit screwing around and write something."

"We are far too busy for such foolishness," replied left hemisphere,"and we have deadlines and such to worry about."

From what seemed like miles away came a yawning inquiry from the groin region, "Someone say something about screwing around?"

"Shut it down," ordered left hemisphere, "before you waste energy once again."

There came a deep sigh and then nothing stirred for a bit.

Right hemisphere decided that left was being unreasonable once again and was a total control freak. Trouble was, it was very difficult to perform any type of action without left finding out what he was up to. Sure, they had been parters for many, many years but they had a difficult time agreeing on how to run things. Right sent some soothing images down south to placate the waves of disappointment that were coming from that region and started again.

"C'mon left, you really need to relax a bit."

Left's response was immediate and very analytical, "Relax? If I relax then systems fail and the its total chaos." There was a slight pause for effect and then," Remember last time I took a short holiday?"

Right held his breath for he knew what was coming.

Not getting a response, left continued, "Wild parties, hangovers and something about waking up in someone else's clothing. Thank god you had chosen a woman that night, or else we would have had to seen a professional to recover."

Right sulked for a moment. "It was a lot of fun, if it was up to you we would have never known the beauty of a three-kegger" right thought without speaking.

"I heard that!" left boomed. "You are irresponsible and unorganized. Now get your ass off of the couch and get off to work."

Stomach reminded everyone that it was time to eat.

Right decided that maybe later on he would soften up left and try once again to get some writing done...

-WTS

RPG Geeks Unite

2009-04-22T13:00:00.002-06:00

I have been listening to the Wizards of the Coast Podcasts featuring the Penny Arcade PVP series lately. I would like to thank Wil Wheaton for talking about this podcast on his blog. Basically, it is a bunch of geeks hovering around a table playing DND while having fun and making fun of each other. Just listening to the podcast reminds me of my time around the table trying to outfox the dungeon master at the same time trying to keep my arse out of trouble. It also reminded me that the rules of the game have changed big time over the past twenty years and I am so out of date to the point that if I even tried to play now, all of my past experiences will do me no good. (Except the one that reminds me to NEVER cast a firebolt spell within an ice cavern).

While I am itching to once again write a entry level encounter, I also realize that all of my gaming buddies are no longer just down the block. Sure, I have time now in my life to take a few hours a week to play, but with severed contacts this might be a toughie. With chatting available along with VOIP capabilities, I am sure that now I don't need to be in the same room as my associates. Then there are the really cool applications that will help me create the creatures of any realm such as PCGen that are offered for free.

Who knows, maybe I will pick up the new books, grab some graph paper and dust off my dice.

If nothing else, maybe I can get it out of my system just writing in that genre once gain.

-WTS

Exit the Old Enter the New (Sorta)

2009-04-21T12:45:00.002-06:00

Well, it has been a few since the Battlestar Galactica series came to an end, but then again it has taken a few for me to finish watching the episodes that I have missed. Before moving on to the topic of the finale, just a heads up that NBC is going to sell of many of the props from the series and you can find the catalog here. At the midpoint of the series, I was a bit miffed that Earth had been found only to have it a desolate wasteland. I had no idea how in the hell the series was going to end, but I had a feeling in the pit of my inner being that I might now enjoy the ride to the last episode.

Needless to say, we sat through a mutiny, the final Cylon model being revealed, a bit of sexual tension, angles appearing here and there, another ginormous battle and the final episode finally arrived. They landed, they spread out, called their new home Earth, and now we know that our heritage lies within human and Cylon DNA. I stared at the screen for a bit as the credits rolled and wondered whether or not I was totally satisfied with the ending. While this ending was much more satisfactory than the original series was, I was somehow, well empty...

Now that we have all the questions have been answered and the loose ends tied up, I was a bit put out that things ended without much fanfare. This feeling lasted for a bit until I saw the ending of Life on Mars and realized that if ABC ran Battlestar then the series would have had a much more lamer ending and I began to cheer up a bit. Imagine the Original Starbuck waking up, feeling his chest and his manhood then breathing a sigh of relief as an ending and you will feel better too...

Now Caprica has begun, but I have yet to download and watch... Maybe after I finish catching up on The Tudors, but then again I know how that story ends as well...

-WTS

Thanks BA

2009-04-17T20:16:00.001-06:00

There are times when I need to remind myself not to post anything at 6 in the morning. Thanks BA for pointing out my goofs and the corrections have been made.

-WTS

Texas Our Texas

2009-04-16T05:27:00.004-06:00

The Articles of Confederation

The Nullification Crisis 1832

Causes of the Civil War

HCR (50)

Governor Rick Perry

What do all of these things have in common?

Find Out Here

-WTS

Tea Party

2009-04-15T21:30:00.004-06:00

All around our nation, people gathered together today to protest the income tax and how the government spends money. Oddly enough it was called the "Tea Party" in hopes of trying to connect our history with what is going on in modern times. While the gesture in itself was a good one with good intentions to demonstrate the first amendment, it was a poor attempt in trying to teach history.

The Boston Tea Party of 1773 was centered around the controversy that began when Parliament had passed legislation to give a monopoly of tea sales to one company. The passage of the Tea Act made tea cheaper to the colonists which should have made the colonists happier with their national government. However, the colonists had several dosages of taxation without representation and it didn't take much for them to get riled up with being forced to do anything. Merchants who had benefitted from black market trade during previous taxings were concerned that the Tea Act might cut into their profits and several of them, John Hancock included, began to make a racket.

Protests in New York, Philadelphia and Charleston were successful in turning the tea back to Britain. However, it was in Boston that the Sons of Liberty were able to board three cargo ships and destroy tons of a product that did not even belong to the government but to a private company.

The short of this discussion is this, what is the connection? I don't see what one has to do with the other seeing how everyone that protested today is represented in Congress. I am not denying that the government has made foolish decisions with the money that I have provided them over the year and I also agree that serious change needs to happen. However, coming to a peaceful assembly with tea bags in hand just makes me shake my head and cry internally...

-WTS

Exotic

2009-04-14T05:12:00.001-06:00

What exactly does it mean to look exotic?

It came up in a conversation the other day when I was told that this person had a certain type and that was the "exotic" look. That set me to thinking that I had no real clue on what "exotic" is. In my limited lexicon that deals with fashion and people in general I had no real genre to classify things as being exotic. Sure, I can look at things such as fish and have something to classify. As far as people are concerned, not so much.

This wasn't the first time that the thought had occurred to me for I have hear of exotic places to visit and I can only assume that everyone who lives there can be classified as the same. However, when I look at the pictures of people who live in these locations, they look like, well like people. They did not have a certain plumage or even outlandish colorings that would set them apart from others. Yet, I am told they fit the description of being exotic.

I can only assume that they must have something that on the surface it is not apparent such as a tongue that can catch insects in the blink of an eye. While that is a conversation piece, I have a feeling that such an ability would be a distraction while walking together in the woods or something like that. Maybe they have the ability to pounce from a tree to catch a mate. However, I can not see how that in itself could be attractive to the opposite sex being set upon to walk under trees whenever the mood hits. That also makes me wonder if both members of a couple are considered exotic, does that in itself null and void their standing with general society since to each other they seem normal?

Maybe I am too simple to fully grasp the concept that someone has a certain look that gives them the ability to be classified as being this or that.

Maybe I need to quit blogging at this time of the morning before I had my coffee...

-WTS

601

2009-04-13T05:09:00.002-06:00

I just noticed that the last posting, I had hit 600 postings. It's amazing sometimes when I think that I had that much to say or in some cases, not that much to say.

-WTS

Newspapers and Such

2009-04-12T05:37:00.002-06:00

This morning, I did something I have not done in quite some time, I went down to the local gas-n-go and picked up a newspaper. At first, I thought I had grabbed Saturday's by mistake for the paper looked small and emaciated. After all, Sunday papers, especially on Easter, should be robust and full of colorful ads. So, I checked the date on the top and sure enough it was dated correctly.

Figuring that someone else had nabbed the ads and the Star magazine inside of the paper, I put it down and grabbed on from the middle of the stack. Trouble is, the next paper that I had grabbed was just as sad as the first one. It was then that I noticed that the perimeter of the paper has been reduced by at least one inch on every side. What kind of blasphemy is this? For crying out loud, the Sunday newspaper should be large enough to challenge a St. Benard's mouth! This poor excuse for what used to be a family gathering every Sunday made me worry about tomorrow. After all, many metropolitan areas have been losing their papers left and right. Some no longer even have a daily publication. I suppose you can blame the demise of the printed word on the geeks like myself who use RSS feeds and their iPhone readers to get the latest. I will take my responsibility fully since I have not even held a newspaper for quite some time.

The question becomes, are we as a society better off without the long established medium? After all, it was the newspapers during colonial times that inspired many to take up arms against the mother country. The freedom of the press is written in the Constitution at the time when the newspaper was the only form of transmitting the news to the public. William Randolph Hearst's role in the Spanish-American War is a fantastic example of how powerful the printed word can be. (The linked website glosses over the fact that his newspapers ran fake stories that wound up America into a frothing frenzy against Spain in 1898) Are we as a society ready to drop the newspaper and depend on the latest gizmo to give us our news? Maybe so, I know that the trees would appreciate the break from being turned into something that less people are actually going to use.

-WTS

Something To Contemplate

2009-04-11T05:35:00.001-06:00

Take a look at this article I came across and contemplate...

Click Here

-WTS

Literacy in Schools

2009-04-10T14:04:00.002-06:00

During the last legislative session, Texas passed an educational law that allowed districts to create and conduct a course dealing with Bible Literacy. Due to the fact that this is Texas, the course outlines were vague at best and are left to a wide assortment of interpretations. The problem with this is the word "interpretation". While I will agree that the Old Testament is a good resource if you want to study political science and even foundations of three major religions, there are some who will hold it up and tell you that this is how things happened for real.

It is the group that is responsible for creating the courses for our students that worry me the most. It is bad enough to look at the past record of the Texas State Board of Education and realize that they are more concerned with themselves than with our future. It is even worse that now, without specific guidelines, local districts can create whatever they want to and not really worry about the consequences of giving biased and even false information to our kids. We witnessed the carnival that surrounded the adoption of the science state standards, I can only imagine what the meddling in verbiage will lead to in courses such as this.

What I mean by this is that because of the general attitude and misunderstandings of scientific theories, many are hesitant to even try to explain the mechanics and inner working of topics such as the big bang and evolution. Thanks to the SBOE, we are now on the intellectual level of Kansas and I am not sure that is a good thing. Not that I have anything against Kansas, but take a good luck at what some of their educational laws have done to the business sector there. (Yes, there is a connection between national/international investments and state educational laws) There are courses being developed right now that have kids read from the Christian point of view only without any real depth on the influences that the Bible has had on other cultures. The course is supposed to use a primary source to show political, social and economic foundations and cultural diffusion over time, not to become a five-day extension of Sunday School.

We are living in an era where stereotypes are in the process of being ridiculed and hopefully also beginning to disappear. However, if we are not careful, we are going to reinforce the hatred and fear we have for other religious cultures if we still continue to see things from one point of view. We also run another risk of placing scientific advancement further behind because our society has run amuck with horse blinders on.

-WTS

Man...

2009-04-09T13:54:00.002-06:00

There are times when you sit alone, with your own thoughts and realize that time has slipped by and there are still things in life that you want to do and see. Well, I did that this morning when for the first time in quite a long time, I realized that the blog and my thoughts have been put on hold.

When you are going through some tight times, it seems that nothing it that important but getting through the next day. When things are going well, you are afraid of disrupting the flow for it might come to an abrupt end and the sleeper will awaken.

When you experience both at the same time, it is sometimes tough to decide what to enjoy and when to breathe.

-WTS

Animal Pick Up Lines

2009-04-07T13:57:00.002-06:00

While watching the beasts on this earth, do you ever wonder if they have their favorite pick up lines like humans do? I know that they have mating rituals and such, but during the ritual itself, does one sex say something outlandish to possible land a mate?

Warthog: You could shatter a mirror my dear.

Giraffe: Wanna neck?

Shark: Let me nibble just a little.

Dog: I'll let you sniff mine if I can sniff yours.

Leopard: Trust me, I'm not a cheetah.

Mantis: Let's have sex before dinner.

Cockroach: My love for you will withstand a nuclear explosion.

Yes I know, those are really lame, but so are some of the lines that I have heard at the local watering hole...

-WTS

Track Race

2009-04-04T14:22:00.002-06:00

In the state of Texas, the exams for 10th and 11th grade have been moved from the Friday of testing week to the Monday of that week. The reason given, a UIL track meet. I really want to say more, but I will let that statement speak for itself...

-WTS

Have You?

2009-04-02T14:31:00.002-06:00

Have you ever?

Seen a swimming pool actually do a backstroke?

Seen a house fly from one foundation to the next?

Seen a ceiling actually fan itself?

Looked under a microscope to see the cells of a phone?

Taken a cat nap and then lick yourself clean?

Actually see time fly without it involving the alarm clock you threw across the room?

Try to keep abreast of something without getting a dirty look or even worse?

Witnessed a nail polish the floor?

I was just wondering while I was watching the paint actually dry...

April Hath Arrived

2009-04-01T14:24:00.002-06:00

The month of madness hath begun, so let the foolishness and panic begin...

To all teachers, I wish you the best and you have my love and admiration for staying where you are and putting up with what you do. Of course, I am talking about the upcoming TAKS test and dealing with other adults...

When May 2nd hits, we can all breathe a sigh of relief and share a beer...

-WTS

When Is Small Too Small?

2009-03-19T05:07:00.000-06:00

Alright, I get it already...

In the quest to assure that Apple can microsize everything, they have released the latest iPod shuffle. While the technology is most impressive, for people like me, this is a slight nightmare. I can not tell you how many thumb drives I have lost this year alone. Now, spending the money on a MP3 player that looks like the size of a pill?

Check Them Out!

It reminds me of a skit I saw on SNL but unfortunately youtube didn't have it for me to share and enjoy...

-WTS

To Stem or Not to Stem-Part 2

2009-03-16T05:30:00.003-06:00

Well Spring Break has come to an end and I am now just catching up on my news feeds. One thing that caught my eye was the changing on the national policy towards stem cell research. I will not go into great gory detail of my opinion on this type of research on this posting but you can read up on my feelings towards this issue here. I will just say it is about time that this nation makes a valid attempt to get back into the drivers seat when it comes to science and scientific research.

It is nice, as I said before, to be back at the grown up table...

-WTS

Hello Old Friend

2009-03-15T05:08:00.002-06:00

Many people remember the Ides of March through either their experiences in high school because they had to memorize Shakespeare or they just dig history. For me, I take a few moments and remember a good friend that I lost on this date. Even though it has been 17 years, I still can remember the times we shared together.

So this one is for you chief and I wish I had a recording of your song, Was Jesus a Prophet or Just a Good Magician...

-WTS

The Horror of It All

2009-03-12T21:10:00.003-06:00

There are a few things that occur in life that will strike fear into the hearts of all men. I am sure that the female audience of this blog just had visions of making men into Bobbits, but that is not what I'm talking about. No, this fear is located in between getting a baseball in the groin and going to the store for "women stuff." This one even will take the toughest of us and turn him into a shaking mass of gibber. Yes, I am talking about going to the local store to find the perfect greeting card.

Men, in general, are not equipped to browse through row after row of holiday greetings and/or expressions of love. To many of us, purchasing a piece of five dollar card stock that is folded in half with lame poetry written in it is a waste of money. To be forced into traveling to a card shop before each and every holiday to pick up one of these "happy " expressions is just downright scary. For the male of the species, taking the intended recipient of a card out for burgers, bowling and not belching in their face after downing a can of beer is a great expression of love and adoration.

Not only that, but being the solo male in a shop that has fifteen or so browsing women can be intimidating. Quite often, the male feels like he is being judged by the ladies like a gallery full of surgeons watching the rookie during his first operation. The male will cautiously reach out to pick out a card and could swear he just heard 15 "tsks" assail him from all corners of the shop. So he reaches out again, letting his fingers slightly brush prospective cards until he can feel the approving nods of his surveying audience. He will once again feel the burn of their laser-equipped eyes if he even has the tenacity to return the card after noticing the fifteen dollar price on the back of the card.

To top that off, after surviving the selection process, he now must face the cashier before he is free from this questionable outing. "You only want one card?" she inquires. A quick nod of his head not only shows the affirmative but hints at the fact that the terror of his experience has stolen all ability to speak. "You sure," she continues, "if you buy three, you get three more for free."

"Holy shit," he internalizes, "there is no way I am going back to find five more frickin cards!" Instead, he fumbles for his wallet and shakes his head quickly, trying to clear the piercing horror of going back to those endless rows of flowers, animals, and strangely attired people. Finally, completing his purchase, he hastily stuffs the bag into his jacket and moves his way out of the store promising himself that next time he was going to make one himself like he did when he was five...

-WTS

The Zoo

2009-03-10T13:45:00.002-06:00

I finally was able to do something recently that I have not taken time to do since, well let's just say for now its been a long time. With my recent determination to experience life through different eyes, I took the time to go to the local zoo. Mind you, my memories of the zoo are scattered since most of the pilgrimages to there were during my formative years. However, visions of the NASA space-chimp and the smell of the elephant pen during a hot August day streak across my mind's eye. The whole debate over whether or not animals of any sort should be placed on public display is a long one. While I can see the argument of the opposition, there is something to be said about being able to see these fellow inhabiters in an environment that allows us humans to learn more about these wonderful creatures.

My first memory of the local zoo was one of cramped quarters in the typical cages of the 1970s. The place itself was not really set up for the comfort of the animals on either side of the bars, but back then, not too many of us thought that this was unusual of an arrangement. The animals seemed content as they slept off the morning's meal as people of all ages gawked at them from a few yards away. I always thought it was a bit of a rip off that the bears, antelopes, rhinos and elephants had the best areas while the cats and monkeys got the "short end of the stick" accommodations. Then there were those cheap wax machines that speckled the pathways enticing the young to wrestle fifty cents from their parents to take home the spectacular blue panther or the still sticky orange giraffe.

So when I went this past week, I wasn't sure what to expect. It has been about twenty-five years since I really went through the zoo and I really wasn't sure what to expect. I was deathly afraid that the child-like wonder of seeing real-life animals would be seen through the bored-reality lenses of an adult. Needless to say, the inner-child was not disappointed and I spent most of my visit just taking in all I could see. The zoo has done so much to enlarge and improve the conditions in which the animals reside, I literally was blown away. I was able to get closer than I ever thought possible to a hippo while it was sleeping in the water. I stood right next to a clouded leopard as it lazily stretched on the other side of a pane of thick glass.

It strikes me that while growing up, the zoo was a place to go to get out of classes for half a day and pretend to show interest while a keeper explained the eating habits of some insect. For the point is this, and I will only speak for the zoo that I was at, zoos are a place of education and wonder. I learned more about the animals of this planet than I really thought possible. The zoo also discusses and teaches more about conservation and the protection of these beautiful creatures. So, while I understand the concerns of those opposed to zoos, I rather think that the benefits of educating the public will lead to better conservation.

As for the coveted blue panther, the machine was being worked on so I have a good reason to go back and experience it all over again...

-WTS

Bridge

2009-03-09T07:54:00.003-06:00

I know that many, many people have written about not knowing anything about their parents until they get older. Its something that we take for granted quite often thinking that they will always be there and that they know how much we love them.

I have gone down this road before in the corner and I took time to reread the post from January of 2006 and it is kind of funny that almost three years later, I am at the same point that I was then. I have gotten closer to my dad over the past year or so and it really struck me hard over the weekend as I made the journey to their house that after all of these years knowing each other, I really don't know the man as well as I should. Sure, I kinda knew what he did for a living, and he was there to be cub scout leader, coach and bowling instructor. Dad had to work six days a week to support a family of six and not once did I ever see the strain it had on him nor did I ever hear him complain about the amount he did for us. He was tough on us but never domineering to the point that we thought he was a general storming the beaches.

In my teenage years, I knew when he was home and that was about it. I am not sure why this is with boys and their fathers. I'm sure there is a historical reason for it that dads showed their offspring how to hunt, skin, and grunt. Then again, I am not convinced that the model in which we were raised in is the norm anymore...

My own father is an enigma to me and at this point I wish I knew why. I know for sure that my self-reserve and the fact that I rarely go into details about what is going on with me has a lot to do with it. Yet, I have rarely asked him about his life and how things are going. Just like myself, dad will not readily volunteer information for he wants to hear everyone else's stories.

Same as I...

Funny thing is that people who worked with him probably know more about him on that front than I do. Surely, the only one on this planet who knows him the best is mom. Yet still, as I was talking to him, I was seeing myself in him and realizing how much we are alike. No, I am not about to bust out Cats in the Cradle or something like that, but it really affected my train of thought on that day. I am still mulling over the impact of that day even right now and the only thing that keeps going through my mind is that I know dad better than I thought because we are the same in many ways, only our experiences are somewhat different.

Even as I am typing this, I am creating another email to him, choosing my words carefully as he does, placing humorous references when appropriate, just like him, and I am letting him know that I do care and love him as well...

-WTS

Happy Birthday R!

2009-03-08T07:53:00.001-06:00

Please join me in celebrating Rob's anniversary of rotating around the big ball of gas we call the sun.

Huzzah!

-WTS

It's Getting a Tad Weird...

2009-03-05T07:44:00.002-06:00

It never ceases to amaze me just how anything gets done in this state. If you haven't been following the current legislative session, let's just say you have missed out on a lot of fun... Between figuring out how to keep the state running and legislation that both tightens down TAKS and gets rid of it at the same time, I am just eating popcorn and enjoying the show.

Click Here if You Dare!

Or if you want to see proposed bills by the House or Senate.

-WTS

March Hath Arrived

2009-03-01T21:07:00.001-06:00

Welcome to March one and all! Please take a moment to observe Women's History Month and celebrate all that is female!

-WTS

Check Your Stopwatches

2009-02-19T06:41:00.001-06:00

Sadly enough ladies and gentlemen, it is time to check your stopwatches and log the time it took for a national newspaper to publish a racist cartoon against President Obama. I can not even begin to describe the shades of fury I felt when this hit the waves. I was actually hoping that this time prejudice would have faded a bit. Unfortunately, there is always a freaking idiot who thinks that his opinion is more important than anything else in the world.

Before you throw the First Amendment in my face, I understand the importance of protecting free speech and the freedom of the press. I am a firm believer in both, that is why I blog about anything and everything. However, when it comes to poor taste, this cartoon takes the prize. The NY Post has apologized for running the cartoon, but the fact that they ran with it in the first place just makes me wonder if they were standing by the commentary or just wanted to generate some publicity.

Another point to be made is that the world briefly thought that America had grown up finally and was ready to sit at the adult table for dinner. However, with this recent publication, we are once again banned to the kids table for belching and smacking our lips in front of company...

Click Here for the Cartoon

-WTS

The Love for Widgets

2009-02-17T06:56:00.002-06:00

As many who know me can tell you, I have a deep fascination for all things that smack of geekiness. Gadgets, animations, and all devices that beep capture my imagination and turn me into a ten year old at Disneyland. Take this for an example, blogging widgets...

A Widget is simply something that you can add to a website or even to your computer. Google, Yahoo and Apple all have widgets that add functionality to your computer and quite often they are free. I can not count how many times I have been sitting in a mind-numbing session only to be saved by my Sudoku or comic strip reader. On this blog, I use a widget to tell the moon phases only because it can be used to predict the moods and how hyper the students are going to be.

I find myself trying to employ some sense of restraint with adding more to the blog. I find an interactive cat or a really cool flash game that I could add. Putting the Spanish Word for the Day and This Day in History widgets onto the site is very tempting, after all I'm all about education and my Spanish is rusty at best. I could paste in a sweet widget that acts like a clock and slap in a news feeder for all things science fiction. I could create space so people could make their own likeness, or close to it, as a Simpsons character.

However, if I am not careful, this poor little blog will end up looking like a bad nightmare for all web designers.

But how cool would it be to have a Mario Bros game to tool around with instead of reading this dribble?

Widgetbox Link

-WTS

Metallica at the Grammys

2009-02-10T21:13:00.002-06:00

I rarely, if ever, pay attention to the Grammys when they appear during this time of the year. You can say that I lost faith in them when Jethro Tull won for best heavy metal artist beating out Metallica. After all, I would think that the people in charge of music genres would have been a little more responsible than that. Metallica has always been a favorite of mine for their sound, lyrics and of course excellent music to bang your head with.

They have been down a tough road between losing Cliff in a freak accident and various amounts of addictions. Sure, they are the typical metal story, but there are some who I really cheer for that they come back. To many bands, sadly enough, recovery never occurs. There were some albums that were released that I would rather forget including sampling of steel guitars and ballads that should have been left at the bottom of someones shoe. (For more information, see the releases of Load and Reload)

When St. Anger came out it was like being given another chance at breathing. The band sounded clear and it seemed that they had returned. However, the release itself was nominated for worst album of the year by sever different critics. In true fashion, they continued doing what they love to do and released Death Magnetic and I was blown away.

Apparently so was the music industry and Metallica received four Grammy nominations and were awarded two. Does this put my faith back into the Grammys? Probably not, but it does give me some satisfaction to know that the boys from Frisco can still thrash...

-WTS

And Another Thing!

2009-02-08T06:22:00.003-06:00

The State Board of Education made their selections on who was to serve of the Social Studies TEKS review committees. Take a look at the lists and tell me what you see...

Yep, you are correct. Apparently there is no real presence from large urban districts. Nor is there any representation from the Valley. Most of the appointments were made from small districts from two regions of the state. What worries me that if the largest concentration of students are not represented in this very important process, then they will get railroaded.

You can't honestly tell me that no one from the urban districts applied...

Give your state board of education representative a call and find out...

-WTS

Leno was Right...

2009-02-07T06:06:00.000-06:00

As a historian I will admit that I am biased towards my favorite subject area and I for one am sick of social studies taking a silent back seat. It is bad enough that social studies is probably one of the most unimportant subject in the eyes of principals, administrators and the public in general. Whenever there is something that needs to be done ranging from class pictures to having the counselors talk to the kids about whatever, it will be done during social studies. When kids need to be pulled out for tutoring for another core area, it will be done during social studies.

My question becomes, when did subjects such as government, civics, economics and the history of our nation become so damn unimportant? Is it no wonder that the general public is so ignorant about their state, nation and other world cultures? There is enough blame to go around for sure and it is time to stop the train of thought that social studies is a "blow off" subject.

To top this rant off, I would like to directly quote from Governor Perry's State of the State address in order to further demonstrate how little government leaders think of social studies...

...To reach our goal of ensuring every student graduates from Texas high schools with a strong foundation in math, science and English, we owe them three things...

...Third, let's keep improving our math and science education, and continue preparing our young people, especially low-income and minority students, for a productive life after high school...

Ok, so what is missing?

-WTS

Famous Last Lines of Men

2009-02-06T20:25:00.004-06:00

There are times when I watch the news and hear about really insipid things that men do and end up getting seriously injured or even worse. While these types of incidents are not even remotely humorous, I am sure that throughout the length of creation there has to be a list of famous last words uttered by men who do incredibly stupid things.

Ah hell, the water ain't that high, this is a truck.
I know what exactly know what I'm doing.
Directions? Who in the hell reads directions?
Why pay an electrician $400.00? It can't be that tough.
Safe? Of course it's safe!
Of course it isn't loaded, watch.
It ain't that far down.
Hell, I bet that bear is one of them tame ones.
Of course it's okay to mix these two here chemicals.
Nah, coral snakes have different markings.
Don't worry, she ain't that mad.

-WTS

Welcome to February

2009-02-01T21:08:00.001-06:00

Black History Month and Lincoln's 200 birthday are all this month! Huzzah!

-WTS

Putting Gas into a Relationship

2009-01-18T11:59:00.006-06:00

Whenever a relationship begins, there are a few things that people are so worried about that they tend not to be themselves. Breath, physical appearance, kissing, and even income will cause terror in the hearts of newly formed couples. Most of these fears are usually on the surface but there is one in particular that rarely, if ever, sees the light of day in polite conversation. Knowing me as many of you should by now, you must know that any topic which is considered rude or offensive I MUST talk about.

When two people begin to become exclusive, there are many things that they begin to share. The swapping of secrets, future plans, text messages and bodily fluids are all part of a good blueprint for a heathy relationship. It takes a long time before other things come into play such as hidden eating habits, preference of how much room to take up in a closet, and even what side of the bed does one really prefer to sleep on. Even with all of this, there is still one thing that couples dread, who will be the first one to pass gas.

It is tough to contain oneself after a hearty meal of Chile con Queso, fully loaded Super Nachos, Carne Asada and three beers. The ride to the rendezvous point is one of general chatting and the shifting of one cheek to the other as thoughts of "Good Lord not now" are thought within the minds of the two lovers. So they wait until the slamming of vehicle doors to squeak a few out. The woman may discreetly mention that she wants "to slip into something more comfortable." In truth, she probably will but more than likely needed an excuse to slip into the closet, with a thick door, to make her groaning intestines more comfortable. The man, while the woman is out of the room, will begin to make his way to the remotest corner of where they currently are to do the same. If something remote is not possible, he will let it fly and then frantically spray the area with his emergency little bottle of cologne.

This pattern will continue until the one time, usually in the midst of sleep are a really good love making session, that the body is so relaxed, that one sneaks out. Most of the time it will not be one of those silent sneakers. No, it will be a cheek flapper with lots of bass that would make your grandfather proud of you. When it happens, it will be one of those moment of truths in a relationship. For the guilty party will usually be mortified and the other will either be horrified or relieved that the ice has been finally broken.

The separation of the sexes will usually dictate the reaction. Men will laugh if it was the woman who broke the non-gas pact first. In fact, we men usually find gas in any form funny no matter who it is. The gentleman will try to hold in the rolling around on the floor bit to save his lady total embarrassment. The female in the relationship will try to be polite and understanding but internally will wish that this side of him had never surfaced and may in the future demand he leave the room next time. Thinking about this whole thing, beside giggling while writing it, made me realize that there has to be stages in a relationship where gas can play a major role.

So, here are the different levels in a relationship where gas plays a role.

Stage 1 - Avoidance: Where both partners will make any excuse to leave the general area where his/her love interest is.
Stage 2 - The Ice Breaker: Where one or both of the partners lets one fly accidently causing general embarrassment.
Stage 3 - Testing the Water: Gas is let out in little gasps as the guilty party is finding out how much can be let out and still be comfortable.
Stage 4 - Comfortable: The cheek-flappers fly without comment or initial looks of disgust.
Stage 5 - Too Comfortable: The guilty party makes it point to walk into the room where his/her mate is, lets one fly and the proceeds to leave the room.
Stage 6 - Dangerous / Relationship is in Danger: He/She passes gas and shoves the other one under the covers. (I've been told that this is called a Dutch Oven)

Either way, gas is just a byproduct of being a human and should be shared and enjoyed by all around. If we weren't so uptight, maybe this small portion of who we are wouldn't be such a problem in a relationship. Then again, knowing some people who can clear an auditorium with a cheese dog and a six pack, maybe would should be considerate of those around us...

-WTS

This was Passed On to Me

2009-01-17T12:05:00.000-06:00

I am sure that this is really old news to many of you. However, I just became aware of this website on Friday during a gathering of friends.

The Bro Code.

Share and Enjoy

-WTS

Austin is Grinding Once Again

2009-01-15T11:45:00.004-06:00

Well, the Texas Legislature has reconvened this week and I am shuddering to think just how much more they can screw with the educational field. I am sure they are, in their muddling way, come up with more asinine ways to ensure that not only our kids and teachers are left behind, but the bus they should be on is scrapped in order to fund somebody's pork barrel. I know that I should have a bit more faith in the political process, but when it comes to this state, I am not convinced that they get it yet.

Many districts are closing schools and laying off teachers. They are cutting off programs that are usually the only reasons why kids come to school. Salaries are on hold, and classes are becoming larger. More regulations on assessment are coming down the pike that are changing almost quarterly. The legislature continues to dip into the teacher retirement fund quicker that the social security depleters are in DC. Respect for this profession is dropping with every school year and lawyers are getting fat-rich off of frivolous lawsuits. Local newscasts rarely say anything positive about what we are accomplishing and seem to ignore that many schools are doing the right thing.

So here we are in this muck and are wondering what other brand of poop we are going to have to deal with after this session is completed. We might have to deal with tougher budgets seeing how the state is millions in the hole. We may have to deal with new standards for assessment, as if the EOC wasn't bad enough. We may have to deal with a bunch of stuff come next August.

Funny thing, we still take it and come to work...

-WTS

As A Teacher...

2009-01-14T11:38:00.001-06:00

There are times that being an educator has its benefits. For an example, when you are in line at the grocery store and a former student of yours comes up and thanks you profusely for being an inspiration, it makes up for the long hours and lack of gratitude by the general public. When you see one of your kids on the news that is being recognized by his/her community, it will bring a smile to your face. When you see them become professionals and grow up to be the man/woman you knew they could be, somehow you know that in one way or another, you had a part in it all.

Even though I have, in my career, come across thousands of kids, it is not often that I forget them. The cool thing about being a teacher is working with tomorrows leaders. It is when you watch the news and you see something horrible happen to one of them does it weigh upon your soul and rips your heart out, even if that child was never one of your students. My heart goes out to you my friend for losing one of your kids for I know from first hand that it does not get any easier...

-WTS

One More Week

2009-01-13T17:59:00.003-06:00

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

I don't know about you, but I plan on being glued to the nearest streaming video.

-WTS

Another Quick One

2009-01-10T17:53:00.001-06:00

For those of us who also have interest in tracking changes of time, I present to you GAS BUDDY. I dig these kind of websites because they give me tons of educational opportunities and lesson ideas.

-WTS

Repression - Recession It's All the Same Thing

2009-01-08T17:46:00.004-06:00

For those of us who are entertained by charts and graphs, I present to you GOOGLE.

For your amusement, you can go back in time and see how we were a year ago and even further back.

Share and Weep

Bonus points to those who can name the record where I got the title of this posting from.

-WTS

The Sounds of Silence

2009-01-06T17:26:00.004-06:00

When people look back at their career, it is normal to look at the good things as well as the difficult decisions. I have made several changes in my career path and every time that I made these changes, I took stock at what I have accomplished and whether or not I have done what I felt I needed to do. True, I have not strayed too far from the realm of education, but each change was difficult to make for I was leaving something behind.

I bring this up because I have been made several offers from different sources and quite frankly they are good solid jobs that I know I would enjoy doing. Unlike other times, I am torn because I really love what I am doing right now and for the sake of anonymity, I will not go into great details. I feel that at this moment in time, I have not done all that I set out to do when I took this position. On the other hand, the need is great with the other positions. For me, when I make promises and dedications to those I work with and work for, I take them seriously and as financially stupid it would be to stay where I am, I am leaning that way.

So here I am having the internal debate of which way to jump even though I already have my answer. Maybe I need to put on Simon and Garfunkel with my eyes closed...

-WTS

Go Back to Start

2009-01-04T18:52:00.000-06:00

One of my fondest childhood pastimes has to be the board game. Before I was introduced to polyhedral dice and the dynamics of plotting dungeons on graph paper; there was the simple art of rolling a six-sided die (d6 for us geeks) and following a simple path from either one end of a board to another or sometimes in a complete circle. The rules were often not that complicated and the strategy was not to come in second place. Sure, the names and feel of each board game were different from another, but they all had the same basic plot; move your piece of plastic to the end and win. My favorites ranged from the classics such as Monopoly, Mouse Trap, Life, and Clue to the sorta prelude to the video games like Dark Tower. Our family could be often seen in the evenings doing such mischief like rolling an Yahtzee to delightfully telling each other "Sooooooorrry, back to start."

I was walking through WalMart and had a close friend on the phone at the same time. Yes, I am one of THOSE people who talk on the cell in the stores. So we were chatting away at the odd assortment of stuff that people place their belongings in when I came across the toy section. "Whoa!" I exclaimed, "They have Life on sale for about fifteen bucks."

"Really?" came the reply, "I have the original set at home."

"No shit," I was amazed I thought I was the only one with a copy.

"Yeah, teachers make $8,000."

Somehow I realized that things haven't really changed in twenty years. Not wanting to begin a tirade about teacher salary, I continued, "We need to get some of the gang together and maybe play some of the old games."

Excited, the reply came, "Yeah that sounds really cool." There was a pause and then, "Hey, do they have the 1980s version of Trivial Pursuit?"

I began to scan around at the different games that were on display on the sale rack and did not find a copy. "A ton of trivial shit but nothing that fits your description." I paused to look around and spied the aisle where the games were, "Hang on, I'll check the aisle."

I made my way to the game aisle and way once again seven years old. There were the classics that I grew up with displayed in all their glory. I even paused to gaze at my least two favorites (Candyland and Chutes & Ladders) just out of respect for their longevity. I laughed as I spotted Mouse Trap and was informed by my friend that that game apparently had no real point. I knew though that the point of that game was to build something that involved moving parts.

I was about halfway through when the childhood memory of trying to decide between Snoopy Come Home and Twister came to a screeching halt. Indeed, I was almost horrified at what I was looking at. For in front of me were about five different versions of Monopoly, three incarnations of scrabble, and two different types of Yahtzee. To say that I was a bit intrigued would be an understatement. The thought that someone had actually had a notion to alter some of my favorites also began to concern me as well.

To me it was almost as if they had forced Pluto to wear clothing because the modern generation could not understand why a cartoon character was naked on the screen. By this I mean that apparently the beloved classics had to be altered in order to appeal to a new generation. For an example, just perusing the monopoly games there was a super-deluxe version, a Star Wars incarnation and even an Indiana Jones special edition complete with a faux wood box.

Since when did George Lucas gain a foothold into Rich Uncle Pennybag's domain? This makes me so nervous on so many different levels. To begin with we all know Lucas' record when it comes to him messing with the classics. I have nightmares of me passing go with a pewter Jar Jar and wishing that I had stayed in the galactic prison with no hope for bail. Also, judging by the latest Indiana Jones, does his figure have a whip or a walker to scoot across the spaces? Are things so bad that Parker now has to sell off their rights to the game itself to the highest bidder?

Take a look at their catalog and weep silently...

School Memories

2009-01-02T01:11:00.003-06:00

One of the fondest memories of high school biology was when we actually did the mind-boggling task of dissecting an earthworm. You see, frogs and pigs are pretty simple things to cut open and identify the parts. On an earthworm, not so much. I was thinking of this and remembering my Biology teacher informing us that earthworms were unique due to the fact that they had "both sets of goods." Now, as you can imagine, this news to a 13 year old is like the thing of fantasies. Now, as a grown adult, I can with great confidence say that it is better to have sex with someone else than one's own self. Also as an adult, I now have several thoughts about earthworms that I would like to share with the now ducking public...

1. Do earthworms have to remember special occasions like seeing itself naked for the first time or the first time it had sex?

2. Do they first get themselves drunk before having sex or do they prefer to be clearheaded?

3. If they are on a boat that is sinking and women and children go first to they just sit there and wonder if they qualify?

4. Do they get jealous if they catch themselves looking at another worm?

5. What if they have self-love issues?

6. When they argue do they tell other worms to "just go screw themselves"?

-WTS

Happy New Year (Again)

2009-01-01T01:10:00.002-06:00

To all that come to this place I want to wish you a happy new year and may this one bring all of your greatest dreams.

-WTS

An Old Favorite Comes Back

2008-12-14T20:15:00.002-06:00

Yes ladies and gentlemen, it is time to repost a favorite of mine from Mr. William Idol, White Christmas.

Share and Enjoy

Egads

2008-12-13T20:02:00.002-06:00

There are occasions when I should just do something else something
else besides watch television. Perfect example happened tonight. It
wasn't because I was watching one of my guilty pleasures, AFV. I
mostly enjoy seeing the animal portions. Since most of the human
videos revolve around falling down, crashing into something and the
least favorite of mine, the fist/foot/football to the crotch.

It was a commercial that came on announcing the new season of the
Bachelor. You know, it is bad enough that there is an actual show
where there is a lack of romance and passion that leads to marriage.
Now this season the stud in question not only wants to get hitched
blindly, he also ants to find a mother for his son.

This statement should really speak for itself.

Or at least you would think so...

-WTS

What the?

2008-12-10T18:25:00.003-06:00

Okay, so I am sitting in line the other day at Walmart to purchase my last minute goods before my journey and there was a rather young couple in front of me. They seemed very much in love and at the same time very quiet. As they placed their items on the belt, I realized why they were quiet. Not that it is my normal habit to stare at other people's purchases, except when you are putting your stuff behind theirs, you can't help but to notice.

You see, there was a pregnancy test on the belt and they were a bit flushed as the cashier rang it up. It wasn't the test that caught my attention since I understand the mechanics of sex and all. It was the fact that they had a movie as well and the cashier carded the couple because the movie was rated R.

Somehow this whole incident seemed odd to me and maybe worth mentioning...

-WTS

Travel Day

2008-12-09T22:08:00.004-06:00

It happens whenever I travel and it has yet to change. You see, through various times in my life I have had to go to different places for meetings, conventions and even an occasional vacation. Although I think it has been about 6 years since I went someplace to relax. Anyhow, I really don't know what it is with me but the routine is the same.

The Day Before:

- Pack

- Unpack because I forgot to put something in

- Go to the store/laundromat

- Repack

- Halfway unpack because the zipper gets caught on something

- Repack

(Repeat this process over and over again)

- Get to bed early but spend a good portion of the time awake wondering what I have forgotten

The Day of:

- Triple-check the house to make sure everything is off

- Double check the locks

- Get to the airport 2 hours early

- Go inside and wait 90 minutes at the terminal

- Board plane and sleep

- Get to destination

- Find a place that sells sodas and check out the local eateries

- Sleep

- Wake up with an urge to find out where in the hell I am

I love to travel but there are times that I should have stayed in bed...

-WTS

Sorry Folks

2008-12-07T11:54:00.001-06:00

Ok ok ok...

I finally have settled on a new template and I think I am done screwing around with it for now. If you have not seen BA's new template, jet on over and revel in its awesomeness.

-WTS

New Looks

2008-12-04T05:35:00.001-06:00

Well, give the man a restless evening and he will peruse the internet for an interesting template for free...

-WTS

Vacation Over Back to the Grind

2008-11-30T14:12:00.003-06:00

OK here is what I don't get. We leave the education ream for one full week and return for three then we leave for two and then have one week before finals. Somehow this makes sense and the kids are supposed to retain and succeed right? Well I understand the need for holiday breaks and holiday cheer there is something quite odd about the way we decide on how to schedule end of semesters and such.

Maybe I'm just wishing I had another week off...

-WTS

Vacation Well Spent

2008-11-25T13:15:00.002-06:00

Well, staring at the blog most of the morning, I realized that there was something missing and it hit me after going to Rob's blog. I needed tags for my entries! There is something really cool about being able to click on a certain genre of entries and being able to seem them in a nice neat list. However, sometimes my ambitions get the better of me and right now I am beginning to realize it. I started this ambitious project this morning and began digging through entry after entry coming up with tag names and making sure that I would not end up with a list a mile long.

Therefore, on the left side you will see a new section called "Labels" and there you can find what I have done so far. For an example, if you want to see what has been labeled as "Music" then click on it and all of the postings that have to do with music will appear. I will be working on this off and on over the next few days and since there are 500+ postings, it might take a bit...

-WTS

A Reflection

2008-11-24T11:09:00.004-06:00

There is something powerful when you run across another writer that just captures your brain and makes you think. Wil, Rob and Butterfly are three such writers who speak with open eyes and honest hearts. Although sometimes Rob takes weird to the next stage. There is a new member to this ring of Bloggers that has posted something today that really made me think. Take a look at this posting and then continue on below.

Humans are so fully tactile that something as simple as a touch can convey so many different emotions in such a non-complicated manner. As I tend to do, I will look at two sides of this thought and see what becomes of it.

Men read everything into a touch especially when it comes from a woman. Sadly enough, 98% of these contacts are misinterpreted. For an example, a guy is sitting at a diner with his friends and the waitress leans over to get a plate off of the table and one of her breasts lightly touches his shoulder. She will 99% of the time not think about the brief contact while he will get a grin on his face and inform his buddies that she wants him bad. Other examples include a slight touch on the arm, bumping into him with her butt, or even the shoulder-to-shoulder hug. In other words, to a man, slight contact of anything on anything is somehow interpreted as a sexual advance.

Women do read into contact as well, but not always in the same manner. For an example, if a man accidently brushes up against her with his hands, she is checking her purse. If the contact is accidently made with his crotch, like in a very crowded area, she is reaching for the mace. I might be exaggerating here but on the whole, most women do not get into random contact like men do. Reading up on history and looking at the news, it is easy enough to understand. I might be talking out of my southern orifice here, but women want to have seduction instead of immediate physical contact.

Pride is right in the posting, where has seduction gone to? Are we so worried about thought over emotion? Has it become a lost art? Are we in such a rush to jump into bed that seduction has to take a silent back seat? What exactly is seduction anymore?

Here is what seduction is for me and if I receive a Shelia card in the mail, so be it. When I think of the word seduction itself I do not think of trying to get someone into bed with you, for that is hollow and somewhat senseless. If you need to get off, don't involve another person, just excuse yourself for five minutes and handle it. For when used for the wrong reasons, seduction can crush a person into not wanting to feel the love of another person.

Seduction to me is wanting to be closer to someone in heart, body and soul. It is sensual, romantic and really should be done on a continual basis. What I mean is seduction starts with getting to know someone for who they are. There has to be mutual trust between two people in order for the emotions to be true and become stronger with each passing day. What is so wrong with building a strong friendship first? What is so damn wrong with wanting to know a person first?

There is nothing wrong with just looking into each others eyes and staying there for a long time. Seduction is indeed a simple touch whether it is stroking a hand or running your fingers through her hair. Seduction is also knowing how to listen to someone and I mean truly listen with great interest. For if you can not even pay attention to someone long enough to find out more about them and how they are doing, then you just need to end it right there and move on.

Seduction is watching a movie together on the couch or doing the dishes. It can be walking around the block together hand in hand. It can be acting goofy at times and being able to get serious when the tough conversations occur. It is being there for each other when things are good and when they are bad. Seduction is kissing her neck and hearing a slight moan as much as it rubbing it to help get rid of a bad knot. It can be disagreeing with each other but still holding hands during the disagreement. It is having the overwhelming joy of making love to each other and still having that feeling last for hours, even days afterward.

Pride said that the art of seduction is rare and not seen that often. When looked at using the positive definition of seduction, I tend to agree. How many couple do you see just holding hands while walking around? When is the last time you saw a couple just lost in each other? How many more times have you seen a couple be short with each other instead of patient?

Maybe just maybe, we should take more time learning about each other...

Great job Pride!

-WTS

Categories of Poop

2008-11-20T22:06:00.006-06:00

There are just certain defining times in life when you stop and say to yourself, "shit." Then there are others when you need to use stronger words to fully explain the situation so it changes to, "holy shit." Finally, there are the really tough ones that fall under the "holy fucking shit" category. While some of us prefer the lesser abrasive terminology, the message is the same. Well the bad thing when going through any of the stages is going through them. The wonderful thing when you are there are the people that surface as your advocate.

I wrote about this in an entry March 2006 and at that time I thought that I was serious about getting things straight in my life. However, I found myself completely and utterly full of shit. I am getting better at knowing when this is happening by listening to my writing. (Yes, I said that right) Now I am still facing the same type of problems and I feel more confident about what I need to do. So right now, I am in the shit phase and ready to go to level 2. However, the details I will skip from talking about in this forum.

I will not ever make this blog about my deep personal shit only because, well I am not wired that way. This is a place where I can relax and talk about strippers' rights, laundromats and the uptightness of Americans with sex. Those who have been hanging around the corner for a while can gauge where I am depending on the space between posts and how I write. To my five subscribers, I am doing great and there are things that I will be making decisions on soon enough and I will get through them well enough. I have turned off the comments on the posting, first time ever, only because I would rather you send positive vibes my way instead of using your valuable time typing them.

I have much in my life right now that I am very grateful for. The most important is the fact that there are people that I love who love me back no matter what stage of shit I currently am in.

-WTS

Mission Accomplished

2008-11-17T21:10:00.004-06:00

Well dear readers, I am sure that you have been waiting on the edge of your seats to see whether or not I have been able to acquire that elusive copy of the newest expansion to WoW. OK, maybe not so much on the edge of your seats. I am sure that it is closer to hoping I would finally find a copy so I would shut it already.

Well, on a whim, I checked a local gamer establishment and they were down to the last three copies. With shaking hand I picked it up to ensure that it was the right one. I know, sad sad sad geek. With purchase in hand I did not, as my first instinct, race home to install it. For I had to still get cat litter in order to avoid the wrath of Claws. Also, I really needed to eat.

Needless to say, I am waiting for the rest of the files to download and since I had a few, I just wanted to let you know that all can breathe easy now...

-WTS