Sports and News

Big things have been poppin' around here lately. Good ol' BV's football team just won the 5A State Football Championship over Bishop Carroll this weekend. This was great news for a couple of reasons - one, hello...STATE CHAMPS! Two...got to see my good friend Jaime Green at the game. Even though I'm not one of the "special" ones anymore (no official press pass), I managed to get down on the field to visit her for a few minutes during the game.

That, and watching the PBS special "The President's Photographer" have really made me miss the old job, even though I love the current job. I need to get out there more and make more documentary photographs.

If you haven't watched that special, go to their website to read all about it and watch online. It was so good even Gracie wanted a front row seat.

Who ARE these people?

I don't know why I read the story comments on the Star's website. Usually, I don't, but when they publish the searchable databases of public employees, one is sure to see some doozy comments from clueless people.

The searchable databases do not include teacher salaries, I guess, because two or three people are complaining that teacher salaries aren't there.

The following two comments come from the same poster. Keep in mind, like most newspapers, the Star doesn't require commenters to use their real names, so most will post vitriol they would never think of attaching their own names to.

Why aren't teachers salaries published? That's where the highway robbery is! SHOW US THAT KC STAR!!!!

Post the school district's payroll!!!! THAT'S WHERE THE TAXPAYER'S ARE RAPED!!!!! DO WE NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO SEE THE TRUTH?

Sidenote: Gosh, anonymous commenter, you obviously didn't listen to and appreciate your teachers back when you were in school, because you don't know how to show plural words versus possessive words. Wah wah.

Do people honestly believe teachers are living the high life? That we are overpaid? Are you freaking kidding me?

Cruise through the parking lot of a local high school, and you'll see beautiful, shiny new SUVs and sports cars mixed in with older economy cars. In our parking lot, those shiny and new cars are in the STUDENT parking lot, not the faculty lot, for the most part. And, if there are super-nice cars in the faculty lot, it's probably because the educator's spouse has a great job!

Before you start with your "But you get summers off, and winter break, and Thanksgiving break" argument, let me remind you that almost every Sunday, I spend at least three hours (sometimes more) grading and planning for the week. And, a typical day at school for me is 10 hours. Many times, there is work to be done once I get home, too.

I might not get up and go to work every day during the summer like a regular school day, but I work all summer long, teaching workshops, taking my students to workshops, planning and re-working things I've done in the past. The goal is constant improvement to help my students achieve everything they are capable of and more.

I know I'm not the only one. We don't teach for glamour and prestige or high wages, trust me. We teach because we love what we do, and we want to help children succeed. Sadly, many in the general public do not value education professionals. These are the same people who complain about the "state of the world today." Do they think we should just be paid babysitting wages? It seems they think that's all we're doing.

We have to go back to grad school (on our own dime) to further our education to get any type of significant raise. In fact, that's the only reason I'm seeing a pay raise this year - because I've spent thousands of dollars working on my master's degree. We don't get bonuses (like corporate America), and we're not getting step raises this year. It's a wash. I'm just lucky that I teach in a district that is able to not (technically) CUT our pay this year, because of the economic crisis and the state's budget problems.

I'm amazed that people want the best services (firefighters, teachers, police, social workers) but they are not willing to foot the bill for it. Do they think that money magically comes from somewhere? Grows on trees? I don't know.

Hey, Crazypants: You complain that American students can't keep up or compete with their foreign counterparts. How do you plan to remedy that situation by continually cutting budgets for schools? The math simply doesn't add up.

I hope the Star does eventually get around to publishing teacher salaries. Maybe then this yahoo will see that he's completely off-base complaining about our high salaries.

When's spring break again?

If I make it through the next two weeks, I'll be a happy girl. Kids' last day of school is next Wednesday, we go through Friday.

Between now and then, here are just a few things I need to accomplish:
Help yearbook make their second-to-last deadline.
Help newspaper make their deadline this Friday.
Newspaper distribution Wednesday before break.
Two final projects for my master's class: a differentiated lesson plan and a four-part case study of a student I have chosen to differentiate for.
Four forum posts for graduate class.
Trip to Manhattan Saturday with 10 yearbook and newspaper kids for publications boot camp.
Grades posted by next Friday at 3.
Newspaper late night tomorrow.
Yearbook late night Thursday.

Oh, wait, and that whole TEACHING thing. Still have to do that for another week...The good news is, the weather has finally turned just a bit, and the sun is staying up until about 6:30 p.m., so at least we have that going for us.

Luckily, I've been keeping up with what needs to be done in my master's class, so I'll just be tying up loose ends this weekend. Today was the fifth of six weeks in Differentiation. After spring break, we start the fourth class in our Masters of Education cohort program.

I should have my Master's degree by December, which sounds great, except for the fact that rumors are now flying that all non-tenured teachers will be pink-slipped, and only certain ones will be rehired, because of our district's budget cuts. The district is releasing the list to the public on Monday, March 8, so we should be notified any day now if we're on the chopping block.

I'm not tenured (I haven't quite been here for three years yet), but I think I'm pretty insulated. I don't think they'll let me go - won't go into it here, since I've already written about it here. It's hard though, to be in an environment where everyone is walking on eggshells, worried about their jobs.

You could see it on the faces of each and every student in my masters class tonight. You can see it on the faces of district coordinating teachers. You can see it on our principals' faces. It's a weight, constantly there on our shoulders - what's going to happen?

I realize that my little blog isn't going to raise a ton of awareness for support of public education, but I hope that if you're reading this, you understand how important it is for the state of Kansas to fully fund public schools. I heard today that the state didn't make its payment to the district again in a timely fashion, so our paychecks came from the reserve funds. Scary.

Even if you don't have a child in public schools, please understand what they mean for our neighborhoods, cities, and the country. Chances are, you went to a public school. Someone supported you back then, and we need you now. Please let your legislators know that the further we cut, the higher level of quality gets sacrificed.

I heart the Olympics

Adam, Joshua and I watched all four-and-a-half hours of the Olympics Opening Ceremonies last night. Sure, some of it got a little tired after that much time, but it was pretty damn cool.

From an outside observer's point of view, the only hitch came at the end during the torch ceremony when the fourth of the pillars didn't come up. Okay, it still looked good.

This morning, on Roger Ebert post this: @ebertchicago: U.S. tweeters being snarky about Canadian Olympics ceremony. Canuck reply: If you're so smart, why don't you have health care? I get the joke, but unfortunately, I think Americans would be snarky about ANYONE's opening ceremony. It's not just because of our history of thumbing our noses at the neighbors to the north.

I don't think I posted anything too snarky last night. Here's mine:

The cauldron kind of looks like it came from Superman's home planet.

Jeez, they could have at least given The Great One a rain coat or something to cover his head in the rain.

This has been keeping me busy during the opening ceremonies. Started a new sock. Excuse the bad photo. http://yfrog.com/3i6t0tj

Swedes have the best hats!

Wait! What? Thanks, NBC. Your commercial break totally screwed the athletes of my motherland. We're still rooting for you, Croatia.

Granted, I was knitting during the telecast, so I had something keeping me from becoming bored, but all in all, I thought it was a good show. Loved the Tom Sawyer-like prairie segment.

I would like to know, though, if NBC would have shown the footage of the luger if he would have been an American athlete. As we watched the news intro to the ceremonies, they showed him flying off the track, and I asked Adam and Joshua if they thought an American would be showed like that. The man died. Cover the story, but we don't need to see the footage over and over again.

We're talking about ethics in J1 this week. I think we can use that scenario as an example for the students to discuss in class. What would they do if they were the TV news producers?

Yikes. Things aren't looking good.

Anybody who hasn't been under a rock for the last year or so knows that the money is tight in a lot of places. The economy is "slowly recovering" according to some, but companies are laying people off, state budgets are looking awful, things are being cut, cut, cut.

Monday after school we had a meeting to talk about the district's budget forecast. It sounds awful. We've already cut $11 million between cuts made last year and cuts made during this year, and there are more to come.

Layoffs are on the table. Salary freezes are on the table. Program cuts are on the table. It's hard to know who's safe and what our jobs will look like next year. Some teachers might be teaching different classes, larger classes. I'm nervous. I pretty sure I won't LOSE my job, but if there aren't enough students signing up for yearbook, newspaper and journalism classes, suddenly I become an expensive proposition for the school and the district. I'm not certified to teach any other area, so I'm sort of stuck.

I spent last Thursday at the state capitol with four of my students. They competed in a contest sponsored by KSPA. Students interviewed our legislators to find out what they were thinking on the state's budget and so the school district's budget. Those we spoke to are not in favor of any sort of tax raises (not even on cigarettes). Their solution is to continue cuts. We're pretty much all the way through any fat there was, and we're getting into the muscle and bone.

Why not increase taxes on something that is NON-essential for life? Whatsa matter? Smokes getting to expensive for you? Well, QUIT. Or, help me educate the doctor who might save your black lungs someday.

I realize tax increases aren't a popular proposition, but when you are talking about schools, it's tough to to stomach cuts to programs. I saw that in my former district, they're talking about removing art classes from elementary schools. For some students, the chance to participate in art classes is a lifeline.

The scariest thing I heard on Monday during our staff meeting was that the district has already had to dip into our "reserve" fund to cover payroll three times this year. That means three times the state's payments didn't make it to the district in time to pay our salaries. That reserve fund sounds pretty important to me, but one of the possible "solutions" the state is proposing is districts returning those reserve funds.

If this keeps up, I might have to really get you clicking on the Google ads...we could be looking for some supplemental income.

La la la la la! I'M NOT LISTENING TO YOU! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!

The title of this blog refers to the picture I see in my head each time I think of the thousands of parents who are calling school districts all over the country right now regarding President Obama's speech to schools on Tuesday.

Parents are pulling their kids from school. The speech is about inspiring students to be motivated, get good grades, do well in school, and dream that they can make something of their lives. It's a message of personal responsibility - how can you disagree with that?

It's not about health care, it's not about auto or bank bailouts. (What kindergartener would want to listen to that anyway?)

Jim Greer, the chairman of the Florida Republican Party said "Taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology." It's socialist ideology to inspire kids to do well in school?

Maybe some of the parents need to spend some time in schools during the day to understand that a message of personal responsibility is not a bad thing. According to Arne Duncan, the secretary of education, the dropout rate in the U.S. is 30 percent. Almost a third of children enrolled in schools don't complete 12th grade?

I am lucky to teach in a district that is at the high end of the spectrum - almost all students are college-bound, and the community is incredibly supportive of teachers, and students, and all of our efforts.

But I know that in some places, a message from the president, could go a long way in inspiring students. Would people be so upset about this is the speaker was say, a famous athlete? A movie star? Same message, but no "politics."

I am amazed at the firebrand politics surrounding this speech. The same people who just six or eight years ago were saying "If you speak out against the war or against President Bush, you're being unpatriotic" are now doing what they said not to do. Isn't it still unpatriotic? It's still the president, it's just a different guy from a different party. If it's unpatriotic for anyone to speak against the president, it's unpatriotic for everyone (I don't believe speaking against the President is unpatriotic, I believe it's our right under the First Amendment).

I guess the biggest disappointment for me, and this latest news crystallizes it, is the fact that civil dialogue in our country is so far from civilized. I know that I don't agree with everyone on everything. But I'd like to think that I can listen to the other side of the story, and then continue to dialogues about what is being discussed. We can agree to disagree, and we can still be friends. That doesn't seem the way it is these days - discussion is so polarized, and one side isn't willing to work with the other side.

Where are we heading?

Spreading the news

Most of you have probably already seen this because you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, but here's the link to the web version of the Shawnee Dispatch story about my work for Team in Training.

You can read the story (and see the photo of Mitzi and I running) here.

This last week, I made it over the $3,000 mark! Can't believe it. Garage sale this weekend at our place - donate items that you don't want anymore, or come and shop!

Why won't the weather cooperate?

Last night, I ran 3.5 miles, and it was almost 7 p.m. when I was done. Today, when I left school, it was B E A utiful outside - sunny, no wind, car thermometer said 68 degrees.

This Saturday morning, the team is running 10 miles, and what's the weather forecast? SNOWY, windy, 30 degrees.

Seriously?

And, it's not just the I-don't-want-to-run-in-the-cold part that bothers me. I work in all day long in a classroom that's in the middle of our building, with no windows. I never know what the weather is like, or get to enjoy the nice days until after 5 p.m.!

Come on weather gods, give us some nice weather on the WEEKEND for a change.

Last Friday, some of my students and I traveled to Emporia State on the big yellow twinkie for their journalism regional contest. We had 13 students who qualified for state! So, those students will compete in May at KU. I'm so excited for them, and so happy that my students are so passionate and dedicated to what they do. All those wins makes our frozen bus ride worth it!

Seriously, when we trooped off the bus, most of us couldn't feel our feet - the heater wasn't working, and some of the windows wouldn't go all the way up and stay. Twenty degree temps and those bus factors makes for a bunch of student-cicles. I had brought along a book to read on the bus, but I gave up because I couldn't turn the pages wearing gloves, and I was so cold I didn't want to take my gloves off!

Just watched LOST - now it's time for bed. So, this one's short and sweet, but it IS an update...Who's watching LOST? What do you guys think? I can't decide what the hell is going on with Ben and Widmore. It's frustrating!

More economic confusion on my part

Isn't it better to possibly take a pay cut than to have no job at all?

I was just reading this story about the auto bailout collapse last night. It looks like the plan fell apart because they couldn't agree on language concerning wage concessions for union workers.

(Don't read this and think I am anti-union. I am a union member.)

When GM is talking about the possibility of not making it through the year (like, two more weeks), maybe the workers ought to think about taking some wage/benefit cuts. Cuts are better than being unemployed. It's not as if they'll be able to walk off the line, head over to the next carmaker (or fast food restaurant for that matter) and get a job quickly. When we lost a record number of jobs last month, I would think people would be interested in doing everything they can to keep the jobs they already have. There's a whole lot of people in this country looking for work right now.

I heard on NPR yesterday, one of the Michigan senators say that one in seven jobs in this country are connected to the auto industry. If that's true, we're in hot water. If that's true, some of those workers are going to have to take pay cuts.

I say this knowing full well that wage freezes could most definitely be in my future, too. Would I be happy about that? Certainly not, but I need my job.

It's called "taking one for the team," and every other person in this country has been asked to do that since the financial bailout, that "one" just isn't coming directly out of our pockets.

And yes, I know the workers didn't make the decision. It was the senate who couldn't come to a consensus. I just don't know what to think, whether or not I should be mad, who to be mad at, etc., when it comes to this talk of bailouts. More and more, we're sharing our money with companies who, for lack of a better term, screwed up.

Surely, someone who worked at the Big 3 could have figured out that gas was going higher and higher, and eventually people would wise up and stop buying Expeditions, Hummers and Suburbans. Didn't they see the tipping point? Greed, greed, greed.

Sound familiar? It's the same crap that got the financial sector in trouble as well.

I am proud that Adam and I can take personal responsibility for our actions and current station in life. I can go to bed at night knowing that we are doing the right thing. How did all those other guys sleep at night?

Weren't they nervous? Guilty? Scared?

Maybe severe sleep deprivation led to their poor decision-making skills?

Why can't people just do the right thing?

Twitterlicious

I've gone to the dark side. I'm now officially tweeting, along with the Wichita contingent, on Twitter.

I didn't blog from St. Louis since the Internet wasn't readily available, but I was tweeting pretty consistently. Twitter has been called "micro-blogging." That's what it's like for me. I have to figure out how to say what I want to say in less than 140 characters.

You'll notice that there is a feed from my Twitter site on the right side of my blog. So, if you feel like you've gone too long between fixes of Chittum blogs, chances are you can read the news down there. If I don't have the time or inclination to write a full-blown blog, I just might post a tweet.

Betsy says lots of Etsyians are using Twitter as a marketing tool, but I don't want to be a Twitter spammer. Would that be a Spitter?

I'm working on Christmas presents, getting caught up on grading, and keeping my head above water for the next week, until Thanksgiving break. Almost. There.

•••

Here's a funny from my J1 class today.

We are studying editorial cartoons, and the meaning and symbolism behind them. One of the students chose a cartoon about Obama's inaugural ball. In the cartoon, Obama staffers are saying they have everything they need for the soiree, but they need to know what to feed the "multitudes." The other guy answers back, "He said all he'd need is five loaves and two fish."

So, the kids starting discussing the Biblical allusion in the cartoon, and the fact that some people believe that Barack is the second coming. Some kids got it right away, some didn't. So, one girl explained it for everyone, and it was so cute - she said:

"You know, there's that one scene in the Bible where Barack Obama says he can..."

It was just a slip, but we all got a good laugh out of it. If there was a quote wall for J1 like there is for newspaper, that one'd be in the hall of fame.

This just in...Obama in a landslide!

Normally, I'm well on my way to sweet dreams by this time of night. Couldn't do it tonight, though. Had to stay up to see what happened.

I'll probably be awfully tired at school tomorrow, but I think the energy and excitement surrounding the news will make up for it. The newspaper staff got permission to send one page tomorrow (our deadline was tonight at 5), so they get to have one page of election coverage. We've got to meet at school at 7:10 to get the page done, and have it sent by 10 a.m. Hopefully as I type this, the two columnists are typing their own words, and we'll dump them on the page first thing in the a.m.

He did it. We did it. And this isn't one that's going to be contested in courts for the next two months. Obama won, and he won big.

As I watch the footage of celebrations in Times Square and Grant Park, where he'll be speaking (hopefully) soon, I'm only thinking one thing - please, let this energy and level of political engagement continue. The kids at school (who aren't even old enough to vote yet, in most cases) were abuzz with election politics the last few weeks.

This has been an inspiring campaign, one that I hope will turn into an inspiring presidency. President-elect (!) Obama and his crew have proven that they know how to organize and mobilize the electorate. Will that grass-roots involvement continue? Can we make some things happen?

I truly believe that Barack Obama has the promise of being a president for all Americans, not just the ones who fall in lock-step with his beliefs. Open exchange of ideas and partnership can help us move in the right direction.

Change has been a long time coming, and it's finally here.

Everybody's doing it - you should too!

I've already done it, but if you haven't...

Get out and vote today!

Bring something to read - you'll probably be waiting in long lines, but don't let that deter you.

I've been wondering what the polls would look like on election day, since we voted in advance, I thought I wouldn't get to see it. But, our school is a polling place, so I'll be able to get an idea of how crowded it is by checking that out.

Happy First Tuesday after the First Monday of November!

Hate to tell you this, but you can't have it both ways.

An open letter to Sarah Palin and the Repubs:

Had some downtime during Parent/Teacher Conferences last night, so I was reading the New York Times and came across a couple of articles about Sarah Palin and her fancy-schmancy new wardrobe.

I just want to know, Sarah:

Are you "just a Hockey mom"?
Is your husband "Joe Six Pack"?
Are you really "just like typical Americans"?

I'm pretty sure I'm in your target audience, since I am Midwestern, middle class, etc. I mean, you can't get much more "American" than Middle America, so you don't have to worry about us being Anti-American, right?

But, I'm scratching my head, trying to figure out the last time I spent $150,000 on new work clothes. Oh, wait, that's right - NEVER. My work clothes come from Wal-Mart, Target and Kohl's, and Old Navy. I think that's what truly represents your everyday American who is on a budget.

So, which one is it? Would you rather be like all of us, as the Republican Party has been trumpeting for the last two months, or are you now a true member of the Washington elite? Option 2 doesn't sound too "Mavericky" to me. How 'bout just buying yourself a silkscreened T-shirt with "The New McCarthyism" emblazoned across it? Maybe that'll help you root out those nasty people who have done nothing wrong but disagree with you. Last time I checked, we are allowed to do that in this country, based on the First Amendment (and any of my high school freshmen could educate you on that). So, really, if you think they should be silenced and removed from government, maybe you're being Anti-American...

P.S. What will you do with all those clothes when you're done? Good luck paying income tax on all of it - they are gifts, after all.

Craving something new and different?

Like someone who doesn't know what the hell she's talking about being a heartbeat away from the presidency?

I don't think so.

"Darn right it was the predator lendors."
"Everyday American people, Joe Six Pack, Hockey Moms across the nation."
"Hurtin' like it is."
"A heck of a lot"
"Barack's plan to tax increase..."

Um, how exactly do you tax increase?

It's almost like you could see the mental Rolodex shuffling through the facts behind those trendy glasses. My plan was to add more phrases than that, but I got bored and disgusted so I had to stop.

Evidence that the American media has lowered the bar frighteningly so: People are saying she did well, just because she didn't completely flub it. I'm sorry, but all I could think of while watching was that phrase from "Mean Girls" - word vomit.

Do the Republican strategists really think women will vote the McCain-Palin ticket just because it has boobs?

I hope not.

By the way, the alternate title for this post was: Tina Fey for VP!

We're all in this together?

I don't think so.

Twice today, I heard on the radio that the politicians think we're all in this financial crisis together.

Sure, "we're" all suffering the consequences right now, but I am for damn sure not in this with everyone else. Adam and I have owned two houses - we bought little, old houses, that were charming, and most importantly, that we could AFFORD.

Novel concept, I know. Pay back what you owe. Since we got married, we had a little credit card debt, but guess what: It's paid off!

I feel like we've done everything right. We don't live beyond our means. Yes, we buy some stuff we don't really need (see: Wii Party 1). But, overall, we are pretty careful about spending money. And even though we've lived right, I know eventually we'll get screwed in this deal somehow. Those of you who are more well-informed than I, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, comment if you disagree, whatever. But, I just feel like my tax money should be spent on things like great schools, public services like fire and police, and good roads (I am from Kansas - we expect pristine roadways around here...), NOT to bail out giant companies who got themselves in this mess.

Maybe those in charge of the corporations should dig into their personal savings accounts, severance packages, 401Ks, and contribute some of those millions to the cause!

Everybody knows where I stand on the whole Obama/McCain issue, but I did hear Obama say something today that I disagree with. He made an analogy that if your neighbor's house was on fire, you would just grab the hose and start fighting the fire, not blaming them for always leaving the stove on or smoking in bed. To me, that analogy doesn't fit here. It's not even in the same ballpark.

This is obviously failed economic policy. What happens now? I could care less about the jerks who got us into this mess, but what about all the rank and file employees who could lose their jobs? Lose their retirement accounts? What about those of us who have done the right thing economically, but will still be swept up in this mess?

Do Adam and I need to get our garden growing next spring so we can feed ourselves and have food to barter?

The "economic crisis" hasn't had a huge effect on our daily lives yet (except for high gas prices) but I think I really am starting to worry about what's going to happen. Last night, I lay awake for about two and a half hours. Is that nagging stress trying to tell me something?

Why do the people who are elected to represent us and protect us allow things like this to happen?

File this under: Friggin' idiot (Ike MRE fraud)

Someone on the J Teacher listserv sent this story by e-mail to us today:

Baytown teacher stocks up on free MREs, stirs up cyberworld. Here's an excerpt:

Michelle Homer / KHOU.com

Jacki Steinhauer is one of the lucky ones. She has no damage at her Deer Park home, she has power and she doesn't have to work since her school is closed.

"Life is great after a hurricane when nothing really happened to your house!" Steinhauer says in her blog, "The Secret Life of an Uninteresting Teacher."

The most recent entries brag about all of the free MREs she's been eating -- MREs that are meant for hurricane victims who have no food because they have no power. Some of those victims have no homes.

The teacher has it down to a science, according to her blog: "I got Schlotsky's today for lunch and went again to the courthouse in Baytown to get my water, ice, and food. This time, there were different meals, but hopefully as good as the others. Then, i came home, emptied my trunk and then headed off for the Deer Park POD (Point of Delivery)."

"I think that I am falling in love with MREs. They are pretty darn good. I went around 5:30 to go get more MREs and actually got another box of real MREs, water, and ice," Steinhauer wrote on Wednesday. "Right now, I have five cases of water, two 20 pound bags of ice, four 10 pound bags of ice, and four boxes of MREs."

While stocking her pantry and frig with taxpayer-funded freebies, Steinhauer has become quite the MRE connoisseur.

Seriously?

Nothing like this little heart-warmer to restore your faith in the goodness of humankind.

I hate that she's a teacher. Being a teacher has nothing to do with her acting like a jackass, stealing from those who really need help right now, and being stupid enough to post it for the world to see, but there will be other jackasses out there who will somehow turn this story into a "All teachers are idiots, we pay teachers too much...insert other ridiculous anti-education rhetoric here rant."

When the TV station first contacted her, she told them she didn't have a job - even though on her blog post it said "This is great. I don't have school and getting free food!"

One of the forum commenters probably said it best - karma will come back to bite this woman in the butt in a big way one of these days.

Barack Rolled

You've got to check this out. I wish I could get the code so I could put it right on here, but I'm not THAT good of a blogger.

I used to love the song - back in the day.

I can't believe that someone would take all the time to do all of that cutting and synching the song and video.

Maybe he should make a video for the song "Too Much Time on My Hands."

I'm a huge NPR nerd

So much so that I listen to it every day on my way to and from work. Great for my job, not great for my trivia knowledge - my lack of pop radio knowledge really shows.

But I digress.

I'm watching the Democratic National Convention, waiting to see Hillary's speech. I'm on the NBC feed, listening to Brokaw and other NBC talking heads. Imagine my surprise to see that one of their analysts is Michele Norris, from "All Things Considered."

I hear her voice every day, but I've never seen her face. (Yes, I know, we have this wondrous thing called the innernets that allows us to find out just about anything we want about anyone we want, but I'm not going to come home and Google a radio personality. I mean, come on.) Yet, anytime I see someone from NPR on TV, I'm fascinated. I love to see what they look like.

Nine times out of 10, they look nothing like I pictured in my head. She's no exception.

•••

On our way home from dinner tonight, we listened to Kathleen Sebelius's speech. I like her so much. She makes me proud to be a Kansan - and that's not something I say a lot when we're in the national spotlight. Usually, it's our two-steps-backward thinking that we're being highlighted for, not our talented politicians.

•••

I'm off so I can watch the film and speech.

UPDATE: Watched the Hillary speech. I'm obviously a little biased, but I thought she did a great job. I can't imagine how hard it would be to stand up in front of the nation and give that speech, after working so hard to be elected herself.

I loved watching the reactions of the crowd as NBC cut between Hillary and the people. Some of them were genuinely worked up to the point of tears. I am so glad there are so many passionate people out there, who believe in the good that can be done, if only given a chance.

Certain segments of the population really take joy in criticizing Hillary Clinton, using incredibly degrading terms for "woman" when they talk about her. That was in the back of my mind last night while watching the speech. I'm pretty sure those people are completely and totally intimidated by a woman who is smarter than they are, and more powerful than they are.

It's a lot harder to keep a woman under your thumb when she can run circles around you in a mental marathon. That kind of stuff really makes me mad. Why, in 2008, do people still insist on judging her or any other woman in those terms? What does that matter?

She's just a senator, not a female senator. I hate that qualifying of the term all the time.

Leading up to the speech, all of the talking heads kept saying how worried the Obama camp was about her speech. They didn't know what was in it, what she was going to say. I think that's so funny - what did they think she was going to do?

Unity is the word of the day. I hope that sentiment lives through this election and on into the next president's term. (No, I didn't say Obama - not going to jinx it yet.)

And I didn't even have to re-register as a Republican!

I thought about changing my registration before yesterday's primary so I could cast a vote for Phill Kline's opponent in the race. I never got around to it, but it doesn't matter. The people of Johnson County made a big statement last night - we don't want someone using the DA's office to continue a personal crusade, we want someone who will prosecute criminals.

Kline was handily defeated last night.

Somehow, though, I'm thinking this won't be the last we see of him. Here's to a Kline-free couple of months.

Thank you, Phil Gramm

You have just proven to me that "some" people in government have NO IDEA what it's like for ordinary Americans in their daily lives.

I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine spending $50 last week to fill up my fuel-efficient Pontiac Vibe.

I'm pretty sure I haven't imagined the news stories about foreclosures being up by 50 percent.

I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine the layoff notices that some of my friends have just received.

Good luck digging out of this hole.