10 April 2009

Dramatic finish! I must say that the starting pitching has been doing well. The relievers (except for Wellemeyer) have also been doing well. Offense has been doing okay. We get a lot of hits, but we aren't yet converting them into runs. BTW, I checked on Pujols. I guess he did hit into a lot of DPs last year (23).

Strat-O-Matic Report

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BOXSCORE: 2009 Houston Astros At 2009 St. Louis Cardinals           4/10/2009
Whew!
 
  Astros             AB  R  H RBI AVG     Cardinals          AB  R  H RBI AVG
  M.Bourn CF          4  0  1  0 .133     S.Schumaker 2B      5  1  2  1 .348  
  M.Tejada SS         5  0  2  1 .357     C.Rasmus CF         5  1  2  1 .273  
  L.Berkman 1B        4  0  1  0 .313     A.Pujols 1B         4  1  1  0 .350  
  C.Lee LF            4  0  1  0 .143     R.Ludwick RF        4  0  2  2 .313  
C-J.Michaels LF       0  0  0  0 .000     Y.Molina C          3  0  0  0 .222  
  G.Blum 3B           3  0  1  0 .091     R.Ankiel LF         3  0  0  0 .250  
  H.Pence RF          4  1  2  0 .250     M.Derosa 3B         3  0  0  0 .063  
  K.Matsui 2B         4  1  3  2 .333     B.Ryan SS           4  0  2  0 .444  
  H.Quintero C        4  1  1  0 .364     J.Smoltz P          1  0  0  0 .000  
  J.Valverde P        0  0  0  0 ----     T.Wellemeyer P      0  0  0  0 ----  
  M.Hampton P         2  0  1  0 .500   A-J.Lugo PH           1  0  0  0 .250  
B-J.Towles C          1  0  0  0 .000     K.McClellan P       0  0  0  0 ----  
                                        D-D.Freese PH         1  0  1  0 .500  
                                        E-T.Greene PR         0  1  0  0 ----  
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      
         Totals      35  3 13  3                 Totals      34  4 10  4
 
A-Pinch Hit For Wellemeyer In 7th Inning
B-Subbed Defensively (C ) For Hampton In 8th Inning
C-Subbed Defensively (LF) For Lee In 9th Inning
D-Pinch Hit For McClellan In 9th Inning
E-Pinch Ran For Freese In 9th Inning
 
Astros.......... 0 0 0  2 0 0  1 0 0  -  3 13  1
Cardinals....... 2 0 0  0 0 0  0 0 2  -  4 10  1
 
Astros (2-2)             IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA  SCORESHEET
M.Hampton                 7       7   2   2   3   4   0 127   2.57  A1 D4
J.Valverde L(1-1) BS(1st) 1       3   2   2   1   1   0  22  13.50  D5
Totals                    8      10   4   4   4   5   0
 
Cardinals (3-2)          IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA  SCORESHEET
J.Smoltz                  6       9   2   2   1   4   1  90   3.00  A1 C7
T.Wellemeyer              1       3   1   1   0   0   0  21  15.43  C8 D4
K.McClellan WIN(2-0)      2       1   0   0   1   2   0  33   0.00  D5
Totals                    9      13   3   3   2   6   1
 
ATTENDANCE- 42,995 DATE- Friday, April 10th 2009 TIME- Night WEATHER- Good
UMPIRES- Dana Demuth, Todd Tichenor, Doug Eddings, Hunter Wendelstedt
T- 2:55
LEFT ON BASE- Astros: 8  Cardinals: 9
DOUBLE PLAYS- Astros: 1  Cardinals: 4
ERRORS- G.Blum, S.Schumaker
DOUBLES- G.Blum(1st), H.Pence(1st), S.Schumaker(2nd), A.Pujols(2nd)
HOME RUNS- K.Matsui(1st)
STOLEN BASES- K.Matsui(1st)
SACRIFICE HITS- M.Hampton
WALKS- M.Bourn, G.Blum, Y.Molina, R.Ankiel, M.Derosa, J.Smoltz
STRIKE OUTS- M.Bourn, M.Tejada, L.Berkman-2, G.Blum, H.Quintero, C.Rasmus,
             R.Ludwick, M.Derosa-2, J.Smoltz
GIDP- M.Tejada-2, H.Pence, R.Ankiel
 
Skip Schumaker had 2 base hits as the St. Louis Cardinals won in dramatic
fashion over the Houston Astros by a score of 4 to 3 at Busch Stadium.
 
St. Louis scored the decisive runs in a big bottom of the 9th inning with 2
runs using 3 hits.  David Freese started the inning off right when he lined a
base-hit.  Schumaker stepped up to the plate and he doubled.  Colby Rasmus
then banged out a single.  Rasmus took second on the throw.  Despite losing,
Houston out-hit St. Louis 13 to 10.  
 
The victory went to Kyle McClellan(2-0) who went 2 innings, allowing no runs.
Jose Valverde(1-1) was tagged with the loss in relief.  
 
'What a game!,' McClellan said afterward.  'When we won it I almost couldn't
believe it!'

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9 April 2009

Just couldn't get anything going. Also, Pujols seems to be hitting into a lot of DPs. I'm not sure that that is statistically accurate.

Strat-O-Matic Report

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BOXSCORE: 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates At 2009 St. Louis Cardinals        4/9/2009
 
  Pirates            AB  R  H RBI AVG     Cardinals          AB  R  H RBI AVG
  A.McCutchen CF      3  0  0  0 .000     S.Schumaker 2B      4  0  1  0 .333  
  D.Young 2B          4  0  0  0 .333     C.Rasmus CF         4  0  1  0 .235  
C-R.Vazquez 2B        0  0  0  0 .500     A.Pujols 1B         4  0  1  0 .375  
  G.Jones 1B          3  0  1  0 .214     R.Ludwick RF        3  1  2  0 .250  
  R.Doumit C          3  0  1  0 .333     M.Derosa 3B         4  0  0  0 .077  
  L.Milledge LF       4  1  1  0 .143     R.Ankiel LF         4  0  1  0 .333  
  B.Moss RF           4  0  0  0 .133     B.Ryan SS           2  0  0  1 .429  
  A.Laroche* 3B       4  1  1  1 .154     Y.Molina C          3  0  0  0 .267  
  R.Cedeno SS         3  0  1  0 .143     K.Lohse P           1  0  0  0 .000  
  C.Morton P          2  0  1  1 .500   B-D.Freese PH         1  0  0  0 .000  
A-J.Jaramillo PH      1  0  0  0 .000     K.McClellan P       0  0  0  0 ----  
  J.Chavez P          0  0  0  0 ----                                          
  M.Capps P           0  0  0  01.000                                          
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      
         Totals      31  2  6  2                 Totals      30  1  6  1
 
A-Pinch Hit For Morton In 7th Inning
B-Pinch Hit For Lohse In 8th Inning
C-Subbed Defensively (2B) For Young In 9th Inning
 
Pirates......... 0 2 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  -  2  6  0
Cardinals....... 0 1 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  -  1  6  0
 
Pirates (2-2)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA  SCORESHEET
C.Morton WIN(1-0)         6       5   1   1   1   2   0  73   1.50  A1 C4
J.Chavez HOLD(2nd)        2       0   0   0   0   1   0  20   0.00  C5 D1
M.Capps SAVE(1st)         1       1   0   0   1   1   0  23   9.82  D2
Totals                    9       6   1   1   2   4   0
 
Cardinals (2-2)          IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA  SCORESHEET
K.Lohse LOSS(0-1)         8       6   2   2   3   8   0 115   2.25  A1 D4
K.McClellan               1       0   0   0   0   0   0  12   0.00  D5
Totals                    9       6   2   2   3   8   0
 
ATTENDANCE- 45,228 DATE- Thursday, April 9th 2009 TIME- Day WEATHER- Good
UMPIRES- Jim Wolf, Gary Cederstrom, Brian O'Nora, Fieldin Culbreth
T- 2:48
LEFT ON BASE- Pirates: 5  Cardinals: 5
DOUBLE PLAYS- Pirates: 3  Cardinals: 2
DOUBLES- L.Milledge(1st), A.Laroche*(1st), R.Ludwick(1st)
SACRIFICE HITS- B.Ryan
WALKS- A.McCutchen, G.Jones, R.Doumit, R.Ludwick, K.Lohse
STRIKE OUTS- A.McCutchen-2, D.Young, L.Milledge, B.Moss, A.Laroche*, R.Cedeno,
             J.Jaramillo, C.Rasmus, M.Derosa-2, D.Freese
GIDP- L.Milledge, S.Schumaker, A.Pujols, R.Ludwick
WILD PITCHES- C.Morton
WEB GEMS- Top 2nd: Yadier Molina blocked the plate, saving a run!
 
In a game for the baseball purist, Charlie Morton(1-0) and Kyle Lohse(0-1)
squared off in a tense pitching duel, Pittsburgh Pirates finally emerged
victorious over St. Louis Cardinals, 2 to 1.
 
Pittsburgh came up with 2 runs in the top of the 2nd inning with the help of 4
hits.  Lastings Milledge led off and he doubled.  After an out was recorded,
Andy Laroche* stepped in and he doubled.  Ronny Cedeno then delivered a
single.  Morton stepped in and he stroked a single.  Andrew McCutchen came to
the plate and drew a walk to load the bases.  The early run support proved
sufficient for Morton and Pittsburgh.  That was all the run support Morton
required.  After the 2nd inning, neither team was able to score.  
 
Morton was helped out by Matt Capps who recorded his 1st save.

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4-8-2009

This was an exciting game. We came back to tie it, but lost in extra innings. My bullpin was fatigued after the previous 2 games, so I stayed with Wellemeyer longer than I wanted...and paid for it.

Strat-O-Matic Report

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BOXSCORE: 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates At 2009 St. Louis Cardinals        4/8/2009
A tough loss.
 
  Pirates            AB  R  H RBI AVG     Cardinals          AB  R  H RBI AVG
  B.Bixler CF         5  1  3  2 .300     S.Schumaker 2B      5  2  2  0 .357  
  D.Young 2B,LF       5  0  1  1 .429     C.Rasmus CF         5  1  1  1 .231  
  G.Jones 1B          4  1  1  0 .182     A.Pujols 1B         4  1  2  3 .417  
  R.Doumit C          5  1  1  0 .333     M.Holliday LF       0  0  0  0 .286  
  L.Milledge LF       3  0  1  0 .100   A-R.Ankiel PR,LF      3  1  2  1 .400  
D-R.Vazquez PH,2B     1  1  1  0 .500     R.Ludwick RF        5  0  1  0 .111  
  B.Moss RF           4  1  1  0 .182     Y.Molina C          5  0  1  0 .333  
  A.Laroche* 3B       3  0  0  1 .111     J.Thurston 3B       5  0  1  0 .200  
F-R.Diaz PH           0  0  0  1 ----     B.Ryan SS           5  0  1  0 .500  
G-L.Cruz 3B           0  0  0  0 ----     J.Pineiro P         2  0  0  0 .000  
  R.Cedeno SS         4  1  0  1 .091   B-C.Duncan PH         0  0  0  0 .000  
  R.Ohlendorf P       1  0  0  0 .000     B.Thompson P        0  0  0  0 ----  
  E.Meek P            1  0  0  0 .000   C-J.Lugo PH           1  0  1  0 .333  
E-J.Jaramillo PH      0  0  0  0 .000     T.Wellemeyer P      0  0  0  0 ----  
  M.Capps P           0  0  0  01.000     R.Franklin P        0  0  0  0 ----  
                                        H-M.Derosa PH         1  0  0  0 .111  
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      
         Totals      36  6  9  6                 Totals      41  5 12  5
 
A-Pinch Ran For Holliday In 3rd Inning
B-Pinch Hit For Pineiro In 6th Inning
C-Pinch Hit For Thompson In 8th Inning
D-Pinch Hit For Milledge In 9th Inning
E-Pinch Hit For Meek In 9th Inning
F-Pinch Hit For Laroche* In 10th Inning
G-Subbed Defensively (3B) For Diaz In 10th Inning
H-Pinch Hit For Franklin In 10th Inning
 
INJURY: Matt Holliday INJURED (for 2 more games) in 3rd inning
 
Pirates......... 0 0 2  1 0 0  0 0 2  1 -  6  9  0
Cardinals....... 0 0 1  0 2 0  0 0 2  0 -  5 12  1
 
Pirates (1-2)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA  SCORESHEET
R.Ohlendorf               5 2/3   7   3   3   1   4   1  98   4.76  A1 C8
E.Meek                    2 1/3   3   0   0   1   1   0  43   0.00  C9 E1
M.Capps WIN(1-1) BS(2nd)  2       2   2   2   0   2   2  27  13.50  E2
Totals                   10      12   5   5   2   7   3
 
Cardinals (2-1)          IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA  SCORESHEET
J.Pineiro                 6       5   3   1   0   2   0  88   1.50  A1 C6
B.Thompson                2       0   0   0   1   3   0  29   0.00  C7 D4
T.Wellemeyer LOSS(0-1)    1 1/3   4   3   3   3   1   0  38  20.25  D5 E6
R.Franklin                0 2/3   0   0   0   0   0   0   5   0.00  E7
Totals                   10       9   6   4   4   6   0
 
ATTENDANCE- 36,010 DATE- Wednesday, April 8th 2009 TIME- Night WEATHER- Bad
UMPIRES- C. B. Bucknor, Mike Everitt, Gerry Davis, Brian Gorman
T- 4:00
LEFT ON BASE- Pirates: 8  Cardinals:10
DOUBLE PLAYS- Pirates: 0  Cardinals: 0
ERRORS- A.Pujols
DOUBLES- B.Bixler(1st), D.Young(1st), S.Schumaker(1st), A.Pujols(1st),
         B.Ryan(3rd)
HOME RUNS- C.Rasmus(1st), A.Pujols(1st), R.Ankiel(1st)
CAUGHT STEALING- Y.Molina
SACRIFICE HITS- A.Laroche*, R.Cedeno, R.Ohlendorf
SACRIFICE FLIES- R.Diaz
WALKS- G.Jones, R.Vazquez, B.Moss, J.Jaramillo, A.Pujols, C.Duncan
HIT BY PITCH- M.Holliday-2
STRIKE OUTS- B.Bixler, D.Young-2, R.Doumit, R.Ohlendorf, E.Meek, C.Rasmus,
             Y.Molina, J.Thurston-2, B.Ryan-2, M.Derosa
WILD PITCHES- E.Meek, B.Thompson
 
One run was the difference at Busch Stadium as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated
the St. Louis Cardinals in 10 innings 6 to 5.
 
Both teams were tied at 5 runs apiece after nine innings.  Pittsburgh won the
game in the 10th inning.  Garrett Jones banged out a single.  Ryan Doumit
struck out, unable to help the rally.  Ramon Vazquez then drew a walk.
Brandon Moss was up next and he banged out a single to load the bases.
Robinzon Diaz came to the plate and hit a deep fly.  St. Louis went down
quietly in the bottom of the 10th.  
 
The winning pitcher was Matt Capps(1-1) who allowed 2 runs in 2 innings. Todd
Wellemeyer(0-1) suffered the loss in relief.  He pitched 1 and 1/3 innings
giving up 4 hits and 3 walks.

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Strat

I love playing Strat-o-matic. Back in the late '90s-early 2000s, I used to play quite a bit. Then I fell out of the game. For my birthday, Merri-Ann bought me the game again. I just found a "blog" feature. I thought I'd try it out and see what it posts.

Strat-O-Matic Report

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BOXSCORE: 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates At 2009 St. Louis Cardinals        4/7/2009
Exciting, but closer than I'd like.
 
  Pirates            AB  R  H RBI AVG     Cardinals          AB  R  H RBI AVG
  B.Bixler CF         5  0  0  0 .000     S.Schumaker 2B      5  1  1  1 .333  
  D.Young 2B          5  2  4  0 .556     C.Rasmus CF         4  0  1  0 .250  
  G.Jones 1B          3  2  1  1 .143     A.Pujols 1B         4  1  2  0 .375  
  R.Doumit C          4  1  2  2 .429     M.Holliday LF       4  1  0  0 .286  
  L.Milledge LF       4  0  0  0 .000     R.Ludwick RF        1  0  0  0 .000  
  B.Moss RF           4  0  1  1 .143   A-R.Ankiel PR,RF      2  1  0  0 .000  
  A.Laroche* 3B       4  0  1  0 .167     M.Derosa 3B         5  0  1  2 .125  
  R.Cedeno SS         4  0  1  0 .143     Y.Molina C          4  2  2  0 .429  
  P.Maholm P          2  0  0  0 .000     B.Ryan SS           4  0  3  2 .714  
C-J.Jaramillo PH      0  0  0  0 .000     C.Carpenter P       2  0  1  1 .500  
  J.Chavez P          0  0  0  0 ----   B-J.Lugo PH           1  0  0  0 .000  
  M.Capps P           1  0  1  01.000     M.Boggs P           0  0  0  0 ----  
                                        D-K.Greene PH         0  0  0  0 ----  
                                        E-C.Duncan PH         1  0  0  0 .000  
                                          K.McClellan P       0  0  0  0 ----  
                     -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---      
         Totals      36  5 11  4                 Totals      37  6 11  6
 
A-Pinch Ran For Ludwick In 4th Inning
B-Pinch Hit For Carpenter In 6th Inning
C-Pinch Hit For Maholm In 7th Inning
D-Pinch Hit For Boggs In 8th Inning
E-Pinch Hit For Greene In 8th Inning
 
INJURY: Ryan Ludwick INJURED (for 0 more games) in 4th inning
 
Pirates......... 0 0 0  3 0 0  0 2 0  -  5 11  2
Cardinals....... 0 0 0  2 0 0  0 1 3  -  6 11  1
 
Pirates (0-2)            IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA  SCORESHEET
P.Maholm                  6       7   2   2   2   4   0 110   3.00  A1 C9
J.Chavez HOLD(1st)        1 2/3   2   1   0   0   1   0  32   0.00  D1 D8
M.Capps LOSS(0-1) BS(1st) 0 2/3   2   3   2   2   2   1  27  27.00  D9
Totals                    8 1/3  11   6   4   4   7   1
 
Cardinals (2-0)          IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR  PC    ERA  SCORESHEET
C.Carpenter               6       5   3   1   1   6   0  81   1.50  A1 C6
M.Boggs                   2       5   2   2   1   3   0  37   6.75  C7 D8
K.McClellan WIN(1-0)      1       1   0   0   0   1   0  12   0.00  D9
Totals                    9      11   5   3   2  10   0
 
ATTENDANCE- 36,484 DATE- Tuesday, April 7th 2009 TIME- Night WEATHER- Bad
UMPIRES- Jim Joyce, Bill Miller, Brian Knight, Derryl Cousins
T- 2:56
LEFT ON BASE- Pirates: 6  Cardinals:10
DOUBLE PLAYS- Pirates: 1  Cardinals: 2
ERRORS- A.Laroche*, R.Cedeno, C.Rasmus
DOUBLES- R.Doumit-2(3rd), R.Cedeno(1st), B.Ryan-2(2nd)
TRIPLES- D.Young(1st), G.Jones(1st)
HOME RUNS- S.Schumaker(1st)
STOLEN BASES- A.Pujols(1st), B.Ryan(2nd)
WALKS- G.Jones, J.Jaramillo, C.Rasmus, A.Pujols, M.Holliday, R.Ankiel
HIT BY PITCH- R.Ludwick
STRIKE OUTS- B.Bixler-2, R.Doumit, L.Milledge-2, A.Laroche*-2, R.Cedeno,
             P.Maholm-2, S.Schumaker, C.Rasmus, R.Ankiel-2, M.Derosa, J.Lugo,
             C.Duncan
GIDP- B.Bixler, D.Young, S.Schumaker
 
In a dramatic ending, the St. Louis Cardinals staged a comeback win over the
Pittsburgh Pirates by the count of 6 to 5.
 
St. Louis won the game with a rally in the bottom of the 9th inning with 3
runs using 2 hits.  Skip Schumaker started the scoring when he smashed a
bases-empty 'big-fly'.  Colby Rasmus got his chance to keep things going, but
he went down on strikes bringing home one more runner.  Albert Pujols then
drew a walk scoring the final run of the inning.  Both teams finished the
game with 11 hits.  
 
The win went to Kyle McClellan(1-0) who allowed no runs in 1 inning. The
losing pitcher was Matt Capps(0-1) in relief.  He surrendered 3 runs and 2
hits in 2/3 of an inning.  
 
'We just wouldn't give up,' Brendan Ryan said. 'Much of the credit goes to our
fans - they were with us the whole way.'

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Little Colleges that Could: History, Challenges, & Opportunities

It's been another incredibly busy week, and I went home friday just wiped! I haven't done well with my IDPD yet. I need to get that scheduled...

I've been working on a presentation about the History of Community Colleges to give next week. I think it is finally coming together. It's sort of interesting how I got roped into this one. Dr. Burke asked me weeks ago to fill in for him with this presentation. He told me that he already had the slides and would provide me a resource that would give me some background information. I thought it was to be a 10-15 minute presentation. When the agenda for the Leadership Academy presentation was sent out last week, I discovered that I was scheduled for an hour on the History of Blue River. There's a big difference between 15 minutes and an hour.


I talked with Dean C-D, and she emphasized keeping in mind what would have been helpful to me as a participant in the Leadership Academy. She also discouraged "death by powerpoint." As I'm reading Cohen & Brawer's The American Community College, here's what I think:

I think history is most interesting when it provides a context for looking at today. That is, history needs to be presented in a way that is relevant. That said, I want to discuss the history of the community college in relation to the challenges facing the nation and the values that we hold. I'd like to also discuss some of the challenges facing community colleges in general and lead a brainstorming session about the challenges facing MCC.

Next, I'd like to turn my attention to the history of Blue River. I'll discuss our growth and the changes we have faced (especially the last 10 years since I was here for them). I'll also list some of the values the Blue River holds. From those values, I'll address some of the challenges and opportunites before us. I'll then break into groups by campus. I'll ask them also to list out their values (what makes them unique in MCC...all the campuses have their own culture). What are the challenges and opportunites before them?

I'll end with this quote:

Perhaps community colleges should merely be characterized as untraditional. They do not follow the tradition of higher education as it developed from the colonial colleges through the universities. They do not typically provide students with new value structures, as residential liberal arts colleges aspire to do. Nor do they further the frontiers of knowledge through scholarship and research training, as in the finest traditions of the universities. Community colleges do not even follow their own traditions. They change frequently, seeking new programs and new clients. Community colleges are indeed untraditional, but they are truly American because at their best, they represent the United States at its best. Never satisfied with resting on what has been done before, they try new approaches to old problems. They maintain open channels for individuals, enhancing the social mobility that has characterized America, and they accept the idea that society can be better, just as individuals can better their lot within it.

Buckets & Return

I've been back for a week now; it's been quite a whirlwind. On the night I returned, I went straight to my son's campout. On Saturday, MK & X decided to reorganize his room, starting with the closet. We have got to work on de-cluttering the house. I don't remember much about Sunday. Monday was another karate, gymnastics, scouts night. Tuesday was all-day in-service for the college. Tuesday night was violin (rescheduled due to Thursday). Wednesday was a karate, gymnastics night. Thursday was karate testing, and MK sings in a group. Friday, I crashed. MK spent the night cleaning the house. Right now, she's shampooing the carpets. On top of all of our activities, the dog has been on medication that makes him drink lots of water. This, in turn, causes him to pee more. Since we don't currently have a secure outside place for him, that means he's been peeing in the house. We know because of the smell. Even I smelled it, so we know it must be really bad. Oh, and then one of the horses was limping. Another vet visit, and we have medication for him as well. On top of all this, I have tests to grade (that are well past-due), and I have several committees that I need to get moving on.

I talked to Paul about being a mentor, but I didn't do much else with my IDPD this last week. I'm feeling a little guilty about it. I need to be scheduling time to read and reflect each week. With weeks like this last one, I won't get the time if I don't purposefully schedule it. It feels as if I am trying to pick up mercury with my fingers...I'm just not getting a good grip on what needs to happen. Of course, I know from my Strengthquest, DISC, and other assessments that I will push myself to simply work harder. Yet, at the time, there doesn't seem to be much choice. One just needs to slog through over-commitment one step at a time...and just try not to become overcommitted in the future.

I did find time this last week to read How Full is Your Bucket. It's a really good book about the benefits of positivity. Filling others' buckets has never been a skill of mine...but I'm trying to develop it. I think it would be most beneficial in my relationship. MK could use a bit more bucket-filling. I'm also trying it with my grading, but that is much more difficult. I feel disingenous in providing anything less than a perfect score without describing in details all of the ways that the essay fell short of the top mark. Just the same, I'm trying to focus much more attention on what was good rather than the weaknesses.

I also had a really good Division Meeting on Monday. We did the check-in activity without a hitch. In fact, things went well until we started talking about the IDPD. The conversation started to drag as I addressed the concerns of an individual. I thought she raised some important concerns, and I wanted to address them. Unfortunately, the energy was drained by the time I discussed the DISC. I should have saved that discussion until next time. As it is, I decided to put off doing the DISC until next semester.

I also mentioned that I am considering applying for the associate dean position. There was quite a number of people who asked me not to. I'm still waffling quite a bit. Now, I'm concerned that if I don't end up applying, it will seem like a ploy (let me threaten to leave so you can all tell me know great I am). In my desire for input and to be upfront with my intentions, I fear that I may have backed myself into a corner. If I don't apply, I will have to explain to quite a few people why I didn't apply. Yet, I'm honestly not sure that now is the right time. I'm just getting settled as division chair...and there is so much to do.

Types of Learners

Continuing my posts about Ken Bain's book, What the Best College Teachers Do.

In Chapter 2, Bain also provides a couple of lists about motivations behind learners and types of learners.

Motivation:

1. Deep Learners: "Some people respond primarily to the challenge of mastering something"
2. Bulimic Learners: "Others react well to competition, to the quest for the gold and the chance to do better than anyone else....They learn for the test and then quickly expunge the material to make room for something else"
3. Performance Avoiders: "people who seek primarily to avoid failure...In the classroom, they often become surface learners...they fear failure...They often resort to memorization and trying simply to reproduce what they hear" (40).

Of course, it is from the first group that we our students. This is not practical. Students will be deep learners for subjects in which they have an innate interest. As instructors, we can (and should) try to spark that interest in our student. I think we have to understand, however, that not every student will be in this group. The flip side, unfortunately, I think is even more true. Instructors can (and do) sometimes kill the interest in students and thus create an environment that promotes (at best) #2, but more likely #3.

I frequently fear that X will fall into the third category. The boy wants so much to please his dad that I'm afraid I have not provided an environment where it is safe to fail. I must try harder to reassure my little man that failure is a natural part of learning.

The next list is the list of types of learners:

1. Received knowers: "Truth for the received knower...is external." This category focuses on knowing the facts but understanding very little.
2. Subjective knowers: "All knowledge is a matter of opinion." In literature classes, we frequently run into this. We also find it in comp, where a student excuses a grade by stating the teacher didn't agree with the opinion.
3. Procedural knowers: "play the game." These are Jon's learners. Play the game to get through the class to get the requirement towards the transcript. They can be very good students, but education is still extrernal.
4. Commitment: "Students become independent, critical, and creative thinkers, valuing the ideas and ways of thinking to which they are exposed and consciously and consistently trying to use them."

There are two type of Committed learners:

1. Separate knowers: "like to detach themselves from an idea, remaining objective, even skeptical, and always willing to argue about it."
2. Connected knowers: "look at the merits of other people's ideas instead of trying to shoot them down" (42-3).

I find myself most often in the separate knower category. I imagine that most college instructors find themselves in one of the forms of committed knowers. Bain points out that the best college teachers try to reach students at all levels. The teacher reaches to the students and tries to move them a bit further towards commitment.

Mental Models

Wow! I don't know where to start. I am simply a jumble of different thoughts and ideas. I've been reading a very good book entitled, What the Best College Teachers Do, by Ken Bain. I've read the second chapter of this book, and I wanted to record several thoughts. The first thing that struck me was the fact that many students complete a class and do not change their thought patterns at all...even A students!

The thing that Dr. Bain points out is that students mostly attach the new knowledge to their old ways of thinking. If the new knowledge challenges the old way of thinking (isn't this one of the points of getting an education?), then students are more likely to merely memorize what they need to know for the class without caring enough to change the old way of thinking. I almost changed "caring" in the above sentence because it could be misread to think that I'm putting down students. Far from it. The point is that changing mental models is hard, and it disrupts one's life. Most students (even most people) would rather stick with a mistaken mental model than change it...unless the mistaken model fails so much that the student is forced to reevaluate.

The point that Bain makes is that there is a difference of opinion in what needs to happen first. Some believe that students must first acquire a certain basis of knowledge before they can reason, evaluate...all of that stuff that involves a mental model. Bain sides with the other side. He states that new information is constantly being evaluated based on the old model and if the new information doesn't fit, it is quickly forgotten. If we really want students to learn, then we need to engage the mental models.

Students must learn the facts while learning to use them to make decisions about what they understand or what they should do. To them [the sample of the best college teachers], "learning" makes little sense unless it has some sustained influence on the way the learner subsequently thinks, acts, or feels. So they teach the "facts" in a rich context of problems, issues, and questions. (29)

I hope that those in the Humanities division find this book as inspiring as I do. I find myself eager to get back into the classroom to try some of this stuff out.

Academ's Fury

I have just finished the second book in Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series. The comparisons to George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series still abound with Butcher's series a bit more tame and quite a bit less ruthless. Butcher wants a happy ending, and there is nothing wrong with that.

The comparisons to Harry Potter also exist. In this book, Tavi is at school, where he has found himself persecuted for his differences. He's also developed a small group of loyal friends. Through the course of the book, he draws on those friends and breaks the rules in order to help out his patron, the manipulative Gaius.

Don't get me wrong--this is a very enjoyable summer read. In fact, I'm already going on to the third book. Yet, at the same time, I have to admit that the books don't really surprise me much. I could use an unexpected twist or two to keep me on my toes.

On a different point: my son and I are having a contest this summer to see who can read the most books. Right now, he is at five to my two. I need to catch up a bit to keep the pressure on. Yet, I've never seen him show so much interest in reading. It's great!

Furies of Calderon

I just finished Jim Butcher's The Furies of Calderon last night. Don Miller let me borrow the book and told me that Jim was a local author. I went into it a bit hesitantly. I just don't really like to get caught up in multi-volume fantasy tomes, especially if they are still being written. The last one I got caught up in was George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series. I was given A Game of Thrones and was halfway through A Storm of Swords before I realized that the next book still had not been published (this was a couple of years ago). Even now, A Dance with Dragons has not been completed, and his website promises two more after that. I realized that the plots and subplots were so complex that I would need to reread the series each time a new book came out just to follow what was going on. I thoroughly enjoyed the series and look forward to reading it in its entirety some day. I'm just going to wait until it's completed before I start.

I mention George R. R. Martin's series because it influenced how I approached (and appreciated) this book. I love the world that Jim Butcher has created! I think his use of furies rather than the more conventional sorcery is extremely innovative. In addition, this is a world where nearly everyone has some level of "powers."

Yet, I found myself inexplicably disappointed with Jim Butcher's tenacious desire to create a happy ending. Time after time, he puts his characters in mortal peril, and, time after time, he rescues them. It's not that I want to have characters dying left and right, but George R. R. Martin's series had me on the edge of my seat. Martin will kill off or maim a character. His world is brutal, and it kept me guessing. The result was heightened conflict. No one was sacred. Even main characters die. The world mourns and moves on.

Butcher, however, rescues the characters. At the last moment, someone helps out. **Warning: major spoiler coming** Even at the end when I expected someone to die just to keep it somewhat realistic, everyone survives. Even when we see them die, they are brought back. The result is that the book is a bit more predictable. By the end, I expected that Tavi would somehow save the garrison with the help of the Marats, and he does.

Don't get me wrong. I liked the book and have, in fact, moved on to the second in the series (even though the series is also not complete). I like the world, and I like the characters. I also find Jim Butcher to be a fine author. Yet, the tenacious happy ending despite all odds cause me to mentally classify the series with the Harry Potter books. Of course, this is hardly bad company.

Shadow of the Wind

Stephen Covey speaks that we often focus too much on the immediate rather than the important. The state of this blog seems to be proof of that. Yet, it appears that I am maintaining a pretty decent semi-annual update.

I've just read a really good book, The Shadow of the Wind, which focuses on the magic of books. The story all centers around a book that a 10 year old boy, Daniel, finds in a mysterious repository called, "the cemetery of books." This book, also called The Shadow of the Wind appears to be the last copy of a book by a mysterious author names, Julian Carax. It appears all the other copies had been destroyed. As the boy researches into the past of the book, and thereby the author, he ends up uncovering a tale of love, loss, betrayal, etc. More importantly, his life is starting to very much parallel that of the lost author.

I don't know if it is just because I haven't read a good book in a while (one that really drew me in), but I found myself really enjoying the time I spent within that world. My wife and I debated a bit over whether this would be considered "magical realism." There have been parallels drawn between Carlos Ruiz Zafon and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, but the book doesn't seem to have anything really fantastical about it. Yet, the parallels between Julian and Daniel are a bit much to describe without a magical influence. At the beginning of the text, Daniel feels very much that this book has somehow chosen him. If we keep that in mind then I think the book would fall into Magical Realism because it address the magic of literature, which lives in the reader and transports a bit of the author's soul.

Malcolm Hayward, an instructor of mine at IUP, once stated that critics "touched the magic." It's interesting the contour my life has taken. When I was young, I wanted to be an author (to create the magic). When I entered graduate school, I wanted to be a scholar and critic (to touch, and perhaps co-author--or at least explain--the magic). When I started working, I became a teacher (to share the magic with other...at least a bit). Now, I seem to be moving into administration (which is either to view the magic from afar...or to squeeze the life out of it).

Of Refrigerator Magnets and Sledgehammers

There are times with God taps us on the shoulder just to remind us of His presence. My wife had this happen just a little while ago. My wife was getting ready for her horseback riding lesson. Before I go much further, I have to explain that for my wife, horseback riding is not just some activity. Instead, it is almost recuperative for her. Some people work on cars, or shop, or fish, or exercise, or paint, or… whatever. For her, it is a moment to relax and recharge. One of the best things I ever did was to take her to a dude ranch for a summer vacation. It was then that she fell in love with the activity.

Unfortunately, she has been unable to horseback ride for almost a year when she started up lessons gain. The lessons were under the guise of providing them for my son. Actually, to be honest, they were for my son. Yet, it was only a little more expense for her to take the lessons as well. For just a bit more, we were able to provide to provide my son with the ability to explore the activity and my wife with a way to reconnect with this activity that she finds restorative. What does this have to do with God? Be patient; it's coming.

Before the first lesson, my wife was looking for her riding helmet. She found my son's right off, but she had not been able to find hers. Getting frustrated, she decided that if she couldn't find her helmet, she'd just not take the lessons (and just have them for my son). See, at this time, she was still struggling with taking the lessons herself. As much as she enjoys horseback riding, she couldn't bring herself to commit to the little more expense for herself. She had no problem with paying for my son, but she struggled with the extra $10 for herself.

The morning of the lessons, she found her helmet. She was relieved and overjoyed. She really did want to take the lessons, and they really help her stay sane. At the same time that she found her helmet, our two year-old daughter knocked all of the refrigerator magnets off of the frig, leaving only G-O-D (in that order).

Coincidence, eh? You could say so.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I had another similar coincidence. One couple from our small group was coming over to our house for our weekly study. Because the rest could not make it, we suspended our current study on Thessalonians. Yet, I really wanted to have some sort of study. I got on the Internet to see what I could find for a single-lesson study. After looking at several, I found one on Repentance that looked good. That Sunday, Pastor Dave repeated several of the same ideas in his sermon on Sin and how the concept has fallen out of favor in our modern society.

Coincidence, eh? Actually, I explained it away in a different way. I knew that Dave was going to start a series on the 7 deadly sins. Surely that was in the back of my subconscious as I was reviewing lessons. This particular lesson looked good because the idea was in the back of my head. That what I though until…

The next day, I was doing my daily devotional. It's part of a computer package that I have that provides a devotional by the date. I think the original text was written sometime in the 1950s. Still, it's pretty good. On July 3rd, the lesson was on (you guessed it): The Concentration of Personal Sin. Considering that the topic really is out of vogue, that really has to be something more than coincidence. This made me stop and think for a moment. I may need a sledgehammer sometimes in order to see what's right in front of me, but I'd like to think I'm not completely blind.

Yet, a rational person could say that I'm just a little more sensitive to the topic, so I see it a bit more. This is the idea that I'm aware of this topic in close proximity because I looking for it. That is, one finds what one looks for.

So, if one is looking for God, one finds God. Actually, I think there's something to that. Yet, I don't think that it's the case that we create God. Instead, God is present.

I used to say that I needed a burning bush. Why wouldn't God talk to me like that? Sure, there was a little chance of falling over dead or blind from being in His holy presence, but there's not much chance of ambiguity about the message.

I think if we look, there are still burning bushes. Well, not burning bushes per se, but God Moments. Moments with refrigerator magnets, or lessons, or perhaps a minor comment made in the middle of a conversation. I had such a God Moment tonight.

Pastor Dave asked me (pretty much out of the blue) if I had ever considered doing anything on the Internet. I asked him what he meant. He stated that he wondered if I ever did anything with recording my faith walk on the Web. The context was simply that I was considering teaching a class based on John Eldridge's Epic (so the comment really is out of the blue). He didn't know that I've been keeping this blog off and on (more off than on).

More importantly, he didn't know, couldn't possibly have known, that I was debating over making a firmer commitment to keeping an ongoing blog. I was actually debating with myself over keeping the blog and testing the waters with writing an article for a magazine like Christianity Today. (I even looked at the Christianity Today website about their submission policy.) Of course, if I'm being honest, I would probably decide that I should write an article. Then I would decide that the piece wasn't good enough and then put off any real action until I eventually forgot about it. I'm like that.

So, what have I decided with this God Moment? I think I should be writing regularly. I used to think of writing as my gift. Yet, as I started teaching, I found less and less time for my own writing. Second, I think I'll try to keep regular entries in this blog. I'm not so ambitious to think that I'll write daily, but I think weekly is possible. Third, I think I'll keep looking. I don't think finding God's presence is such a bad goal.

Epic: Krapp's Last Tape

In class we just discussed Beckett's Krapp's Last tape. If you are unfamiliar with the play, it is about a 69 year old man who has kept annual tapes about his life. Each year, he listens to a previous one and then records a new one. From the title, we can take it that Krapp was to die before the year was over (hence, this is his last tape).

Overall, there's not much to Krapp. He eats bananas, drinks (some say he's an alcoholic), and makes these recordings. We know that he had aspirations to be a writer, but his text didn't sell very well. In fact, we are told that it only sold 17 copies...11 of which went to libraries. Krapp's is a life filled with emptiness and regret.

The tape that he listens to is one from 30 years earlier. He focuses on a place where he describes a love scene on a boat. This passage he plays over and over again. On the ledger that he records labels for his tapes, he has written "Farewell to Love" by this particular tape. Bit by bit, Krapp had removed everyone from his life. Now, Krapp is in a Spartan room, alone at the end of his life.

Students expressed how depressing Krapp's life was and how depressing this play was. One student asked why he was named Krapp. After all, the name alone made it difficult to discuss such a serious work. Krapp, we are told, has a white face, a red nose, and large shoes. He looks very much like a clown...If only he was so depressing. What Krapp represents is ultimate alienation. He is alone. He has made and listens to his tapes...Analyzing his life, looking for meaning. Yet, he doesn't even like himself (he calls himself a "stupid bastard").

Students were having a hard time relating to Krapp, so I commented that we are like Krapp. The students, of course, rejected this notion. After all, they have their lives ahead of them and live without regrets (at least without regrets of the magnitude of Krapp's).

Yet, when you think of it, Krapp represents the ultimate alienation that has occurred between man and God after the Fall. At one time, we were in paradise (or on a lake) with God. Yet, we wanted something different, so we gave it up. Perhaps, we might say, as Krapp said, "Perhaps my best years are gone. When there was a chance of happiness. But I wouldn't want them back. Not with the fire in me now. No, I wouldn't want them back." Yet, when we really think about it, wouldn't we want them back. Krapp, by the end of his life, would like to have them back. He made a choice, but the price was high. Humanity also made a choice, and the price was high.

This is how I think Krapp's Last Tape fits into the epic. It represents the alienation that we have experienced since the Fall. God did not make us to be alone, but to be in fellowship (for more on this, check out http://www.epicreality.com/WTD11.html). Krapp gave up his present for a possible future, and recorded his life to live in the past. He sought meaning within his own recorded life. In this way, he is a "stupid bastard." Instead, meaning is to be found my finding our place in the greater story. Finding this place comes, not from disconnecting one's self but through fellowship and relationship with God.

It's all a story

In my frantic life, I rush to and fro. This demand and that demand always. . .rarely looking much beyond today, seldom beyond tomorrow, never past next week. Into this flurry, Brian says, "I want to meet with you each week."

"Sure," says I. After all, there comes a point where one more thing to do is just one more thing to do. There comes a point where I gave up hope of getting unburied and just kept shoveling. The beauty of my job, however, is that there is a point where it all goes away. There is a point at the end of the semester where I can take a breath, relax, and retool for the next semester. All is not lost; there is light up ahead.

So I meet with Brian. I have now met with him twice. Each time, I rush into his office as a man who has places to go and people to see. I enter as a busy person with an attitude of "this had better be important." It is.

Brian invites me to sit, so I sit. Brian asks me about my week, so I tell him. Brian asks me to think about more than today, tomorrow, or next week, so I talk about more than today, tomorrow, or next week. For that hour, Brian starts to lift me out of the minutiae of everyday life, and gives me an hour to think about something more than just this instant, just this day.

So, yesterday, Brian is excited about this new DVD called, Epic. This morning, I go and view the DVD, which features John Eldredge. Eldredge discusses the importance of story. This is nothing new. In fact, Lyotard stated much the same in The Postmodern Condition. We understand the world around us through story. In fact, Lyotard goes so far to say that knowledge has to be expressed in narrative before we do understand it.

Eldredge then goes on to say that stories reflect one another. That is, there are common elements between stories. Again, nothing really new. Northrup Frye stated much the same thing when he was discussing archetypes. Joseph Campbell said much the same in his study of myth.

Where this gets interesting is when Eldredge states that the stories we tell reflect a bigger story, a story of which we are all apart. I'm reminded of a story by Leslie Marmon Silko, Ceremony. In Ceremony, Tayo is a half-breed, Native American who returns home after WWII. He feels disconnected and lost. At one point, he feels that he is disappearing and invisible. His illness continues until he discovers his role in a bigger tale. I think this is true of all of us. We are all in a bigger tale. In order to get over our illness, we need to look beyond the I and Me of today and to see ourselves as part of something larger. It is only when we see ourselves as something larger that life starts to having meaning and purpose.

How to Write 750 Words on Blogging

I've been peeping in on my some of students' blogs recently and I found some concerns over the next assignment. They ask how to write 750 words about blogs. On the off-hand chance that any of them actually look at my blog, I thought I'd give some hints.

First, don't set out to write 750 words. If you focus on the word count, you are focusing on the wrong thing. Instead, start by figuring out what you are going to say.

On thing that you might try is re-reading the assignment sheet. There are a list of questions that are designed to get you strarted. You might try freewriting about each question to see what you have to say. Then, you can develop the one that is most promising.

Again, if you are worrying about the word count before you start to write, then you are putting the cart before the horse. The word count is a measurement to help you. Yet, not all 750 words are the same. If you have 750 words that don't say anything, then you will still not receive a good grade. First and foremost, you need to develop your thesis.

Last, if you haven't been doing the blog (or haven't done it very much), you really don't have many experiences from which to draw. If that is the case, I really don't have much advice for you. This is not something that you can do in a weekend. You really needed to be keeping the blog throughout the semester. Keeping up with your blog was a way to develop the material for this assignment. Without that material, I really don't know what you will write about.

True Grit

Whew! I finished my presentation on True Grit last night, and I feel extremely relieved. It's strange, but just yesterday I felt buried. I felt as if I were juggling several things and just hoping that I can keep the balls in the air long enough not to completely drop any of them. Of course, many of us feel this way at this time in the semester...but that's not what I want to talk about. Yesterday, I wondered how I was going to get the hypertext reviewed, papers graded, and my lawn mowed. Today, however, the world looks brighter. Things that seemed impending and ominous, now seem quite do-able. I just never realized how much stress this presentation was creating.

I'm sure my current euphoria will be short-lived.

As for the presentation, I think it went very well. I enjoy getting dressed up in my best cowboy duds, and camping it up a bit. I also like the time that I spend researching for the presentation--I learn so much about a field I really know very little about.

Now, I have to start thinking about next year. The common theme for the college is going to be "transitions." It would be good if I could come up with a movie that fits in with the theme. Any ideas?

Teaching Writing

I've been thinking a lot about pedagogy. This last weekend, I went to a retreat for English teachers and listened a bit to what they did in their classes. The most significant thing that they did differently is that they required more drafts. I require a peer review draft and then a copy for me to grade. After that, I give students the opportunity to revise as often as they wish (but I'll only regrade the essay once). My idea was that the first grade serves as a benchmark and then students have the opportunity to improve. Yet, for several versions, we need to remove the whole grade issue and just work on improving the essay.

Many teachers require multiple drafts that they view before the students turn in one to grade. The students are then graded on providing significant revisions when required. I just don't know if it does that much good for me to require students to revise if they don't want to. With my system, I provide the opportunity to students. The students who want to improve can take that opportunity. Yet, those who don't, don't waste my time. With the required revisions, I fear that I would spend too much of my time looking at work produced by students who don't care and who are just jumping through required hoops with as little effort possible. Perhaps I've just become jaded (already!??), but I want to work with those student who want to learn, but I don't feel that I need to take it personally when a student doesn't feel like learning.

Yet, perhaps I need to require more. Perhaps more structure would be good for them. It is awfully easy to get behind in my class by putting off the impending essays. I know that there were students last week who were just starting the research essay for English 102. I don't know what I can say to a student who is starting that late. I try to provide advice, but I'm thinking that there is very little chance that the student will be able to finish in time. Perhaps it's been too long since I've been a student. Perhaps I've forgotten how easy it is to pull off a weekend miracle. I just know that I couldn't start researching a 10 page essay the week before and hope to have it finished by the due date.

Actually, that's a lie. I could do it. But, I don't fear a 10 page essay. I've written 25 page essays, and, after them, 10 pages is nothing. So, perhaps I'm worried for nothing.

This brings me back to the idea of requiring more. Perhaps I should require a bit more. I could break up the annotated bibliography into a couple of parts and have them due at different times. This would get students researching sooner. Next, I could have students turn in a proposal that would serve as a reminder to get started earlier. Yet, I still think it's up to the student. He or she sometimes learn not to put things off by putting things off. It took me several all nighters before I started to learn--and I still occasionally do a late-nighter or, more likely, an early-morninger to accomplish a task within the deadline.

Well, this post has rambled a bit and really never got to where I wanted it to go. That's the reason why we shouldn't show people our rough drafts--sometimes, they really are just vomit on the screen.

GROW

I just solved GROW! It took me a few tries, and I had some hints before I started trying to figure it out. Below is the order that I used to win.

egg
cube
ladder
sphere
mountain
pipe
weathervane
gear
tornado
dish
rocket
console


--Rich

Spring Break

Ugh. Spring Break is almost over, and I haven't gotten very much done. It's Thursday already, and I'm still looking at over 50 papers to grade and over 400 pages to read by Monday. It doesn't look good for our hero.

You might wonder what I've been doing with all my time. Well, I have accomplished a few small tasks. I've purchased a riding lawn-mower. Now that I have three acres, I don't think my old push mover will cut it. (Actually, I'm sure it would cut it, but I don't want to spend my whole weekends this summer walking behind a mower). I've finally attached the antenna, so I have some TV reception. I put a dimmer switch in the family room (which turned out to be a bigger job than it should have been). I got my library card updated and started reading up on John Wayne for my April Western movie presentation (we're showing True Grit, and I'm providing a pre-movie lecture).

Mostly, however, I've been watching my grandmother and my father's dogs. My dad hasn't been able to get out much over the past four years (longer, really). Actually, from the time he retired, he never really got to enjoy retirement. First, my mother was ill, and that kept him rather house-bound. Then, after she passed away, my grandmother got ill, and he's been taking care of her. As a result, he really doesn't get out much. The only vacation he's had came three years ago. That's when I kidnapped him and took him to the Grand Canyon (my wife stayed to watch Grandma). This time, he went on his own, and we agreed to watch Grandma here.

Well, Grandma really hasn't been a problem. She mostly sits on the couch and sleeps all day. We just have to adjust to her schedule. She gets up at 5 a.m. sharp, eats lunch at noon sharp, and goes to bed at 8:30. Not too much problem. The dogs, however, are another story.

One dog has a heart condition and gets pills twice a day. The other is a diabetic and we have to give him insulin twice a day. We also suspect (know) that the dog is blind. I've seen him walk straight into the couch. Yet, this isn't why they're a problem. The problem is that my house has become their personal toilet. I know they were at one time house broken, but that seems to have left them. They're small dogs, but every time we turn around there's another pile or puddle. Since we really don't have a good fence, I can't just kick them outside for the day. Instead, I spend much of my day following behind with a bottle of Nature's Miracle, cleaning up after them. Who knew that two small dogs could make such messes! Once, I was cleaning up one pile, and before I got it cleaned up, there was another!

At night, we put them in the laundry room (we don't really want to face surprises in the morning…before the first cup of coffee). Well, they spend most nights just howling (one is part beagle). It'll be nice next week when things get back to normal.

Personal Responsibility

I was listening to NPR yesterday, and a listener made an interesting comment about personal responsibility. First, let me set the context. The show was about obesity. About 15 minutes into the show, there was an e-mail message arguing against the premise of the show, which involved the idea that there might be something that will cause a person to stop "choosing" to be fat. This listener argued against the whole, "personal responsibility movement," which "promotes that fat people are fat through some failure of willpower. . ."

Uh, yes.

I guess if there is a "personal responsibility movement" then I clearly subscribe to it. Unfortunately, I see just the opposite happening today. We are quick to give into our genetic makeup and accept that "we are who we are." Genetic predestination seems to become a common excuse for everything from homosexuality to obsessed. It's almost like we are just a slave to our genes. We are being told over and over in our media to accept our genetic makeup and never fight to be any different.

I agree that we are all given different genes. We all have different gifts and different weaknesses with which to work. For some, it may mean that they are predisposed to obesity. Others may be predisposed to addiction. Others may be predisposed to violent tempers. Yet, it stops there. We then choose to be obese, addicted, or violent. This is the great thing about being a human being: we can be more than our genetic makeup.

Now, there is another approach to this "personal responsibility" discussion. (I'll stick with the obesity example simply because it is what started this discussion. I'm not trying to single out overweight people. In fact, most groups that use genetics as an excuse could used as an example). An obese person could state that society promotes unrealistic body types. As a result, this person could say that he or she is not going to try to fit those societal norms. I have no problem with a person going against society--in fact, I often applaud it. Yet, I'd have to also say that that person has made a conscious choice and must, therefore, be willing to also accept the consequences.

It just seems like there are a lot of mixed messages in the media these days. On the one hand, we still get the Romantic message to have dreams. On the other hand, we're told to accept who we are. We can "shoot for the stars" as long as they come easily. Perhaps I'm a throw-back, but I still think there is something to be said for the Protestant Work-ethic, which has kinda fallen out of favor. I believe in hard work to achieve what one desires. Yet, someone could say to me that working hard is not a guarantee in achieving the goal. I agree. There are no guarantees. Yet, it's not really about achieving the goal, is it? It's really about how one decides to live one's life. I think hard work towards a goal leads to a more fulfilled life (even if the goal is never achieved) than accepting less and living without direction.

Just think what the world would be like if everyone stopped looking for a scapegoat and started taking more personal responsibility. Overall, I think we'd have a better, and happier, society.