The Daily News

1  Okay, so once again, the DN clearly was written, at least in my own frabjous mind. It disappeared. I think, psychologically, that I needa get looked at! 

2   So quite suddenly, I find myself once again confronted with the daunting task of amusing me peeps early in the mornng, doncha know!

3    And Xanga suddenly decides that whatever I wrote was certainly not worth reading.

4    This time, for whatever reason, the fonts keep changing size, and it's sort of like The Exorcist 3 trying to write this. I will type, and the fonts will spin around like a sixty-year old Linda Blair on a Butler Amusement ride, and then spit guacamole all over my screen.

5  Okay, so I might be over-exaggerating.

6  Or not.

7  I'm probably going to be late this morning, but the DN deadline MUST be met.

8  So this is a super-quick effort to make this thing work.

9  Honestly, last night I was writing like crazy, but the letters kept shrinking; the fonts kept changing, and when I called in a priest, he began talking in tongues, so I just went to bed.

10 I'd better go, or Buzz will be teaching my students first period.

11 'Til the next time...

The Daily News

1  Guess what?  I wrote the Daily News last night, and this morning it had disappeared, through my own idiocy, I'm quite sure. So I have a race against the clock this morning trying to get this out to the masses.

 

2  All Shook Up:  Did anyone feel the earthquake yesterday? I didn't even know we HAD one until after I had put the now-invisible Daily News to bed last night.  It was a 6.0!  That's a  shaker!  I remember yesterday in Drama Class, a student asked why the mirror-ball was moving. I looked up, and it was, but I really didn't think "earthquake" because nothing seemed to be shaking. The epicenter, evidently, was near Carmel/Monterey areaa: pretty darned close for us not to have felt it.

3  Anyway, the mirror-ball surived, as did we.

4  Did you hear about the new action-figure MLB (that's Major League Baseball for you laypersons) player?  It comes complete with a fence, real fake grass, and little mini balls, batteries, beer bottles, firecrackers, etc. that you could throw at it. Amazingly, unlike action figures of the past, this one will attack you back, even if you didn't throw the stuff. He has nearby balls, helmets, bats, and beer bottles, as well as a lawyer. This amazing toy is manufactured by Milton Bradley. Batteries and intelligence not included.

5  They also have fan action figures who sock each other over record-breaking home run balls. They, too, have lawyers.

6  BUT SERIOUSLY, sad to see a franchise move. Bon Voyage, Spos.

7  If you get pied by a sweet potato this morning, you just got hit by a meteor.

8  Speaking of sports, did you see that they have once again changed the name of my old stomping ground, Candlestick Park? The Niners cut a four-year deal Tuesday with Monster Cable Products, Inc. to change the name to Monster Park. This happens immediately.

9  What a sad demise for that wonderful place. It pretty-much LOOKS like a monster these days: ignored, overrun with weeds, rusty, leaky pipes, and cold as ever. It's like watching an old friend turn hideous.

10 I met with Angie Higgins last night. She is the Director of the Pigeon Players' upcoming production of Thugs, which, she told me, is NOT a world premiere. We hit it off well; both of us had the exact same design ideas, and it was pretty exciting. She has over 17 people auditioning, and also informed me that if YOU would like to audition without all the rigamarole (sp?) of headshots, monologues, signing up for a time, resumes, etc. then just drop in tonight at 8 p.m. How's THAT for easy?

11 Okay, that was a world record for getting to a deadline.

12  I need to dash.

13  Out.

The Daily News

1  Whew.

2  This might sound wrong, but I have not been printing the DN for the PA Department this year, because I didn't think students were reading it anymore.

3   Well, turns out I was wrong. At collaboration yesterday, Ms. Hooper told me that a lot of students were wondering what ever happened to the Daily News.

4   I think beginning this week might not quite work, since the newer kids aren't yet acclimated, so I think I'll get it out to them on Monday. At least, that's my goal.

5  Meanwhile, for the rest of you, here are some things:  Tonight, beginning at 6:30, the Pigeon Players begin auditions for Thugs. If you wish to audition, make an appointment by contacting Angie at pigeonplayers.org.  You are supposed to have a headshot, comic monologue, and resume, but I am guessing that you would be allowed in just on a cold reading, provided you could offer your schedule, as well as conflicts.  The Drama Workshop is well aware of all of this, so at least the Drama kids know all about the Pigeon Players.

6  Also coming right up: a rock concert, Tuesday night at 5:30, $5.00 at the door. We are also making tickets, backstage passes, set/light designs, and all the rest.

7  The Bands:  Called To Ruin, Vindictive Tomorrow, Redfall, A Life in Vain, and Undergone, all of whom are known locally in the rock community. This event is BIG for all of us, and a special thanks goes out to Mr. Moser, Dr. Calloway, Nik Baeza, Thuy Ann Le, Jose (hey, there's only ONE Jose!), Sparky, Mr. Rocha, and the Senior Class of '05. This is a fundraiser for the Senior Class, but really, it's an event, pure and simple.

8  These wonderful people, diverse in interests and yet all excited about an event this huge, extend an invitation to the entire community for an evening sure to rock everyone's socks! In the past, rock concerts in the Theatre are usually so different and fun that the $5.00 you throw out to the Senior Class is every bit worth it.

9  And so begins the never-ending memories that only the Theatre can bring. We've ALL been there; the Theatre is home, period. I want to encourage EVERYONE to get to this event and show support.

10  It doesn't look good for me doing a set, because most of the people I would want to jam with have been busy beyond words, but already a few guitarists and jammers have come in, and we have enjoyed just catching up.

11 So within days, things are beginning to rock in the Theatre.

12  I spent the afternoon hanging around the Theatre, watching Jose and his Krew designing, building, and all the rest.

13  Oh. His last name IS Torres. Rumor has he has a birthday coming up this week, but I really will believe it when I see it.

14  Meanwhile, the fun has just been turned up a notch.

15  Hope you could all make these events!

16  Peace, and I mean that, O you draftees!

17  See ya tomorrow!

 

The Daily News

1  "We  can't play lke that and expect to win."
                                    --49er Head Coach Dennis Erickson

2  Guy's a genius.

3  Monday, Monday...

4  No matter how you cut it, Mondays never seem to run the way they potentially can.

5  Hey, see that? I avoided ending a sentence with a propostion.

6  I saw some commercial today in which a bride is about to throw a bouquet, out on a cliff at the ocean, only to throw it a little too far, causing all her bridesmaids to fall off the cliff and plop into the ocean.  Have any of you seen it? It's pretty good.

7  Of course, I loved it.

8  Where's Holden Caulfield when you need him?

9  Lessee...I'd love to throw in a quick item about the Giants, but they seem to be writing their own book. Yeesh.

10  We have lots coming up this week: Pigeon Players' auditions for Thugs; a rock concert on the horizon, and our own good ol' Drama Workshop beginning auditions for the Fall One-Acts, all of which means someone around here is bound to be pretty busy.

11  I was out at SBC Park this weekend selling overpriced stuff to people who could afford it, so I am as rich as Croesus tonight. That will last about twelve/tenths of a second, but boy does it ever feel good.

12  And then I got home, I had an icy cold lemonade, which I craved all day long, and sat down to write some fun stuff for the masses out there who wake up dazed that it's morning. They curse, do thangs, and then settle into a good mug o' hot joe. I hope that just about then, they decide to read the Daily News.

13  Only thing is, there IS no news today, really. I don't consider the Seattle Seahawks beating the crap out of a rookie quarterback news. So my Sunday evening is spent thinking of fun stuff to throw out there.  I'm always pretty glad when there is no news. They have a saying about that...

14  Ah, it's fun to kick back and think of mindless stuff that works on a Monday morning, what with one eye opened for the day, and the other protesting the entire concept of Monday.

15  Fear not, O you of not-wanting-to-get-outta bed and face another spaced-out Monday. It happens to the best of us, but just take a sip, smile, get yourself put together, and make an oath in the mirror.

16  Here's the oath: I will not go ballistic on anyone today. I will not go ballistic on anyone today. I will not go ballistic on anyone today.

17  Your Monday assignment is, quite truly, this: Get through this day with a fake smile and an understanding that NOBODY WANTS TO BE HERE!

18  This advice comes to me through the very wise Joe-the-Bear. Not a bad guy, yeah?

19  So put yourself together and smile all day. Before you know it, the Monday Funk will leave like a bad rash, and you will be all ready for the Real World, which actually begins on Tuesday.

20  Time to Put on the Ritz. It's really just acting on Monday anyway. We are, all of us, actors in a Show that everyone arrived at a day early, complete with headaches and tension. That's Monday.

21  At least according to Joe-the-Bear. Well, Joe-the-Bear is much more spiritual on Mondays. He just figures they are another day, so what?  I raise a cup to JTB, who rules the stars.

22  I raise a strong cup to all of you this morning, just for getting up and walking around.

23  As my old mate Carlos Santana would say, "Go out and make it better."

24  Peace.

 

http://www.xanga.com/El_Directore

The Daily News

1   If you're a Giants' fan, you hated last night.

2   Oh, well. Could there be a better set-up going into the playoffs?

3   Who knew.

4   I will be there Saturday and Sunday, watching the Giants/Dodgers in another classic battle to the very end.

5   Oy.

6   I had a challenging day yesterday. Just...challenging. We all have 'em.

7  Meh.

10 Moving on...

11 We have so much going on right now that I am almost overwhelmed!  But fear not: that's a good thing.

12  That's a good thing.

13  The wonderful thing about this year is that every morning I wake up and I can't wait to go in and do it one more time. That's the sign of a pretty good year.

16  In that regard, teaching is arguably the greatest job on the planet.

17  Yeah, you watch on a daily basis my idiotic musings and ramblings, but somewhere therein lies the truth, and for the life of me, I can't really pinpoint it, except to say that I am surrounded by amazing people, whether they are students, teachers, gardeners, custodians, classified help, or alumni: somehow, we all hold together to bond and enjoy this very special school.

18  I have so much more to say, but I am pretty exhausted from today, and actually, from a career that has many more high points than low.

19  Sometimes, we all need to just kick back, and count our blessings.

21  I'm here to tell you that the battles have just begun, and my experience seems to show that they generally end in good memories, and great times.

22  Tonight, I am simply reflecting.

23  As my old mate Paul McCartney would say: "It's allowed..."

24  So...John Kerry walks into a bar. Bartender says, "Why the long face?"

25  Have you ever seen a candidate more intent on losing an election? Bush has made a monkey out of that guy.  Here I thought we had two Yale Bonesmen going toe-to-toe, and it pretty much look like a TKO.

26  There's a great picture on the front page of the Merc News today. Back when I was a lad, there was this weight lifter named Jack Lalanne, who had a television show that was one of the first workout- and-be fit shows, and the guy had a rock-hard body. Well, he's turning 90 on Sunday, and the picture is of him now standing next to an absolutely hideous statue of himself, in his prime, a completely bizarre thing to begin with. THEN, he looks amazingly like my wife's grandma, without the sagging-to-the-toes stuff going on, standing next to an iron statue of Abe Lincoln with a package strapped on. It's the kind of picture that if you died and went to Hell, the devil would make you stare at it for hours on end.

27  You don t believe me, just glance at a paper this morning, or sometime today when you go into a 7-11 for bad coffee or something.

28  Yeesh.

29  I really feel like suing that rag.

30  And onward: The Pigeon Players officially have auditions for Thugs beginning Tuesday night, and they continue on Wednesday, with call-backs on Thursday. You need to contact them and make an appointment, be prepared with a comic monologue, head-shot, and resume. For further info, go to www.pigeonplayers.org. 

31  No tech tomorrow, sorry to say. They called in the Big Guns to take on the Dodgers, so I'll be at SBC all weekend.

32  Take care, and go Giants!

24  Have a wonderful weekend, everyone, and I'll be back with a vengeance on Monday.

25  Peace.

The Daily News

1   So it's no mystery that the Seniors' theme is Circus, and we have been brainstorming the usual Spirit Week ideas, not the least of which is attempting magic tricks.  I mean, come on; anyone who has this theme would do that.

2  Turns out I successfully did one.

3  I made my ATM card magically disappear from my wallet yesterday, and discovered it just before Back to School Night. Needless to say, it made me late arriving, because I was in the bank dealing with the whole thing; a lot of you have been there.

4  So I'm a little late, which makes me want to speed. To counter the "need for speed", I slowed down, popped in the Rolling Stones' classic CD entitled Sticky Fingers, and turned it up, just for the juice.

5  So I am pulling into the YB parking lot, which was teeming with cars and people, and I have this song called "Bitch" playing really loudly. It's not a nasty song; it's theme is that love...it's a bitch.

6  Sorry if that offends anyone, but I'm just reporting the facts.

7  Have you ever listened to a song just before you have to do something somber and important, and the song is still in full stereo in your head, to the point that you are sort of shaking your head to it, and practically dancing?

8  Second year in a row that happened. I'm talking to parents about aligning state standards with district standards, and telling people that their student is doing okay, but is capable of so much more, and blah, blah, blah, and in my head, I'm hearing, "You got-tuh bitcha child; you got to bitch, I tell ya love: it's a bitch!" followed by this great, driving guitar, bass, drum riff, one of the most classic in rock history.

9  Funny how the mind works. Didn't matter WHO walked up, that jam just got louder and louder, 'til my temples were pounding. I just put on a stoic face, and continued on with my professional duties. Trying to make students think can be pretty daunting at times. To wit:

10  Some student came up to me recently and said, "I keep TRYING to give myself advice, Mr. H, but I just don't listen so good." Yeah, me too.

11  Well...that's a deep subject.

12  Meh.

13  As I have stated so often, there's a reason I have a job.

14  Remember that Jim Carrey movie, The Mask?  Somebody save me!

15  Ah, it's just wunnerful, wunnerful. Let us whisk ourselves back to the enchanting world of magic.

16  Kudos to Mr. Moser for scheduling a collaboration for tomorrow. Good work, my kind gentleman. You tend to work magic.

17  Magic.

18  Years ago I perfected making my hair disappear.

19  In recent years, I have totally Houdini-ed my memory.

20  I'm actually an escape artist. It began in my English classes in high school, when I would tune out the predicates and gerunds and stare out the window at the clouds drifting by...escape artist...ah, nevermind.

21  I made my weight RE-appear, right before everybody's eyes.

22  I drop lots of things: dishes, books, glasses, pens...the list goes on. I am now a master of slight-of-hand. <thud>

23  Okay, on to other things. Are we going to see another classic Giants/Dodgers series this weekend?  Talk about magic. How on Earth is that Giants' team still in the pennant race?

24  Magic.  <yeah, I made it so the subject of Giants and magic would be number 24>

25  Huh?

26  Fastball, caught lookin'!

27  That's it for today. Think I'll just disappear. Bon voyage.

28  <poof>

The Daily News

1   So they kicked Cat Stevens out of the country. 'Bout time.

2   Meh.

3   Looks like the Pigeon Players' Thugs is finally going to go up!  As I stated earlier, there has been a bunch of back-and-forth going on about dates, and it looks like they will be opening on November 11, and running that entire weekend, including a Sunday matinee.

4  I am looking really forward to that show, because we wanted it last year, and couldn't, due to scheduling, but this year, it looks like it is going to get there. I really am disappointed they can't run two weekends, but unfortunately, that would definitely impact our own Fall show. Anyway, keep looking here for updates; it's the liveliest part of the Drama Workshop website.

5  I am currently involved in a bajillion projects, and they are all really fun! But they also demand a lot of thought, thinking, designs, and all the rest.

6  One project is arranging the evening of Tuesday, October 27, as the night we all go to see the AMTSJ production of Peter Pan, which stars Cathy Rigby as Peter Pan.

7  Okay, so a lot of you might not really understand Peter being played by a woman.

8  Trust me; it not only has been done, but done by an amazing amount of productions, so just see it as a part of Mary Martin history.

9  Mary Martin...why she was...

10  My favorite musical actress as a kid. Second place: Julie Andrews.

11  Look her up on Google, or any other search engine. She was definitely THE Broadway real deal. Corny as Kansas in Autumn. As a kid, I was always in awe of Mary Martin.

12  Wonderful actress.

13  Anyway, we must move on...

14  The-Reason-I-Have-a-Job, Dept:  This item in this morning's Merc, comes originally from the New York Daily News. Paris Hilton's memoirs, Confessions of an Heiress, co-authored by Merle Ginsberg, evidently made it to No. 5 on the Wall Street Journal's bestseller list. When informed of this by Ginsberg, Hilton purportedly asked, "What's the Wall Stree Journal? Is that good?"

15  Good to see that Dan Rather is doing his usual crackerjack job of attempting to distort the news. This guy's record should really not only get him fired, but should throw him in jail for treason. I have been following his shenanigans for years. His first blunder was reporting the Zapruder film to the American public, BEFORE they ever saw it, and with the assurance that they never would, Rather reported that the third and fatal shot that killed JFK drove the President's head violently forward.

16  Only later did he get double-crossed, and the film was shown to the public, and anyone who has EVER seen that ghastly event will let you know immediately that JFK's head shot violently backward, and left. 

17  Since then, I have watched this guy working like Hitler's Minister of Propaganda, always hovering around big stories, and throwing slants consistently. I wanna punch the guy, I swear. No theories right yet, except that I guarantee it will somehow work to discredit John Kerry, because that's what this guy has consistently done.

18  It's a good thing you have ME to even things out. I well imagine I have a lot of these guys shaking in their boots with the DN!

19  I'm proud to be a fierce journalist, a bulldog who just won't let go, and frankly, I don't care if people agree or disagree with me, as long as I know I got to the Truth! 

20  jk.

21  "jk" is text-messagese for "Take that with a grain of salt, please." Short for "Just kidding."

22  m'bad.

23  Have a great day, everyone

24  Oh, and that little yellow round-headed guy is called a "smiley", even has a name, "winky".

25  Life's good.

26  Peace.

The Daily News

1  Okay, so Xanga, or AOL, or Lee Harvey Oswald, or the CIA, or SOME-budduh erased my first go at this entry.

2  Seriously, I had the DN written once again, and got bumped offline, and no saves, my own fault, 'cuz a guy oughta know.

3  Anyway...

4  Anyone out there been following the Peterson trial?

5  Bottom line: Scott Peterson is full of more s&*t than Coalinga.

6  Trust me.

7  That's a WHOLE bunch of s&*t! Ever been there?

8  You'd know; oh BOY would you know.

9  I love it.

10 So...all this rambling erased itself, leaving me with having to create once again...

11 Yeesh.  Remember the word, "yeesh"?

12  Works so effectively.

13  I have been working on this since I got home tonight at like 7:30 p.m. following bus-loading kids home.

14  No wonder this stuff gets rummy!

15  I finally settle in to entering at around 8 p.m.

16  Sorry, just grousing a bit here. I was erased, and I am thoroughly convinced it was a conspiracy. I mean, you know how much my ramblings have the big guys worried!

17  I guess it's just time to bow out for the night. You don't want to spend a bunch of time writing, only to get popped offline right when you are done. Makes for Rice-like tantrums. Yeah, Jerry probably shouldn't have thrown THAT big a tantrum, but to me, it was on the coaches to know going into the game that maybe a short pass in the first quarter would be an appropriate tribute, and move the ball downfield. Jerry Rice has earned that. Tantrums...not good, but understandable. His head was saying, "Doesn't anybody get it?" We've all been there.

18  NOW I suppose it doesn't matter, but I'd love to see Raider fans with signs that say "Pitch to Jerry!"

19  Enough.  Better go. Jerry: bad show, dude. But great career.

20  Hope you all are doing well!

21  'Til the next time...

 

The Daily News

BRAVO!

1  BARRY! BARRY! BARRY!!! Tough not to get caught up by the magic number 700. Amazing accomplishment, especially for an old guy! Old guys rule! Let's keep our fingers crossed that we won't have to be looking at this through a glass, darkly...

2  Great afternoon and evening yesterday going to Opera San Jose's The Marriage of Figaro. The California just sings with a feel for the past as well as a state-of-the-art present. Mozart, opera, and Original Joe's to top off the afternoon and get into the early evening. I could make all of you drool about the California, and the show, and everything else, but words can't touch it. Today's Merc has a pretty nice review in the A & E section, or you could simply click www.mercurynews.com, and go to the entertainment section. Two clicks of the mouse.

3  Sometimes the world just makes it all right. The day before yesterday, the Senior Class had a fun car wash, complete with the clouds, the cold, but with warm friends and just a nice time.

4  Yesterday morning it rained; the sky was painted with dark clouds, but beautiful, peaceful, and refreshingly clean. Those dawg days of August are great if you are from Texas, or Oklahoma, but were unbearable to us Californians.

5  Well, at least we aren't putting up with hurricanes with alphabetical names.

6  I see McCauley Calkin was arrested for drugs. This may sound a little cold, but when he was a child star I remember thinking, "Some day that poor kid is going to be into the Hollywood glam scene, and will probably wind up a substance abuser." I swear I did; he just had that sort of aura.

7  I hope the guy gets help, and moves his career forward. He's too young to be having those sorts of challenges.

8  In other news, we begin LOTS of activities in the next few weeks. I'm still searching for a few more one-acts for our Fall production, but we will be starting auditions within a few weeks. Meanwhile, the Pigeon Players are huddling to get auditions up for Thugs, a show that they have been anxious to get up since last year. It's almost a go; we are just having some back-and-forth about production dates. All that should settle in within the next few days.

9  We have decided to go to AMTSJ's Peter Pan on Wednesday, October 27, cost is $10.75 per ticket. This stars Cathy Rigby as the boy who won't grow up, and if you wish to go, get me the money by Oct. 1. 

10  So you know, it appears that AMTSJ no longer has the student preview night, as in the past. Students now have a choice of several nights, but I just decided on the 27th because most people could make it that night.

11 Right now I am examining ideas for the set design for Thugs. I hope to draw something up and then show it to Angie, who is directing, and see what gives, then begin. It will probably triple as a set for the rock show on Oct. 5, the One-Acts, Thugs.

12 Is anyone else enjoying this year's 49ers? Young team with lots of heart. Really enjoyable to watch, even if they do make mistakes. By the way, they WERE robbed yesterday.

13  So was Jerry Rice, but who do we blame? Rich Gannon? Offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye? Coach Norv Turner? The buck stops there, but if I had the greatest player in the history of the game, I'd see to it that he got the ball at least once a game. He had every right to be upset yesterday, if you ask me. Yeah, the game is more important, I imagine, but somewhere in the first half you could go to a short pass, just to keep the record going. Amazing stupidity. Tim Brown knows.

14  I know I left out something, but time is kicking me in the rear, so I must needs bow out at this moment.

15  See you all soon.

 

The Daily News

1   I had a wonderful day yesterday. Graded CAHSEEz. Yeesh.

2   It rocked.

3   Argh.

4   But it was nice just chillin' with some of the best teachers in the world, and I say that from the bottom of my heart. I don't really think the students appreciate what a wonderful bunch of people their the teachers at YB are. I'm here to tell you that our staff is arguably the most devoted, considerate people walking this planet, and it's time to give them props. Everywhere I looked, there was a classic teacher: Degnan, Diaz, Lo, Galindo, Haggerty, and the list goes on and on. Oh, and some guy named Bob...

5  Kids: you don't EVEN know what you have. Alumni: you DO know what these guys have!

6  To all the other amazing teachers, you guys know!

7  I am SO proud to be an instructor at YB, I can't even tell you. It might sound like shameless cheerleading, but maybe our school needs that. YB is OUR school, and I really think it is a challenge to teach there, but I also think there are very few other schools that have our special stuff.

8  After the test, I saw that my Seniors gave a rest to their Spirit Week plans, which gave me pause to drift over to the tennis courts. I watched my first ever YB tennis competition, and picked the day our ladies challenged Andrew Hill.

9  Sadly, I had to leave, but I respect what I saw: amazingly talented tennis players going against one of the best schools in the district, and we definitely held our own. A lot of very close sets.

10 I talked a few moments with Jimmy, who is the coach, and immediately knew that he is a coach worthy of everybody's respect and support. What a job this guy has done!

11 As of this writing, I don't know who won the whole thing, but I sure was impressed with the team!!! Yeah, lady Warriors!

12  What a totally nice afternoon. Thuy Ann and I have been counting, and this year, we are like fifteen for fifteen for great days!

13  And there will be many more; rest assured.

14  Tired, but a good kind of tired.

15  And today's Friday, and life is always good on Friday!

16  Have a great Friday, everyone!