The death of the gloved one is, to the younger generation, the most notable untimely passing they have lived through, except for maybe Heath Ledger (who, in the context of history will be a mere blip).
My students were very excited about the whole thing yesterday, at around 10am when they entered my class. There were cries of, 'What will happen to Blanket and the other kids?' One particular girl cried actual tears (she had a drawing of him in her diary, and was evidently a dedicated fan). There was an outcry of, 'You've crossed the line!' when another girl started calling out (to the tune of 'Bad') 'Because he's dead, he's dead, you know it'.
We had been studying 'Funeral Blues' and someone suggested it would be a very appropriate time to recite it. I declined, as I could not do it with the sincerity some girls would actually want. But when they wouldn't get on with their work and kept chatting about the death, I did call out, 'Stop all the clocks! Cut off the telephone. You should show your grief through silence.' They did not listen to me.
I guess the only equivalent thing I had as a teenager was the announcement that Magic Johnson had the HIV virus. That made me sad - though the fact that's he's still alive and well makes me feel rather ripped off for my premature grief.
Anyhow, interesting how death can blur and fade the negative things we thought about someone when they were alive. Suddenly he's a much maligned genius again. I'm not really fan of this last-minute hypocritical empathy by the media or anyone else. I guess there's a psychological explanation for why we feel the need to do it, but it seems a little convenient.
In my mind his death is somehow connected to the imprisonment of that truly odd musical guru, Phil Spector. It seems karma is catching up with crazy eccentrics [alliteration!].
* * *
The footnote in the history books might read something like: 'Journalists salivated at the news of his sudden passing as it was a welcome break from the anti-climactical hysteria of swine-flu and it meant all Farrah Fawcet's well-laid plans for a high profile death were thwarted.
Winners all around.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Swine Flu Status: Dry cough but no other symptoms yet. One unconfirmed case at school. Others sure to follow.
* * *
I inherited an ink pen today. It may have been mine always - its true identity has been mistaken and confused over time.
But now it is back. Or it has at least found me.
It is black and inky and rolls across the page like rollerskates.
I heart it.
I had forgotten how nice it is to have a good pen.
I will probably lose it tomorrow.
* * *
I was gleeful today when I realised it was an hour long episode of Shortland Street. And I liked how they introduced the new doctor fellow. Me and Reidun have decided that is one of the best things about mid-winter (hour long Monday shows).
* * *
I am reading 'The Half Brother' at the moment. While I can see it's well written, I am not quite enjoying it yet. I think I much prefer books with narrators who I like. This narrator is a bit yuck. And the flashback section I'm currently wading through is full of long, dense paragraphs.
I bought it on the strength of having loved 'Herman', one of Lars Saabye Christensen's other books. But they're not very much alike. Both quite poetic, I suppose. But this one is very dark, whereas 'Herman' was sweet and innocent.
* * *
My wisdom-tooth side of my face is still swollen. Stupid tooth. If I could chisel it out by myself for free, I would. I smear Bonjela on it, just like babies with teething problems do. Magic!
* * *
I inherited an ink pen today. It may have been mine always - its true identity has been mistaken and confused over time.
But now it is back. Or it has at least found me.
It is black and inky and rolls across the page like rollerskates.
I heart it.
I had forgotten how nice it is to have a good pen.
I will probably lose it tomorrow.
* * *
I was gleeful today when I realised it was an hour long episode of Shortland Street. And I liked how they introduced the new doctor fellow. Me and Reidun have decided that is one of the best things about mid-winter (hour long Monday shows).
* * *
I am reading 'The Half Brother' at the moment. While I can see it's well written, I am not quite enjoying it yet. I think I much prefer books with narrators who I like. This narrator is a bit yuck. And the flashback section I'm currently wading through is full of long, dense paragraphs.
I bought it on the strength of having loved 'Herman', one of Lars Saabye Christensen's other books. But they're not very much alike. Both quite poetic, I suppose. But this one is very dark, whereas 'Herman' was sweet and innocent.
* * *
My wisdom-tooth side of my face is still swollen. Stupid tooth. If I could chisel it out by myself for free, I would. I smear Bonjela on it, just like babies with teething problems do. Magic!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
For a Limited Time Only
I can be a sulky sports player (among other things). It doesn't generally come out these days, in my mellower old-age.
But I'm still not liking a few things about Ultimate Frisbee culture (other than the spirit games that make me cringe).
Today's point is the culture of assertive subbing. I have played other sports and this is unique to me. Other sports have two subbing scenarios, from my experience.
1. Competitive
If the team is reasonably competitive, you tend to put the best players in the game. Or at least the players who match up well. So, players who aren't as good can expect to get a bit less time. We have a little bit of this at basketball, but I generally do alright out of it because I'm tall. I can often get almost whole games. I am used to playing long periods at a time in competitive teams and only getting subs when I look like I'm about to keel over.
2. Social
Other teams are social and have a fairness policy. Take indoor netball - everyone gets maybe three quarters each. We all pay the same amount of money to play and sacrifice the same things to be there each week, so get the same time on court.
The girls on our Cows Go Moo Frisbee team had a great two-points-on-two-points-off rotation going, to keep it super-fair and organised. I liked this. You can't complain about a system.
If it's less formal, it takes a certain level of altruism and everybody keeping an eye on how much everyone else has been involved. Some people don't like to push themselves forward (especially if they're not confident in their ability yet), but are quietly keen to have a go. And you get the feel for who is keen to get extra time on the field (read: Dave and Jon) and who is actually happy to have a bit less without getting shirty about it (read: uh, nobody.... maybe Justin).
It's kinda like being a teacher and making sure everybody has a go, not just the loud kids.
And then there is.......
3. Assertive Social Subbing
Frisbee is not quite one of these scenarios. It's closer to the second one, but there's a need to kinda force your way on the court, or else people beat you to it. And I'm not the temperament that I'm going to force my way on over anybody else.
I could maybe do that if everyone on the court was a good friend of mine, so we could harrass each other and trip each other up if it came down to a foot race to the line....
But I'm not on a team where I feel like doing that. I'm very polite around people I don't know so well.
Besides which, I quite like sitting down when I'm subbed off.... isn't that what sub time is for? And this seems to be a signal to everybody that you don't want to go back on the court ever..... I think I'm being very slow to pick up on this physical signal. I'm used to basketball, where when you want to sub on, you walk over to the scoring table to put your sub in.... then while you're waiting, they have special chairs for you to sit in, right by the table. Very considerate. Basketball is all about sitting down. At higher levels, the ref may even tell you off if you are standing up at the sub-bench. It is proper to sit.
As a result I seem to miss my turn in the rotation (which maybe doesn't actually exist to anyone but me, which is why nobody else adheres to it quite as earnestly....).
The other girls on my team will stay on for ages, sub off for each other, then sub back on again..... and I'll be sitting down, making the odd half-move to get up, but then having to sit down again because some other female ran on in front of me, and then having to try and look cool like I didn't really wanna go on anyhow (my students would say, 'Buuuuuurn!').
I'll be counting in my mind who's been on and thinking, 'Ok, Girl A went on after me, and Girl B subbed her off..... so I'll wait another point or two, then I'll get to go on again, since Girl A has been on since I've been off....' but while I'm making my silent calculations, Girl A has jumped on ahead of me, still sweating and puffed from the last time she was on, while I'm starting to slowly shiver and put layers back on in the corner.
I had a goodish game tonight, match-up wise. Got three points and passed for one (that's 1/4 of our points), but only played a few short stints. The other team's girls were really quick and short. This seems an odd match-up for me, but on our team I'm sometimes one of the quicker girls and being a foot taller than them made me a good target in the zone. So tonight I think I was a good match-up to have on court.
It frustrates me to go somewhere at god-awful times of night, like 9.10pm, in winter, with a cold, when I could be doing work.... and only get to play 15 odd minutes and not even build up a sweat. That would be ok, if it was what everyone else was getting... but it often feels like less.
It is my own fault, but it maybe shows that it's not the sport for me. I don't quite get the culture.
And I don't wanna have to get all jumpy and pushy in order to play more. I don't feel comfortable doing that with people I don't really know. That's not fun to me.
I know the solution is for me to take a can of harden-up and start standing up on the sidelines rather than sitting, and jumping on more assertively when the time comes, rather than sitting back and assuming someone will say, 'Kate - your turn' each time, or that there'll at least be a knowing look in your direction or that other players are mentally tallying how many points they've been on, like I do (I try not to stay on more than three, usually).
But I don't know if I can be bothered.
It's on the con side of my weighing up whether I want to play next season, anyhow.
I like when I'm actually on the court, but all season there have been maybe two ocassions where I've actually been puffed enough that I've wanted a sub. Every other time I've been just getting warmed up, and someone else has jumped on, or I've looked guiltily at the side-line and seen all the people eagerly waiting, and I've walked off to give them a go. It's a curse having too many subs, sometimes. I only agreed to play in the first place because I thought they were short of girls (and so assumed I'd get to play a reasonable amount of court-time - not the case).
I have theories as to why this assertive-subbing culture exists and why the usual social sports etiquettes aren't quite as dominant. But they may sound harsh.
* * *
I can also concede that I'm wrong and that everyone is getting roughly equal time and that I'm a self-centred egomaniac :) But I have a sore wisdom tooth, so I'm allowed to moan tonight.
Done.
But I'm still not liking a few things about Ultimate Frisbee culture (other than the spirit games that make me cringe).
Today's point is the culture of assertive subbing. I have played other sports and this is unique to me. Other sports have two subbing scenarios, from my experience.
1. Competitive
If the team is reasonably competitive, you tend to put the best players in the game. Or at least the players who match up well. So, players who aren't as good can expect to get a bit less time. We have a little bit of this at basketball, but I generally do alright out of it because I'm tall. I can often get almost whole games. I am used to playing long periods at a time in competitive teams and only getting subs when I look like I'm about to keel over.
2. Social
Other teams are social and have a fairness policy. Take indoor netball - everyone gets maybe three quarters each. We all pay the same amount of money to play and sacrifice the same things to be there each week, so get the same time on court.
The girls on our Cows Go Moo Frisbee team had a great two-points-on-two-points-off rotation going, to keep it super-fair and organised. I liked this. You can't complain about a system.
If it's less formal, it takes a certain level of altruism and everybody keeping an eye on how much everyone else has been involved. Some people don't like to push themselves forward (especially if they're not confident in their ability yet), but are quietly keen to have a go. And you get the feel for who is keen to get extra time on the field (read: Dave and Jon) and who is actually happy to have a bit less without getting shirty about it (read: uh, nobody.... maybe Justin).
It's kinda like being a teacher and making sure everybody has a go, not just the loud kids.
And then there is.......
3. Assertive Social Subbing
Frisbee is not quite one of these scenarios. It's closer to the second one, but there's a need to kinda force your way on the court, or else people beat you to it. And I'm not the temperament that I'm going to force my way on over anybody else.
I could maybe do that if everyone on the court was a good friend of mine, so we could harrass each other and trip each other up if it came down to a foot race to the line....
But I'm not on a team where I feel like doing that. I'm very polite around people I don't know so well.
Besides which, I quite like sitting down when I'm subbed off.... isn't that what sub time is for? And this seems to be a signal to everybody that you don't want to go back on the court ever..... I think I'm being very slow to pick up on this physical signal. I'm used to basketball, where when you want to sub on, you walk over to the scoring table to put your sub in.... then while you're waiting, they have special chairs for you to sit in, right by the table. Very considerate. Basketball is all about sitting down. At higher levels, the ref may even tell you off if you are standing up at the sub-bench. It is proper to sit.
As a result I seem to miss my turn in the rotation (which maybe doesn't actually exist to anyone but me, which is why nobody else adheres to it quite as earnestly....).
The other girls on my team will stay on for ages, sub off for each other, then sub back on again..... and I'll be sitting down, making the odd half-move to get up, but then having to sit down again because some other female ran on in front of me, and then having to try and look cool like I didn't really wanna go on anyhow (my students would say, 'Buuuuuurn!').
I'll be counting in my mind who's been on and thinking, 'Ok, Girl A went on after me, and Girl B subbed her off..... so I'll wait another point or two, then I'll get to go on again, since Girl A has been on since I've been off....' but while I'm making my silent calculations, Girl A has jumped on ahead of me, still sweating and puffed from the last time she was on, while I'm starting to slowly shiver and put layers back on in the corner.
I had a goodish game tonight, match-up wise. Got three points and passed for one (that's 1/4 of our points), but only played a few short stints. The other team's girls were really quick and short. This seems an odd match-up for me, but on our team I'm sometimes one of the quicker girls and being a foot taller than them made me a good target in the zone. So tonight I think I was a good match-up to have on court.
It frustrates me to go somewhere at god-awful times of night, like 9.10pm, in winter, with a cold, when I could be doing work.... and only get to play 15 odd minutes and not even build up a sweat. That would be ok, if it was what everyone else was getting... but it often feels like less.
It is my own fault, but it maybe shows that it's not the sport for me. I don't quite get the culture.
And I don't wanna have to get all jumpy and pushy in order to play more. I don't feel comfortable doing that with people I don't really know. That's not fun to me.
I know the solution is for me to take a can of harden-up and start standing up on the sidelines rather than sitting, and jumping on more assertively when the time comes, rather than sitting back and assuming someone will say, 'Kate - your turn' each time, or that there'll at least be a knowing look in your direction or that other players are mentally tallying how many points they've been on, like I do (I try not to stay on more than three, usually).
But I don't know if I can be bothered.
It's on the con side of my weighing up whether I want to play next season, anyhow.
I like when I'm actually on the court, but all season there have been maybe two ocassions where I've actually been puffed enough that I've wanted a sub. Every other time I've been just getting warmed up, and someone else has jumped on, or I've looked guiltily at the side-line and seen all the people eagerly waiting, and I've walked off to give them a go. It's a curse having too many subs, sometimes. I only agreed to play in the first place because I thought they were short of girls (and so assumed I'd get to play a reasonable amount of court-time - not the case).
I have theories as to why this assertive-subbing culture exists and why the usual social sports etiquettes aren't quite as dominant. But they may sound harsh.
* * *
I can also concede that I'm wrong and that everyone is getting roughly equal time and that I'm a self-centred egomaniac :) But I have a sore wisdom tooth, so I'm allowed to moan tonight.
Done.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
1. I have non-swine cold. Gives me froggy voice (or no voice). Meant I could come home early from work and finally try the lunch-time curry special at my local (it wasn't very good, evidently). And lie on the couch with a wheatie bag watching DVDs.
2. My laptop is broken. Silly thing.
* * *
I liked mulled wine this time of year. Makes more sense than trying to force yourself to have it in December.
* * *
Every secondary teacher in our fair city recently had a day off. Essentially it was a day off to learn how to write new unit plans. Not sure if that was the best use of taxpayer money or anything. I enjoyed my choccie biscuits, though.
* * *
I like how when you read a book with a strong narrative voice, your internal dialogue starts reflecting that. Though.... the book I am reading at the moment (having no reliable laptop, I have had to resort to 'reading') has quite an odd narrator. I'm not sure I should allow him to come too far into my head. He's a little alcoholic and nasty.
* * *
I did not see it, but I was on the news on Saturday. In the background of a story about some kids at school tutoring adults in computing. I, for the record, was merely pretending to be tutored, as they were a little short of extras. No child knows more than I do - NO CHILD!
My dad said I looked 'unengaged' and Sam, more kindly, said I looked 'thoughtful'. I'm mainly glad I got on because my mission was to get my tutor-kid on tv.
* * *
I like egg sandwiches.
2. My laptop is broken. Silly thing.
* * *
I liked mulled wine this time of year. Makes more sense than trying to force yourself to have it in December.
* * *
Every secondary teacher in our fair city recently had a day off. Essentially it was a day off to learn how to write new unit plans. Not sure if that was the best use of taxpayer money or anything. I enjoyed my choccie biscuits, though.
* * *
I like how when you read a book with a strong narrative voice, your internal dialogue starts reflecting that. Though.... the book I am reading at the moment (having no reliable laptop, I have had to resort to 'reading') has quite an odd narrator. I'm not sure I should allow him to come too far into my head. He's a little alcoholic and nasty.
* * *
I did not see it, but I was on the news on Saturday. In the background of a story about some kids at school tutoring adults in computing. I, for the record, was merely pretending to be tutored, as they were a little short of extras. No child knows more than I do - NO CHILD!
My dad said I looked 'unengaged' and Sam, more kindly, said I looked 'thoughtful'. I'm mainly glad I got on because my mission was to get my tutor-kid on tv.
* * *
I like egg sandwiches.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)