..........the end of the semester is near.

And with that end comes the usual second guessing of ourselves if we have been an effective school. We see the dropouts pouring in at the end of each semester, as some students finally realize that there is absolutely no way they will pass their courses regardless of what they do from now to the end. It happens every semester. It is so amazing how many of these dropouts are seniors. All the teachers are getting "testy" (really, no pun there). They get ill with each other and the students as they cram for the final stages of testing preparation. The dreaded end-of-course tests are near. Three weeks from now will determine how effective we have been (according to the state and our leaders). I agree with a certain amount of testing. We have to have some benchmarks from which to evaluate and grow as an educational community. Getting back to the dropouts..........I really can't understand the mind that would permit being a high school dropout as an option. If a student wants to get a diploma, they will get one. We have progarms upon programs (many funded with private grants) that will help any student complete the requirements. With the current high school dropout problem in mind, Beware of the Elephant in Tall Grass has devised a plan to help our students make better choices. Currently, there is no real civil penalty for being a high school dropout. Every citizen must pay some dues to the United States (you know, 'Murika). No, really, I believe that; and, no, I don't think that is a communistic idea. We have a free culture because of citizens contributing to the common good in many ways. Now, back to my plan. If a student fails to receive a high school diploma, I feel there should be a mandatory four-year term of service waiting on them in the United States Army or in a civil works program that would take them away from their comfort zones and put them to work. Hey, how about working on national border fences or even becoming border guards? I bet that would increase some graduations! There is currently no repercussions for not getting a high school diploma. One could say that you won't be as successful; but, that is full of holes. Americans seem to judge success on dollars accumulated. There are many, many drug dealers in America that would be considered "successful" along those lines. Inadequate behavior should be met with consequences. Inadequate contributions to our society should be met with consequences. Well, I guess it's just easier to blame the teachers for our lack of graduates and move on. I can't wait until the end of the semester! Disney World is near!

.........."be vewwwwwry quiet.....

I'm hunting for my powitical caweer."

..........let's talk about what gives a regular guy performance anxiety.

..........."now don't get nervous, George. I'll teach you to put in the new light bulbs."

.........."right this way, Mr. Cheney. We'll call it your 'undisclosed location'".

..........I'm back!!!

I'm sure you're all thrilled about that! It's been a busy several weeks around here. We (the band and I), have had ten performances beginning on November 9. We started with our Veteran's Day program here at the high school. That went great! We had several WWII veterans there. Some students prepared speeches that really impressed me. There was an outstanding slide show, the chorus sang, and the band played. Next came the first round of the NC State Football Playoffs that night. We won, which provided us with yet another round. At least the games were at home. We finally lost to Pisgah HS in the second round. The following Thursday, we had a clinic during school, a rehearsal, and a concert with the Dallas Brass. Wow, that was great fun. These guys are real professionals. They did a great job working with the kids. The marching band performed a partriotic medley with them on the stage that night. It was fantastic! The concert began at 7:30 and went on until 10:00. I've never seen my students so turned-on by music before - they had a blast. The clinic was outstanding. These guys talked about good breath support, etc. They said some of the same things I say every day in class. It was fun to see the students look over at me when they did that. On Saturday following the game (November 10), we had the West Jefferson Christmas Parade. Saturday, November 17 took us to Concord for their Christmas Parade. On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we went to Salisbury for the Holiday Caravan Parade (we were the honor band), and on to Charlotte for an overnight stay in the City Center Marriott Hotel. The kids were great! It was one of the most restful trips with the kids that I've ever taken! On Thanksgiving Day, we walked out of our hotel to begin the now, Carolinas' Thanksgiving Day Parade. We were the honor band; so, we started the parade at the corner of Trade and Tryon Streets. We got great air time on WBTV. Following the parade, we went to Mooresville to eat buffet at the Golden Corral. We were in the high school parking lot by 6:00 PM. I then waited for one hour while irresponsible parents took their own damn time to come and get their children! On the Saturday following Thanksgiving, we traveled to Blowing Rock for their parade. It was fun. We got there about 2 hours before the parade began. I just let the kids go walk around town, get some lunch, and some hot chocolate before coming back to get their performance equipment. They had a good time doing that. It was about 36 degrees; but, no wind or precip. We did march behind horses!

On another note, I had a Jerry Seinfeld moment yesterday. I was driving through West Jefferson in the late afternoon. The town was crowded and there were lots of cars everywhere. I saw a guy in a truck who was waiting to back out into the street from his parking place. I saw his backup lights on as he was waiting. He was parked two spaces down from the traffic light and was not having any luck at all getting into the traffic. I thought I would be the courteous driver and allow him into the street. He took my option. No wave of thanks! What, I let you into traffic, stalled my progress through the light; as well as, all those behind me, and you give me no acknowledgement? I threw up both my hands - he saw me in the rear view mirror - I saw him look back. Where's my wave. I passed him and went on my way. Oh, and by the way - you got it - he was from Florida!!!

..........when the going gets tough,

you jump ship and go to spend more time with your family! This is our economic advisor to the 'preznit. We all knew he would resign before the poop really hit the fan; but, give us another reason to quit. How about; "I'm an amazing failure, and I want to salvage some of my career options." After all, who needs a good economy anyway? I'm sure "the Decider" can fix it. Rest easy 'Murika, you won't lose your homes!

..........this is definitely the official presidential Christmas tree.

No joke, this thing came from here in Ashe County, NC this year. Our local news (Charlotte, Winston-Salem) and the papers were all over this. I'm just glad we sent the tree with instructions.

.........."one wife for all those years? How did you do it?"

.........."did 'ya take 'mah advise, Tony?" "I sure did, George. I invested all my savings in subprime mortgages and tequila."

..........I'm taking a break.

Yes, I'll be out of blogland for a little while. I've got some personal feelings to square-away and I don't quite get the joy that I used to in blogging. It's funny how one thing leads to another; and today I just made some realizations about myself and my life that bother me.

I'm presently in my 26th year of teaching band in the public schools. I've always given it 100% of myself and I work as hard as I can to produce an outstanding performance medium for my students. I just realized today truly how much that my subject area just doesn't matter at all. Nobody really cares about the band. If we never marched another field show or played another concert - no one would care. We have a state football playoff game this Friday night - I really don't think I'm even going to have the band get into uniform and march. I think we will just sit in the stands and play music the whole time. That's all people really want - just "pump up the boys" for the big game. I've tried for years and years to get my kids the same amount of pulicity that the sports kids get. Talk about pissing into the wind! That type of equality will never happen - what was I thinking? I've taken these kids to parades all over the state, we've gone to five major college football bowl games all over the southeast U.S., and we've scored honor ratings of "superior" at marching and concert contests. Again, nobody really cares. It has made no impact at all. To prove my point; I recently sent an article and picture of the band to our local newspaper concerning the bowl game we are going to perform at this coming January. We're going to the BCS National Championship Bowl Game in the Louisiana Superdome - the biggest damn college football game in the nation! Where did those son of a bitches put my article and picture? Yep, they buried it on page #5 in the community events section. On the other hand, our football team just won 1st place in the Mountain Valley 2-A football conference by virture of a blind drawing (we tied with Wilkes Central for 1st, so they did a drawing). You know where this is going - yep, a big color picture and article right on the front page! Nobody really cares about the efforts of my band kids. I can't tell them that or they would all quit. They eventually realize it themselves when they get older.

Have I wasted all these years that I've given to my career? I truly think I have. Nobody really says "thank you" anymore. The principals and other administrators don't give a damn. The parents barely do, and the kids are getting very complacent as well. They, the kids, really don't care about the level of their performance anymore. I went to college for five years to take this abuse! I'm not that sharp of a guy, academically speaking; and I'm not a strong musician either. In fact, I really don't belong in this business when I look at myself compared to a majority of my band director peers. I'm average and below on all accounts. I have a few organizational and leadership skills that have carried me through and masked the fact that I'm not a very good musician.

And as for teaching kids; I'm losing more and more of my patience each and every day. I'll admit that some days (and becoming more often that I care to admit) I just come into class with a big chip on my shoulder; waiting for someone to do or say the wrong thing. That's not right and fair to the kids. They deserve better. I'm not getting the same amount of productivity that I used to; and I really think it's me. Sure, kids have changed a lot in the past years; but, they aren't changing any faster than they used to. I'm the one that's changing faster than is healthy for the kids.

Where do I go from here? Well, I really don't have much choice in the matter. I have to remain in my position for another three years; that is, if I don't get sick and have to use too much of my sick leave. Right now, the plan is to work three more years and use a year's worth of sick leave to equate out my thirty years of service. At that point, I'll fade into total obscurity.

In fact, I think I'll begin fading right now. Enjoy the break! No more Bush/Cheney/Republican bashing for a while.

.........."Ah like yer style, Mooshy."

"You're right. A constitution adds way too much red tape. And the way you cut off that independant news stuff - outstanding! Dick and me are thinking about the same thing here. Come on, you and me can go waterboarding down at Club Gitmo. Them Cubans really know how to party!"

..........Friday Funnies.

"Dick Cheney had an awkward moment tonight at the White House Halloween party. He went dressed as Darth Vader, and while at the party, he ran into the real Darth Vader who was dressed as Dick Cheney." --Jay Leno

"Anybody here for the marathon this Sunday in New York City, the annual marathon. What a tremendous event, like 40,000 runners. And you know they have to have about 400 portable toilets along the route of the marathon. You know what portable toilets are, as Larry Craig told us, they're singles bars." --David Letterman

"How 'bout this? Alex Rodriguez is not returning to the New York Yankees. The announcement was made at a fake FEMA press conference. ... FEMA faked a press conference and earlier today, President Bush strongly condemned it at his own fake press conference." --David Letterman

"Good news for the terrorists: Undercover agents posing as passengers were able to get simulated bombs through the screening process here at LAX 75% of the time ... but not one drop of shampoo." --Bill Maher

"The Turkish Parliament has voted to approve the idea of invading Iraq. President Bush was furious. He said, 'What kind of country takes a vote before it invades Iraq?'" --Bill Maher

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is in a little trouble this week, little trouble for saying marijuana is not a drug, it is a leaf, it is a plant. He said marijuana is not a drug and today his approval rating in California, 99.99%" --Jay Leno

.........."okay, who squeezed the duck?"

"It's not the smell. It's the burning in my eyes."

..........our greatest fears have been realized!!!

Forget the terrorist threat. These two were recently photograped and heard saying: "Yeah, with George out of the White House and you losing the election, we can start our own line of signature clothing"; stated Laura. "The only problem I see is this;" said Hillary; "what will we call our hairstyle?" How about the "anti-Christ of fashion"; says BOTEITG!

..........another Dick Cheney post!!!

The Vice Presidential motorcade comes to a screeching halt! Vice President Cheney quickly slides out of the window of the lead car, and takes aim at what appears to be a covey of lawyer.

..........hang on,

.......as I stoop yet to another all time low. Yes, I'm posting about Britney Spears!!!!! I saw this on Headline News this morning, and thought it was just about as wasteful and ridiculous as it gets. "How did I get there (quoting Glenn Beck)?" Well, I was talking to a fellow teacher of mine yesterday about traveling and just doing fun things with our families. He was sharing with me how he and his wife have not gone on a trip, not even a weekend together, since their children were born. He said the biggest reason was the lack of money to do so. Everything they made was spent housing, insuring, clothing, feeding, etc. the family. It's a shame that they actually can't just "get away" for a little time together; but, that's the way it is in their case. We have been more fortunate with being able to fund some special vacations for our family (we only have two children, and both Lisa and I work). Now to my original point. It just irritates me to see really fine folks, like my co-worker, not being able to enjoy some of these special times with his wife and family; and to see the likes of Britney Spears spit all of her money into the wind! Here's what I'm talking about: Britney Spears spends almost all of the $737,000 she makes A MONTH, and doesn't invest or save anything! Here are some of her monthly expenses, according to papers in her custody battle:

$49,267 in mortgage payments

$16,000 for clothes (bad taste is that expensive? meow!)

$102,000 on entertainment, gifts and vacation

$4,758 on dining out (but we always see her at the drive-thru)

$16,000 for child support

$20,000 for alimony payments

$0 on education, savings and investments

$500 in charitable contributions.

Wow, now that's what I call planning for one's future! What if she suddenly became "not so important" in the entertainment industry? Yeah, I'm thinking the same thing - she hasn't been important for some time now; and she hasn't even the slightest idea what is coming her way like a mile-long speeding freight train! No worry; we'll be able to see it all on an E True Hollywood Story in the very near future.

In closing, I apologize "up front" for this post. Please don't think less of me for doing it. No, I really don't care what happens in Britney Spears' life. I just thought it was a little more interesting than another Dick Cheney post!