Addictive game-Slay

Anyone remember this one? Great strategy game...highly addictive. What are the best computer games out there? My favorite all-time is Baldur's Gate II. Bioware is coming out with a game called Dragon Age that looks very promising...but it might be a while until that comes out.

Awesome Eggplant

Ever eaten eggplant? It's one of the coolest foods out there. Cooked eggplant is a bit like cooked mushroom, with a meaty texture. And if the grocery store prices scare you, they're easy to grow.
April and I snagged some eggplant from the parents (my mom grows it but she doesn't cook much with it). And we found and modified a recipe:

Eggplant Parmigiana:
Mix:
2 eggs
2 T. water

2 eggplants (peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices)
Dip the eggplants into the mix, then into
1/2 cup flour

Cook in frying pan with oil until golden brown.

Layer on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.
Pour 2 cups meatless spaghetti sauce on it.
Cover with cheese (you can use mozzarella and Parmesan; we used Swiss).
The recipe calls for two cups of shredded cheese, but I just sliced the cheese and put what I felt was a good amount on top.

Bake uncovered at 400 F for 12 minutes or so.

One of my favorite recipes ever. And by posting it here, I don't have to feel bad about not responding to the chain emails asking for recipes.

A new baseball coach

The best part of my work is my new co-workers. The science department at the high school is awesome. Three of us are brand new, three have been there for a while, and one was just hired to teach three classes (meaning all of the rest of us had our classes rearranged so she could have classes to teach). Last year, a capable teacher was, according to our department head, abused and then let go by the administration.
A few of us are eating lunch together. The chemistry/physics teacher, who recently quit a high-paying yet boring job to become a teacher, spoke up.
"I've just been asked to help coach the baseball team. They heard that I watched baseball on the weekends, and they gave me the job."
The department head, a very dedicated educator and a bit of a cynic when it comes to how education is done here, responded,
"Congratulations! Now you're indispensable!"

Racism in Reverse?

A week ago, my students had a standardized test during my classes; they went down to a computer lab to complete the tests, and then returned to my class when they were finished. With 90 minute classes, this means I can still have a bit of instruction, even with the test. I imagine a lot of the kids took advantage of the break between the test and my class to disappear for a few minutes; in one of my classes, two girls did so quite blatantly. Thirty minutes after the last student to finish the test returned to my classroom (and told me she was the last one out of the computer lab), a certain girl wandered back into class. Five minutes later, in came her best friend.
I performed the same test on both of them; I asked them how long ago they finished the test (they both claimed five minutes, and they both claimed that they'd used the restroom on the way back). I, in return for their sluffing and their lies, simply marked them as a 'sluff' for the class period. And how they complained.
Most of my minority girls are great people; quiet, good-natured, pleasant...
One of these girls is white, the other is from Mexico. "You hate me 'cause I'm brown," she said. Now, accusing someone of racism who isn't racist, someone who believes that the best (only good?) thing Bush has tried to pull off is his so-called amnesty policies, some one who has seen racism in Europe and then realized that it's rampant here too...is what she said...is that racism? The next thing she said was rather telling. "I can't have a sluff! I'm on parole!"

Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year

Where are people going to be for the holidays?
We'll probably be in South Jordan a couple of times.
We need to get the gang together.

I want to teach in Europe

I don't think I'm really happy, at least long-term, without some kind of big goal in mind. Something to look forward to and strive towards. The past few years I've been able to cross off some of those goals. Graduate. 10 weeks in Europe. Graduate. Convince April to marry me. Find a teaching job.
Now that those goals are accomplished, I realized I'm out, and so I'm searching for a new big goal. Being an assistant principal doesn't appeal to me right now. Becoming certified to teach all science (not just biology) and English...those are good goals, but they're not big, and they're more to make me marketable than anything else.
So I've been looking at moving to Europe. A place where (unless it's a US school) children want to learn. A place that's big on good public transportation, good food, good culture. A place that's green. A place where the LDS religion is something that makes us different, not the same.
My options right now:
Work for DODDS (schools run by the US government for military brats). US kids, and the jobs can be difficult to obtain, but they provide free housing, and an American influence would make April feel more at home.
Get a TESOL or similar credential and teach English as a second language in a European school. This can also be a difficult job to get in Western Europe, and I'd rather teach biology or English as a first language, but Europeans generally want to learn (as opposed to Americans...please compare high school graduation rates for proof).
Teaching for an international school. Europe has a lot of international schools where the primary language is English. Kids from all over, who have parents working in a foreign country, go to these schools. This would probably be my first pick; I still need to do more research.
Teaching a subject in the English language in a public or private school. Apparently, the Netherlands is big on this...they have classes taught in English, and the students practice English and learn another subject at the same time.
My biggest problem right now is that I don't know how difficult it is to get jobs in any of these areas. My only connection is a retired librarian who used to work for DODDS in Italy (thanks, Kirk). I don't know anyone else who's taught in Europe. So I'll be doing some more research.
Anyone who doesn't understand this obsession has never been to Europe. It'll be an adventure when it happens. We'll have to see how long I can convince April to stay. If anyone has any potential leads, let me know.

Robert Jordan is dead

We knew he was sick. As his "Wheel of Time" series kept growing, some started worrying if he'd ever finish it.
It's a sad day for many of us.
I read the first few books; I've always said I'd wait to read more until he finished the series. Guess that day will never come.

My first traffic ticket

So Friday, heading home from work, I pulled out of the parking lot driveway a little quick. A little too quick. I could see the road for a good half mile in both directions, it was clear, and I peeled out (if 10 mph can be called peeling) and turned right to head home.
Guess I didn't really stop for the stop sign.
Price? Anyone want to guess?
$75.
That's right. $75 for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign when the coast was clear and I was turning right from a glorified driveway.
So guess how much respect I have for Idaho Falls cops now? None. The cop tried to tell me the seriousness of my crime, but from the insecure way he said it, I got the feeling that he realized the ticket amount was way too much. And I no longer find the cops here trustworthy, intelligent, or, most of all, fair.
I guess I've made a lot of stupid mistakes driving, some of which would've deserved that hefty of a fine. This was not one of them. Had I been charged $25, I would've been fine with it. But if cops want respect, they need to be fair. And $75, for that, is not fair.
For now, I'll consider it the price for all the dumb mistakes I've made in the past. Including the time I pulled a right onto Bangerter in icy conditions and was this close from plowing into traffic coming the opposite direction (good thing all the lanes going my direction were clear). Or the time I pulled out of 10th West onto 106th...and seriously cut off another driver (some of you may remember that...) It's just too bad I get fined for something this lame.

Happy checks and Sunbeams

April and I got a visit from three men last week. That's right. The entire bishopric stopped by; they called us to teach the 8-year old primary kids. Team teachers. Lots of fun. So why the headline about Sunbeams?
Sunday night, a member of the primary presidency stopped by. "Actually, things have changed, and you'll be teaching the Sunbeams." So we'll be in charge of keeping eight or so (14 on the roll) Sunbeams occupied for hours at a time.
Reminds me of a long time ago when I was incorrectly called to be the datebox co-chair; I was incredibly relieved when I immediately got a call about the mistake. This time, though, I get the scarier position.
Also, update on the refund check. The company actually sent us a check returning 100% of what we'd paid, when the cancellation agreement stated that we'd only get part of it back. Pretty sweet deal! And my mom always said complaining never accomplishes anything...

Edited movies

So, contrary to common belief, Clean Flicks is not out of business. How do I know this? There's one just a few blocks from our apartment. So we went over there, got a free membership, and got "Children of Men". The Masked Mallard had shown me the preview, and it was definitely a movie I wanted to see. Darker and more intense than I expected, but it also included bright rays of hope. And they played King Crimson! The first progressive rock band, the pioneers of the genre, entirely ignored by American radio, and they played a fairly long segment of "In the Court of the Crimson King". Awesome.
Later I watched "Terminator" (number one) and "The Manchurian Candidate." Both good movies. I had mono and April had her internship (so I was home alone, bored).
If you're ever in Idaho Falls, come stop by...and make a stop by Clean Flicks. Some good stuff.

Threats work!

After our honeymoon, April and I went down to southern Utah to see Zion and Bryce, and to participate in a family reunion. We spent a few days in a small cabin near Zion, and had planned to spend one night in a nicer cabin in Tropic, closer to Bryce and the family reunion. I made reservations, and everything was good to go.
The cabin in Tropic, where we were only going to stay for a single night, had sent me a receipt, stating that if we wanted to cancel, we had to notify them at least three days before the reservation. They would still charge $25, but we would get most of our money back. Well, April and I decided to skip that cabin and go home a day early. We called four or five days in advance to cancel.
And then the nightmare began. When we didn't receive a refund, I started calling, leaving messages, and emailing. Nothing worked. The owners were away for a family emergency. The owners weren't in right then. They never returned messages I left...including both phone and email. I called over a dozen times. Finally, this last Friday, almost two months after we made the cancellation, my patience ran out. I emailed them, telling them that if I didn't hear from them within a week, I would report them to the Better Business Bureau and write three negative reviews of them on the web. I was serious. Sometimes, revenge is not only sweet, it's necessary.
The threat worked. Monday I got a call from the owner, and, supposedly, our refund is on its way.

Update on the 27-year-old mono patient

I'm over the fever, the excessive phlegm (which also made it difficult to sleep and made me snore), and the minor digestive stuff (probably caused by the antibiotics I was taking). Also over the sore throat and the difficult swallowing. Low energy, however, is here to stay. Most mono cases are kind of like this...Pretty sick for two weeks, and then low energy for a couple of months. Not much I can do about it. At least I can give myself a good excuse for not exercising...I'm supposed to take it easy and not exert myself too much. Just going grocery shopping ends up sapping most my energy.

Work!

So I finally found a job. And we're not talking sleep clinic graveyard work, or something else that would be a move down. We're talking an actual teaching job.
A few days ago, Bonneville High School in Idaho Falls called and left a message.
I'd interviewed with them right before I got married, and the principal had called me and told me that he thought they'd hire me, and to talk to him before I accepted any other offers. Well, after the honeymoon, I discovered an email from him, telling me they'd given the job to someone who could teach both earth science and biology. Bit of a disappointment. Major disappointment, with the lack of open teaching jobs in the area.
Now, many teaching jobs are difficult to get. But I'm a science teacher. Math, science, and special education (and, more and more, ESL) are all areas where more teachers are needed...at least everywhere but eastern Idaho. I've been amazingly diligent about keeping abreast of all the job openings within an hour of Idaho Falls. And I interviewed for a total of two jobs. Not that good of odds.
So when I listened to the message from Bonneville, new hope sprung up within me. Sure enough, they wanted to 'emergency hire' me. Another teacher had quit just three weeks before the beginning of the school year, and I was their best option.
So, I'm relieved. Benefits (so now I'll have health insurance and won't have to pay out-of-pocket anymore). Good pay (well, compared to my other alternatives), and good hours. And a job I'll probably enjoy.
Of course, since I'm an emergency hire, after this year my job is up for grabs, and if I want it, I have to reapply and interview for it again. Not that I'll have a ton of competition, but...
We're not planning on staying, though. Northwest US, Northeast US, or Europe sound great.

Sick again

So, I'm sick again. Less than three months ago I had pneumonia. You know, the disease where you can't breathe. Where you walk up the stairs and you have to sit down because you're out of breath. The disease that put my dad in the hospital for a week and almost killed him. Ya. That disease.
I became aware I was sick again a little over a week ago, immediately following church. A fever. Light-headed. Tuesday evening the fever was still there (highs at 104 F), so we went to the doctor, who gave me a prescription for an antibiotic. Started taking it...one day, two days, three days, little change. No longer light-headed, but I started coughing a bit more. Four days, five days...still nothing. So I figure I have a bacteria that's tougher than the antibiotic (or at least resistant to it), or I have a virus. I found myself short of breath at times, and so worried that I again had pneumonia, and this time it was back for vengeance. So we went to the doctor's again(those of you who have health insurance--appreciate it). A different doctor saw us this time, and he insisted on a blood test, did some x-rays, and then showed us some of my blood data. Some of the numbers were not good...he had another test done, this time for mono. Positive. That's right. I have the kissing disease. At least I know what I have and how to deal with it, even if there is no treatment for it.
Why can't I get sick like a normal person? The cold? The flu? Something that doesn't last weeks and weeks?
So, in three months, I go through pneumonia, quit my job, move to Idaho, marry April, and get mono. I'm going to be out of it for a while. Maybe it's a good thing I haven't found a job yet.

Been a while

So, it's been a while since I've written.
I am now a married man. The long search is over; it was worth the length to find the right woman.
I never realized how important it is to show up to receptions. A number of people drove quite a distance to support us, and that means a lot. Even if it wasn't a long distance, it still was important to us.
For those who missed it, April looked stunning.
We spent about a week in Idaho Falls and Yellowstone, and then another week in Bryce Canyon/Zions. We spent another week setting up our new apartment in Idaho Falls, and then April started her internship. I'm still looking for work.
The principal at Bonneville High School told me he thought I had a job there...and then he gave it to someone else. So that was a bit of a disappointment. Also frustrating is the multiple phonecalls from Utah principals, wanting to interview me. Idaho schools don't seem interested (or are too far away to seriously consider). So I'm stressing out about finding a job.
Meanwhile, we're living on my savings. We have a couple more months before I really need to find work. If I don't find work as a teacher here, we might move in January, once April is done with her internship.
We went to a 4th of July parade with April's family; her sister lives on the parade route. I passed the time looking at the simple floats and making fun of spelling mistakes (which are always funniest when they're written up and displayed in enormous letters). My favorite were "heros" (not the sandwich--and displayed twice), and "patriatic". I told my brother-in-law about it, and he laughed at what he called "those Idaho hicks". Come on, people. If thousands of people are going to see your large, painted letters that take up most your float, at least use a spell-checker to make sure you don't look like an idiot.
Nice thing about the parade, though, was all the candy they threw out. And it was noticeably shorter than the last parade I went to in downtown Salt Lake. Short is always good.
I'm considering taking classes if I can't find a decent job. I'm two classes from being able to teach 8th grade science. I'm also thinking about getting started on a master's program for educational leadership.
I'll try to update here more often; I'm jobless, and we finally have internet access in the apartment, so check back for more frequent posts.

Pneumonia sucks

So I've been sick a lot these past couple of weeks. Three weeks ago I came down with a bad fever, coupled with exhaustion. I took a couple days off work to recover. The next week I was ok...and then I started getting sick again. Coughing and exhaustion. Went into urgent care on Memorial Day...and I'm diagnosed with pneumonia. Pneumonia's contagious, but it doesn't usually get you unless your immune system is compromised. The only thing I can figure out is that whatever hit me three weeks ago occupied my immune system down and left me wide open for another type of invasion (sound like a certain current war? Oh, never mind). So pneumonia snuck in and attacked. My right lung was filled with liquid (explaining why I had to rest and get my breath back after, say, shaving, or climbing a flight of stairs, or anything else). The antibiotics they gave me took a couple of days, but the disease that, several years ago, put my dad in the hospital for a week, seems to be gone, and I have my energy back. Which I need in order to move, find a job, and, most importantly, prepare for a certain wedding...
Lesson to be learned: don't stress out a lot, and never hesitate to see a doctor, especially if you get hit by a disease, start recovering, and then get hit again.

A job

So, I've been frantically searching for work in Idaho Falls. Actually, I've been looking for quite a while. It's harder than you'd think. Not finding a job...there are plenty of $6/hour jobs. But finding a teaching job (not that it's that much more...ok, so it is quite a bit more...)
For some reason, most the jobs are taken. I have experience teaching biology; science teachers should be in high demand (they are everywhere else); I've gotten numerous calls from principals in Utah wondering if I'm still looking for work ("Yes," I tell them, "but not in Utah...")
It's tough. I'll have a family to support! And rent, health insurance (for a family), car insurance, groceries, utilities, gas...
I'm just worried that I won't be able to provide like I should.
There are a couple of jobs available...we'll see if I can get one of them. I haven't had any luck so far, and there are only two jobs left in the entire Idaho Falls area...
Fortunately, we only have to be in Idaho Falls for six months. So if I can't find a decent job, it's only six months before I can get work in another city, or another state, or...hey, maybe I'll be able to find work in Europe.

Great pictures

So, if you're dying to see some pictures, I've set up a blog for just that purpose. I'm not 100% happy with the pictures on our invitation (which, if you haven't gotten yet, you should get real soon, assuming I sent you one). If, for some reason, you haven't gotten an invitation, let me know. My parents were astonished to find out they'd forgotten to invite a number of friends in the neighborhood...no doubt I've forgotten some too. But, for better pictures (and to see how lucky of a guy I am), go to www.aprilandtim.blogspot.com.

We need to get ourselves a really smart president

Found this in the Deseret News, of all places; and I agree. We at least need a president smarter than myself...
No comment on our current president :)


We need to get ourselves a really smart president

By Eugene Robinson

WASHINGTON — Al Gore has been in town launching his new book, "The Assault on Reason," and you could have predicted the buzz: Is he about to jump into the race? What you probably wouldn't have predicted, because it's insane, is the counter-buzz that Gore, poor fellow, is just too ostentatiously smart to be elected president.
In the book, you see, Gore betrays familiarity with history, economics, even science. He uses big words, often several in the same sentence. And in public appearances — get this — he doesn't even try to disguise his erudition. These, supposedly, are glaring shortcomings that should keep noncandidate Gore on the sidelines, rereading Gibbon and exchanging ideas about the structure of the cosmos with Stephen Hawking.
Like I said, insane. Leave aside the question of whether Gore is even thinking about another presidential run or how he would stack up against the other candidates. I'm making a more general point: One thing that should be clear, to anyone who's been paying attention these past few years, is that we need to go out and get ourselves the smartest president we can find.
We need a brainiac president, a regular Mister or Miss Smarty-Pants president. We need to elect the kid you hated in high school, the teacher's pet with perfect grades.
When I look at what the next president will have to deal with, I don't see much that can be solved with just a winning smile, a firm handshake and a ton of resolve. I see conundrums, dilemmas, quandaries, impasses, gnarly thickets of fateful possibility with no obvious way out. Iraq, of course, is the obvious place he or she will have to start — engineering a U.S. withdrawal and dealing with the aftermath. I want a president smart enough to figure out how to minimize the damage.
I want a president who reads newspapers. I want a president who reads books other than those that confirm his world view. I want a president who bones up on Persian history before deciding how to deal with Iran's ambitious dreams of glory. I want a president who understands the relationship between energy policy at home and U.S. interests in the Middle East — a president smart enough to form his or her own opinions, not just rely on what old friends in the oil business say.
I want a president who looks forward to policy meetings on health care and has ideas to throw into the mix.
I want a president who believes in empirical fact. I want a president whose understanding of spirituality is complete enough to know that faith is "the evidence of things not seen," and who knows that for things that can be seen, the relevant evidence is fact, not belief. I want a president — and it's amazing that I even have to put this on my wish list — smart enough to know that Darwin was right.
Actually, I want a president smart enough to know a good deal about science. He or she doesn't have to be able to do the math, but I want a president who knows that the great theories underpinning our understanding of the universe — general relativity and quantum mechanics — have stood for nearly a century and proved stunningly accurate, even though they describe a world that is more shimmer than substance. And I want the next president to know that the two theories are incompatible — neither makes sense in terms of the other. I want him or her to know that there's a lot we still don't know.
I want the next president to be intellectually curious — and also intellectually honest. I want him or her to understand the details, not just the big picture. I won't complain if the next president occasionally uses a word I have to look up.
The conventional wisdom says that voters are turned off when candidates put on showy displays of highfalutin' brilliance. I hope that's wrong. I hope people understand how complicated and difficult the next president's job will be, and how much of a difference some real candlepower would make.
I don't want the candidates to pretend to be average people, because why would we choose an ordinary person for such an extraordinary job? I want to see what they've got — how much they know, how readily they absorb new information, how effectively they analyze problems and evaluate solutions. If the next president is almost always the smartest person in the room, I won't mind a bit. After all, we're not in high school anymore.

Utah Congressmen still believe the earth is flat...

Well, ok...so not quite. At least they don't admit it. But this is what they do believe...

WASHINGTON -- Utah's Republican congressmen say honoring environmentalist Rachel Carson with her own post office just isn't right.
Reps. Rob Bishop and Chris Cannon joined 51 of their GOP colleagues last week in voting against naming a post office in Carson's Pennsylvania hometown after the woman who in many ways spawned the modern environmentalist movement with her book, Silent Spring.
They contend that Carson's actions -- which led to banning the chemical DDT used to kill pests -- actually has caused more deaths because of malaria and other diseases spread by insects. DDT, Carson wrote, was detrimental to the environment and to humans. Some scientists say DDT led to the California condor's near extinction.
"Rachel Carson's sentimental book, Silent Spring, was a large part of the reason DDT was banned even though the evidence then and now demonstrates that DDT does not cause cancer nor does it do other harm to humans," Cannon said in a statement. "Millions of people, mostly children, have died because the world did not control mosquitoes with DDT."
Bishop's chief of staff, Scott Parker, says his boss has similar concerns - "That maybe 100 percent of the things Carson talked about and claimed as facts weren't completely accurate or proven true by science."
"The emotional environmentalism and politics tied to her name seem to make the naming of a post office a little too political, when it's something that should be apolitical and uncontroversial," Parker said.
Utah's lone Democrat Jim Matheson voted to name the post office after Carson, and the measure passed the House.
Scientists are still studying DDT, but top researchers don't necessarily agree with Cannon's argument that DDT isn't harmful.
Walter Rogan, a medical doctor for the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences who published a study on DDT last year in a British science journal, says that DDT causes cancer in animals, but it's not clear whether it would cause it in humans.
"We don't think it's benign in terms of human health but hasn't been shown to cause cancer," Rogan says.
There is a case to be made, he says, that DDT does affect humans in some ways, particularly causing premature births and also reducing lactation time in mothers. In parts of the world without clean water, the need for breast feeding is immense, Rogan says.
Naming post offices is one of the most mundane actions of Congress and are usually unanimously approved. Cannon, himself, touted a post office he got named in West Valley City last year.

Shame on these ignorant politicians that criticize a true hero, a woman that changed the world. Cannon, Bishop, there's something out there called science. I highly recommend learning a little bit about it...
If a mediocre politician gets a post office named after himself, why should we hesitate to name one after a hero like Rachel Carson? I'm tempted to go on and on about this...in fact, I talked about it and read the article in my classes today...but I figure you can go look up the facts about DDT yourself. And remember, politicians may know a little about politics, but that doesn't mean they know anything about science. Like all of us, they have a responsibility to learn before they open their mouths.