Why the hell not?

Why the hell not write this blog everyday? I've written screen plays, shorts, short stories, long stories, unmentionables, e-mails, songs, and God knows what else, and no one reads them, so why the hell wouldn't I write here so no one can read this? This is easier. Specifically this rejection is much easier to swallow because I have zero expectations here.

That tree that fell in the woods, the one that someone either heard or didn't hear, that feels about right for my life right now, and I'm cool with that. Maybe it's because I've been listening to mostly blues music for a while now. The theme of the blues seems to be - you all gonna die and no one cares. Dead in the ground, and that okay. You gonna die, I gonna die, we all gonna die, yeah, yeah, yeah.

The ridiculous thing about that tree falling in the woods... of course it made a noise! Who the hell do you think you are to think that it didn't make a noise? God? I could write an essay on why squirrels have ears.

I do believe human kind is superior to other living things. I think we may even be shipwrecked aliens looking for a way off this rock, because we are looking for a way off this rock. But I don't think we created noise nor have we cornered the market on noise. Trees can make noise even if nare a fellow hears said tree.

That's another essay. Ciao.

No, I haven't been hacked! I've begun collecting and selling jewelry so I can reunite with my friends in India. I haven't seen Ankur and Amruta in a very long time :( But that will change.  If you are interested in anything below, e-mail me a nazakat.market@gmail.com.  

Every Damn Time

Every time I stop here I am going to try to write something... I don't even know why, but I like it so that should be enough, correct? I actually had a dream about bloggin' last night (PG 13 at least) and today I landed here.

I'm thinking about starting a new blog that deals with stories that have inspired me. As a teacher, I recognize how difficult it is to inspire students. I've always heard that it's impossible to teach motivation, but I think it's very possible to take the things that have inspired me (to become what, I do not know) and put them out there for others.

If I could just think of a name, I'd whip up my new blog right now... I need to get all brainstormy. The stories that have inspired me and usually pretty dark: Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain (I've always thought of him as quite dark).

If you haven't read this story, please do.

http://www.skyhunter.com/marcs/GentleSeduction.html

It's the kinda shtuff I like.

Fight Like a Brave

I love going back and reading my blogs (only about once a year these days). Just Finished the Spring semester, teaching Organizational Leadership - Ethical and Spiritual Dimensions of Leadership. It was an on-line class and I was apprehensive about teaching it I guess, but it went extremely well! Hopefully my student have become more ethical and spiritual because of their experience in my class. I know I have! Well... Spiritual anyway. If I do not move on down the road, I'll hopefully be teaching it again in the Fall. I'll also be teaching Freshman Seminar (Piece of Cake) and this summer...wait for it... I'll be teaching ESL again for the first time in two years! I'll be at work from 8am until 9pm on Mondays and Wednesday but I CANNOT FREAKIN WAIT TO GET BACK IN THE ESL CLASSROOM!!!!!!!!!!

Looking for a job overseas. My little Benjamin Bottom is 6 years old now and I think it's time his mother and I worked out a deal to start culturing this child. 6 months in Germany is only going to make him a better person in the future. I dream about hearing him speaking German. But who knows? I might end up in Cuba or even England.

On a personal note, I'm getting kinda sick of being single. It's been two years since I've had a girlfriend and I would really like some company if I do go abroad. It's funny to think that if I had buckets of money, I'd probably also have a girlfriend. I've dealt with that recently and decided to quit being so damn charitable. As much as I like what the Catholic church is doing in this ghetto, I feel I've done my time here. 4 years! Nobody has ever been able to contain me for four years before!

Disclaimer: I used to so look forward to writing in this blog and I still enjoy reading it. Why don't I start writing in it again?

Typos and All

I stopped by to reread some of the nonsense I've posted here in the last 3 years and holy crap did I allow a lot of typos.

Facebook obviously killed my blog and that's too bad but why not start writing in it again? I've told myself I would a couple of times in the past and I didn't so let's just see how it goes. Fortunately, my next door neighbor provided the inspiration for my current visit (that's what she does, provide inspiration) and I'm thinking of a way to keep this thing sustainable.

Day to day life - I've been promoted to Academic Advisor and only teach one night class these days. Thanks to my wonderful next door neighbor, provider of inspiration, and best co-worker ever, I can handle not teaching as much. Plus, this will be good experience for my next career move. I want to be an International Student Advisor.

Can't wait for Spring, can't wait to see what happens next.

2010 Blogging

I still think about his blog, but I've been spending all of my time writing a screen play. And I know its really really really really hard to get someone to read one of these things, and it's not like I wrote it to ever have it produced, or read for that matter... So what am I supposed to do with this thing? I've almost reached my goal of 100 pages, and it might even wind up being a little longer.

I would like to add that I think it is quite readable and would make an interesting movie. I wrote it as a reaction to all the sequels, adaptations, and rip-offs out there in movieland. I really just wanted to write an original piece of work since I spent so much time with English.

In fact, I enjoyed it so much I am planning on writing an adaptation of a short story by Etgar Keret next. It's not like I dislike sequels, adaptations and rip-offs... There should be other choices, and if you have ever read Mr. Keret you will know that he isn't exactly a with-the-grain kinda writer.

Peace, love, and politics,
m

Skype

I am wondering about teaching English using Skype today. I have talked with my students about it, and it is something they are interested in. Has anyone out there ever tried it?

I'm back - with a focus!

I now have the most interesting and challenging class of my teaching career. At night I am teaching 5 Somalian students who cannot read or write. I am not versed in literacy education but I am learning fast. The hardest thing to do when teaching ESL to students who can't speak a lick is to go so s-l-o-w t-h-a-t y-o-u f-o-r-g-e-t h-o-w t-o s-p-e-a-k English yourself. If they can't understand you then you are all alone in the classroom. Comprehensible input is the key. In fact, I go so slow with these students that I have a hard time speaking with native speakers after I am finished; my friends asking me why I am flailing my arms and slobbering when I meet them after night classes for a drink. (After I teach advanced classes I cannot think of the actual word for anything, only the definitions for the words I would like to say.)

The 5 Somalian students are older learners, 50/60 years old I assume, and they aren't as fortunate and Arabic speakers, whose accent translates well into English, Spanish speaking students, whose alphabet and expose to English makes it easier on them, or even my Asian students, who have a knack for learning and who study more than I ever have. I guess I understand the culture, as much as this gringo can without ever going to Somalia, and I at least know about the pirates (who has pirates?) and that besides Eritrea it is the only country without a functioning government.

My students remind me of the beginning of humanity. They're from the cradle of civilization, and I can imagine that life has changed quite a bit since the beginning, but I also imagine that it has changed less for them than it has for anyone who is able to read this post.

They strictly follow Islam, they take an unsanctioned break at sundown to pray and they ask for help with the soda and snack machines. (The next lesson is on the value of money.) Islam is something I had to learn to understand because I was somewhat naive and uneducated about it before working here. There is a big difference between Saudi Arabia and Somalia when it comes to religion. In fact, the dumbed down version of course, is that there is a big difference between Saudi Arabia and every other Muslim nation.

Blah! I do not want this to turn into anything political or religilous! But the different headscarves and women's dress is IMPOSSIBLE not to mention. And the prayer breaks...

An English Language Adventure

I'm thinking about starting an English Language Adventure course for the summer months! I want to travel with about seven students throughout the United States and teach English along the way. There's so much to see and do and I've got experience doing it. I'd like to share that experience with other (both teaching English and traveling the United States. I figure we can make it from KC to Southern California and back in about four weeks. So if you know anyone who might be interested please let me know.

Mark

The Rock

Here's a rock shot for everyone. I don't start teaching until Monday. Argh, what am I going to do without my son tonight? I am going out on the town to reach out, over the counter and grab a few beers. Our album should be out soon.

Merry Christmas Folks

Hello everybody! If you stop by here and want to leave me a message I'll be more than happy to get back with you. Work is good, life is good and I really like being a teacher at X-Mas time. Peace Out!

This is our album cover, finished at last. If you want a Bovine Arrival disk leave you information here and I'll send you one. We're playing at Bottomfeeder Bay on New Year's Eve, look the fuck out!

Barack Obama!

Things are good as far as I am concerned... I like to see history being made, I want to be a part of a happy world and I think the world will be happier than when Clinton was president. I like John McCain and there isn't any reason he shouldn't have been the president for the last eight years. Obama is a reaction to W. and it is the best reaction I could have forseen. I have been following Obama since before the primaries, I drove to St. Louis to see him speak quite a while ago, and I am interested in seeing what happens over the course of the next eight years.

That being said, I am a libertarian again. Fuck the establishment! hahaha! I sound like my friend Ana de venezula living in florida...

Obama McCain

So glad to see people still here! Feels like friends!

I'm in the lab with my students again tonight, Wednesday, and I have them watching the debate on TV. I only have one student who likes McCain and I think he is crazy. He's actually great... crazy.

Those pictures are screwed up, I'll try it again. Peace,
m

Tonight in the lab

I'm a bad blogger, a bald blogger, a bad bald blogger... Who cares? People get carried away with these things. I've had friends find this blog and leave comments. I haven't been myself lately. I guess I just don't like to work. It's a funny thing, to love your job but to hate work in general, makes you fucking crazy.

I'm in the lab with my students tonight. They seem to like it. The ones who know how to use computers like it more than the ones who don't. Motivation is the key to teaching, I believe that big time.

Anyway, I am going to post a real time picture now.

ESL in the Night

I am letting my new students get on teh internet for the first time tonight. Many of them have been in the USA for les than a month and they have heard all about this thing but they haven't ever actually seen it. I noticed when I let them go at it, a couple of them went straight to Youtube! Funny. The first thing they go to is the most mindless thing out there. Of course they have heard of google and yahoo, but youtube?

How the hell is everyone? there doesn't seem to be a lot of everyone left anymore... that's okay. Its like the end of Dr. Strangelove, the song, we'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when, but we'll meet again some sweet day? Does that work? Gotta get back to my estudiantes.

Peace

New Job

Looks like I am teaching college starting Monday. I can't wait. I'll miss my kids but I'll have new bigger ones soon. I'm terrible at keeping up with this blog but I'm always interested in seeing who has stopped by while I was away. Soon, since I'll have a job, I'll be able to stop by here more and more and then it'll be back where it used to be.

Cocoa Beach

I've been away, surfing. Trying to surf. Fishing, drinking, skateboarding, of which I am very proud of myself because I do not skate. Steve had a long board skateboard, right up my alley. I'll post some pictures soon. How is everyone here? I'll check out your blogs and say hi soon, I promise. No band, no more Bottomfeeder, moving into the city hopefully soon. Downtown! Peace

Buenos Dias!

Hello there everyone,
Its been a while since I've had time to write one of these things. I've been working at BottomFeeder Bay since the day I got out of school and things are swell... Our band played saturday night and rocked the house. We play again at the competition East Pine Pub on Friday night.

Loads of music and booze since quitting teaching. Its so sad to think that I am not going back. I saw my kids yesterday, when I finally went to clean my room, and it was sad. But part of the reason I was stressed out teaching is because I couldn't save all those little buggers anyway, and I could stand to watch them grow into fuck ups... I don't think teaching has to be a lose-lose situation, but teaching kids who live in the trailer park isn't exactly win-win.

Post pictures soon, out

Avoidance

I've been avoiding this subject but I think its time to get over it and put it out there for the world to touch, taste, smell and hear... Today is my last day of school! Its better than xmas, its better than my birthdays used to be, its even better New Years Eve! In fact, in my book its right up there with Halloween and St. Patrick's Day, the other best days of the year.

I will be working at the Bottom Feeder Bay starting tomorrow... It is what it is folks.