ketchup 3(0)

(cuz it's the 30th post, that's why)


Loretta Lynne, Van Lear Rose

Many, many years ago, within about 2 weeks, a phenomenal teacher/friend named "Mrs. Bonilla" as well as an amazing former student/friend named at the time "Kelly Cooke" (now known as "Mrs. Keepers") each told me that I simply had to listen to this cool band called "The White Stripes."

Wow, were they right.

I am not the biggest fan, but I must admit that Jack White is one of the most important musicians of my lifetime.

The White Stripes.

The Raconteurs (unless you're in Australia, where the band is known as "The Sabateurs").

The Dead Weather (well, we can't be perfect).

It Might Get Loud

(Please. if you love guitars, go watch this.

Now.

Netflix.

Watch Instantly

W/ The Edge & Jimmy Page.)

Oh, & he produced & performed on the album highlighted above.

I must say I never really thought I might recommend a Loretta Lynne album, but here I do so.


Juniors:

You saw your "grades," & it was good (for most of you).

The Do Now included the ever-so-poignant Swift saying, "When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign, that all the dunces are in confederacy against him."

After we defined "dunce" & "confederacy," we got some really, really cool responses.

Seriously, he may cause a few problems in the "language-differential" department, but, eventually, if you arean "honors" student, you will be glad that you read Swift.

Yep, a genius.

(note: IQ stuff is fun & flawed, & we can get into that in PMs or in class.)

Sophomores:

If you don't at least appreciate "The Bet," you are in the wrong class.

I mean, this one gets to the heart of us as humans.

Chekhov looks within us & sees that which too many of us refuse to admit.

(By the way, you may go back to Swift's "glass" & get some more ideas there.)

You all are good folks, & I hope that you may continue to . . .

. . . be cool

FINAL, POST-"BE COOL" NOTE: Go watch the Twilight Zone episode based on "The Bet," & enjoy that one, too.

ketchup 2sday, after a night & day of stomach-upset

Lili Haydn, Place Between Places.

This lady is amazing.

Look her up or something, to get the full scoop, but let me say that I recommend no other violinist more highly.

Honestly, I like her instrumentals more than the vocal tracks, but she is, in a word (hyphenated), "multi-talented."

Her version of "Maggot Brain" on this album rivals the original, & I had never thought I'd hear or say that.

I noticed a strange thing the other day, too, as my CD of the day sat near the book I'm gonna read next:


I mean, they ain't twins, but there is a certain resemblance that one cannot deny.

Oh, & I highly recommend Mary Karr's "trilogy" of memoirs, The Liar's Club, Cherry, & Lit. It's rough stuff--as memoirs often are--but we get that human victory in the end. We're in this together, & we can win this big ol'
 game, no matter what they throw at us.

Juniors:

Swift: "Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own." 


Wow, this one worked.

I thank you for your responses, & I hope you see the way in which Swift managed to get into our "nature" as "humans."


Sophomores:

"The Leap," by Louise Erdrich

A big jump, in more ways than one.

Figurative & literal.

13 questions.

Words:

"I owe my existence, the second time then, to the two of them and the hospital that brought them together. That is the debt we take for granted since none of us asks for life. It is only once we have it that we hang on so dearly."

Please hang on.

&

"As you fall there is time to think."

Think, please.

& be cool

ketchup 1: birth of the cool

I prefer mustard, & I love that on Hot Dog Paradise I have seen restaurants that absolutely refuse to put ketchup (or even "catsup") on a hot dog.

Cleveland's Stadium Mustard (kinda like a spicy brown) & raw onions win, here.

Burgers: well, yeah, ketchup & mayo, maybe bacon, a chile, some guac or bbq or steak sauce or hot sauce, depending on mood.

Anyway the"ketchup" in our title here is a phonetic spelling of "catch up," or get back in the proverbial groove after a week off at midterms.

Oh, & Miles Davis has an album ("collection of songs not stolen") called Birth of the Cool, by the way.

So, let's get at it . . .


You can read the artist & title.

I played the trumpet for about 3 minutes in 6th grade, when we chose instruments. I wanted to play drums, which seemed the only "cool" instrument available--because "loud, obnoxious shred electric guitar" was not available--but 4 of my best friends went that way, so I had to do something else. & the saxophone had way too many buttons . . .

I couldn't play the theme to Rocky in those 3 minutes, & the experiment ended.

But years later I got into Miles Davis because he was cool.

He embodied cool.

& the trumpet can add texture to any rock or funk song, & rock & funk rule my world.

If you ain't got Kind of Blue--or better yet, this one, which covers much of his amazing versatility:


. . .go get it now.

(buy, don't steal, please)

ON TO THE ENGLISH STUFF:


Juniors, last Friday:
FORWARD!!!

You checked your CST scores, & many of you stayed "advanced," but slightly less advanced.

Aodhan, Linda & I talked about the fact that he scored "perfect" in language arts his 1st year & "perfect" in math his 2nd, but not "perfect" in both.

What does that mean?

It means he's still "advanced" & has something for which to shoot.

As do you.

Gulliver's Travels rocks, by the way, & you looked at those little fellers.


Sophomores, last Friday:

FORWARD!!!!!

You worked on reading, & you did well.

Seriously, let's look at these tests as a kind of competition, not necessarily w/ Los Osos or Rancho or Etiwanda, but as us against the test.

It's like golf: you play no one but the course.

Let's beat it (cue the Michael Jackson).

(Wow, Mile Davis & Michael Jackson in one post . . . how to top that?)

be "cool," like Miles

yep, it's 140

got much catchin' up to do, & will do it this weekend

(file under : "life gets in the way")


recent music:
9.10 Miles Davis, Kind of Blue
9.14 Lili Haydn, Place Between Places
9.15 Loretta Lynne, Van Lear Rose

because I love these artists so much, I will give you more scoop & the album cover soon

(also, today I will not use standard capitals or punctuation)

Juniors:

here are 2 examples to explain the title of today's post:

http://wilderdom.com/intelligence/IQWhatScoresMean.html

http://www.iqcomparisonsite.com/IQBasics.aspx

IQ, a flawed mechanism but interesting concept

Swift, a creative genius

we'll talk more about this in the future

be done through chapter 4 of part 2 for tomorrow


Sophomores:

who won that bet?

tune in tomorrow

& bring your synonyms