Grab a Cup of Coffee, Sit Back, Get Ready to Be Afraid

I saw this 20/20 program when it was on a few years ago. I forgot that I had seen it, and now I wonder if it inadvertently shaped me and our school decisions now. It is required viewing if you have a child of school age. It is 40 minutes, so be prepared, but it so worth it.

A Slice of Last Friday....

Last Friday, there was a hearing before the Oregon Department of Ed (ODE) regarding amendments, challenges, etc of SB 767, the bill that has us virtual schoolers up in arms. Got the video of one of our reps rebutting many many many of the arguments against virtual schooling. Here is what Rep Wingard is rebutting.

1) Virtual schools (the company of Connections Academy (CA), based in Baltimore, MD) is profiting on Oregon tax dollars. We are outsourcing our tax dollars.

My answer, Oregon Connections Academy (ORCA) is an established non profit organization, in full compliance with all state mandated rules and regulations of a non profit. ORCA does contract with CA nationwide for curriculum. You'll hear Mr. Wingard continue this thought.

2) Kids have no accountability in virtual programs. A bald faced lie was stated at a hearing two weeks ago by a president of a teacher's union saying that there is no student supervision and that "five years old are left in front of the computer for hours."

My answer, shame on her for such a lie! Folks forget schooling, that is illegal from a child protective standpoint. Parents, from a coaching perspective, have to sign an agreement to do things such as 1) Stay in the same room as their student. 2) Take attendance. 3) Monitor their work. 4) Sacrifice their own schedule. 5) Understand this is a huge time commitment. If we don't sign and comply with that contract, which is very serious when you read it, you're out.

Another thing I noticed in this video....the huge lack of attendance of the ODE board members. Half of the seats are empty. A big concern has been raised recently that ORCA families are being shut out of testifying at these hearings. And now I see the ODE members aren't attending. Politics are getting nasty!

Jefferson High School, reference in this video, is right down the street from us. It's close cousin, Madison High, where our kids are allowed to attend, is also on the No Child Left Behind red list. It "should" be closed, but Mr. Wingard shows very succinctly, that rarely never happens.

This is Beauty

Have you heard the buzz on this? "Great Britain's Got Talent" show, just like the American version, had a stunner. Do you want to see Simon Cowell eat crow? Do you want to see what beauty on the inside looks like? I wish I could post the link directly here, but nothing on youtube will let me.

Please take a moment, and a tissue, and watch this lovely woman's dream come true. Mine did when I watched Simon be the ONLY person not giving this amazing woman a standing ovation.

Click here.

Another Reason to Fly Southwest

Youtube Nonsense

Just because I have laughed hard at this and also visited the dentist this week.



I had a long talk with my dentist this week while waiting for the Novocain to take effect. We both chuckled about this video. I told my dentist, "I want what he had." I didn't get what David had.

Long story short, my new crown got sidetracked for two weeks since my dentist had to cut out a lot of gum tissue that had grown down in between two teeth. Trust me, I would rather have two root canals than have gum tissue removed again. The temporary crown is in and is packed with putty to keep the bleeding gums at bay. I'll keep you posted.

Just In Case You Haven't Laughed Hysterically Today

David had a little oral surgery done....and well, the drugs had their affect as well. It must have been a doozy of a surgery. I have major things done in my mouth, and my dentist refuses to dope me up with anything other than novacain.

Listen to the Music

I just got tagged by Kristina to list seven songs that are shaping my summer.

Here they are:
1) Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman. Ever since his daughter died, I cry hard when I hear that song on the radio.
2) Whatever it Takes by Lifehouse. Love that song!
3) After All These Years by Journey
4) Anything by Nickelback.
5) Every Little Thing She Does is Magic by Sting
6) Hannah Montana
7) Into the Night by Santana and Chad Kroeger (Nickelback's lead singer). Seriously, I love this song, and I wish it would be overplayed on the radio.

So, I tag FG, Angela, and hmm....Tracy.

I would also like to leave you with the video to Into the Night. Chad Kroeger is rocking cool with his scratchy voice, Santana is magic on the guitar as always, and this video isn't borderline pornography like every other video on the pop charts these days. Since this song is about a woman who bewitches a man with her dancing, it certainly had the propensity to be yucky. Chad is sporting a shorter, more styled hairdo. Hmm...is he selling out? We'll keep a watch for that.

I Approve!

**Before I start my topic, I just realized that for some reason blogger hasn't been notifying me when I have had comments to moderate. I just moderated ALL of them that many of you have posted recently. My hugest apologies. I am sure I seem like a huge censor not letting your comments be posted. I promise, a setting got mixed up and I will be more vigilant to check a couple of places for comments to be moderated. Please take a moment and go all the way back to where I was talking about how to cut back and save money because we're all feeling the pinch, all of those posts between this most recent one and that one have great comments and ideas.**


I am a child of the 80's big time. I graduated from high school in 1987. That means I was in high school when all the best 80's high school flicks were hot. "Sixteen Candles", "Breakfast Club", and "Say Anything", which I just watched for about the eightieth time a few nights ago.

"I am the distraction going to England with your daughter, sir." Love it! Or how about, "I don't want to process anything. Or sell anything is processed. I also don't want to buy or sell anything that is bought or processed......"

I was also a huge fan of several bands in high school. Chicago and Journey were my absolute favorites. I saw Chicago in concert about five times. Journey was always too expensive.

Have you heard the news about Journey lately? They have regrouped. Steve Perry, the former lead singer didn't join the renewal. Rumors are he has some pretty major health issues one of them could be his overgrown rockstar ego. But I digress.

But have you heard? Neal Schon was looking for a new lead singer, one problem. Steve Perry has a very distinctive voice. But he was told about a guy who sounds just like Steve on YouTube. Sure enough, Neal found Arnel Pineda who was making a name for himself in his home country of the Philippines. He had also been a homeless man for several years. Neal made the call, and Arnel thought it was a hoax, as I am sure Neal thought this couldn't be for real. This little Filippino man with pipes like Steve?? Nah!

'Tis true.

And it's very cool and a little freaky too.

I am putting two links. Play a trick on a Journey fan. Play one version of Faithfully with Arnel and one with Steve, but don't let them look at the computer. I have the feeling it will be hard to pick out the real Steve. Both are live concert recordings, so you will hear little variations....let's see who can tell the difference.

Also, what got me on this kick today was this. I was listening to a pop station that was playing Journey's latest new release "After All These Years". I had heard the rumors about this Filippino guy was the new guy, and I did some googling, and here we are. But I have to add, this latest tune is nice. It is very Journey-esque in it's musicality, yet it is a great song for Arnel to start Journey's present stage in life. Very nice! Listen for it. It is so new still, I couldn't find it on YouTube.

I am telling you, I listen to Faithfully, and I want to stand up with my cigarette lighter! I love that rock ballad! But alas, as I stand in my imaginary rock concert, I am would be frisked and my lighter would be confiscated. I have to be happy holding up my cell phone with the backlight lit up. Sometimes we just can't go back.




Journey with Arnel Pineda



Journey with Steve Perry, the gold standard by which Arnel is measured by.

In Loving Memory

I am a huge Steven Curtis Chapman fan. I have loved him since the eighties when he had a mullet. His infamous song "I Will Be There" was sung at my wedding sixteen years ago. I rock out often to his song "Dive" on my CD player in my car. I love his music from old to new.

Last weekend his youngest daughter was killed by a car in their front driveway. His youngest three children were adopted from China. The Chapman's have been huge supporters of adoption, specifically, making resources available to families to ease the cost of adoption.

I heard this news from my husband while standing in line to check bags in Miami's airport, and my heart just jumped and sunk.

My most heartfelt prayers and condolences to the Chapman family.

Here are a couple of videos in memory of Maria Sue Chapman 2003-2008. She has journeyed from her earthly father's arms to her heavenly father's. May God heal the family and friends left here to miss her.

Greg's Music

I know I have had Gregory Boyd over on my blog's I watch. It's his myspace page. I know Greg has had great success promoting his music on myspace. I finally got a podcast of some of his latest songs.

For those of you who don't know who Greg Boyd is to me. He and I went to high school together. We reconnected over the last few years, and I keep tabs on his music trans-Atlantically. He lives in Denmark with his wife and new baby these days. I credit a lot of what I think about racial issues these days to a kind of defining moment in my life I had with him in high school. You can click here for a past post I did on this.

Honestly, I love listening to him sing. When he and I were in high school together, I didn't know he could sing. I only knew he could drum like no other, and obviously he still does. Those pan drums you will hear in the background are him.

He drums while he sings. From what I understand from people who are drummers, that is about one of the hardest things to do. Basically you have two songs going in your head.

Anyway, here is a link to two of his latest songs. Very nice, jazzy, light mood songs. Click here.

New Twist on an Old Trick

Okay, I am not a "America's Got Talent" fan. I have watched a few episodes and enjoyed them, but never got into it.

So last night, I am driving around and the radio station I am listening to has the DJ's just going on and on and on about this magician, Kevin James. Not the "King of Queens" Kevin James. One of the DJ's is an amateur magician, who thinks he knows how the trick is done and won't share because it would be compromising his magician's oath. The other DJ is going on and on about how he doesn't really know how the trick is done, he should share his opinion, and understand his opinion is speculation. All DJ's were in agreement, it's a phenomenal illusion. I think I agree with her opinion--part of the fun of illusions is talking about it and trying to figure out how they are done. Since he isn't in "the know", sharing his thoughts is not breaking his little oath. Whatever--the two DJ's were ready to duke it out, it got pretty heated.

After listening to this while watching the sun set on the freeway gridlock, I was intrigued. I came home, found the video, which is swooshing through youtube right now. I have to say I am intrigued. It's an amazing illusion. I also did some youtube searching and watched other versions of the same trick he has done. So I got several angles and versions of the same illusion.

One hint I'll give to you, the guy on the table is his usual assistant, but he has had another assistant as well. In other versions the guy on the table has walked on his hands all over the stage and walked right up to audience members and shaken their hands. One of the discussions on the radio last night was the person on his hands was an animatronic thing. He isn't. Same for the legs, they all agreed the legs are a real person.

So let's do this. Watch this, and let's see what we all think. I'll also let you know what the DJ's decided in terms of how it is done. After watching it, I do agree with them how it is done.



Here is a version that has a lot more detail and not shortened for "America's Got Talent" time constraints. Notice, when the upper body is moving off stage, the original wheeled cart he came out on is gone. I think this will give you some good hints.



And yet another version where you see there is no editing. It's an amateur video from an audience member so there are no cuts. You can also see the torso person gets wheeled off the stage and then brought back to be stapled back together.