After Ladybug recovered me from the DSIF party hotel, where too many games of Flipcup left me insensible and stranded, I came home yesterday and starting hanging out with Charlie Todd. Mid-day, we collected Rogers and went to VisArt to purchase a copy of the New York Times, which featured this article about Improv Everywhere. The print version included a picture from the Meet Anton Chekhov mission, of which I’m a little bit proud and very very thankful that Charlie was able to guide it to such fruition.

Someone should come along and give Charlie a TV deal. Let him get paid for creating pranks with no victims, only a little joy.

Californians: Until you wise up and hold recall elections on Schwarzenegger, your state will continue to crumble into the sea.

Stolen from Andi, but I think she is OK with it.

I enjoyed this article from the Raleigh News & Observer about the use of technology in schools. (I did not, however, wish to register, so I used the account from BugMeNot.com– ahhh, privacy.)

It’s a bit disheartening to hear the computers, software, handhelds, and other technology enhancements all termed “gadgets,” which in a major newspaper leaves me feeling like the connotation is negative. I’m sure state legislature fatcats are sitting around reading the morning newspaper, bellowing “They used the money we gave them to buy gadgets? Harumph harumph harumph. More blueberry muffins!”

They should have just used the phrase “all those kickass new toys.” That would have given the legislature the right impression of how the technology was being used.

Still, it’s good to know that there’s a mostly-positive spin on how teachers are using new tools to accomplish their goals, and it’s nice to see a writer who understands that the technology they’re using is a tool to reach a specific educational end (or set of specific educational ends) rather than the focus of the student learning. If I had a dollar for every time a school got gadgets and then spent all their energy showing teachers and students how to use the gadgets but didn’t show them the possible, practical applications, I’d have dollars. Lots of dollars.

It’s very possible that I will have further reflections from DSIF, but for now I will co-opt one from Kit. I quite like it.

http://dirtysouthimprov.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=23743#23743

I submitted my application to grad school today. Wish me luck!

True story: I have a gash on my butt caused by a cookie crumb.

The cats are playing The Vomit Game, where they try to outdo each other for the most vomit produced in a 24-hour period. Miss Kitty is currently the league leader, with a massive hurl that ended up right on a Dance Dance Revolution pad. Thanks ever so much, kitty friends.

Heidi and I are doing some cleaning today, as we prepare for DSIF guests Charlie and Anthony. While I was taking out the trash, I noticed a scrap of paper lying in a divot in the yard caused by the complete trashing of our phone box. (This happened during an ice storm, and then the phone company fixed it, and then within 24 hours, it looked like it had been trashed again.)

The scrap has a partial picture of a super-hero, so I found it odd that it was lying in my yard, since I must be the biggest superhero nerd within a few miles.

Here it is:

Heading to a $5 formal tonight- wear nice clothes that you bought used. Thrift store stuff.

So, while I was in Wilmington, I got stopped by a guy who told me that he was just trying to get enough money to get some bandages and antibiotic creme for his feet. I todl him I would meet him up at the drug store if he was serious. He showed up, so we went inside, and he picked up the cheapest antibiotic creme and asked if a 99-cent bottle of peroxide was cool. I found some bandages, and he tried to get me to get cheaper bandages, but he couldn’t find any.

I bought him the stuff, and as we were walking out, he asked if I could do one more thing for him. I told him I had to jet, but I wished him really good luck.

What’s really shitty is that even as I was leaving, I was wondering what that other thing he was going to ask me to do was, and I kept thinking that he might just try to return the stuff and take the money. It bothered me the whole time I was driving back. I feel awful for doubting that this guy was anything but sincere about just needing a little help, and yet, I still can’t shake a little doubt.

bah. Being cynical sucks.

Let it be known: Joy Rankin makes a series of foolish bets.