Can Shakira Conquer the World?

...Asked Rolling Stone magazine this week- Issue 1091, to be exact. And in response, I'm not sure...but probably.

It makes me wonder, however, what exactly is going on in the world of music these days? And where do you even begin?! For example, as I'm writing this I'm listening to lastfm, which has compiled a "station" of music for me based on the fact that I typed in Cut Copy when the site asked me who I like to listen to. So (for those of you who are not familiar with lastfm)this website then scours over tons of music in seconds and finds songs that are similar to Cut Copy's and plays them. I probably have already heard of one-third of the bands lastfm will select, but I can't help but wonder, where do the other two-thirds come from? I consider myself to be someone who keeps up with new music- almost obsessively in fact- and yet there is SO MUCH music out there that I am completely oblivious to. It's absolutely overwhelming. And the ease with which such music is made available makes it worse. If as if the fact that websites like lastfm and pandora exist, and make music so easily available, holds me even more accountable for keeping up with the jones'. If its right there at my fingertips, and free, then shouldn't I (we) be keeping up?

In my (our) defense, perhaps there's just too much music out there.
There are also not enough hours in the day... but that's a complaint for another day.

More college, please.

As I drive through and around my college campus(one of the drawbacks of working in the same city you went to school in), I cannot help but stare longingly at the hooded (sweatshirts, that is) masses- whose greatest concern to date is Midterms week- and think, "you all are so damn lucky."
College was the easiest thing I've ever done; midterms were a breeze, and 6 page papers? I ate them for lunch.

The real world however- not so easy.

LCD Soundsystem poses life's most profound query:

(and I do not mean in the romantic sense, mind you)

so where's the love where's the love where's the love where's the love where's the love tonight?
but there's no love man there's no love and the kids are uptight.

Adventures in Teacherland

1) Yesterday as I was leaving my classroom, already late for a meeting downtown, I found myself frantically unable to find my room keys. Then suddenly it hit me, much like- and accompanied by- a wave a of nausea: I gave my keys to one of my students at the end of the day to go to the bathroom, since the doors are always locked to try and prevent the vandalism, drug-dealing, and abuse that still manages to find its way inside. Luckily, I have this special child's mother on speeddial so I was able to call her and ask if he had come home with the keys. Her response, said with much warranted shock, was "Why would you give ______ your keys?!" My response, after a pause: "I don't know."

2) So, all teachers at my school are required to have "Word Walls" with words taped up that are pertinent to the classroom. Being a Science teacher, I have words like "carbon," "hypothesis," "element," etc. However, the amount of disrespect and verbal abuse that my students give to each other on a daily basis has really started to wear on me. I cannot believe the language that these 13 and 14 year use around each other. In an effort to counteract this foul movement, I started a "Forbidden Word Wall" next to the regular one. I wasn't sure how my students would take it, but they really bought into it and even contributed words to it that they themselves do not want said in the classroom.
Now, point blank, I am probably the worst teacher in the world. However, even I was pleased with how my first two classes went today. My students really grasped the concept I was teaching, enjoyed the activity I had planned for them, and behaved relatively well. My last class of the day however, was just out of control. Their behavior was awful, and to make matters worse, nothing I said was getting through to them. The only part of class that went well was when they were adding their contributions to the Forbidden word wall, as I allowed several students to get up and add some words while I was teaching the others, and not taking the time to notice what they were putting up. So of course, out of all three of my classes, my Principle chooses to come observe this one. She happened to walk in just as my students had reached their peak of bad behavior. Luckily she stayed for only five terrible minutes during which I just basically begged students to pay attention. BEfore leaving she dropped a note on my desk which I immediately read as soon as my class was finished. It said "Kennelly- I like the 'forbidden word wall' idea, but having some of those words posted in your classroom is actually much WORSE than allowing your students to say them. Please fix this."
With horror I looked to the wall, on which was boldly posted "bitch," "fag," "cunt," and several other doozies which I cannot write in this blog.
Its days like this that I really wonder just what the hell I am doing with my life...

What I’d really like to do with my life is this:

I’d like to wander aimlessly around the Central West End, stopping at stores with no particular purpose, picking up trinkets and just wondering what it would be like to own such a thing.

I’d like to kill hours in the basement of Rothschild’s, digging through antiques that were not nice enough to be sold upstairs.

I’d like to look through recipe books and coffee table photo albums at Left Bank Books and consider making something I found for dinner and dream about the apartment I will one day have in which I will have a coffee tables with lots of books on it.

I’d like to walk to Café Osage and have a cappuccino and read the New York Times and then go next-door to BoWood farms and pretend I have a garden that I need perennials for.

I’d like to stop in at Mezzanine and chat with the owner about how her business is doing and try on lots of things. I’d like to smell all of the Tocca perfumes and buy the perfect one after spending hours deliberating over what my new scent will be.

I’d like to walk down McPherson and the other gated streets and step on leaves to hear them crunch. I’d like for there to be a slight breeze and I’d like to be wearing a sweater and boots.

I’d like to walk past Kopperman’s and Duff’s and look at the people eating outside. I’d like to always eat meals outside for that matter and I’d like to have no other preoccupations and think only about dinner and the people I’m eating with while we're eating.

I’d like to walk past Brennan’s and wave at David and maybe sometimes stop in for a glass of wine. I’d like for the music at Brennan’s to be the soundtrack for my life.

I’d like for there to be no 3 o’clock to 6 o’clock because nothing ever happens during those three hours.

I’d like to have someone else to walk with, but only part of the time.

I’d like for life to slow down so I have time to appreciate the change in the season. Did you know- this is the most beautiful time of year? I almost forgot.

Tea, anyone?

Drink

My whiskey is
a tough way of life:

The wild cherry
continually pressing back
peach orchards.

I am a penniless
rumsoak.

Where shall I have that solidity
which trees find
in the ground?

My stuff
is the feel of good legs
and a broad pelvis
under the gold hair ornaments
of skyscrapers.


-William Carlos Williams