Wow

Okay, the music snob in me says I wasn't supposed to like this, but Carrie Underwood rocked. Amazing pipes. And you can't beat a tribute to Guns n Roses ("November Rain" and "Paradise City") to rock out the show.

Best part? Watching my 12-year old daughter sing along to every one of her songs. Way cool.

America's Pastime

Don't believe me? Read the essay!

Spring Break Caption Contest

Here's the deal - you have until Sunday, April 13, to post a caption for the above pic. We'll have TWO winners this time! Enter now!

Caption Contest Too Winner

Confucious say, "Shadow hand make good puppet!"

Congrats to Katie on her winning entry - she's now the proud owner of the illustrated Life of Pi.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

PLAY BALL! Major League Baseball began its 2008 campaign tonight - your Detroit Tigers play their opening game Monday against the Kansas City Royals.

DID YOU KNOW? The third most-sung song in America turns 100 this year! For more info, go here.

GO TIGERS!

APE Literature - "Faith Means Doubt"

As you get close to the end of Life of Pi, your belief in everything you've read will be tested. I linked to Andrew Sullivan's essay about faith and doubt a few weeks ago; today, he posted this piece on Thomas Merton. Think about how it relates to Pi, to Owen Meany, and to the study of literature.

But when will they be released for Wii?

Play nice in the Lit Lounge sandbox

Okay kids, a few comments have been a bit snarky, so I've changed the rules. You must login and create a username if you want to comment - no more anonymous posts. I reserve the right to delete any inappropriate, snarky, or just plain mean comments.

Love of books, love and books

Yet one more thing to keep in mind when choosing the perfect mate. Read on.

Bloody good job!

Nice to see so many of you giving blood today. Stay hydrated, eat healthy, and stay away from strenuous exercise. If your name is Laura, don't look at the needle mark, okay?

APE Literature - Goodbye to Robert Fagels

Like you, I read Homer's Odyssey in high school, and again in college. I experienced it for the first time ten years ago reading Robert Fagels' translation. Fagels died Wednesday at the age of 74. His last translation, Virgil's Aeneid, just came out in paperback a few months ago. This excerpt describes the famous Trojan horse being pulled into the city of Troy:

We breach our own ramparts, fling our defenses open,
all pitch into the work. Smooth running rollers
we wheel beneath its hoofs, and heavy hempen ropes
we bind around its neck, and teeming with men-at-arms
the huge deadly engine climbs our city walls.

Treat yourself to any of his recent works. You won't be disappointed.

APE Language - Burma Today

Take a look at this article from the London Times - I wonder how Orwell would write about the current situation in Burma . . .

Just keep Noelani away from the guitar. . .

Attention Wii owners: Rock Band arrives June 22.

Visitation between 6:00 AM - 10:30 AM only

Herb Peterson, inventor of the Egg McMuffin, died this week at age 89. Natural causes, by the way.

An Early Nominee for Man of the Year

My pick is Jon Stewart. Funny, yes. No doubt about it. But it's one thing to be pious, and another to actually take time to talk one-on-one with our wounded soldiers. He's been visiting Walter Reed for quite some time. Anyone can talk smack, but I have much more respect for those who back it up with action. Props to Stewart.

Who's Your Daddy? Find out - at Meijer!

While you're picking up a gallon of milk, a dozen eggs, and a loaf of bread, why not pick up an at-home DNA paternity test? Just $29.99, plus the cost of finding out the results.

Not only are there questions of ethics involved here, but what about Maury? If everybody buys these, he'll have nothing left for his show.

Caption Contest Too Finalists

I've selected a final four for this week - you can vote for your favorite until Sunday night at 10:00. The winner will receive the illustrated Life of Pi on Monday!

What's wrong with this picture?

Well, anyone who knows me should be able to figure it out: it's a creative, relevant bulletin board! And it should be equally obvious that I had nothing to do with it. Props to "The Boss", Miss Venhuizen.

Five Years Later

Frontline airs the conclusion of Bush's War on PBS tonight. If you missed it, it's worth catching online. All four hours are available here.

In addition, they've created a page of links to a number of reports on the fifth anniversary of the war.

Sure, it's cold here, but. . .

You could be in Antarctica, where another major ice shelf is about to become one of the world's largest ice cubes. It's half the size of Northern Ireland, and follows the swift demise of the Larsen Inlet, Larsen A, and Larsen B ice shelves. Say goodbye to the Wilkins Ice Shelf.

Kite Runner DVD

It's available today! And yes, I have my copy. One less thing you have to get me for my birthday.

Penny Wise? Not Really.

Found a link to this New Yorker article via Andrew Sullivan's blog. Yet another argument to get rid of the penny. A few years ago, William Safire took on the same topic in his column. Excellent examples of well-crafted argument. The image at left is from The New Yorker.

How to Manage the 5-Day School Week

You are here.

Gopher 1, Man 0

It's not exactly "Hey there, Mr. Gopher, it's me, Mr. Squirrel. I'm not a plastic explosive. . ." - but it'll do. Enjoy.

A New Feature - Rock History 101

Inspired by a friend of mine who said, "I never understood what they were singing," I proudly introduce this new feature to the Lounge. Today's song is "Rock the Casbah" by The Clash, from the album Combat Rock. Sharif don't like it, but we do.

Sketchy Charicatures

Again, from the NY Times, four artists explain their charicatures of the presidential candidates. One made me LOL. Care to guess which?

Arthur C. Clarke and the Killer Comets

No, it's not another possible name for Noelani's band. Mr. Clarke, as you know, died last week. In 1994, he wrote an op-ed for the NY Times on why we should continue to look to the skies.

Live from Biggby's

Since I have a few hours to kill before dining on Easter ham, I thought I'd drop by my favorite coffee shop, sip a carmel marvel, listen to some tunes, and read a few APE Language impromptus. It's quiet here, just a few customers. One of them, a sturdy woman with an old-European accent, just realized her precious pup, in a fit of glee to see her return with a treat (they have doggie treats at Biggby), put paw to auto-lock and sealed the Jeep's doors. Bummer.

Back to the papers.

"the main event"

happy easter

Want to see a great movie?

Check out Persepolis, now playing at Celebration Woodland. Not only is it great, it's cheap. The animation is graceful and gorgeous, but the story is even better. It's based on the graphic novels of Marjane Satrapi - I have them in the Lit Lounge for your viewing pleasure.

Caption Contest Too!

Here you go! Submit your caption by Wednesday, March 29 at 10:00 PM.

Caption Contest Winner

Student teacher snaps, joins military band.

- submitted by randomfactblodger (Ian, possibly?)

Once my blog staff determines the identity of our winner, he/she will receive the aforementioned cool prize.

A Man for All Roles - Paul Scofield

One of the best stage and screen actors died this week: Paul Scofield. He played Mark Van Doren in Quiz Show, the ghost in Mel Gibson's Hamlet, and starred with Daniel Day Lewis in The Crucible.

One reason to stop picking your nose

I am not making this up. A winemaker's nose has been insured by Lloyd's of London for almost $8 million. In an interview today, he was asked how much a premium would cost for such a policy. His response? "Well, eet ees veree expenseev. . . somewhere beetween zee buttocks of Jenneefer Lopez and zee legs of Daveed Beckham."

APE Lit - Writing Letters of Recommendation

It occured to me today, as I wrote a handful of last-minute letters, how lucky I am to work with all of you. Writing those letters forces me to stop and reflect on your growth over the past four years. I hope you know how proud I am of what you've accomplished; I am fortunate to work with all y'all.

In addition, I have to tell you how much I enjoyed your Life of Pi briefings today. Excellent work.

All in favor of keeping Miss Venhuizen around through AP Exams, say AYE!

Enjoy the weekend.

L

Hit the Handel! Hallelujah!

YES! Just got word from the AP folks - they've invited me to be a reader this June for AP Lit. The great part about this year's reading is that I won't have to miss commencement ceremonies like I did in 2006. And it's held in Louisville, so I'll get to visit the Louisville Slugger factory and get in touch with some of my EKU classmates.

This also means I'll miss the last two days of school. Juniors (and sophomore), this means you might end up taking your final trimester exam a bit early so I can get my grades entered before the AP reading. I'll keep you posted.

Just so you know, my invitation is a direct result of the hard work all of the LHS APEs have done over the years. Your continued success is a sign that we must be doing something right. Keep it up!

APE Literature - Fences

A Broadway revival is planned for the August Wilson classic. Road trip, anyone?

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club - Guitar Hero?

Yep, it just might happen. Now that Aerosmith is getting their own Guitar Hero game, the Fab Four might be next. Personally, I'd like to see ELO and Wilco, but The Beatles will rock!

Six-Word Music Reviews

If you're a true music fan, you know about the SXSW Festival that just wrapped up in Austin, TX. Courtesy of Lounge grad Heather Harrigan, here's a link to hundreds of 6-word reviews about the bands that showed up.

APE Language - Guernica

Info on Picasso's mural can be found here.

Caption Contest Finalists!

Here are my top three. It's now up to you to decide who walks away with First Prize in our inaugural caption contest. Vote in the poll on the left until Thursday at midnight. Chicago voting rules apply: vote early, vote often.

A. Stolen wax figurine from the Museum of Science and Industry found in business district. Replica of Brittany Spears still missing.

B. Student teacher snaps, joins military band.

C. I swear, if I have to arrest another tuba this week I am going to quit the force. This is getting flippin' ridiculous!

I post, you decide!

The voters have spoken!

And they're a weird bunch. At least those who voted in the baby poll.

According to our extremely unscientific poll, you like Owen, Obama, and raw babies.

New polls will be up soon, including your chance to vote for our first Caption Contest winner.

Goodbye to a classic sci-fi author

Arthur C. Clarke died today in Sri Lanka. He wrote many acclaimed sci-fi novels in his career, and worked with Stanley Kubric on the classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Hike 'em up!

Gentlemen, it's time to tighten your belts. And I'm not talkin' about saving money. Read on.

If teaching doesn't work out. . .

. . . I could resort to this.

Obama Speech: 'A More Perfect Union'

Here's the entire speech. Spend a half-hour watching, and let me know what you think.

Stratford Festival News

You might be surprised to learn how much it takes to put on one of the largest Shakespeare festivals in the world. And it doesn't always run smoothly. Don't worry, no performances, including the LHS trip to see The Taming of the Shrew, are in jeopardy.

Obama's Speech

Today, Sen. Barack Obama delivered a speech in Philadelphia, a speech on race and the words of a controversial minister in Chicago. While at first glance it may appear to be just another political presentation, it could go down as one of the most important speeches of our time.

Today's Six-Word Memoir

"Couldn't cope so I wrote songs." - Aimee Mann

from Not Quite What I Was Planning

photo by tspelczech - taken at Aimee Mann's Christmas Variety Show in Ann Arbor, December 2007

A Plea for HTML HELP!

Here's the thing - as long as I can post WYSIWYG, I'm cool. But when I changed the look of the Lit Lounge over the weekend, some of the margins got a bit goofed up. If any of you know how I can expand the width of the margins of the blog, I'd be in your debt. Might even buy you lunch.

Let me know if you can help!

Stockbridge Boiler Room

Earlier this school year, I learned that one of my professors/mentors/friends from GVSU was going to give up teaching and leave his farm home to begin a ministry for addicts and the homeless in Grand Rapids. The story of Stockbridge Boiler Room is featured in today's Grand Rapids Press. Pretty cool.

A Good Reason For POS (Parents Over Shoulder)

From Sunday's NY Times, a rationale for spyware - the kind that allows parents to montior every move their kids make online.

The Office Heroes

Recommended by my son, who says, "Oh! This one is funny!"

John Irving on the Writer's Craft

One of our favorite authors in an interview prior to the release of his latest novel, Until I Find You, relased in 2005

Happy Pi Day!

For those reading Life of Pi, here's a view of Petit Seminaire in Pondicherry.

Michael Scott is to Mr. Larsen as Ryan the Temp is to. . .

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention our amazing student teacher, Miss Venhuizen. As of this week, she acquired her very own desk with nameplate. She's shown above with her supervising teacher monitoring her every move.

APE Language - Jamaica Kincaid

An interview with the author published last fall in Mother Jones.

The Official Great APE '08 T-Shirts

What will they look like? What catchy/gross/weird slogan should go on them that no one but APE students will understand? Your ideas and designs are welcome. I want to get them designed (and ordered) before Spring Break - what are you waiting for?

It's Never Too Soon. . .

. . . to find a date for prom. Gentlemen, there's a reason why you should start looking for your perfect mate now. The statistics don't lie.

(And yes, I know it's too late for me. That's why you don't see an option to comment on this post. So there.)

Faith/Doubt in Literature

We know (believe?) the topic of faith vs. doubt is addressed in A Prayer for Owen Meany, but you might find a similar motif in Life of Pi (or Atonement or Crime and Punishment or Billy Budd). This essay by Andrew Sullivan, one of the best essayists/bloggers out there, offers an eloquent argument for how they co-exist.

College Credit for AP Exams

Want to know what score you need on the AP Exam for credit at the college or university of your choice? Go here.

Wrong. Just wrong.

Longest Ear Hair
Radhakant Bajpai, 50, of Naya Ganj, India, is one of many medical record breakers to make their way into this year's Guinness World Records Book.

The hair sprouting from his outer ears measures 13.2cm (5.19 inches) at its longest point and was confirmed by Dr R P Gupta.

Mr Radhakant said: "God has been very kind to me."

(photo courtesy of the BBC)

Satirized for Your Protection

You Know What's Stupid? Everything I Don't Understand

Early Exit Poll Data

Who knew the polls would get this much attention? And who knew no one would want boiled baby? And how disturbing is it that more people have responded to the baby poll than the AP novel question?

I'm just sayin. . .

The Sandbox

We're days away from the fifth anniversary of the conflict/war in Iraq. No matter what your take on the situation, there's no doubt that our troops still deserve our support. I can't imagine being that young, that far away from home, with that much pressure 24/7.

G.B. Trudeau, creator of Doonesbury, has captured the day to day existence of the US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan in his daily strip and on his website. You can find updates, written by the soldiers themselves, in The Sandbox. I've put a widget in the lower right corner of the blog so you can see the most recent entries. Click on them for the full story. And if you'd like, you can take a look at my copy of The Sandbox: Dispatches from Troops in Iraq and Afgahanistan in the Lit Lounge.

The Six-Word Memoir: Your Turn

Me see world! Me write stories!

- Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat,Pray, Love

From Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Famous & Obscure Writers

Now it's your turn. Your life story. Six words. Go for it.

The Daily Show with Jon Swift

Without Swift and his "Modest Proposal", we might not have been able to enjoy Jon Stewart and Company. Makes you appreciate Old Powderwig, doesn't it?

Jonathan Swift - Satirist, Snappy Dresser

For more infomation about the man, go here.

Question of the Day

Who is this man, and how will he make history this coming Monday?

Caption of the Week Contest - #1

Each week, I'll find a random news photo; your job is to provide a witty caption. Enjoy. Best captions each week will get some worthwhile prize. No, really.