How to increase your MPG

It's called hypermiling, and according to this article, it works.

Why eliminating the gas tax wouldn't work

All of you with a basic knowledge of economics can figure this one out

Today's moment of irony

Guess where that "Free Tibet" flag was made: China.

TEAL - Why didn't we think of this?

TEAL is heading our way, bringing with them gallons of White-Out and dozens of red pens. Their mission? To rid our highways and byways of embarassing typos. Godspeed, TEAL!

Call it a gut feeling

THIS is why we have a dress code. Because once you allow spaghetti straps and baggy jeans, you're just a step or two away from this kind of attire. (Yes, it's the slippery slope fallacy, I know.)

(photos from Reuters news)

Let's ask Mr. Antel if we can try this!

A new world record was set in Belgium, involving 1500 students, many ponchos, lots of Diet Coke, and a whole lotta Mentos. Very cool.

How was lunch?

This summer, I'll spend a week with my son's youth group helping people in some of the poorest areas of West Virginia. Obviously, there are starving people around the world, and, according to this report in the Washington Post, the current food crisis is the worst ever. Read on, then go here to find out how you can help.
UPDATE (4/28): Jeffrey Sachs was a guest on NPR's Talk of the Nation this afternoon. You can read some of his ideas here, then go back to NPR's site later Monday night to hear the audio.

Return of the Caption Contest

This one was too good to pass up. You have until next Wednesday at midnight to submit your funniest one-liner. And yes, there will be a prize. (REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)

UPDATE: Laura Blanton wins! "Not the best time to lose one's head..."

Brandon and Kirsten were not involved

Thomas Friedman haters, rejoice! Seems Mr. Flat World was attacked by pie wielding protesters at Brown University this week.

I still like the book. Yes, it's unbelievably wordy, and not all of his ideas make sense, but it's a decent primer for the first generation to go global.

Wrong info about Rev. Wright

An interview with the controversial pastor will appear Friday night on PBS. You've probably seen the infamous video clip that gets all the press, but have you taken the time to discover the rest of the story? Most of the mainstream media hasn't. That's too bad.

OMG!

I'm so glad my students aren't doing this. So far.

Super Senior Early Release

I'm honored to have been invited to read the APE Lit exam this year, and thankful to everyone at LHS for all of their support as I head to Louisville during the last week of school. I'll spend seven days scoring 1000+ essays from all over the country. On the upside, I'll be in one of the most beautiful cities in the country.

And I get to stay here (see above).

Did I mention that I'll be within walking distance of the Louisville Bats, the AAA affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds? Who'll play three games against the Toledo MudHens while I'm there?

Life is good.

Joe Jackson in concert

What a treat to hear a favorite from the 1980s - Joe Jackson and Co. played the Michigan Theatre last night, and every song blew me away. Just one of those happenings when you feel lucky to be alive.

APE PRACTICE EXAM - EXTRA CREDIT!

Let's plan on Saturday, May 3 for an AP practice exam. I'll arrange the space at LHS, you just show up at 8:00 AM. Extra credit (like you need it) for those who show. If you have other plans, I'll still make a copy of the practice exam that you can use at your leisure.

Maybe he had a higher calling?

A priest in Brazil got carried away, literally, in a fund raising stunt and hasn't been seen since.

APE Lit - New works from AP authors

Salman Rushdie finds comfort in writing after a painful divorce, and Tobias Wolff ("Hunters in the Snow") releases a collection of old and new short stories.

You and the slumping economy

According to the trend-watchers, y'all aren't spending as much these days due to higher gas prices, etc. And if buying lots of new stuff is what you're hoping to do, you'd better start looking for a summer gig now - the job forecast is not good.

Caption Contest?

Senior Scramble Success!

Our Slice of Pi

Wow. What an experience. Your questions impressed Yann Martel and everyone else in the room.
We owe Miss Venhuizen a huge thank you for arranging this session!
Question: What will you remember most from today?

Caption Contest Winners!

Your top two are the top two of the "superdelegates" as well! Congrats to Kulhawik and Andre19! (By the way, who is Andre19? Please identify yourself!)

APE Lit - Yann Martel - An Interview

If you missed it, here's the video clip we watched in class today:

Well-deserved praise for a friend

One of my favorite people in the whole world, Jen Haberling, is a finalist for Michigan Teacher of the Year. Along with our GVSU college professor/mentor, Brian White, Jen pushed me to be a better student, student treacher, and teacher. She is amazing, and I hope she wins the award.

SpongeBob Meets the Classics

Oh. My. Goodness. This one is just too good not to post. Enjoy.

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

Caption Contest Finalists

You vote, you decide. The popular vote will decide one winner, the superdelegates will decide the other. Here are the final five:

A. Hillary and Bill Clinton: The Later Years

B. Sunbathing at Florida nursing homes hits a new high

C. Margaret! Didn't I tell you to bring suntan lotion? Great, now the whole trip is ruined!

D. Didn't you check the forecast?

E. Retirement in Michigan lacks charm, disgruntled vacationers reveal

Vote by Wednesday night at 10 PM. Winners will be announced first thing Thursday morning!

Welcome back

Hope you've enjoyed your Spring Break. When the Lit Lounge re-opens for business, Miss Venhuizen will continue her work on analysis with APE Language, and I'll put APE Lit through their poetry paces, pronto.

APE Lit reminder: You need to get a pre-excused absence form filled out for Thursday's field trip. Have a question or two ready for Yann Martel as well!

See you soon!

Winter Storm Warning, Colorado Style

Woke up this morning to 5-10 inches of snow in Ft. Morgan, and then discovered that the train leaving town was four hours late. If that happens to us tomorrow, we won't leave until 1 AM on Saturday. Lovely.

On the other hand, if extra time means the chance to have a surprise visit from our Alaskan cousin, Gary, we'll take it. We enjoyed dinner, then headed over to Bill and Betty Baker's house, where Bill showed us his trophy room filled with bighorn sheep, deer, a big ol' brown bear, and a huge collection of Native American artifacts.

We've heard some fascinating stories this week, and all it took was asking a few questions of some friendly strangers. As much as I look forward to getting home, I will miss being around the people in this small town.

(From the top: Just some of the 61 trophies mounted in Bill Baker's trophy room; Bill sharing hunting stories with Gary Larsen, yours truly, and Greg Larsen; a big moose and Pastor Bullwinkle.)

"I'll just stick with the poop today. . . "

Sadly, that is something I said today. But before you take it out of context, see the above picture. A delightful little shop in Pagosa Springs, staffed by some wonderful folks who were more than happy to show us around and offer as many samples as we wished. I settled for the Baby Buffalo Poop - homemade caramel dipped in chocolate.

No buffalo on the road today, just one awe-inspiring sight after another. Back in Ft. Morgan tonight, where Reverend Greg and the Acolytes are jamming to RockBand. Good times.

Glad we left the San Juan Mountains when we did. They're expecting one or two feet of snow there tomorrow.

The Last Lecture

You may have seen part of this on YouTube, or in Sunday's Parade magazine, but if you haven't, you owe it to yourself to see Randy Pausch's last lecture at Carnegie Mellon University. He delivered it last fall after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Read about it here or here, then check out the video.

The view from here

From the top: Our view from the Rock Pile at Coors Field, being in six places at the same time at Four Corners Monument, the flags of the Four Corners, and a big butte.

Live from Pagosa Springs

Greetings from Pagosa Springs, home to the Fireside Inn, which just happens to have free wi-fi. Life is good. After watching the Rockies lose to the D-Backs yesterday in extra innings, we headed here. Today, we journeyed to the Four Corners, talked with some Hopi Indians, and ran around four states at one time. Brother Greg suggested we head up to Mesa Verde - and what a brilliant idea that was. Breath-taking views, and a white-knuckle drive up and down the mountain.

I'll post loads of photos soon. Hope y'all are enjoying the break!

Live from Ft. Morgan - Day One

After 19 hours on the California Zephyr (four of them spent sleeping), we arrived safe and sound in Ft. Morgan. Pastor Greg and Melissa live right across the street from Christ Congregational Church. It's old and beautiful inside - pics to come soon.

After catching up on some sleep this morning, we've seen the local sites, taken out the recyclables, and played far too much RockBand. Tomorrow, after I assist Pastor Greg with his sermon, we'll caravan to Denver to watch the Rockies play the Arizona Diamondbacks, then continue southwest to the Four Corners region (Pagosa Springs).

Not much to see on the way out - except for our trek across the Mississippi and a brief stop in Iowa. Photos of the happy travelers, a bridge that spans the Mighty Miss, and our happy RockBand are above.

Hope you all are enjoying your time off. Will blog soon.

JL

This train is bound for. . .

. . . Fort Morgan, Colorado. Home of big ol' cattle, sugar beets, and Pastor Greg Larsen. The Lit Lounge will remain open for your comments and caption entries, but since I'll be spending as much time as possible enjoying a break with my kids and family, don't expect many new posts in the next week.

Have a relaxing, safe spring break.

Fun with Photoshop

This site is conducting a contest for Photoshop users. The object is to create an antique advertisement for a current product. More entries found here.

Are they related?

After watching two seasons of The Office with my kids last weekend, I finally realized who Jim Halpert reminds me of.

It's Gromit. Same goofy, pliable face. Able to say a thousand words with one raised eyebrow.

APE Literature - Slice of Pi

It's official: our APE Lit classes will travel to Calvin College soon for an exclusive meet-and-greet with Yann Martel, Booker Prize-winning author of Life of Pi. Mad props to Miss Venhuizen for arranging this event.

So, our own screening of The Kite Runner, and now this. Not a bad year.

APE Lit - The Sandbox

Two of Edward Albee's one-act plays, "The Sandbox" and "The American Dream", are in production in NYC. Ben Brantley gives positive reviews to both, especially the one we studied.

Oh, the Helvetica With It

In this week's Newsweek, Jessica Bennett explains the importance of choosing the appropriate font, and why creating your own is easier than ever.

APE Language - Work it out!

You're reading essays on the nature of work, including an excerpt from Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickled and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America. More info on her work, including her recent book on why dancing in public is cool, can be found here.

Office Employee of the Month

Jim wins. Crede, Toby, Dwight, and Pam finished in a four-way tie for second. Not much support for the rest of the crew. No love for Andy. That could send him back to anger management class.

APE Literature - Faith and Doubt in local news

Last month, a teacher at NorthPointe Christian High School was asked to resign after he appeared as a host of a Discovery Channel documentary that explored questions related to Christianity. He didn't offer his opinion in the film, but rather asked questions of biblical experts. Apparently, that was a sign of too much doubt on his part.

Pi asks the same questions throughout the novel and, as a result, we readers wrestle with them as well. I'd like you to frame the question in terms of analyzing literature: How much crystal clear content must an author provide before we take a leap of faith and buy into the premise of a story?

Take, for example, the meerkat-filled island. It's uncharted, it floats, and it's made of algae. Unlikely? Yes, but it is plausible. Consider this poem by Emily Dickinson:

I never saw a Moor -
I never saw the Sea -
Yet know I how the Heather looks
And what a Billow be.

I never spoke with God
Nor visited in Heaven -
Yet certain am I of the spot
As if the Checks were given -

A matter of perspective

For those of you new to this whole democratic political process thing, some history on what happens when two candidates have an exteded battle to win their party's nomination. McCain fans should be happy about this.