Yesterday, Jessie was in her room, writing on a piece of paper. When Laureen asked her what she was doing, she said “writing to God”. Below is her letter. To explain a bit, in her class, if you get in trouble, you get a “color change” and have to be in a different group.
Author Archives: lopey
What happened
As some of you read on Facebook and other various places, I had a bit of an experience last week. Here’s the details. Tuesday before last (Nov. 30): I go to bed and start shivering uncontrollably. Somehow I get through the night. Dec 1: Fever. Still shaking. Call in sick. Dec 2: I ran out …
Occupy My Brain
Time to think a bit about what’s been going on and what it means. First off, there’s a certain mindset about the people behind Occupy Wall Street and the other Occupy locations: namely, they’re a bunch of filthy hippies with nothing better to do. Well, if they don’t have a job, then at least this …
One Laptop Per Child?
I don’t know if many of the people who read this would consider themselves fans of “just one book”. Usually, it’s an author, series, or genre of which we become fans, but for my wife, there’s been one book that’s had a lasting impression: Neal Stephenson’s “The Diamond Age”. Go look at the precis on …
Mango Chutney, Mincemeat, and All-American Shopping
Yes, it’s another Wal-Mart rant. 1. I’d like to know how much shelf space Wal-Mart gives in its grocery aisles to pre-processed foods–cookies, crackers, frozen meals, etc. I’m afraid the number would be staggeringly high. 2. Good luck trying to prepare an Indian dish when shopping at the big W. No curry paste (yes, they …
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We Don’t Need No Education
When Pink Floyd made that part of their album “The Wall”, it rang out as an anthem. Many people thought it was simply a rebellious streak against conformity, but it seems at least to me (and yes, I’m willing to be wrong) that the rebellion isn’t against education and learning itself but against the brainwashing …
The Decline and Fall of the American Empire
Before you think I’ve drunk a bit too much of the political kool-aid, this isn’t about politics. It’s something a bit simpler than that. We all have an image courtesy of Russell Crowe and tons of imagination about ancient Rome and the gladiatorial fights that happened. Whether it was man vs. man, man vs. animal, …
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School year craziness
My kids go to public school. Yes, public school. In Texas. For those of you that may blanch at that statement, consider that their school, Walnut Glen Academy for Excellence, is an incredible school. http://www.garlandisdschools.net/page.cfm?p=2839 shows you the awards they’ve won, and it’s in a vibrant, multicultural neighborhood. Frankly, I have more of an issue …
40
Around 12 hours from now, I’ll turn 40. I’ve encountered two schools of thought on this: 1. “It’s just another birthday! Relax!” 2. “You’re old.” I’m not yet entirely sure how I feel about this. The past couple of months have been eye-opening in terms of my health, my well-being, and my life, and I …
Opposition
A few days ago, we were visiting some folks and seated around the dinner table in that slightly “all is good with the world” way after a nice meal when Jessie came up and nuzzled Laureen under her arm. “Mmmmm. Mommy, you smell good. Like flowers.” I love Jessie, but every day is turning into …