Breaking Bad

This show's second season premiers tomorrow night at 10 on AMC. If you have not seen it, you really should give it a try. It's imaginative, dark, humorous, serious, and heartbreaking. I stumbled upon a write-up about it last year and had to watch it. Here is a synopsis of the show from the AMC website:

"Breaking Bad follows protagonist Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a chemistry teacher who lives in New Mexico with his wife (Anna Gunn) and teenage son (RJ Mitte) who has cerebral palsy. White is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of two years left to live. With a new sense of fearlessness based on his medical prognosis, and a desire to secure his family's financial security, White chooses to enter a dangerous world of drugs and crime and ascends to power in this world. The series explores how a fatal diagnosis such as White's releases a typical man from the daily concerns and constraints of normal society and follows his transformation from mild family man to a kingpin of the drug trade."

And here's a short video that recaps the first season's first episode:

Mrs. Hughes Live at the Ice House

She says what so many of us think and don't say out loud.

Proud to be a Republican. I THINK?

So I'm sitting at lunch today, minding my own business, when my lunch companion says to me "You have such a big heart. Such a caring personality. How is it that you are a Republican?"

" "

The statement came about because for the last two days I've been working with our district ESOL (English as a Second Language) person to get a couple of new students enrolled. The new students are from another country and have been sent here by their father to stay with their aunt.

Some might say we should not offer a free education to children such as these. Their parents live in another country, we have never and may never collect a dime of taxes from this family. These kids could drop out of our school or they could stay and graduate and go back to their homeland, taking the benefits of their education with them. Or? They could go on to college here, graduate, and stay here, gaining U.S. citizenship. Who knows? Only God knows.

While they are here, they will be well-cared for by our school and community. The aunt and uncle are not wealthy people, but they will provide them a good home. At least that's the feeling we get from the aunt. And the staff is rapidly falling in love with these two students. I'm confident our students will too. We have many children of immigrants here in our school. At least one church I know will turn itself inside-out to help the aunt and uncle provide for the family's basic needs. And the church will love every minute of it.

Yes. I am a Republican. But I have no problem with immigrants. I have very few problems with illegal aliens. I am an environmentalist too. I believe in social programs. I don't think we should give just any tom, dick or harry a free ride, but I do believe in business. And one of the first adages of business that I learned is "You gotta spend money to make money." And I happen to think that is true socially and spiritually as well. You need to invest in humanity to receive back. You need to put yourself and your values out there for consumption to truly reap rewards in heaven and on earth. Some investments don't work out. But others do.

Donkey Basketball

I have no idea what was going on there. I was probably trying to turn around to see what was going on with the basketball. I never actually got my hands on the ball the entire time I was in the game. I basically just sat on my donkey and rode around. Except at one point I leaned over and pushed a friend (on the opposing team) off her donkey.

There is a distinct advantage to riding in the last quarter. By then you have a good idea what donkeys are ride-able.

The game was fixed in favor of the elementary. That's seems fitting. They had the most participation and sold the most ticket. And since the proceeds benefited the booster club, and the elementary doesn't even have sports supported by them, it makes even more sense to let them win the game. And we had to LET them win. 'Cause I'm tellin' you...we got donkey bb skills, man!

So we are back to school after a snow day yesterday and 2-hour delay today. That's all folks!

Photo courtesy Tim Champion. http://champs.fototime.com.

Happy Birthday, Nate!

Here he is at 11. Today he is 19. Maybe when Mensa Boy wakes up we can figure out how to scan one of his baby pictures. The new scanner is a bit beyond me!

Today we will go to Greenville to meet Nate for lunch for his birthday. We'll do that at 11 because the weather is pretty dicey today. We want to be on the road back as early as possible.