Ten Bits of Holiday Frivolity

Warning: Contains some disgusting linkage

Out of respect for the idea that today is a holiday even though I spent all day reading three different books and grading diagnostic essays (and thanks to Grammar.police for the idea), I give you the first 10 songs to play on iTunes after pressing shuffle. If you don't press shuffle, all you'll get is 50 Cent.

1. Bonnie Somervi, Winding Road (Garden State)
2. Ludacris, Block Lockdown (Featuring I-20)
3. The Arcade Fire, My Heart is an Apple
4. Elliott Smith, Memory Lane
5. Ray Charles, America the Beautiful
6. Joanna Newsom, En Gallop
7. Keane, Untitled 1
8. Xiu Xiu, Clowne Towne
9. Modest Mouse, Heart Cooks Brain
10. Unkle, Back and Forth

Let me take this opportunity to say that although I dig the idea of a girl with a harp, I just don't enjoy Joanna Newsom. Perhaps she'll grow on me. And I enjoy Garden State very much. The movie. The soundtrack. Everything.

Also while we're on the subject of music, I must tell you, risking life and limb, that I teach at a "White Tee" school. We did, however, have a small "Pink Tee" rebellion within the freshling class. My friend Amy teaches at a "Black Tee" school. My kids are scared of her kids, so I'll assume Black Tee's are pretty scary folks. If you work at a school, do you know what color tee your kids are?

Where did all this Tee-talk come from? I don't know. Does it mean our students are in big, scary gangs? Maybe, but I doubt it. After all, I hear my kids talk all the time about "east-side" this and "west-side" that, and I see some related graffiti every once in awhile, but it turns out they aren't talking about gang-identified quadrants of Atlanta but of quadrants within the very small project community near the school. The whole project probably only has one bus stop.

Right.

While I appreciate the vivid imaginations of my wannabe thug students, I wish their taste in music would mature. A little.

Comments

[Mary]

My kids are "white tees" but pink ones pop up every now and then. It's from that song about "throwbacks" (Crime Mob). The "white tee" is the cheap alternative to the expensive "throwback" jerseys. Now, if we could only use this info to teach kids about fascism, socialists, etc... ya know, history....

Have a good week, sweetie.

[Jennifer]

Woah, keep pressing shuffle. You are far better off.

Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Glad to see you are updating. I have re added you to my blog roll and look forward to hearing more about your year!

[madhatter]

my kids argue that they wear pink tees because "real pimps wear pink". they say it comes from kanye west, who wore a pink shirt or something. is this what you guys are referring to? of course, there are always the red and blue wearers who claim colors.

in response to your question: i define a word wall as this catchphrase/idea where you post the vocab (or students post it with you) on the wall so that they are aware of the vocab they are supposed to know. i think it falls under clear expectations, which is a principle of learning. my district goes bananas over principles of learning. :)

[n]

woah, small world... mr. grammar.police and i go way back. real and virtual worlds intersecting... spooky!

[nicole]

yup, small world. i went to college with joanna newsom. like 1.5 years ago.
and she IS related to gavin.