This post is part of a series tagged Coffee Vocab … simple posts about coffee and thoughts while drinking it.
Quick, subdued commentary: Rather than get into another diatribe on malignant Mesothelioma, I thought I’d cover some pathos today. To quote their teacher: “Whoa, that was hot baby!” …indeed. Folks, this one filled my heart with a spring and a step as I watched it drinking my morning coffee today. Is it because it’s my favorite song? …Perhaps it’s because I’m a music teacher? Or better yet … maybe it’s because it’s a guitar-playing music-teacher leading these brilliant kids in song. Either way, this is what education is about. My wife shared this on my Stumbleupon today and since I first watched it with my generic black coffee today I have been mesmerized and inspired. I was reminded why I got into teaching wayyyyy back in 1997, and why I stay with it now. (In all the stress and rigor it is often easy to forget why one teaches). Now the real question that lay before me is … How does one top this?
I’ve been watching the Showtime series Dexter for the past year or so. Since the first episode I’ve been loving every minute of it. Dexter is a disturbed yet normal acting “blood spatter expert” with the Miami PD. He provides his team with CSI type data to get the murderer. Oh there’s something else, he moonlights as a serial killer himself.
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Recently, now in series 4, they have added the Trinity Killer played by John Lithgow. This is the most perfect casting I’ve yet seen on this show. Currently, Dexter fans are trying to figure out why he kills the way he does. It is profoundly disturbing when he takes a new victim. Whether it is his 6′4″ frame belittling and cussing at a woman until she jumps off a building or bludgeoning a barista in the head with a claw hammer. Read More »
I love a good puppet show. In fact, at my first birthday party I am told there was a puppet show there. It makes sense because I always stop for one be it along Venice Beach or when I am watching children’s television like PBSkids with my daughters. Probably the best puppeteer I have ever seen on video is Senor Wences. After that, every muppet on Sesame Street runs a close second.
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Check out this video, it’s “Erinie” for gosh sakes, of Ernie and Bert. I looked up a skit my daughter was watching on Sesame Street today and found this diamond in the rough Youtube video. It is Ernie playing the rhyming game but the cameras go “behind the scenes” where you can see the puppeteers. You even see their mistakes and re-takes. Watch for the classic moment when Ernie’s puppeteers misses his line and exclaims, “Oh crap!” Note: you can barely hear it but make sure you preview the video before showing it to your kids. When I grow up, I wanna be a puppeteer. They are masters of illusion for people of all ages. And if you think it doesn’t require skill, try it at your kid’s next birthday party.
Whether you’re just starting out blogging or you’re an old timer like me, you really should know about Matt Mullenwegg and his creation called “Wordpress.” The main ingredient of the blogs of Damien Riley is the Wordpress blog software. At present my blogs bring in $400/month. BUT, I know of blogs using Wordpress that make 40k a month. If money is your primary motivator, which it isn’t mine, look at Wordpress. It’s also an excellent to for getting my words to my readers, colleagues, and my loved ones. The set of that IS my primary motivation.
I have been highly impressed with the creator of Wordpress, Matt Mullenwegg, through my time as a blogger. What a well spoken guy he is. At his age, to be inventing and innovating like he is just marvelous. His software is the secret to my success in blogging.
I watched this video today of him in June ‘09 at Wodcamp Montreal and was really informed and entertained and basically glued to my LCD screen. I want to recommend it to my blogger friends. I put it up because it’s my way of contributing to the “community” Matt talks about in the video. Check it out and leave a comment or a question if you can find the time. Thank you in advance.
At the lake, I saw the family working all around me and recalled this old Sesame Street cartoon. It’s probably from around 1976 or so. It was really great finding it online. I typed this is Google: “stay outta their way” tv
Lo and behold, there it was from my childhood! I come from a long line of Arkansas farmers and before that Irish farmers. I am sure the scene of this video would be a mirror image to many scenes on past “Riley Farms.” It went from a time like the one in the video to farms I know of where they have Rimadyl for the old dogs with arthritis. Times change, times stay the same.
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This was posted tonight on a great read I have on my G-reader. Really made me rethink a lot of separate things that might work better together. If you have about 8 minutes, watch the video. It’s stellar and brings a tear to your eye.
Wow. I just watched this video my wife sent me on Youtube. The embodiment of amazing vision. This is absolutely what the world needs to watch today. I was surprised, inspired, and admittedly a little choked up. Do yourself a favor and watch it.
Every once in a while a story in print or in this case on video presents itself and reminds us of our folly. It brings us back to what really matters: people. If anyone has ever told you your dream is impossible (including yourself), I beg to differ … watch the video of Susan Boyle and see why.
I loved Susan Boyle’s song, and ironically it reminded me of a quote about hating songs by Woody Guthrie. I’ve added it to my Crazy Quotes page. Check it out:
“I hate a song that makes you think that you are not any good. I hate a song that makes you think that you are just born to lose. Bound to lose. No good to nobody. No good for nothing. Because you are too old or too young or too fat or too slim too ugly or too this or too that.”
-Woody Guthrie
This one flowed right out of me. I got my Master’s in persuasive writing (rhetoric) so I studied the audience quite a bit. In fact, my thesis was on consideration of audience. Needless to say, I have a lot more to say on this topic. Nonetheless, I think we are always trying to communicate the latest and greatest thought we have with people. That’s not just true in blogging but in our marriages, our family lives, every human encounter. This podcast talks about how we as effective communicators must “bring our audience up to speed” before we really hit them with out latest and greatest. That could be cumbersome. You must use your creativity to make that backfill communication exciting and worthwhile. Remember, Mr. Rodgers is not boring to kids. Thanks for listening this week.
Whether you’re just starting out blogging or you’re an old timer like me, you really should know about Matt Mullenwegg and his creation called “Wordpress.” The main ingredient of 
