CyberEnglish

Rebranding Teachers

2012-01-20T10:50:00.002-05:00

Finally a positive assessment of Teachers.

Read more and hear the show at this link to the segment on the Brian Lehrer Show.

Celebrating John Lennon's Life

2011-12-08T21:54:00.004-05:00

Singing "A Hard Day's Night"

With Tommy and Caitlin

Digits Not Atoms

2011-08-11T14:29:00.002-04:00

We have known since we started using computers that digital learning is always been liberating for all concerned as recently written about by Michael Horn.

Essentially it is about the digits and not the atoms. The physical activity of handing out paper, collecting paper, opening books, notebooks, and grading are all more efficiently done in digital form rather than atomically. When the daily chores are done digitally, students do more and teachers accomplish more with the same effort. In addition, with the digits, teachers can alter and distribute the work more quickly and the students always have access. The dog can now eat better. Students have constant access and with email can communicate with the teachers. Digits will always make learning better.

When it comes to those administrative chores, teachers can be more efficient with basic software used for grading, contacting parents, creating lesson plans and worksheets, and assessing their students. The syllabus and other classroom business should be online. In addition, administrative work will always be better digitally, easy to distribute and easy to access in meetings.

Teachers who keep digital folders are more efficient and productive.

When one becomes digital and loses the atoms, teachers will find they have more time in class for the students and have more efficient time out of class. In the end the students will benefit and succeed more regularly because their teachers are digital.

Atoms just take more time and time is key in improving education without destroying the teachers and burying them in atoms. It's about the digits, not the atoms just for the simplest of chores, imagine when we begin to develop more complex digital lessons.

CyberEnglish is brain surgery

2011-07-19T07:19:00.002-04:00

The Jensen book supports CyberEnglish.

I've always said, CyberEnglish is as close to brain surgery as a teacher can get. Because we are in computer rooms we have access to the technology that let's us watch our scholars create, edit, and produce work. Beyond that, the curriculum of CE is project based. In project based lessons, the scholars must collaborate and use all their skills to complete a project. It is more than any multiple choice test can provide. What concerns me is that those in charge have been hoodwinked by big business into thinking that a test based curriculum is the way to go. Of course it is easy and the public sees and believes what it is told by politicians, advertisers, and big business. Since we a market economy we are driven by the flim flam of business and not by the intelligence of educators. Americans are very ignorant about education as witnessed by where we are today and by the politicians they have put in charge of this very important facet of American life. We do not follow our brain, instead we follow our politicians and that is a huge mistake because they are led by the lobbyists. Education is big bucks, in fact it is the second largest industry in America. The military is number one. So common sense and intelligent choices will not be made since "there is gold in them thar schools." Big business only cares about the bottom line and making money, not about doing the right or even intelligent thing. Multiple choice tests are economically more profitable than any project based curriculum, so we have MC tests to do our assessment. People are too lazy to do it the right way, so we do it the bad way.

We know when we choose a doctor, a contractor, or an employee; we want to see a portfolio of their work. We don't give them multiple choice tests. We want to see what they have done. We want to critique their work, before we choose them to work for us. So why don't we do this in education? The Jensen book outlines some very specific reasons why we need to take more care in our classrooms and why we should. And yet, we always ignore common sense in education and replace it with the misguided money grubbing ways of big business. The folks in charge of creating the tests are not educators. They do not consider the science of pedagogy, and they certainly don't reflect on brain research. In fact they work in a bubble. They do not consult with the teachers in the classroom about the contents of the tests they make, they don't share the results and they destroy the tests after they have scored them. When they make a mistake it is horrendous and there are no ramifications except the students suffer and the company still keeps the contract. And the American public accepts this without question. Politicians support it because those companies give money to the politicians, who send their children to private schools because of the donations. It is a vicious circle, a very, very, vicious circle with most Americans completely out of the loop to what is happening to them.

We are witnessing the dumbing down of America and we don't even see it. Consider how we see some politicians revel in their ignorance. Most notably, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, and Joe Biden. It is embarrassing. America's problems are not the result of bad education, yet, it is the result of bad business decisions and the acquiescing of educational policy to big business instead of the teachers. That is America's problem, big business rules and the people suffer and are the victims.

In yet another article about the perils of the current tests, the suggestion is,

Both groups will create tests using technology in both administering and scoring and will measure “performance-based tasks, designed to designed to mirror complex, real-world situations,” according to the New York Times.

Sorry this won't work. We need humans involved. The best way to assess our scholars is for our scholars to publish their work, as we do in CyberEnglish, and then let teachers and anyone who wants to to look at the work and to write their findings. The problem of course is that this is labor intensive or too labor intensive for big business because it is not cost effective. Education shouldn't be led by accountants, it should be led by educators. We just don't get it. We keep hearing about blended schools without too much of an explanation, but CyberEnglish was doing blended school in the 90's and is still doing it today.

Caitlin's Wedding

2011-07-16T00:01:00.003-04:00

Today is Caitlin's wedding day.

Summer Reading - Chapter Ten

2011-07-15T08:30:00.015-04:00

Eric Jensen's Teaching with the Brain in Mind Chapter Ten, "Memory and Recall"
My homework will involve the Flow Map.

The most important takeaway is that "memory is malleable." Our interaction with our students and their memory in learning at the point of original encoding, maintaining memory, and retrieving learning. We learn a lot more than we demonstrate and seem forgetful on ways we use to assess. The tests we give, don't give our students their due course. Project based assessment is far superior. These dumb tests teach us that these are dumb tests. Memories are dynamic and not fixed.

We remember anything related to survival, food, shelter, and people. Research shows that the details of the process of memory is a baffling intellectual labyrinth. There is no place for all our memories. We have multiple memory locations and systems which can cause us the problem especially when we destroy brain cells or have a brain injury.

There are many pathways to store and retrieve memory. The pathway is usually similar to learning pattern. Memories are either explicit or implicit. Explicit learning may be semantic, words and pictures, or episodic. Implicit memory are reflective and procedural as shown in above figure.

Semantic memory, explicit memory, AKA declarative, factual, and linguistic. This would be names, facts, figures, and textbook information. There is a limitation to this memory because of time and capacity. Working memory is crucial here. Sometimes we forget the name of someone we just met or the contents of a page just read. Working memory can hold two to three things at a time, NOT more as has been thought. Multitasking is over rated and not done well as we know. Notetaking and working with one electronic tool at a time are ways to improve working memory, learning, and attaining success. In class give simple directions one step at a time. Use worksheets to help students learn how to manage multiple steps at one time so as not to depend on our limited working memory. I'm always reminded about this when I set out to do something, am spoken to or have further input and when I get to where I need to be, I forget why I'm there. Usually I need to return to the starting place to rediscover what I was about to do.

Another kind of explicit memory is episodic memory. This memory relies on autobiographical, spatial, and event-laden material. Episodic memory has unlimited capacity, is effortless, is is used naturally by everyone. The caveat is that we can have overload of information that contaminates memory which will cause us to put information of one memory into another. Teachers can use movement, different seats, and different procedures in class to eliminate staleness.

Reflexive memory is an implicit memory, which is how we react to a siren, a tap on the knee by the doctor. Reflexive memory can be either emotional or non-emotional. Flashcard repetition or "over-learning" are good classroom strategies. Raps or fill in the blanks are also useful tools.

Procedural memory is another implicit memory. This is a habit, body, and motor memory method. Riding a bike comes to mind. This memory is activated by activities such as sports, theater, dance, games and the other kinetic things we do.

Memories are malleable. We do not remember everything we experience. Jensen suggests seven reasons why our memories fail us: transience (erosion over time), absent-mindedness (not paying attention), blocking (on tip of tongue), misattribution (confused by similar memories), suggestibility (contamination of other memories), bias (prejudices), persistence (negative memory becomes pervasive). There are events in your life that we never forget where we were, for example, 9/11, Challenger, JFK. Memories are not stored intact and will unravel or change over time.

Two different variables are used in memory formation and retrieval. More active memory are considered less consolidated than inactive ones, more fragile, subject to change, and harder to retrieve. synaptic consolidation happens within minutes to hours after initial learning occurs. Learning memories are high in choline found in eggs, salmon, lean beef to name a few. Diet becomes crucial in memory on all levels and in all aspects of learning.

Jensen suggests it is more about the student's attitude about memory and diet. Develop a more positive attitude and eat better.

The last two chapters are summations of what has been said before in conclusive manner. They offer good advice to new teachers in particular and for experienced teachers to refine their practice.

Summer Reading - Chapter Nine

2011-07-13T08:24:00.008-04:00

Eric Jensen's Teaching with the Brain in Mind Chapter Nine "Critical Thinking Skills" are not innate, they are learned and the product is intelligence. My homework will involve the Double Bubble Map.

Cognition is created from our lower order brain systems. What we need to do is help them develop, cooperate with other systems, and learn. Developing critical skills involves exploring the unique brain, the problem solving brain, the maturing brain, the adaptive brain, and the emotional brain.

We all have a unique brain. This single fact has always confused me about the factory model in education. It is one reason I embraced the computers in 1984. Computers allow for our uniqueness. This is why we use differentiation in our classrooms. It is why saying it slower and louder still doesn't get through. Different strokes for different folks.

We are problem solvers, sometimes to a fault. Many times I have heard, "Don't solve the problem, just listen." We solve problems, the brain loves these exercises. Exercises we can encourage to develop these skills in our students is to help them maintain focus and attention to the task. Learn how to prioritize tasks and to make distinctions in relevancy, order, and similarities/differences. Asking for help is always useful and avoids time wasted and frustration. In short developing good habits builds problem solving skills.

Researchers know that as students learn new critical learning skills their brain mass changes and connections are realigned as lots of activity takes place in the synapse. Building critical learning skills is like body building. Do it in intervals, start small, and vary duration. Increase as skills develop. Time and patience are essential. These skills will develop naturally as our brain sees relevancy of task, does repetitive tasks to assist the memory neurons, and is specific about the task.

Teachers are more knowledgeable about the stages of brain development than they were a decade ago. We know more now. The result is that our lessons are more attuned to the maturing brain and provide lessons suitable for that brain at that time. We have to be more flexible with different students as we watch them perform.

Oftentimes we will hear that we are "playing it by the seat of our pants" or "winging it." This is the quality of our adaptive brain. The adaptive brain develops when we explore, are faced with new experiences, and create.

One common thread for all of our work with the brain is nutrition. A healthy diet leads to a healthy brain.

My homework will use the Double Bubble Map. I would use the compare and contrast page, a short story exercise, and some poetry.

Summer Reading - Chapter Eight

2011-07-11T08:43:00.015-04:00

Eric Jensen's Teaching with the Brain in Mind Chapter Eight, "Motivation and Engagement" deals with how we motivate our students. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.
Motivation is defined as the combination of "arousal" and "drive." Arousal indicates a goal is to be achieved and drive as the force to make it happen. So how does the brain influence these two forces? In theory, each new year should bring renewed hope and aspirations. All too often, these hopes are dashed early in the school year. One thing we need to do is unlearn them about failure. We have to break the demotivation forces such as a lack of positive relation with a teacher of friend, learned helplessness, disrespected because of race or sex, perceived threats, drug use, that school is irrelevant. Students who fail have a record of failure so we need to unlearn them before we can teach them. Certainly exercises that they can accomplish quickly, with ease, and successfully will begin the process. Using direct and blatant rewards is just the start.

When considering how rewards affect the brain, we only need to recognize how when we are recognized in a favorable way about our work, we do better. Our pleasure neurons have been stroked and that feeling is one we want to repeat over and over again. The same goes for our students. Consider the motivation of Wall Street workers as they anticipate their bonus or waiters who work for tips. Students, too, work for rewards be they treats, prizes, or grades.
The brain does the same thing with rewards. The brain makes its own opiates in response to rewards. These chemicals then become useful in helping the brain in other functions demanded of the classroom. Success breeds success, just as failure breeds failure. Another consideration is the reward that is is anticipated as opposed to the reward that comes as a surprise. The chemicals in the brain do different things in each situation. So as teachers we can do some planning, anticipation of rewards with our students as we plot out a study plan, provide reward for projects, and the like. The caveat is to be careful of expectations for rewards for menial tasks and even escalation of reward expectation as in greed. Not all rewards are equal to all students.
So be judicious, use low cost rewards, use abstract rewards, and begin to develop intrinsic rewards.

If rewards isn't your thing or feasible, conversations with students during planning process, altering a project because of student feedback, and choice within projects on small and big things will build paths for intrinsic motivation. Verbal encouragement and modeling the joy of learning very often is reward enough for students. Constant, consistent feedback is always loved by the students. I know when my students come into the class and don't find a paper with their name on it, I remind them they were reading yesterday and didn't add anything new to their webpage. That reminder is enough as they tell me they will be writing today and know they will have paper feedback tomorrow. That is their motivation for that day.
In short, much of the research shows that motivation is a direct result of how teachers treat students. For me it is create the challenge, provide the tools for success, build a supportive environment, and get out of the way. And oh yeah, I don't answer my own questions and I take a couple of minutes to respond to a call for help, which is usually solved by the time I do respond.

A Spider's Web

2011-07-09T07:02:00.003-04:00

The metaphor of this web does not allude me as I contemplate the brain and CyberEnglish. Web building is a blueprint of the brain for the spider and my scholars in CyberEnglish.

Summer Reading - Chapter Seven

2011-07-07T08:48:00.008-04:00

Eric Jensen's Teaching with the Brain in Mind Chapter Seven, "Managing the Social Brain" takes on more relevancy in the new world of social networking.

Social experiences change the human brain which has created a new discipline, "social neuroscience." Teachers need to be mindful of the social interaction of their students.
Schools are social places; as a result. they change students' brains. Social contact lowers blood pressure just as social isolation is just as devastating a health risk.

The social brain affects cognition. Students aren't born with social skills, they are learned. Ways to help the student learn these skills is to work in groups. Five to twenty percent of class should be done in small groups. Groups of three to four are better than larger groups. Strategies for the classroom could be pair share, competitions, simulations, drama, and small group discussions followed by a presentation. Social ranking in groups can cause stress or highs, depending upon rank in the group. Many other considerations like preening, bias, peer pressure, and dress styles can affect social behavior and in the end a good setting for learning.

Teachers should include group work in their classes to encourage improved social skills.

Homework is the Multi-Flow Map. I would use a newspaper article that addresses a current social situation and have the students write about it.

Summer Reading - Chapter Six

2011-07-05T08:23:00.013-04:00

Eric Jensen's Teaching with the Brain in Mind Chapter Six, "Physical Environments for Learning" discusses how architects are listening to neuroscientists as they design learning centers.

While visiting colleges with my son recently, I was observing his reactions to the different campuses. After visiting a few schools we arrived at the last college of the current tour and immediately he expressed a liking for the school. He became enthusiastic as we parked the car. The interviews that day were the best and he had a good feeling about college. The first indicator for him was the physical appearance of the campus. In my English class, I provide my students with the five traits of determining character in a story. The first is appearance. Appearance is something we all use in making a judgment or choice in another person. At conferences about construction of workplace and schools, some of the issues considered in design were stress, safety, privacy, mobility, lighting, humidity, temperature, convenience, aromas, collegiality, and productivity.

In some cases teachers do have control of their classroom environment. Seating has always been a crucial component in class. Do we let them sit with friends or not? Do we seat them alphabetically? Rows or circles or groups? When I entered a public school in NYC, I was overwhelmed with 32 students in a class. I started with the obvious alpha list design and found it very unsatisfying in classroom discussion. One day when I walked in two students were reviewing their horoscopes. They discovered they were compatible signs and commented on how that proved why they were friends and worked well together. Another student entered and it was revealed hir horoscope was in conflict with the other two and that explained the conflicts the third student had with the first two. Immediately I struck on an idea of seating the class. I had each student indicate their horoscope element: earth, air, water, fire. I then proceeded to rearrange the classroom into these elements. I was amazed at how productive and distinctive each group was. That simple rearrangement enhanced learning in my classrooms. I have fans in my room so I can adjust the temperature in my classroom because it is on a central system. When it is too cold because of the AC, I can open a window and position a fan near it to warm it up a bit. I am lucky, my room is never too cold in winter. The custodians in my schools have always been responsive to my requests. Lighting has always been an issue in my classroom. I have floor lamps around the room and a bank of windows facing north. I usually only turn on the lights by the windows and leave the room lights off. The computers and the ambient light of the floor lamps provide good lighting for my students. When another teacher comes in and flicks on the rest of the overhead lights the students react in a negative way. Students comment on the positive lighting in my room, while some teachers comment negatively. Lighting was the point of the Hawthorne effect done many years ago and that concern hasn't changed over the years except that lighting has become a more important concern in classrooms.

Noise is another concern as ambient sounds, echoes, outside noise, noise from the hallway or other classrooms all have an effect on your classroom and learning that happens in it.

Designing smarter schools is the point of this chapter. In 2001, I wrote a paper about what I thought schools should look like. As far as I'm concerned it is about creating, with what you have, the best possible learning environment and to constantly tweak it.

Happy Fourth

2011-07-04T22:11:00.001-04:00

An American won today's stage 3 at Tour de France. Go Ty!!

Summer Reading - Chapter Five

2011-07-01T07:03:00.028-04:00

Eric Jensen's Teaching with the Brain in Mind Chapter Five, "Emotional States" discusses how neuroscientists are providing evidence to the fact that we should be more cognizant to the emotional state of our students. Learning is dependent upon how we feel, act, and think. Emotions are crucial in how we create our reality.

Jensen summarizes the research on emotions. Emotions drive attention, create meaning, and have their own memory pathways. they regulate behavior and help us organize our world.
Emotions drive a passion for learning, help our attention span, support persistence or retreat, and provides incentives. Daniel Goleman's work on Emotional Intelligence started in 1995. Just as there are physical states, there are emotional states and this new science is uncovering new things about learning and the brain.

Perhaps the reason emotions has not been on the brain research radar is that emotions are not located in one area of the brain, but are distributed throughout the brain. For example frustration and pain are housed in the anterior cingulate; pleasure from drugs in the nucleus accumbens; and terror in the amygdala which guides decision making. In addition it isn't just the different connections, but also the messengers involved in transporting the different emotions. Further the prescribed drugs some people take that suppress some of the natural brain chemicals causing an imbalance.

Jensen goes on to explore just four of the emotional states our students may find themselves in a classroom. Emotions cause us to remember the highlights of school through field trips, hands on experiments, or a friend rather than a lecture. This is why those out of school always wax nostalgically about school, until they really probe. School was always better when I was a kid. Not so. Jensen has selected four emotional states to concentrate on: fear/threat, joy/pleasure, sadness/disappointment, anticipation/curiosity.

When the brain is faced with fear/threat there are three reactions, fight, escape, freeze. Escaping is no a real option. Students tend to freeze and exchange facial and body language threats. Fighting may occur at class change, in the hallway, or out of school. The chemical reactions happening inside the body and mind of the student have overshadowed any chance of learning. The next thing to happen is the stress level rises. In many situations, moderate stress improves learning, but prolonged and intense stress can and will be very damaging. The difference between useful and dangerous stress is dependent upon our control or assumed control over the event causing stress. The emphasis has been on student stress, but more research is suggesting schools need to examine stress levels in the adults, too.

If the stress level is too much, students tend to drop out. Too much negativity results in bad behavior and choices. On the other hand, when students experience joy/pleasure in the classroom, then learning will occur and had occurred. Dopamine doesn't alert our pleasure neurons, it enhances our ability to pay attention.

Sadness/disappointment connote a negative response. However, sadness/disappointment unlike the stress of fear/threat, may be useful in not repeating the actions that resulted in sadness and disappointment. Being cognizant of the event will provide the learner with fodder to not repeat the event that resulted in sadness/disappointment.

Anticipation/curiosity create a heightened and positive state of hope and vigilance. They are called "appetitive" states because they stimulate the mental appetite. A student has to come to class hungry to learn. This has always been an argument by me for students taking time off between high school and college and between college and grad school. Students need to have a mental appetite to learn as they commence new institutions of learning. What's the rush? In addition, if a teacher is priming the learning process by guaranteeing success, then the learning will improve, success will be achieved as the student anticipates a positive experience. That experiment I tried a number of years ago when I guaranteed 90's to all my students for the semester resulted in 99% success. In fact many students produced more than they ever had and learned more than they thought they could.

So the question is how do we influence these emotional states? Increasing the positive flow of the good chemicals in the students, to help them feel good about themselves is what the student brain craves. What we know about the effect of emotion on the brain is that emotions are ubiquitous, they run our lives. All behavior is connected to our emotions. If a student isn't in the mood to read, s/he won't read. Our states aren't who we are, so be positive in labeling a student by a state. When a student displays a negative state over a prolonged period, help is required. We have mood swings and our emotional state will change very quickly depending upon outside influences like a good grade on a paper as opposed to bad grade. Events influence the chemical flow in our bodies and then our emotions.

Ways to change the emotional state is to ask questions that engage the student by including them in the answer. Not what should this character do, but what would you do if you were this character. Teachers should share their joy in learning. Celebrating student accomplishments is good in any class. Try to incorporate some physical activity in class, moving around, standing up and moving to groups. Debating a point, acting out a scene, or just having a lively discussion will improve attention and stimulate the brain for learning. Chaos always finds its order, especially in a classroom. Allowing students to journal or share their lives with you will engage them and make them feel safe and provide the appetite to learn.

As teachers adjust to emotions, their own and those of their students, learning environments will improve. Again it is more about quality and not quantity. Take time to address emotions, especially tragic ones, joyous ones, and positive emotions that surround us in and out of school. When we ask, "How are you?" expect a detailed answer. Model by giving a detailed response when asked, "How are you?"

Summer Reading - Chapter Four

2011-06-29T07:47:00.000-04:00

Eric Jensen's Teaching with the Brain in Mind Chapter Four, "Movement and Learning" focuses on kinetic energy and how we should balance seat time and activity. By exploring anatomical, imaging, cognitive, and functional studies our classroom practice will enhance learning.

Jensen explores the evidence for the connections between mind and body, the links between the cerebellum and the rest of the brain. The anatomical evidence tells us that the cerebellum is located in the back of the brain and is the size of a small fist. It contains nearly half the brain's neurons and is considered the most complex part of the brain. Most of the neurons are "outbound" thus influencing the brain. Evidence from Imaging techniques support the role of movement and the visual system, language system, and memory. This is the lightening storm going on in our brain. Recess is important because the activity of running, rolling, jumping, and sliding affect the inner ear canals which are very important to regulate incoming sensory data that affects attention. No one can argue against exercise. In some schools all students begin with exercise or gym before classes. In these cases, the evidence shows better academics. Learning how to play on a playground, learning the rules and engaging social interaction become useful tools in the classroom where they need to learn to play with ideas. Play is important.

"The play's the thing
Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King.
Hamlet Act 2, scene 2, 603–605

Some activities we can do would be drama, role playing, quick games, group work, and even stretching. In my computer classroom I find it essential to have the students get up and move around and even when working in groups move around in their rolling chairs. When they want something they know they have to get up and get it because I'm not bringing it to them.

Summer Reading - Chapter Three

2011-06-27T07:46:00.001-04:00

Eric Jensen's Teaching with the Brain in Mind Chapter Three "Rules We Learn By" begins the conversation about "Nature vs Nurture." Homework is the Circle, Bubble, and Tree Maps.

The "Nurture" argument justifies the teacher's existence beyond simple babysitting. Now Jensen defines learning and establishes his seven points that influence learning. Learning is both explicit and implicit. Explicit learning comes from what we read, write, and speak about that comes from outside sources like textbooks, videos, and lectures that revolve around task prediction and are assessed by tests. Implicit learning happens from within that are developed by habits, activities, things that we "do." When we learn, we develop "memory." On a more complex level of learning, we employ more strategies and tools. Jensen has espoused seven critical factors in the learning process that concentrate on the brain and less on the environment. These factors are

Engagement (goal oriented attention and action)
Repetition (priming, reviewing, and revising)
Input quantity (capacity, flow, chunk size)
Coherence (models, relevance, prior knowledge)
Timing (time of day, interval learning)
Error correction (mistakes, feedback, support)
Emotional states (safety, state of dependency)

Engagement is simply paying attention. Students are distracted by many environmental stimuli in the classroom and paying attention requires some discipline and skill. On one level teachers can provide choice and a good environment which considers lighting, furniture, temperature, and safety. Students can provide good sleep, avoid drugs or alcohol, and are aware of their needs. As for attending to the brain paying attention to our glucose level is important. Another important factor is safety. Not just physical safety, but also safe in making mistakes and not being embarrassed.

Repetition will never not be important in learning. In order for repetition to be useful, engaging, and useful instead of boring variety is the spice. Consider using pre-exposure, covertly, well before the action. Use previewing, overtly, before the event. Priming is the DoNow that stimulates the brain and prepares it for learning. Reviewing is the takeaway from the event. Finally revision is is the overt action as it pertains to the event.

Input Quantity deals with the notion that more is not necessarily better. Teachers are always at odds with the distinction between quality and quantity. What is needed is in-depth learning that may seem slow in the beginning, but in time students will do more because they have developed the skills to do more and to remember things. This is a good argument for annualization of our classes instead of the constant changing of students every semester or less. Just as we get to know them and have a good rhythm going we change students. In too many cases there just isn't enough time in the semester system of schools. In addition, our class length and frequency of changing from discipline to discipline puts undo strain on memory and learning skills. Moving from English, to math, to science, to history in four hours or less is not environmentally sound in the learning process. Just because that is how it has been doesn't mean it works, and please don't recall when you were in school. We know from research that our short term memory, frontal lobe, has the capacity of taking in three to seven new chunks of information before it overloads. As for synaptic learning we need anywhere from one to six hours to process that which we have learned, which explains the delay in time for our students to respond. As our brain functions in learning, it must recycle the used proteins so that further learning can happen. Learning sessions should be done in short spurts with activity time to digest the information before moving on. One step at a time, quality and assisting long term memory skills before introducing the next. And after the second, be sure to review the first before heading to the third. In fact we know that much happens in our learning when we sleep, which explains why when we wake the next morning we have a fresh idea on a taks we struggled with yesterday. Our hippocampus is most responsible for this occurrence. Limiting outside influences and pausing will influence learning in a positive way.
Coherence is how we connect what we are learning with how we learn. For example, global versus sequential, emotional versus bland, abstract versus concrete, reflective versus active, and novel versus familiar. Two concepts that encourage coherence are activating prior knowledge and using examples. In short it is all about the metaphors. We use the familiar to understand the unfamiliar.

Timing is about the rhythms of the body and the brain. I've used biorhythm software to determine my ups and downs on any given day or to predict my state of mind, body, and soul on a given day in the future. Very useful. This is based on the ultradian rhythms of the brain. Many physical and chemical things happen to the learner throughout the day because of the ultradian rhythms which play a key role in learning. For example researchers discovered that in one study the verbal cycle lasted 80 minutes while the spatial task lasted 96 minutes. As these cycles function throughout the day, learning is going to be different for each student at any given time of the day. So giving a final exam on a given day at a given time may not be the best for all students, only for those students on on that day and at that time. Another factor not to be ignored are the hormones. Some things we can do is to be tolerant and understanding. Provide a variety of activities in the class to accommodate both hemispheres of the brain. Moving around rather than staying in a sedentary position is helpful for amine acids. Scheduling is a serious matter and block scheduling provides adjustments to account for the ultradian rhythms. Modify methods of assessment so they aren't just a test.
Error correction should be done in a timely manner and within limits. We learn from our mistakes. Pavlov should come to mind or understanding what hot is when we touch a hot stove. To help the brain learn from its mistakes can be achieved with specific, concrete examples and hands on tasks. Also if the new task is somehow related to a familiar task then the new task will be incorporated well. The old adage of " tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them" will always work. Trial and error is also useful in learning from our mistakes. By trying out multiple methods to do something provides us with better understanding about the task from multiple perspectives. This is an example of nature. Nurture comes in consistent activities, opportunities to do, and feedback. When I provide feedback to my scholars, I'm sure not to overwhelm them and to concentrate on certain skills at a time.

Emotion state of mind of the student will determine success or not. Our emotional state is one of the most important regulators of learning and memory. Stress is one cause of a negative emotional state. Allowing or providing time and ways for the student to alleviate that stress through counseling or taking some time is useful before instruction begins. If the student is worried about or preoccupied with something else, instruction isn't going to happen. Let the student attend to the stress in a timely manner. Much of what will hinder learning will be chemical and will be fixed when the stress issue is resolved in some way. Positive emotional states are dependent on dopamine. Suggestions would be to take risks, provide excitement, demand some urgency, and always provide some pleasure in the tasks. Many years ago I read about a college professor who guaranteed all of his students would get an A in the class. The result was that all the students far exceeded their expectations and took risks, knowing mistakes would not penalize their grade. I tried this one semester in three ninth grade classes and found it very successful except for one student. the other 99 did far better then expected, took risks, experimented and discovered things that they would not have learned.

For my homework with the Circle, Bubble, and Tree Maps I will use the I am poetry, Habits of Mind, Awakening Genius, metaphors, and autobiographical work. Creating web pages is the ongoing activity for these maps.

The Garden

2011-06-25T18:17:00.003-04:00

The garden is a lush jungle. Someone has a bee hive nearby, too. Honey bees all over the Lacecaps. We are going to have lots of cherry tomatoes and pesto. The fire escape will be covered with Morning Glories.

An earlier version.

Summer Reading - Chapter Two

2011-06-23T08:03:00.001-04:00

Chapter Two in Eric Jensen's Teaching with the Brain in Mind is "Preparing the Brain for School."

This chapter concentrates on the four stages of brain development: Conception to birth, birth to age two, two to five, 5 to the teen years. We are more aware of what happens in the fetus and should be very conscious of what should pregnant women should eat, do, and think during pregnancy.

The brain development from birth to the age of two has many parents worried that the right thing is being done. This of course is a fallacy. The need to concentrate on this time frame is that it builds scaffolding skills used in the rest of our lives. Also things like a second language may be easier now than later, later can happen. The key to this time is the scaffolding skills developed and learning skills are created too.

An area that teachers don't have a affect would be in the development of the emotional synapses between birth and two. Even though this is alterable later in life, the research is still out and a healthy emotional development at this stage will have an impact later in life. Sensory motor skills development at this stage is linked to later learning and learning problems. Children should be active at this time. Of course this is difficult for parents and for child care givers. What happens is the child spends too much time in a stationary place like a car seat, a high chair, in front of the television, or in a crib. In addition this is the time when hearing and sight skills are developing. It goes without saying the impact of food on brain development at any time in life is important and crucial in this stage. This time period belongs to the parents and parents should be better informed about brain development in this crucial time. The results here will help learning later and provide the teachers with good healthy working material in their class.

Infants appear to be display built in skills because they display a learned skill so quickly. The fact is they are learning. Children should be playing and interacting with their environment instead of watching television or playing video games exclusively. Reading to children has many effects such as emotional and developing good sensory skills in addition to learning how to read. Parents should be: reading to them, giving them time to learn and discover, providing simple toys, talking to them, and asking them questions. Further parents can help develop good social and emotional skills by providing opportunities for games and activities, role modeling, helping in peer interactions, and helping them be comfortable away from parents. Our children in schools aren't malnourished, they are ill nourished. Again so much does happen before they get to school, that we should be more cognizant of this stage from a more communal concept. In some cases, schools become a place where repair is the first course of action.

Once they get to school, this is where teachers become important and our knowledge of brain research becomes useful. By the time the child is five, it seems as if s/he is slowing down, but don't be fooled. The five five years are quick developmentally as they should be because so much is new. Now we see repetitive behavior and refinement of skills. As school begins so does the age of wonder for each child. This is a time when honesty, liberty, and hope develop along with understanding cause and effect and abstractions. There is a rigidness about habits. This may be a safety mechanism until they become more aware of choices and living with them.

The teen brain is a unique thing. Two important facts emerge in this time. Teenagers are under the control of their hormones and they need sleep. During these years the teenage brain is going through another major growth period similar to the infant brain. In this time more pruning is being done, remapping is happening, and new knowledge is pouring in all while the hormones are raging. Advice when dealing with teens is to be succinct, to model good behavior, be a coach, be understanding rather than judgmental, be tactful, cut them some slack, let them sleep, and communicate with them about sex, drugs, alcohol.

We already know that teen tastes drive the pop charts today. But, according to a new Emory University study, high schoolers may also be skilled at predicting pop hits - and flops - of the future. Neuroeconomist Gregory Berns, who directed the study, joins us to explain how teen brain scans could predict record sales. Listen:

The take away from this chapter is the amount of time humans need to interact with others in a positive and healthy way. Nutrition is crucial as is exercise at all levels. Understanding, love, and care are necessary to create good adults.

Summer Reading - Chapter One

2011-06-21T08:50:00.025-04:00

At our faculty conference yesterday we were given summer reading and homework. The text is Eric Jensen's Teaching with the Brain in Mind. I love this stuff and have written about the brain on some occasions in this blog: Left Brain Right Brain and The Teenage Brain. More recently at the end of April I suffered a TIA stroke. During my followup visit with my doctor, I saw the MRI images of my brain and where I had my stroke. Now I have more appreciation for this brain research and understand more about it as I was privy to my own brain and was able to look at its parts and see exactly how this research is conducted. The homework consists of doing weekly assignments that result in 7 Thinking Maps for our use next year.

As a teacher I'm in the business of improving the brain of my scholars, so it seems logical for me to be more cognizant of the brain. Now with the advancements in technology, we have more access to how the brain works and what we can do to stimulate and fortify key parts in the learning process. I have always been fascinated with my own power at the computer in my classroom. When I sit at the controlling computer, I can see my scholars working. I called this brain surgery because I could watch them edit, which is thinking. But that was as close as I was going to get, for now. Advanced technology like the MRI provide us tools to observe what happens to the brain during certain tasks thus enabling the educator to be more aware and purposeful in administering instruction. With the little I already know, I have been amazed at how this knowledge has enhanced my own teaching and in the end the learning of my scholars.

As I said, I love this kind of reading.

FACT: The Glia cell carries nutrients and speed repairs. They are more important than previously thought. Since there are 30-50 billion neurons in each brain the variation of 20-40% in each person's brain strongly supports differentiation in our teaching.

FACT: "The human brain has the largest area of uncommitted cortex (with no specific function identified so far) of any species on earth. (page 9)

FACT: "The most amazing new discovery about the brain might be that human beings have the capacity and the choice to be able to change our own brains. (page 10) Good argument in Nature vs Nurture.

FACT: "In summary, the brain is a dynamic, opportunistic, pattern-forming, self-organized system of systems." (page 13) Scientists conclude with differences that the brain cells die and are regenerated. The brain reorganizes usage areas depending upon usage. Research is constantly discovering just how this works, but they know it happens. This means the brain is reteachable and trainable constantly. Old dogs can learn new tricks, even if they don't want to.

FACT: The brain has two halves. There is constant communication between the two and within each side or lobe. The brain is constantly looking for and assigning or reassigning parts to perform or store. We have lots to learn about our brain.

So how does the brain learn?

This chart provides a mapping of the process by which we learn. In short as the brain learns "sparks" go off in the brain as the particular part affected is excited or stimulated. So these electrical sparks become chemical and then electrical again. The electrical charges are relative to the sodium and potassium present. The entire process of communication is called a synapse. During class there should be electrical thunderstorms going on in the brain. Learning is all about controlling the action in the synapse. The action is the synapse shows our learning process like when we make mistakes and then learn from them. "In short, learning happens at a micro level through the alteration of synaptic efficacy. Excited cells will excite other nearby cells. " (page 18) This is similar to Thomas Armstrong's claim in Awakening Genius

From the standpoint of education, genius means essentially "giving birth to the joy in learning." I'd like to suggest that this is the central task of all educators. It is the genius of the student that is the driving force behind all learning. Before educators take on any of the other important issues in learning, they must first have a thorough understanding of what lies at the core of each student's intrinsic motivation to learn, and that motivation originates in each student's genius.

What I take away from this chapter is that repetition of good habits, learning skills, and knowledge are important in the syntactical part of learning. Feedback in a timely manner is also important so the connections are repaired and the correct connection and communication between cells is made. The brain can relearn as old cells are lost and new cells are generated. The brain is a pliable and a teachable organ.

For my homework "Teaching the Brace Map," which explores the parts of the whole, I will use The Paragraph, VETY, the Poetry Fact Sheet, and the Fiction Fact Sheet.

Article in Education Week

2011-06-15T15:08:00.002-04:00

Katie Ash of Education week wrote about CyberEnglish that includes many of my friends.

What New Yorkers do when it is too hot

2011-06-09T09:09:00.003-04:00

Peace City Gardens

2011-06-08T09:04:00.000-04:00

A lovely idea and sight to behold are the elaborate and very creative planters around some city trees on the upper west side, designed and built by Precious Costello of Peace City Gardens.

Who should be whom

2011-06-07T08:19:00.003-04:00

At the end of a lovely school day, I was riding the number 1 train downtown. Some students got on at Lincoln Center, the usual stop for students from LaGuardia. I overheard two girls talking about their teacher. "She said we were to keep track of who is in love with who in the play."
The noise of sucking teeth was heard before her friend responded, "Yeah, what an idiot."
Giggling the first affirmed her friend's response, "Everyone knows it should be 'who is in love with whom' in the play."

A duet of giggles drifted away as they exited at Columbus Circle.

I chuckled to myself and wondered which play they were studying, Midsummer or As You Like It.

Geese Visit A Turtle Pond in Central Park

2011-05-27T09:03:00.002-04:00

Wonder Wheel

2011-05-26T09:05:00.003-04:00

I saw a new application listed on the Google tools the other day, Wonder Wheel. I was doing a Google search of "metaphor" and when I pushed Wonder Wheel here is what I got:
To find Wonder Wheel, go to www.google.com and select WEB in upper left corner in Classic Google. On left see tools and scroll down the list until you will see Wonder Wheel. You may have to click "search more tools" to see Wonder Wheel. Have Fun, I did. This is a fine research tool.

A boy and his bunny find a branch

2011-05-25T12:47:00.010-04:00

From the Cockpit

2011-05-24T12:53:00.006-04:00

This is the view of my classroom from my cockpit. I run my class from behind two computers. The computer on the left runs on Windows. I use it to maintain attendance and to view the scholars' work on their webpages as their work appears on the Internet. The screen is a blog that speaks to the scholars and allows me to view their published work. On the right computer, a Mac, I run Remote Desktop that allows me to view each scholar's computer. While each scholar works, I can observe what is being done and when necessary take control to help fix something. While I sit and observe, I am able to speak to each scholar about hir work. The scholars often request I take a look and provide feedback or help with a question. I do get up and walk around and sit near a student when this is necessary, but for the most part we like it best when I'm in the cockpit. They know I'm observing and when they wander off to a site that is not relevant to our work, I can intervene and suggest the scholar quickly return to the task or do it myself.

I call what I do sometimes, brain surgery, because I can actually watch their brains work as they write and edit. Perhaps my cockpit is the brain of CyberEnglish as the left side is a Windows operating system and the right side is a MAC. Talk about power and control in a classroom.

Royal West Indies Resort, TCI

2011-04-25T19:02:00.026-04:00

Upon arriving at the Royal West Indies Resort, we saw a bike rack with colorful beach bikes. Since we were early and our room wasn't ready, we decided to take a bike ride to the grocery store, Graceway Gourmet. The store had everything we needed, rum; breakfast, lunch, and happy hour fixings; and suntan lotion rated 50 and 70. After buying our stores we headed back to the resort. I took a bike ride each day for exercise, to explore, and to shop.

Our room was ready. We were stunned at the beauty of the studio and of the size. It included a full kitchen, except a stove. The microwave and toaster were all we needed and the full-size refrigerator was ideal. Our studio was on the ground floor and our terrace overlooked the magnificent garden and the ocean. We were in the second building from the beach. We had a breakfast setup, but we used the terrace to eat. In addition we had two rattan chairs, one with a foot stool. We had a large screen tv with great cable (international fare: CBC for playoff hockey; ESPN Inter for world soccer; and baseball) as well as wireless internet to keep up with the royal wedding plans. We were set. We went to the beach.

The sand on the beach never got so hot we needed shoes. The sand was clean, soft, and beautiful. The beach ran for four miles to four miles to the left and to the right. It was a perfect walking beach as it provided exercise and views of other resorts. The best way to go was to the right past Club Med, a private resort, a new uninhabited resort, open land and then the Coral House, followed by four more miles of uninhabited land.

This was a lovely stretch for early morning runners, walkers, and sunset views. This is perhaps one of the most beautiful beaches we have ever seen and walked. There were no hawkers selling things. Each beach offered the usual fare of para sail, banana boat rides, hobie cats, and the assorted water toys. On windy days the windsurfers came out and put on fantastic shows as they streaked around the water and soared through the air. The beach crew set us up with chairs and umbrellas, while the restaurant sent waiters to the beach on a regular schedule for those wanting food or drink. The walk to the left was more populated. A daily routine was established. I'd go to the beach take a walk, take a swim, set up the chairs, and return for breakfast. Chair were also established at the pool. We'd switch back and forth. Naps would be had at one of the two under the umbrella when the urge happened.

If the beach were too much for us, then we could retire to one of two pools. The first pool from the beach was next to the restaurant and was mainly peopled by young kids. Further on the meandering garden path was the Quiet Pool for readers, sleepers, and those seeking quiet. This zone was strictly enforced as noisy children were asked to leave if they couldn't respect the quiet zone. It also provided respite from the wind of the beach.

We ate dinners at the Pelican Bay Restaurant which was superb and the service was top notch. The highlight of the menu was the conch which was served many ways: as chowder, fritters, and grilled. Of course there was local catch of snapper and mahi mahi. In addition they had great jerk food as well as standard fare to accommodate every palate. The presentation was creative and inviting.

We discovered a black cat with white paws, tummy, and nose. He was sitting on our terrace the first morning. That night he strolled through our legs at dinner. We saw the cat off and on the next couple of days as he stopped for pets and a meow or two. Then we didn't see the cat for a couple of days. I bought some cat treats at the store and we left them on the terrace. The treats disappeared, but we didn't see him. We left some more out the next day and it too disappeared. Then on Friday evening, he appeared just before we were heading out to dinner. He walked right into the room. We fed him some treats which he ate from our hand. We gave him some water which he lapped up. He stayed in the studio when we went to dinner. After dinner, he was lying on the ground in the gazebo by the pool next to the restaurant. He meowed when he saw us and followed us home. He came into the studio for more treats, water, and pets. After he supped, he jumped up on the bed and found a place to sleep. He stayed the night and was gone when we woke. During breakfast he returned for his breakfast and then headed out to the jungle as we retired to the beach. On our last morning we saw him on the beach as we returned from our last swim to have breakfast before packing for our trip home. There was a sudden downpour while we ate breakfast and he came scurrying over, wet and meowing. We gave him the last bit of food, some water. As I dried him off he purred and fell asleep on my backpack. When it was time for me to pack it he simply got up, meowed and left.

We slept with the glass doors open and the screens closed except when the cat was here. The sound of the ocean was delightful and was very soothing as we went to sleep or woke in the middle of the night. Waking the sound of the ocean in the morning was heaven and far better than an alarm clock. It is amazing our internal clocks. We still woke early and went to sleep early. We began to use the sun as our clock. It was all about the sun, sand, and surf.

The gardens are stunning. They are perhaps one of the finest features of this resort. Considering the climate and the terrain the gardens here are magnificent. The gardening staff works tirelessly to maintain this idyllic scenery. The colors were rich, the aromas fragrant, and the designs creative.

One of delightful respites was the rain. It may have rained every day. The rain never disturbed our time. It rained sometimes when we were swimming and then just as suddenly stopped. It rained when we were lying on the beach and were about to take a dip to cool off. It rained at night or in the early morning. The rain never lasted very long. Sometimes the sun was out during the quick refreshing rain. Always the air was cooler and so fresh with that delightful aroma of clean.

The people who work at the resort are friendly, helpful, and delightful. While on the beach and it was time to take a dip, suddenly it would gently rain and cool us down and then just as suddenly stop and the sun would reemerge. On many occasions it would rain briefly as I was in the water. Most of the rain happened at night or early morning. It was always followed by a needed coolness and raised a lovely aroma.

This resort is one we will return to.

Holiday in Provinciales, Turks and Caicos

2011-04-16T06:08:00.004-04:00

We will be on this glorious isle from Apr 16 to 26. We are staying at Royal West Indies Resort. The reviews are great.

View Larger Map

Poetry Month

2011-04-15T09:32:00.005-04:00

A lovely writing metaphor was used by our principal to further explain again the idea of repetition by repeating the same thing over and over again in a lesson to be sure the students get it.

Since it is April, poetry month, a Shakespeare sonnet is another perfect example. He uses the three quatrains to say the same thing three different ways, so as to reach his audience. Guess how he uses the concluding rhyming couplet? Yup to say it yet again.

SONNET 1
William Shakespeare

From fairest creatures we desire increase,
That thereby beauty's rose might never die,
But as the riper should by time decease,
His tender heir might bear his memory:
But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,
Feed'st thy light's flame with self-substantial fuel,
Making a famine where abundance lies,
Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.
Thou that art now the world's fresh ornament
And only herald to the gaudy spring,
Within thine own bud buriest thy content.
And, tender churl, makest waste in niggarding.
Pity the world, or else this glutton be,
To eat the world's due, by the grave and thee.

Inequality in Education

2011-04-08T09:00:00.002-04:00

Obama's remark in NYC on Wednesday, April 6,

Describing education and education equality as the “civil rights issue of our time,” President Obama called Wednesday for a renewed effort to eliminate the achievement gap between African-American students and others.

reminded me of a research project conducted at Berkeley in 1975 involving the failing of Black students in calculus.

In that research project we learned about the importance of collaboration and working in groups. Schools haven't changed much since 1975, in spite of A Nation at Risk and all the follies of educational policy makers. Success always happens when a group of people get together and work collaboratively and equally. Education in this country has always been top down and not democratic, in spite of what John Dewey taught us. The same response to Sputnik has been repeated by Obama with STEM. What Obama and other educational policy makers seem to miss is product creation. Instead we continue to see more Multiple choice tests and very little pedagogical insight. Obviously our leaders learned nothing from that 1975 study about the solution to solving the reason blacks failed calculus in 1975.

CyberEnglish is such a course that transcends the limits of current educational policy by encouraging collaboration and being producers instead of consumers. Scholars in CyberEnglish go beyond the MC test. CyberEnglish addresses inequality and promotes democracy and the advancement of learning in the classroom in the 21st Century in spite of the continued presence of the 19th Century classroom in our educational policy today. What continues to confuse me about our educational policy is the lack of the use of technology. In every other industry in this country, technology has made great inroads and has affected major changes to the good. Despite all of this, education has yet to embrace technology in its practice. We have to stop thinking about how we were taught; we need to imagine how we should be taught and to begin practicing those ideas. CyberEnglish is such an example of how we should be taught.

Black is Out!!

2011-04-07T11:26:00.009-04:00

Whew.

It doesn't matter why Cathy Black is out. The point is she is gone and good riddance. The real issue is why she was ever appointed in the first place. This is disgusting. One has to consider the number of deputy chancellors who have left since she took office. When will we learn that non educators make for bad education leaders?

This also speaks to the fall of Mayor Bloomberg and his very stubborn and arrogant ways of doing things. His forcing a third term was a bad idea and since then he has bumbled his way along.

So much for the children of NYC. What a total disaster this is for education in NYC. Public polls are one thing our leaders better listen to, just look to the Mideast to discover that mistake.

Now maybe we will stop seeing these business oriented people heading our schools, it doesn't work. We know this as we look at the failures of non educators in leadership of schools from Paige to Rhee and all the failures in between, including Cathy Black.

Even Walcott, although a better choice, is still not the best choice for chancellor. He, too, will have to go through the waivers. Let's do it right in the future Mr Mayor. Why can't you get this important job right?

Listen to Brian Lehrer discuss this, hear Mayor Bloomberg announce the change, and introduce our new chancellor, Dennis Walcott.

More conversation has been discouraging as some see Walcott as a competent replacement and even Canada's name has emerged. Boy have we lowered the standard of what would make a good chancellor. Think education and educational credentials, NOT business credentials. We have seen the failure of this tact over and over again across the country.

More from The Brian Lehrer Show a day later.

Teaching is about patience

2011-03-31T10:13:00.002-04:00

The best teachers are the patient teachers. Those teachers who wait for an answer, rather than giving the answer to their question in less than five seconds. Patient teachers wait for the scholar to work through a writing assignment before doing it for them. Patience is a good quality all teachers should have, just as good parents have, and as our politicians should have about schools and even the budget. Like good cooking that takes time, so does good education. It is all about patience.

Teachers aren't the problem

2011-03-08T13:52:00.008-05:00

We have a major communications problem in this country about education as shown in this letter to the editor:

To the Editor:
It is a mystery why teachers fail to understand the public perception. They do not work a full day, they have significant time off during the day, they have extensive vacation time, they can be granted tenure and they have a retirement benefits package that is the envy of all except top corporate executives. Any additional activity, like being a coach, club leader or adviser, is generally compensated.
Now don’t get me wrong. The uniformed unions also have overreaching benefits that need renegotiation. But it is the teachers with whom the public has the greatest contact and who regularly whine about how poorly treated they are and demand raises from struggling taxpayers on whose shoulders their compensation falls.
It is high time they wake up and begin to understand that they do not exist in a vacuum and that their ivory towers need a dose of reality.
Huntington, N.Y., March 3, 2011

This writer and others who believe this don't get it. The misconception of the teacher is a serious matter. First of all the pay is far below a salary many other people would not tolerate. The benefits come because of the numbers of teachers who can negotiate a good deal in any area like health, transportation, because we have numbers. I don't know other professions that bring work home on a regular basis like teachers. For example, The National Council of Teachers of English recommend that a high school teacher spend at least 15 minutes grading each essay. Sometimes more time is needed, but let's work with fifteen minutes per essay. In NYC, high school English teachers teach 5 classes of on average 30 students per class. That's 150 students who each write an essay which then takes 37 and one half hours to assess. Now consider the quiz or two given, the homework, the test and other work that is needed to assess and we are talking a lot more then the 6 and one half hours we are in school. Many high school teachers spend another 6 hours a day assessing and then preparing for tomorrow's class. That's a twelve hour day. When other workers leave work they leave work, not teachers. If I made the money a corporate leader made, I'd have no problem, but I don't make that kind of money and that corporate worker wouldn't do my job. What the public doesn't understand about teaching is that being on the job is just half of our job. The other half happens after school, after work when we bring our work home that no other worker in this country does nor would it be tolerated by their family.Oftentimes I hear parents talking about their own children and the amount of work it takes. Now try that with 30 different children every hour of the school day.

Teachers don't make the school calendar. When they work extra hours as a coach or during a vacation, they should be compensated just as any other worker is with time and a half pay. Just try to get a doctor, a lawyer, a contractor, an accountant to do something else without compensation.

Oh, Mr Huntington, we understand the wrath of the public. Everyone hates their teachers. Perhaps the real mystery is that the public doesn't understand the teaching profession. They only see what they want to see. I do know teaching isn't for everyone, it takes a very special person. Now if it weren't for teachers where would we be?

Educational Autocrats in USA

2011-02-28T09:01:00.003-05:00

I just had to laugh when I read a recent account In Education Week about the Teach for America 20th Anniversary in Washington.

Speakers, including Harlem Children’s Zone founder Geoffrey Canada and former New York City Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein, were asked to compare the fight for educational equity to the uprising in Egypt that forced President Hosni Mubarak to step down.

Both Canada and Klein are similar type autocrats as Mubarak. Canada doesn't see the value of the teacher union as being a check and balance set up to counter poor leadership. Klein has a record for attempts to union bust. In both cases, neither have shown themselves to be educational reformers as the article hinted. Canada runs his Zone with an iron fist and Klein was always a bully. There is no data that shows either men has been successful in their endeavors except from what we hear from them. The same kind of data, each would use to dismiss a teacher when used on them would find both men wanting. The jury is still out on the effects of TFA, yet Duncan praised it: "U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan praised TFA for changing the face of public education in this nation." Even Hollywood with its movies can't advance the careers of Canada nor TFA as we see the data shows them producing SOSO results and nothing extraordinary to label them Superman or changers of education. The work of the everyday teachers who collaborate in a community are our super heroes. People like Canada, Klein, and Duncan show themselves as the autocrats they are when it comes to education.

Yes, we need a revolution, but not one led by the likes of Canada, Klein, Duncan, or others of their ilk. They have proven via the data, that they are misinformed and dangerous to the educational landscape. They are our dangerous autocrats.

The revolution we need in education is one that has fueled those in the Mideast, technology. In a changing world, especially one driven by technology, we continue to see leaders discuss education from the way they were taught, evaluate it from that same dismal vantage point, rather than discuss what it could be if we used technology. Autocrats, don't lke democracy, it is messy, and technology certainly makes things more democratic and messy at times. Also autocrats don't have the control they need to survive, because they lack vision. They possess power derived from deception and perpetrated by lies and/or fear.

As I said earlier, at first I laughed, then I stopped because of the irony in asking the wrong people at the wrong celebration, because they are our Mubarak. America is in a battle of its own that is similar to our breathen in the Mideast. Maybe Madison, Wisconsin is our Cairo.

The once dreaded five paragraph essay

2011-02-25T09:05:00.008-05:00

There was a time not too long ago when English teachers debated about the use of and devotion to the five paragraph essay as being too structured and too stifling in the creative process of writing. I suspect than many of us who demonized that genre would now see it as the promised land in our English class if we look at current trends. When students are limited to 128 characters on their respective hand held app, asking them to generate a five paragraph essay has become a herculean task. In addition, text spelling is becoming the norm and trying to explain the idea of a more formal spelling eludes our young scholars as they don't comprehend the difference between what they write and what we expect as formal writing in an English class. There was a time when our scholars knew that they had different vocabularies and writing styles. That is not so anymore. Another negative by-product is our scholars inability to spend more than a nano reading. A short story has become a novel. Seeing more than 100 words on a computer screen exhausts our weary scholars who need to scurry away to recharge while BBMing their friends of the torture they are undergoing in English class. Oh and they can't type. They are all thumbs.

Today I read "Effective Use of Digital Tools Seen Lacking in Most Tech-Rich Schools" in Education Week. I have always advocated this notion and it was lovely to see Larry Cuban, now emeritus, quoted. He and I used to have wonderful conversations in the 90's about tech use. We always took opposite sides. He missed the point then and still does. Schools of Education have failed to do their part in preparing future teachers in the art of using technology in their classes. If other industries and businesses can use technology in their daily operation then why has education lagged so far behind the curve? We don't use technology in schools because we filter and ban their use and we don't teach our teachers at any level how to use the technology. NYC doesn't have a Department of Technology any more nor is there any technology leadership in NYC schools. Schools are a No Technology zone.

Another sad trend has been represented well on a recent conversation on a NWP technology list which is gaga over programs like Glogster and other programs that have the students generating posters. Posters in English and writing classes. What are you kidding me? Talk about the "dumbing" down of our education. This is why our students can't read or write more than 128 characters. Teachers are excited about a poster program, not a writing tool, not about writing essays. Blogs have been shelved as being too hard or too much work I hear. Now we should be excited about not just a poste, but a group created poster from our English scholars. This from the National Writing Project, Yikes!

I'm still an advocate for the creation of webpages that provide a proper forum for essay writing, creative writing, and publishing. I still herald the advancement of technology in schools as a tool that replaces the book and paper that we used yesterday and the limited publishing of literary magazines replaced with webpages for every scholar to use to express hir opinions on matters of import, to explain hir knowledge of things, and to create hir own work. All of this is published and is presented and has replaced the atoms publishing medium by the digitally publishing medium. The trend I am seeing is taking this technology and letting it bastardize our work as teachers because teachers fail to get it. In some cases it is their fault because they accept the 128 character limit and they have not been taught in our Schools of Ed how to use this technology. The technology innovators are those who learned on their own and at their own expense and have had to suffer the insults and ignorance of colleagues and supervisors who don't understand technology in the classroom. When it comes to the lack of technology use in schools, teachers may deserve the disparaging words about them. Would we accept a non technology oriented professional in any other industry?

Does this image represent teachers' evolution in a technology age?

Last In, First Out

2011-02-23T09:46:00.002-05:00

Let's be clear, LIFO, is not about education, it is about budgets and union busting. As I read and hear arguments to repeal, LIFO policies, budget constraints are the first item listed. We know school leaders will eliminate the higher paid teachers and find reasons for dismissal while coddling the cheaper, less experienced teacher who may not be good for the classroom. Yes, it is about merit and methods of merit are not being discussed as much as eliminating the higher paid teachers just because they are highly paid. I haven't heard any method of evaluating teachers except by the price tag, and that is why we need unions. If the voices of repealing LIFO came up with a worthy method for evaluating teachers beyond price tag, we might be able to participate in the solution. I also know I am a better teacher now than I was after ten years of teaching. When I reflect on my second or third year as a teacher, I get real scared. Consider how we choose a doctor, a lawyer, a building contractor in our lives. We look for experience and word of mouth. Let's use this same rubric in selecting teachers for our children.

I haven't seen any study about the length of service by our younger teachers. During my 35 years, I have found the attrition rate of younger teachers is higher than the older teachers, who make teaching a career. The teachers who leave after a few years of teaching write books about teaching or make movies. The point is they aren't teaching anymore and could have been kept instead of a career teacher who is now unemployed. My experience is that younger teachers don't see it as a career as much as a job before they discover what they want to be when they grow up or in the cases of our female colleagues who become mothers. I have seen that about 50% of women who have babies don't return.

Perhaps a compromise would be accepted if once a teacher reaches ten years, then all teachers with ten or more years in service would be in the same pool. Certainly the number ten is arbitrary and could be lowered to seven. But eliminating a good 25 year teacher to keep two two year teachers is stupid. That 25 year teacher has experience those two two year teachers can't replace for many years, if they stay 25 years. Chances are one of them won't.

The older teacher has made a commitment to the school and the community. That teacher will now be a drain on the very government trying to fix the budget. That older teacher may have a mortgage, kids in college, and is a taxpayer. When this older worker is now out of work, the money saved initially becomes a drain later on. Now that's bad economics. The two two year teachers are not yet established and may not be part of the community or school base in a year. They are more fluid then the established teacher. Younger teachers are more transient. I'd propose a study done by school districts to explore this very idea of who stays and who goes in an school year and over the last ten years to see a pattern to help them make a more informed decision. When we hear leaders speak about attrition, what is the percentage of age group who leave at the end of a school year over the past ten years? I know they will be surprised to find those numbers shocking as it pertains to the younger teachers.

The knee jerk reaction we are now seeing across this country as it pertains to unions and teachers is not far thinking remedies but instead is elevating an immediate pain with a solution that will have dire ramifications in the future especially in our schools if we start seeing the teaching career become a revolving door.

Good thinking is not happening right now in our state capitals.

Two new baby girls

2011-02-17T23:10:00.007-05:00

On February 17, 2011 at 8:18 & 8:19PM in NYC, my daughter Emily had twin girls. Greg, the father, and I are sharing the duties while mom rests.

See more.

Wake up American educators

2011-01-29T12:01:00.002-05:00

I was reminded many times last week why we are so behind in education in America. It centers on one word, "TECHNOLOGY."

First, I'm watching upheavals in the world because of WikiLeaks and because of social networks as protesters in countries use these tools to conduct revolutions. This is huge and we should be paying attention.

Obama gave a rousing SOTU speech on education and spoke about the new technologies as being the leaders in helping to repair the economy. So why aren't we connecting the dots between technology and education?

And yet for the past week, I have witnessed the NYState Regents exams which are pen and pencil on paper. No technology involved. Our schools still lack adequate technology. We still follow the 19th Century school model with the "sage on the stage." Our classrooms are getting more filled and our young teachers aren't bring technology with them to the classroom. The biggest problem is our children use technology which teachers say is distracting so they spend too much time trying to stop the technology instead of trying a Zen concept of using that technology power to their teaching. We are shooting ourselves in the foot in our classrooms everyday. Teachers spend too much time squelching the technology instead of embracing it and using it for the success of our students. Teachers haven't been taught how to use technology in education yet. When our students leave the classroom they are not prepared for college let alone work or the military where technology is embraced.

Then we are humbled by the Chinese Mom and then the scary story from people like Susan Maushart.

America is actually a very traditionalist country and loves the status quo, yet when things go bad, they blame teachers and look to the past for solutions, while the rest of the world moves forward. We shouldn't teach as we were taught, we should teach for the future.

Until we start using technology in our classrooms, we are not going to find our future as shiny as it ought to be. The Googles and Facebooks of the world are lovely examples of success, but they don't employ that many people for the amount of money they make. We need more tech jobs and more people working and producing. Americans are still merely consumers and not the producers they need to be. By filtering, blocking, and forbidding the use of technology in our classrooms we are sending the wrong message and not figuring out how to use technology in our classrooms. Both the Chinese mom and Susan are great examples of just how backwards America is when it comes to education. Since we don't understand the power of technology and we fear it, we do what the Chinese mom and Susan do, we forbid it. Schools have done the same thing for decades with new technologies. Rather than figure out how to use them they forbid them while the rest of the world excels and passes us by.

The early discussion by Robert Pirsig in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance about his traveling couple's fear of technology is as true in 1974 when he wrote this classic as it is today.

I sure would like to see a Technology Revolution in American Education. Technology is the one word that can solve many of our problems and technology in education is key.

A heart attack snow

2011-01-27T06:31:00.005-05:00

This is a dangerous 19 inches of wet snow. At 4AM I woke to find the backyard inundated with another blanket of snow. I got dressed to shovel the steps and clear the snow off the plastic shed protecting the bikes and access to space under the steps for the cats. I was very surprised at how heavy and sticky this snow was. This is dangerous stuff. I call it heart attack snow. I cleared a simple path down the steps and the plastic. I stopped shoveling and walked to the pond to check on the pump which was just fine. I cleared some snow from around the pump. I stomped the snow to the pond and cleared snow from the hanging planters and chimes. This was all I was going to do for now. I don't have too many more places to put this snow.

I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood and take pictures. I walked the block of 5oth and 49th between 10th and 9th Aves. The plows were moving in threes and only doing the avenues. No plows had done these two bus route streets, 49th and 50th. Lots of private plows doing the ConEd facility, a school, a UHaul rental. Some supers were out doing their sidewalks and some storefronts were cleared. Some cars were stuck and spinning their wheels. People were walking in the streets in the places where dump trucks and private carting trucks have packed down the snow. Only high four wheel vehicles are moving. Low riding wheel vehicles can't navigate streets as I see a taxi stuck and a Mercedes spinning its four wheels. As I head home, three people are waiting for a bus that won't be here for a long time and then I'm passed by a bike delivery guy.

When I return home at 5:30AM, I learn there is no school, no bus service, and very limited subway service. Only emergency city agencies are open. I learn the weather is going to get colder, and more snow till Saturday. The snow this January has broken all records for snow in January and more is coming, cool.

Bad news, Tweed offices are open, so I walk Heather to the R train and take in the sights to and from the train at 49th and Broadway. No busses, the streets aren't plowed but the avenues are. There are still cars on the road that shouldn't be, especially some cabs driven by drivers who have no clue about driving in the snow. Then we have the macho SUV driver who demonstrates arrogant and obnoxious behavior indigenous of that kind of driver in that kind of car.

Nation Builders

2011-01-25T22:39:00.008-05:00

President Obama's State of the Union impressed me because he put teachers first. Literally, teachers were the first point of his speech. He informed us that South Korea calls its teachers, "Nation Builders."

Let’s also remember that after parents, the biggest impact on a child’s success comes from the man or woman at the front of the classroom. In South Korea, teachers are known as “nation builders.” Here in America, it’s time we treated the people who educate our children with the same level of respect. We want to reward good teachers and stop making excuses for bad ones. And over the next ten years, with so many Baby Boomers retiring from our classrooms, we want to prepare 100,000 new teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.

Wow. This is the first time I can remember when any president ever put education first and foremost in such an important speech. I also agree that we need a system that helps us cull those not suited for teaching. His emphasis on not only completing high school but also college is crucial to fuel our future. Everyone always speaks about our future but rarely couple it with the function of education in that role. It was very obvious to me that we as a nation we must put education first so we can better our infrastructure, our economy, our military, and the state of the union. It made me proud to be a teacher, a son of teachers, the brother of two teachers, and the father of two Nation Builders.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew speaks with Brian Lehrer.

Viva la Revolution

2011-01-21T10:29:00.011-05:00

What is happening in Tunisia is taking the world by storm, but not in America. Why do I love this? I'm always encouraged when the people take control. Tunisia is small enough to make it happen. Iran is too big for it to have happened when it tried. China is also too large. The Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia is secular, not religious but it is happening in an Arab nation which can serve as a model. It is cyber, it is about the youth, just like some of our elections in America. The Internet is the center of this movement. How much WikiLeaks can be considered in the movement is unclear. The embassy posts are revealing. What is important is that Arab countries are watching and in those totalitarian nations better wakeup and pay attention and listen to the people otherwise, they will oust you. What will the ripple effects be in Egypt, Iran and other nations? Tunisia is the result of years of tyranny and it finally exploded. Its size is important, as I have said. I love the excitement of the people. I wonder where the visitors from Tunisia who visited my class years ago are in this change. I hope they are part of it. Even though the USA supported the ousted dictator, I wonder how we will respond. It is certainly better than sending in our troops to fix a country. It should be fixed from within. Bravo people of Tunisia.

I'm lucky to have some people to speak to about this at my school. Our head custodian is from Yeman and a politically active student from Lahore, Pakistan. In addition we have to read from sources outside the US like Egypt, AlJazeera, and other Arab nations.

Now we will watch with baited breath to see how this all turns out. What factions will lead? How will the rural and city commingle and cooperate? Will Islam play a role? Now we will watch another experiment in government by the people, but this time on the Internet.

From a local radio show in NYC:

This is America NOT Pakistan

2011-01-09T11:15:00.005-05:00

I'm stunned by the recent events in Arizona. I'm scared when I hear the words of some radio and tv hosts who promote violence and say deadly things about opponents to their views. Violence will never get you want you want, it does the opposite, always. Use words and ballots, America and do the right thing, live with it and let others as well. Violence will separate you from a civilized society, so use words, not bullets.

A quick GOOGLE search for "sarah palin's facebook page" revealed these horrible results. This page is the kind of page we Americans need to be concerned about and aware of. This is an unhinged man, a delirious man, a dangerous man. Be careful, people, "We have met the enemy and he is us."

I am sorry for the victims in Arizona and for us and what we have become.

'Nuff Said

2011-01-08T13:56:00.000-05:00

Blended Classes

2011-01-07T09:10:00.002-05:00

We are hearing more and more noise about blended classes. NYC has its typical pilot blended classes. CyberEnglish has been a blended class since 1993. Nothing new or earthshaking from these researchers that we didn't see and hear 20 years ago. During the 1990's many teachers were practicing CyberEnglish and other forms of digital and blended classes with some notice, but not taken seriously. We posited many and more points made by this august council. Many of us have written extensively about the process, our findings and observations, and our recommendations. How long will it take for the council and others to catch up to us?

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

2010-12-30T11:08:00.003-05:00

I rediscovered this book when I recovered a copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance from the trash. This was one of the books of my youth, a time when I took things apart like bicycles, 36 horsepower VW engines, front steps not only to know how they worked but to fix them. I was a tinkerer, I still am a tinkerer and this book by Robert Pirsig was a crucial book for me to remind me I wasn't crazy, like some folks told me. I followed the edict "If it ain't broke, take it apart to see how it works," drove my father crazy and some others, too. I loved this book because it spoke to me. At first it was the romantic Huck Finn notion of lightin' out for the territory and then became the classic view of essence. Now as I read it some 35 years later, I'm in awe of this tome.

Alan Watts introduced me to Zen, my experience in Veitnam was more about Zen than any domino theory. When I came home I studied Phaedrus and owned a motorcycle. Pirsig's book was a welcome college graduation gift. It was read on a simpler romantic level then. Now it is more of a classical read. I'm still tinkering but now with computers. My first computer was a keyboard I hooked up to a B&W tv and had to write BASIC to see "Hi Ted" on the screen. Exciting, but nothing compared to 1984 when I had a weekly "ahha" moment as I was learning to teach with computers in my 16 Tandy 1000 computer room with those 5 1/4 inch startup disks. Today I have 16 Imacs and 16 Dells in a room with smartboards and a console that can not only control the computers in my room but those in other rooms. My tinkering is in VETY (I'm still enamoured with the Greeks and Romans as well as exploring the parts) and having my students write in HTML. I have given up my Facebook and Twitter accounts as they aren't ZEN. As I reread this tome, I'm reminded about how unZen we are with our ignorance of how it works let alone any care about how it works as witnessed in the horrendous year Columbia University has had from plagairism in a valedictorian speech (C'mon man), to drug dealing to pay for college, to sex between a prof and his daughter. How lazy and stupid have we become? We can't write our own valedictorian speeches anymore? We can't find legal ways to make money? We can't find sex outside our homes? I think Columbia needs a little bit of Zen. And on the west coast and in Ohio an adequate lesson plan is a journal entry and NOT an essay. “Write a journal entry in which you imagine how life or work will change after the smart grid is ready to go.” Yikes, a journal entry?? What have we become a nation of tweets? Governor Rendell may have said it well too. I'm worried when we limit ourselves to 128 characters and to journal entries as lesson plans instead of creative projects and essay writing. Even the famed NYState English Language Arts Regents exam has been dumbed down again in my teaching career to one essay and too much Multiple Choice. Pirsig is correct and needs to be reread over and over again, we are not only afraid of technology we are not sure how to use it correctly. Technology has taken control and made us wusses, stupid wusses who are limited to so many characters and so little to say that we use copy and paste to the point we think it is ours.

Don't be confused by the title, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. This book should be on everyone's reading list. Make 2011 the year you take back your life.

Like a tourist

2010-12-29T14:30:00.002-05:00

We haven't spent many holidays here recently, so we have spent our time with family and acting like tourists. During the snow storm many walks to the river and to Times Square. The day after the storm we went to Central Park and frolicked. In the past two days I have been amazed at the traffic in the city. As I sit in the living room watching English Premier games on the computers I watch the traffic crawl across 50th Street. When we leave in the mid morning, the traffic is bumper to bumper. When we get to the avenues it is packed like a getaway Friday. Today the walk from 10th Avenue and 50th to the New York Public Library at 42nd and Fifth was packed with people and traffic. Snow removal is still poor and I'm glad I have my bright yellow boots for sloshing through a sloppy New York City grid.

These boots fit over my sneakers.

At the library time was spent in the Three Faiths Scriptorium which was mind blowing and so informative. It is definitely worth another visit or two, especially after the holidays and when we have fewer tourists, if that ever happens. After exploring the faiths of the western world, I made my way up to the third floor for the photographic exhibition called Recollection that represented thirty years of photography at the NYPL. Some famous and familiar images and some new images that lined the walls of the glorious corridor. A visit to the reading rooms is always humbling and necessary.

From the library, a walk east to Madison and south to 38th finds us at the Morgan.Just in time for the very informative 15 minute video about the museum. It is here you get a good overview and plan for visiting the museum. The Morgan Library is very European and is loaded with very familiar authors and titles. Of course they are first editions. In the cases there are great examples of author's notes and drafts in their hand. The collection includes original drafts from musicians, authors, and poets. The fireplaces are grand and one can only wonder what it must have been like with a roaring fire and time to spend time enjoying selections from this fine collection or entertaining guests. The next stop was the collection of Roy Lichenstein black and white drawings and cartoons. Finally the reason for going to the Morgan was the Twain collection of drafts, first editions, and photographs. I had no idea what the seals were until I stepped into the room of ancient Near East seals. The final must see object is the trigraph that claims to contain wood in the shape of a cross from the cross used to crucify Jesus.

The walk home across 37th Street to 10th Avenue and north to 50th was an adventure weaving around the bumper to bumper traffic and poorly shoveled sidewalks and slushy streets.

Now as I watch the Chelsea-Bolton match, I'm still amazed at the traffic. And so many cars with only one occupant.

What touristy thing should we do now?

Snow in NYC

2010-12-27T09:42:00.006-05:00

The snow is up to my knees in the backyard.

Publish or Perish

2010-12-22T09:04:00.005-05:00

Just listened to a radio show about colleges.

OMG.

Educators must run places of education. It isn't about tenure, it is about education. Education is not a business. Education is a place that thrives on mistakes. Mistakes are the fodder of learning, Schools are supposed to be a place where we play, practice things. If we make mistakes, no problem, we should learn from those mistakes. When we publish we are able to broadcast to the public our capabilities. Peer review, access to our work so that anyone, or specific people can read my ideas in y writings. This is what CyberEnglish is all about. My scholars publish, otherwise they will perish.

This publish thing confuses me. Get a blog, write a webpage, tweet. Anyone and everyone can publish. There lies the rub. Since everyone publishes, that requires I read all this stuff and make my own mind up. The Internet, which was an interactive tool is slowly becoming a consumer environment like television and radio. We have blogs and we have webpages, the real power. Look at Facebook and WikiLeaks. These giants are all about webpages. Yes webpages. The power of America is its ability to be producers, not consumers, not agents, but producers. The zenith of America in the Gilded Age was our ability to produce to manufacture. Manufacturing is moving from hand made to cyber producers. The new money is online, in online business and services.

The real terrorists

2010-12-20T08:59:00.001-05:00

I just finished reading "The Doomsday Strain" by Michael Specter in the current New Yorker.

OMG!

I'm not a praying man, but maybe I should reconsider.

This is the scariest sh!t I've read since....since....since.... I don't know when. Nathan Wolfe, the calm debonair hero of this tale, portends dastardly circumstances for humanity. Even when we know, we ignore the science, the facts, the data. And when we, no they, ignore Wolfe, they die. This kinda data gets my attention. Not that spew, that pablum, that comes from the NYC DOE. This is real data, data we can hang our hat on.

Is Israel the next Mexico?

2010-12-18T10:37:00.004-05:00

I'm still reading the WikiLeaks pages and following by embassy now. The Vatican thread is predictable and fun. On the other hand the Tel Aviv cables are frightening and revealing. Is Cunningham just an alarmist or should I have real concern about Organized Crime in Israel? Heretofore, I was not aware of the existence of Organized Crime in Israel nor the size and power of it. Even more surprising was how ineffective the Israel government forces are against the organized crime factions. Like Mexico, the crime from Israel is spreading to America. And why hasn't the US press mentioned any of this as they do about Mexico? Sure Mexico is a neighbor, but what Cunningham writes about in Israel should cause some concern. Israel is not only subject to attack from outside, it is threatened from within by former soldiers who have the wherewithal to conduct military operations and maintain a level of sophistication as crime bosses and soldiers which makes them more of a threat than the Mexican gangs. Maybe I should reread the Old Testament as it may be coming back for a revival soon. As economies crumble crime will win out and considering the volubility of the Mid East, this information about OC in Israel is disturbing.

Fast Forward six months and "Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Ellen Tauscher visited Israel December 1-2. U/S Tauscher focused her visit on setting the stage for a successful Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference (RevCon) in May 2010." Essentially as always we are told more about Iran and other states, when we should be just as concerned if not more concerned about Israel. The crime bosses are former trained soldiers with knowledge about weapons and access.

Now for some light reading. I struck upon this, "Turkmen President Berdimuhammedov is vain, fastidious, vindictive, a micro-manager, and a bit of an Ahal Teke “nationalist.” And this is just the first sentence to a fabulous cable by Curran. Turkmenistan is to the north of both Iran and Afghanistan and has access to the notorious Caspian Sea. While from the northern landlocked neighbor of Uzbekistan, we have three cables dating back to 2007 discussing the behavior of the oldest daughter, Lola, and her nightclubbing activities to a year later when we read about how she is trying to clean up her image. Back to the Sea and travel north to either Russia, just north of Georgia and to the east Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is crucial to us for flyovers and the like. As with the other neighboring countries they offer light entertainment about the families and politics as seen from the eyes of our diplomats. Most entertaining would be the lifestyles of the leadership and the fabulous cable filled with drama and potentially the basis for a funny sitcom. All this from the capital, Astana, the home of the championship cycling team.

I don't know why some people are so upset with these cables, they are absolutely delightful reading and in many cases very funny while in other cases very revealing and important for us to know.

Now what is happening to Julian Assange is criminal and dastardly. I wouldn't be surprised for one minute if America is behind this harassment. Isn't it telling when someone like Zuckerberg is named Person of the Year by Time instead of Assange? I don't care one lick for Facebook, barely use it and my life is not the better for it. And is Zuckerberg the creator of Facebook? However, Assange has made a far more important impact on my life. The cables are far more entertaining then anything I find on Facebook. Facebook isn't real, the cables are real. Is this what America has become a Facebook nation? Yikes!!

What an upside down world

2010-12-16T09:51:00.005-05:00

Our new Speaker of the House is an enigma to me.

As an English teacher I'm stumped as how to pronounce his name. Does he know Hyacinth Bucket, who insists her last name is pronounced "Bouquet" in the BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances.

He cries about schoolchildren on a playground.

He cries a lot apparently.

Hmm, crying is good, but when women in politics almost do it, look out.

Now when a stocky manly man cries and is the Speaker of the House, has someone pulled a boner?

Gail Collins has provided some clarity.

Polakow-Suransky, the new #2 should be #1

2010-12-14T09:25:00.005-05:00

“Until we start seeing assessments that ask kids to write research papers, ask them to solve unfamiliar problems, ask them to defend their ideas, ask them to engage with both fiction and nonfiction texts; until those kinds of assessments are our state assessments, all we’re measuring are basic skills,” Mr. Shael Polakow-Suransky (shale poh-LA-coe soo-RAN-skee.) said in an interview.

I agree with this statement from The New York Times interview about assessment. This is how CyberEnglish works and assesses the scholars. What Polakow-Suransky suggests is that the scholars should be producers and not just consumers or regurgitators. He can see exactly what my scholars are doing in my classes now and from those of the past on my class webpage which will lead him to the webpages of my scholars. He will find examples exactly as he outlines of how products are created and how they are assessed.

Why wasn't this man made chancellor, he understands education, he is from the classroom, he has been a part of education at all levels, he is an educated educator, and it seems like he could manage this far better than Black. He has already said more intelligent things about our schools than Black has blundered and blurted out.

Following the Business Model Part II

2010-12-10T12:43:00.002-05:00

Source: http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7840105/

30 years ago

2010-12-08T09:05:00.004-05:00

It was cold, very very cold. I was watching Monday Night Football with Frank Gifford and Howard Cosell. It was late when Cosell announced the shooting and death of John Lennon. I was stunned. I had become used to seeing John and Sean playing in the rustic part of the park now called Strawberry Fields near his Dakota home.

In shock, I put on a lot of clothes and my warmest coat and left my east 71st Street apartment and walked across the park to the Dakota to join the vigil already begun by others. A boom box was playing his music and a large crowd was gathering across from the Dakota. Flowers began to amass at the spot he was shot. Every evening of Dec 8, I have made my way to the Dakota to pay my respects to John and to deposit a white rose on the appropriate place for those pilgrims.

I have gone alone, I have gone with friends. I always bring a single white rose with names of people from around the world who know I do this every Dec 8.

Imagine Peace

Let's Follow the Business Model

2010-12-06T09:04:00.011-05:00

Source: http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7840699/

haha, blah blah Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

DATA. It is all about the data. In all areas of our lives we are analyzing the data. Are we relying too much on data? Data or statistics is a crap shoot. Look at how statistics works (doesn't work) in sports. Bankers and numbers, now there's a nightmare scenario. Taking an accountant, business, management led team into an educational leadership position is suicide. We know this, yet, we continue to make the same mistake. That's politics, baby.

How has education that has been led by non-educational leaders fared?

Look at the numbers, but not theirs, haha. Obviously we do not learn from our mistakes nor admit them. Stay the course King Michael.

Haha, the first words from Queen Cathy have been about teachers and tenure. Let's not lose sight of the job of education, Cathy. How about the curriculum and the business of education, not union busting. It will be a waste of time and only prove your incompetence. Follow the educational plan, needs, ideas. It's not about teacher tenure it's about leadership, EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP, Cathy. Let's work on classroom size, materials, curriculum and see how the teachers respond. Teachers are of course an easy target, whereas the tough work is done in the trenches with curriculum, materials, and the classroom. This is why you were the wrong choice. The first time you open your big mouth you put your big foot into it. Now the only time you will open your mouth is to change feet. And this is day one. You already have a steep learning curve. Oh and stop talking about yourself, it's not about you, it's about the children, so please get on with your work of education.
Education requires a consistency, not a foolish consistency, but a consistency. Teachers have rituals and routines that they use each day to help the young scholars learn. When that routine is changed it "upsets the applecart." The young scholars need absolutes so that the changing world can be addressed. Business leaders just don't understand this idea about pedagogy. Education takes time like good cooking. Concentrate on the substance of education and not the teachers. How dare you walk into a new position without doing your homework and take on the teachers. It is a waste of time and effort and demonstrates your ignorance about education and running a school system. Learn education first, sweetheart.

Hip Hip Horray WikiLeaks

2010-12-04T09:02:00.001-05:00

I like what is happening because of WikiLeaks. It has taken the Freedom of Information Act to the next level. Bravo! With all the amendments and interpretations of this Act, we should be prepared for some interesting legal battles. It's what we like to do when the status quo is about to be rocked. I don't like that it is blocked in the NYC public schools. What great fodder for classroom lessons. Our scholars should be reading these cables and doing what history, English scholars do with such primary documents. They look at threads for patterns, places, situations. They study the prose style of different authors. Who are the authors? The scholars produce secondary resources about their research and opinions that are to be passed on. Oh did I mention it comes in five other languages, too: Portuguese, French, Russian, Spanish, and Arabic. When will we see Chinese or other Asian languages?

The typical knee jerk reaction to WikiLeaks is important to watch and to hear what is said by whom. Future actions, too, will be important to monitor. Is this another excuse for the government to take more of our liberties away? Was this leak generated from within so they could enact laws and perform other political parlor tricks to dupe the public and to steal more freedoms from us in the name of our safety. I'm sure those we really do not want to read these cables, read them on the day they were sent.

In most cases, the cables are good prose, delightfully entertaining, and most assuredly informative. Names are xxxxx out. We are being treated to in depth behind the scenes reporting by those in the front lines. We have access to the primary documents and that is crucial. Are those in power worried about becoming obsolete? Information is power and there has been a major power sharing surge that continues on a daily basis. I love it. It nourishes me. I am gorging on these cables.

For example:

"Whatever the truth about his mood, it is hard to believe that Gul, a seasoned politician and operator, would let himself be pushed into something he didn't want to do, even “for the greater good for his party.” End comment.

Reading about Robert Mugabe was great fun. It is not a great surprise what I read.

SUBJECT: ELDERLY AMERICAN SMUGGLED OUT OF IRAN

"Russia is ranked second only to the United States in arms sales to the developing world, and a sizeable portion of its arms trade is with countries of concern to us." Russian Calculus.

The cables about the German Economics ministry turmoil was interesting and more detailed about something we knew but only on a cursory level. These cables fill in the gaps. They provide more details about something we know too little.

What I find fascinating about these cables is that some of those outlandish conspiracy theories we are told not to believe might be true or possibly true. These cables date back to 1966, so strolling through the years is fun. Reading about the Shah is interesting and educational. The study done in Iran in 1985, titled, "Negotiations" is deep and well worth reading.

Others:

Chevron gets thrown out of a meeting in Kazakhstan; the lifestyle of the wealthy in Kazakhstan; from 2008: "none of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's three sons is likely to be tapped to succeed him."; Afghan money to Dubai; Life in Beijing; the work to get Bout; State's request to Ambassador in Pakistan to press Pakistan to continue to hold Dr Khan in house arrest; our troubles with Pakistan; The President's briefing before Paris visit; the under the table dealing with drones in Pakistan; Cuba and Venezuela's relationship; how Cubans get to America, the Litinenko Assassination, Paragraph three is a pisser. Reading these cables can be addicting. And to think it will be months. Reminds me of the Watergate hearings.

-------
Comment
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¶15. (C) All of the above putative versions of events are handicapped by a lack of evidence and by the existence of other motives for the killings and other potential perpetrators. Whatever the truth may ultimately be --and it may never be known-- the tendency here to almost automatically assume that someone in or close to Putin’s inner circle is the author of these deaths speaks volumes about expectations of Kremlin behavior as the high-stakes succession struggle intensifies. BURNS

I'm liking the indexing by year, embassy, tag and other methods. My fear is getting lost in these cables. This is a great service to correct history or fill in the gaps. When we finally have time to read these cables and to sort through them on our own, we will see the importance of this event. We have only seen a very small amount of the cables as it is taking time to upload them all. I love this installment process as each day brings more great reading, just as the Watergate Hearings were good television watching.

Perhaps one of the most important points about these cables is that we are looking at primary documents. This is key to our own education. We don't need to rely on reporters, who may or may not have an agenda, to tell us the news. We can read the cables and make our own determination about things and don't need the pundits to interpret for us, tell us what we need to know, to be barraged by their spew. This is just another magnificent example of the power and beauty of the internet and sites like WikiLeaks and Wikipedia. Watch who is critical of the leaks and who is not. No big surprises here.

Power to the people and keep on keepin' on WikiLeaks.

We know some people will probably be leaving their posts because of these revelations and maybe find a new profession writing novels or screen plays. I can't wait for the movie or even mini-series based on these cables. Too bad "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World" has already been used.

An important caveat is the age of these cables. The most recent is February of 2010. It news cycles , they are ancient history.

Now if WikiLeaks could explore the health industry, the pharmaceutical folks, and NYC politics to name a few, wow now that would be a real service.

Good education is good economics

2010-12-03T09:03:00.008-05:00

I just heard what sounds like a threat from the off shore oil advocates. "If we don't drill off shore we will lose jobs." Fear. That is the message of scary ones. Beware the scary ones. I remember when Detroit began to decline and then crash. Why did this happen to Detroit? Quite simply the workers in Detroit auto industry never finished their education and when Detroit had to retool to compete with Japan, the workers were unable to read the new manuals.

We don't need to drill off shore baby, what we need to do is create new forms of energy to replace our need for oil. Instead of suggesting or even threatening, why not figure out a new way to find energy sources that are not detrimental or bad for us and the environment. Instead of doing things that are bad for us again and again, please discover a new way to do this and to make money. To do this, we all need is an education, baby. The threats suggest we are too stupid to do something better. Figure it out, idiots. It starts by going to school, staying in school, and maybe reeducating ourselves. Our economics should not be dictated by idiots who can't learn and by the scary ones who are stuck in doing it the SOSO way.

The new industries can be wind, solar, water, and other natural resources. We have to reeducate ourselves to understand we don't need those fossil fuels anymore because they are bad for us. Heck if this industry wants to stay off shore figure out how wind turbines can be erected and maintained in places you want to drill for oil. The new economy should be based on new ideas, not on the old ideas and ways of doing things as Detroit discovered and many of American manufacturers. We are getting our butts kicked by those countries who have discovered how to do things in a new and improved way. Our advertisers constantly use "NEW' and "IMPROVED" on products, but neither our thinking nor ideas about manufacturing are NEW or IMPROVED. We seem to have forgotten how to make things. Now we need to apply these words to us, the people of America, by reeducating or actually finishing school and actually learn how to do and make things.

Another by product of this lack of education in America, besides the constant belittling of American schools, is seen in the American electorate. This electorate believes the lies of such blowhards as Beck and the scary ones. "Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see" means you should investigate, search out the truth of things instead of believing the blowhards, the scary ones.

It is about education and America is quite obviously not as educated as it should be and we have proven this not only on tests in schools, but also in our politics and economics. Who has been in charge of schools recently? Beware the scary ones.

Why hate Congress

2010-12-02T12:04:00.003-05:00

Politicians are the lowest form of life, they are pond scum, slime on the bottom of a shoe that stepped in dog shit. To those who aspire to public office, DON'T unless you are really there for the people and not for yourself.

Why are they using children to meet their greedy, stupid, political ends.

Pass the Child Nutrition Act you idiots. It's not about you, it's about the children, the citizens.

Jazzed about Short Stories

2010-12-01T09:07:00.004-05:00

My class is going into a short story unit. I love using short stories in my class. They are short. They are fiction. They are rich in fodder to play with figurative language, they are perfect for deconstruction, they are easy reads, they are good models of writing skills, they are good subjects for expository writing assignments, they are a perfect microcosm of life. They aren't poetry.

Short stories are a genre familiar to all my scholars whether they are good readers or not. They all know stories. They hear stories, they have read stories, they all tell stories. Stories are part of their heritage and culture. Stories are great tools for text to self, because in a short compact piece of literature, the author connects to the reader in one way or another. We learn about ourselves in a quick read. We see character development done quickly. Plot unfolds instantly. All the pieces of a short story connect to the reader because they are short. The author needs to be more concise than does the novelist. The prose style is more familiar than is verse or even drama. Short stories are entertaining while non-fiction, a similar prose style, is not necessarily entertaining or accessible. Sometimes my scholars might comment that the short story isn't that short. Other than that, I don't hear too many complaints and soon they are all involved.

Their writing assignments are fuller and more complete than other expository assignments about non-fiction, verse, or drama. Deconstructing short stories via our Fact Sheet helps them find the pieces and place them in the appropriate information cell. Short stories provide me and the scholars a platform to explore learning. I can watch and see how each of my scholars learn and they can observe their own learning styles as the fact sheet, note taking, and assessment tools, the quiz and the essay, supply the data for exploring learning. In a two hour period all of this can be done. In regular school I teach one hour classes. In after school and summer school, I teach two hour classes. I prefer the two hour class because the entire lesson can be completed without interruption.

After each scholar presents an expository essay on a short story or two, the scholars are invited to write their own short story, using the fact sheet to construct the characters, plots, and other elements of the short story. One of the major benefits of this lesson is that my scholars are more apt to be producers. Producing a product engages the scholar, excites the senses of the scholar, establishes a good context for class.

There is nothing as powerful as a good story.

Compromise? No a cop out.

2010-11-29T09:02:00.004-05:00

This is not a compromise. This is a cop out, Steiner. We haven't had a competent commissioner since Tom Sobel.

It seems we get Cathleen P Black after all. Oh sure there will be an educational sidekick. Yeah that works. It didn't before. Remember Diana Lam?

This new two headed hydra is a bad idea in a pen of alpha dogs. The educational puppy will get run over by the alpha dog Black.

Never mind the voice of the people, never mind the recommendation of the hand picked educational committee against the waiver.

Why do our leaders disregard the voices of those around them? What makes us believe Black will even listen to that educational consultant who has come from within, a lapdog. Since Steiner has disregarded his advisors, Bloomberg has never listened to advisers, what makes us believe Black is any different? This is a terrible situation.

What is Steiner's problem. No balls, no guts, no brains, no scruples. Wonder what King Michael offered Steiner as an incentive.

Isn't this special, we have three more years of this nightmare. Public education in NYC is in deep yogurt.

Oh yeah, Gloria Steinem, I hope you are happy since you wanted Black only because she is a woman. How about a qualified woman. Gloria, I'm ashamed of you and I know my mom would be too for that stupid reason. There are far better and more qualified women out there for this job.

What happened to the procedure of applying for a job or a least having a list of choices for the job?

What an upside down world we live in right now. NYC is a good example of a plutocracy.

Bob Dylan at Terminal 5

2010-11-24T23:01:00.006-05:00

I entered the Globe of 2010 when I entered Terminal 5. The venue was fabulous. A big area for the groundlings with two tiers of balcony space. I remembered seeing Stray Cats at the Bowery Ballroom and danced all night. I've seen Dylan in many venues and sat in a chair. At home I dance to Dylan. When I arrived at the venue, it was nicely packed. I made my way to a good spot with a good view of the stage and am close. I had good dancing space. The only complaint is I wished the floor was raked at a 2 - 3 % rate so those in the back could see over the heads of those in front.

The stage was set and a couple of stage hands moved around the stage setting this and setting that. Since this was the third day, I would have thought they had their shit together. They had all day too. We don't need to see these guys unless they do some kind of entertaining. The guitar tuner could have done some licks, but no. Maybe a juggler or a mime while we wait for Dylan and the lads.

Once the band came on stage, the curtain opened and we were introduced to the backgrounds that were subtle and clever for the evening. Shots from stage left, overview and front would interchange with appropriate landscapes.

I always love the outfits of the band and Bob in that huge hat. I haven't seen Bob play the harmonica so much in a show and one handed too. Wow.

The audience was young, very young.

The final treat was the encore of three.

Set list:
1. Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking
2. The Man In Me
3. Beyond Here Lies Nothin'
4. Tangled Up In Blue
5. The Levee's Gonna Break
6. Spirit On The Water
7. Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
8. Can't Wait
9. Summer Days
10. Forgetful Heart
11. Honest With Me
12. Nettie Moore
13. Thunder On The Mountain
14. Ballad Of A Thin Man
15. Jolene
16. Like A Rolling Stone
17. All Along The Watchtower

Finally, I hope he plays this venue in future trips and Neil Young too, because we stand to dance and it is only 6 blocks from my home.

Thanks,
Bob

Capture that Idea

2010-11-19T11:26:00.001-05:00

open up your google account
open documents and then File New
start writing down your ideas
keep this tab opened
open a new tab
when one of those
ahha moments happen
go to the untitled tab
and realize you have to label it.
call it “Today”
and label it the date
year/month/day
xx/xx/xx
then when of those things happens
go and write frantically
for fear you forget
be sure to save
and then take a walk to the kitchen.

when you have an idea
a thought; write it down.

It's not about Cathleen P Black

2010-11-18T09:47:00.009-05:00

As we watch the current furor over the appointment of a new NYC Schools Chancellor, we are seeing a pure example of the problem. The big hitters like former mayors and major business people are coming out in support of the current mayor's power play. The mayor has sidestepped the procedures of law and is being supported by his cronies.

On the other hand, the very people about who these leaders speak about, the clients, the customers, are asking for proper procedure to be followed and for their voice to be heard about the next chancellor.

We are seeing the gulf between the haves and the have not's or those in power ignoring the very voices they depend on for votes and for their support. We are seeing another example of the Janus aspect of politics. These mayors did very little for education and in some cases caused more chaos than order. Who cares what Koch thinks. He was a blowhard then and is one now and is so far from reality. As for the other two former mayors, please. One was a one term mayor for good reason and the other was voted a terribe mayor the day before the great tragedy. Former mayors should be just that, former mayors and shut up. It is embarrassing to hear your feeble voices again. That's why you are former mayors.

As for this mayor, who has blatantly abused his power, we have seen how he runs rough shod over the city and over procedure once again.

Why do people think Klein was a good Chancellor? He wasn't. He ran an organization that was in constant turmoil, constant change, too many bad choices, and education did not improve in this city because of his leadership. He ignored parents, he insulted the employees, he had no idea about organization except how to reorganize. If we use Klein as a reason to appoint Black, then quite obviously we should not have Black as the next chancellor. We should learn from our mistakes.

It's not about Cathleen P Black, it is about power, absolute power and the absence of following the rule of law. No one is above the law, Mr Mayor.

Are we being told that we can't find someone who has both pedagogy and managerial skills? How do the universities do it? How do prep schools do it? Don't we have schools of education that train administrators to run school organizations? Education is a much different kind of institution that is not like business. It is the interaction of people. It requires certain skills because we are dealing with little humans and not products. We shouldn't be cutting corners, we should be exploring our practice to be better. Under managerial leaders in education we are not seeing a better educational system, but we are seeing a leaner one. I know a lean educational system is not successful because it is cutting necessary resources that make the educational institution successful.

OPRAH, TOO?? OH SHUT UP OPRAH.

We need a Revolution

2010-11-12T09:55:00.014-05:00

"You never change things by fighting the existing reality.
To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."

Buckminster Fuller

In 2000, I gave a presentation in Puerto Rico, for the governor, on school reform that suggested we reconstruct our schools to be better suited to educate our children. The presentation began with an overview of where we were and transitioned to where we needed to go. We need to leave the current school buildings and methods of educating because we know they aren't working. Reform then was a bad word because it simply meant rearranging failed methods, renaming failed ideas, and doing the same old same old in a different order. But nothing changed nor was anything reformed. Reform is still a bad idea and word, because it doesn't do anything. Instead, I have been advocating a revolution.

By 2001, I was using "paradigm shift" in many of my graduate papers and publications. One article spoke about how I was changing my classroom into a new model called CyberEnglish. Instead of being receptacles of information, my scholars became producers of knowledge and information. Many of my colleagues were on board with this idea as they, too, began looking for ways to transform their classrooms.

When I began CyberEnglish in 1993, I wanted to change education from the current stifling form of information delivery and presentation to a new model. The new model created producers, not consumers. The new model didn't rely on seat time but work done from anywhere at anytime. Schools still demand seat time and create consumers. Today I ran into a scholar who was coming to school late and had missed the class. He told me he was doing the work online at home, which I had seen and that he had some issues which caused him to be late to school, more often than he'd like. The point is, he didn't need to be in my class every day and he was able to do the work in his time and on his terms. And he was doing it well. The reason our schools are failing is that they are not considering the needs of their clients, the scholars.

Around 2007 we had a whole "shift happens" revolution on YouTube. These cute videos pointed out the change, but not a way to make it happen in schools. CyberEnglish did provide a way.

Nearly 20 years later, I was introduced to Sir Ken Robinson and his video about Changing Education Paradigms. The title struck a cord. He has a similar pair of videos at TED.

What is it going to take to change education? Certainly not the Senge model of management we see at The US Department of Education nor the one we see in New York City with the appointment of Cathleen P Black.

We need a revolution, a real revolution like the good old days.

Imagine Peace

2010-11-11T09:22:00.009-05:00

Happy Veterans day to my fellow vets.

My hope is that our troops are out of Afghanistan and Iraq soon. How many more have to die?

Another hope is ceasing the interruption and usurpation of our seventh inning with that once lovely, now jingoistic, nationalistic, religious song, that has nothing to do with baseball and is treated more reverently than the National Anthem. Enough already. I'd prefer to hear something more rousing like "When Johnny comes Marching Home Again."

Peace.

Vietnam March 1969 to May 1970

Joel Klein resigns

2010-11-10T08:02:00.000-05:00

What a shock to hear that Joel Klein resigned as chancellor of NYC schools.

The question now is who is Cathleen P Black and how is she a good choice as the educational leader of NYC schools?

Phone calls

2010-11-09T11:11:00.001-05:00

I called the homes of six scholars who have not been coming to class and miraculously they showed up in class today. I hope they continue to come to school.

Phoning home is a powerful tool. Email is becoming an important tool too, finally. My own scholar's parents aren't using it enough, but I'm using it with my son and it is making all the difference.

Gotta love daylight savings

2010-11-08T13:24:00.002-05:00

The immediate perk to daylight savings was having so many students appear at school on time and even early in many cases. When I asked some of my scholars about this, they all responded they woke early and decided to come to school early. I'm sure we'll get used to the change soon enough.

Youth is wasted on the young

2010-11-06T18:57:00.008-04:00

I was shocked when I heard the numbers of young voters who voted, which told me the number who didn't vote.

Hey guys where were you on Nov 2?

Hungover in bed? At the bar, too busy bending the elbow to vote? Too high to remember to exercise your vote? In the sack, too lazy to vote? Obviously not doing your homework, otherwise you would have voted.

I remember your enthusiasm and presence in 2008. So what happened in 2010?

Would it have made a difference? You bet it would have, you little shits.

Seems the older generation still cares more about your future than you do.

Yo young shits, get your act together next election and vote, no matter what you think about your vote. Your vote matters. So you snot nosed little shits, vote the next time you can because we have fought for that right for you little shits.

I had some respect for you last election, but you lost it all this time around you little shits.

Those who didn't vote are the best argument why parents should eat their young.

The young voter turnout sucked and so do those of you who didn't vote you little shits.

And you wonder why we can't take you little shits seriously.

Vote next time you little shits.

Quite obviously someone is wasting money on your education.

Voting is an obligation, a right, a way of making your voice heard.

Winterizing the Garden

2010-11-02T16:47:00.005-04:00

I wasn't pleased with the garden this year for many reasons, too many to go into.

In preparation for next year I have built a cold frame. It is ten feet long, sixteen inches deep and two feet tall at the back wall and one foot tall at the front wall. I will keep some herbs in it now and maybe mess around with lettuce and such. We will use it next year to start stuff, which was something we really didn't do this year, which was one of our big mistakes.

We did make lots of pesto and had a good herb garden. The hydrangeas, roses, and flowering plants were weak, maybe because of the heat in the beginning and wet later. Tomatoes were a disaster. Oh the three goldfish have survived another year, which makes it five years now.

The garden is dead, long live the garden.

Evaluating Teachers

2010-10-22T09:10:00.002-04:00

How should we evaluate teachers? When I was in college and graduate schools, I received a form to evaluate my professors. When I did adjunct work in different schools of higher education, I would pass these forms out to my scholars. I found it an adequate and fair way to both evaluate my professors and to be evaluated. What I find offensive in the current trend to evaluate teachers is to use a test that teachers have neither created nor have input in their creation. These are arbitrary tests made by some firm not associated with my school or in communication with me.

Which teacher is responsible for a scholar's success on any given test? The current teacher or a teacher from last year or further back? Has a scholar arrived in my class ill prepared to do the work in my class and therefore incapable of doing any test? I get scholars in my class from other schools, cities, states, countries. They are in my class because of their age more than any other criteria, not because of their language skills. In a very short period of time I have my scholars and I am going to be rewarded or punished because of the work or lack of it by others? Then how about the scholar who has come well prepared and I get credit. Talk about a crap shoot.

Teaching is a communal effort. Each scholar encounters more than one teacher each day and on some days perhaps sees as many as six teachers, each with a different teaching style and purpose. How do we know the skills learned in one class aren't transferred into another? Which teacher is rewarded? How do we determine the teacher responsible for success or failure? Maybe we should reconsider those forms of the past where scholars made evaluations of their teachers. Patterns will emerge as we are able to sift through these evaluations. Top and bottom evaluations will reveal much as will correlations between grade and comment. In the end, however, I always found these evaluations honest and useful.

The current push to use tests made by certain companies that may not be valid or reflective of the classes being taught makes no sense. The test makers do not provide guides to what is on the test so we can not just teach to the test but to be sure to include instruction on this material. When I teach a unit, the scholars know what material will be on the test. Now if I make a test that assesses stuff I didn't cover in class, they will scream and holler about how unfair this is. We have all been there in our school days. The same holds true for these tests that are made from sources outside our school district or state and are used to evaluate our performance, especially when we are not aware of the concept, content, or any aspect of the test.

When I first started teaching, I was in a department of six teachers. At the beginning of each semester we devised the instrument of evaluation we would use at the end of the semester. In addition, each teacher had to create a part of the test that would be for their class only. It allowed for uniformity so if scholars had to change a schedule instruction and content was not lost. We were interchangeable parts a la Eli Whitney. It worked beautifully. We knew what to teach, we could customize and concentrate on our strengths, and have an instrument of evaluation of our scholars and of ourselves. It made for a healthy collegial English department in which we helped each other and did not compete with each other. Our common goal was the success of our scholars and this method of evaluation made us better teachers. But this was thirty five years ago and we have moved far from this pedagogical ideal world to a world of ignorance about education and I'm very sad to see that it comes from our own inept Federal Government of both parties. This is not a sickness of just one political party it is a malady shared by both.

Currently this nation is on a witch hunt to find fault with their circumstances. Election day will alleviate some of that pain, but in the meantime and after the elections teachers will continue to be targets of blame.

Emily and Greg get married

2010-10-10T19:11:00.001-04:00

I am very happy for my daughter Emily and her new husband, Greg.

Come on, Mr President

2010-09-29T12:23:00.004-04:00

On Monday's NBC Today Show, President Obama said, "Money alone isn't the cure for America's ailing school system." He then went on to outline some ways he plans to improve education in America. All require money.

I've always been amused by this notion that money is not crucial in saving or even improving education in this country. Money isn't important? haha. Everything I hear from the Republican party about money tells me money is important and those who have it should keep it and not have to share it or make less. Money makes weak sports teams better and even winners and in some cases champions. Rich people have used their money to get elected to public office like the mayor of NYC. Money allows those with it to get better education for themselves and their children, to live in better homes and communities, to get better health care, to have things that those without money cant have. So please, don't tell me money can't improve things.

If money isn't a way to improve things why do CEO's demand such a high salary? Why are some athletes, actors, consultants paid so much? Of course money is important in improving anything and everything.

Schools can use more money to make schools safer; have better supplies, like computers, more and better books; pay for better teachers, like teams pay for better athletes; have better schools that have better classroom, more classrooms, and comfortable facilities; and have better food. Money, more money could begin to solve many problems with our schools, just as money has helped bail out the banks and corporations that caused our current economic woes. These very corporations responsible for the economic damage they did and caused, had lots of money, alone, thrown at them.

Why is it that only in education do we hear this expression, "Money alone isn't the cure for America's ailing school system," when we see it work in other areas of our life?

Come on Mr President.

Half Full or Half Empty?

2010-09-26T09:01:00.004-04:00

Maybe the glass is twice as big as it ought to be.

Listening to Neil Young's new 'Le Noise' release online.

We're Number 11

2010-09-24T09:03:00.003-04:00

America is number eleven as reported in a recent Newsweek article rating countries in the world for livability. When I looked at the list, I wasn't shocked to find eight of the top ten are homogeneous countries and the other two countries apologized to their indigenous people. Size was also an issue. The question of homogeneity is important and has been causing some new problems in some of these countries mentioned. A homogeneous society is a much easier society in which to teach than is a heterogeneous society, which is what America is. Many of the countries used to compare to America in educational matters are homogeneous. Consider if all the scholars in my class share one culture, one religion, and one set of mores; then teaching them is going to be much more effective and efficient since I don't have to stop and teach an individual student that idea or just move on and that scholar misses something. As a teacher in a very heterogeneous classroom in America, many points have to be taught before I can go into a larger lesson. Consider how the Bible is an important reference for many American writers. Some knowledge of the Bible is necessary to understand the literature. For some of my scholars knowledge of the Bible is nil and that is a problem.

I'm still confused why we continue to compare our educational system with other countries. The rules, the methodology, the population of our schools are so much different from other countries' schools. Schools in other countries do not have class populations like ours. Other countries don't demand and provide education for all students under 17. When I look at the list, Australia and Canada are two great choices, while the others are lovely countries, I like being there, but they can't be compared to America or Canada or Australia for so many reasons.

When we begin our classes each year, we have to provide our scholars a rubric that explains how they will be assessed. I'm never sure I have seen a rubric that provides proper assessment for the schools of the world. I think we are talking apples and oranges when it comes to education on a global scale.

Motivation is

2010-09-22T09:08:00.008-04:00

Motivation is the reason we succeed or fail.

Public education is America is just fine, despite what the media and pundits say. In fact it is far better than it has ever been. Nicholas Lehman's recent Comment in the New Yorker provides some context: "A hundred years ago, eight and a half per cent of American seventeen-year-olds had a high-school degree, and two per cent of twenty-three-year-olds had a college degree." We know who went to school then and who didn't. So since 1954, America is educating all of its pre 17 year olds, NOT just some of them. This is not so in other countries. We are graduating a larger percentage of those students then ever before. More than in other countries. He goes on to speak about how messy education may be. I agree it is messy, but when you do something and do it well, you make a mess. Ask any chef, painter, carpenter. He is right is showing how our presidents are merely repainting the old walls of the school. many of us have suggested we tear down those schools and rebuild them using technology. Technology as we have learned raises the bar for the haves and have nots. The technology provides access to information heretofore restricted only to the haves. Democracy around the world has been born and sustained because of our new technologies. If only our leaders could see how powerful and useful technology could be in our schools then we would have a better educational system. Bill Clinton got it. Technology enhances what we know about education and we have seen nothing but the elimination of this great tool in our schools. Walk into any computer lab and see how motivated the scholars are. Then walk into a classroom bereft of computers. Which class has a higher level of activity? Motivation? Production?

The age in Jacques' diatribe that begins, "All the world's a stage," about the "whining school-boy" has always been one of my favorite ones mentioned:

And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school.

Shakespeare is alluding to motivation in the scholar. Robert J Samuelson speaks about "motivation" in education today in his recent Op-Ed in the Washington Post just as schools were beginning on September 6, 2010. Certainly one of the motivating tools used by teachers in the past have been a switch or stick used to rap knuckles or other forms of corporal punishment not allowed today, not that I would argue for a return to corporal punishment. So let's not wax nostalgic about schools of yesterday or reminisce about those days of your childhood because you will forget the horrors we experienced, horrors we do not want to visit on our scholars today.

Samuelson speaks well about the poor motivation in today's schools. The bottom line is that students don't like school, concludes Samuelson. Even teachers are not motivated. How can anyone be motivated when the curriculum hasn't changed, hasn't been modified to reflect our current society, and we teach so our scholars take mindless multiple choice tests. We need to provide stimulating project based lessons that have the scholars produce something that they can show to others and to have conversations about. School is boring because of how it is done. the scholars still sit in rows. One person talks at a time. We are doing this to people who successfully multitask when not in school. School is boring, raising your hand to speak, not having time to say what you want, and never having time to delve into a topic. Technology has the tools, that are mostly blocked in schools, that could provide a beginning in motivating scholars. Teachers aren't motivated to use the technology because of the filters and poor maintenance.

What is said is that not much hasn't changed since Shakespeare's time. I'm reminded that Shakespeare never finished high school and never went to college. Some of our most successful and richest people never finished college or went to college. What that tells me is that schools still do not provide the important fodder for success so those who want to excel, drop out.

To motivate scholars in schools make school relevant. Right now schools are irrelevant in spite of what President Obama said in his Back to School Speech. Motivation comes from being inspired and technology is the most powerful tool we have to provide inspiration and we have neglected it badly in our schools. The point is that we can do better, but not if we continue with the same old same old methods. We must be motivated and inspired to reinvent education with the assistance of technology. Computer assisted instruction has proven its effectiveness over the years, so let's give computer assisted education a try, a better try than the feeble attempts we have seen so far.

Learning and Playing

2010-09-20T09:04:00.005-04:00

Play has always and will always be an integral part of learning. Socrates played with his scholars minds with his incessant questions. Scientific knowledge has been acquired by "playing" around with some chemical, weight, glass, flame, or string. Discoveries made by each learner, those precious "ahha" moments, so often occur in a moment of play. We often hear someone say prior to some epiphany or revelation, "Let's just play around with this idea for a moment and see what happens."

If we stop and reflect on those important events in the history of man, we will discover many incidents where play was a crucial part of some altering discovery by man for man. Consider how "play" and many of its synonyms are used by us as we undertake something new. The importance of play is crucial in education and the recent elimination of recess in too many elementary schools bothered and concerned me. Who will ever forget the scene in The Shining when we see what Jack Nicholson has been typing: "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." The consequences of that very notion were tragic and horrifying.

One must learn by doing the thing.
For though you think you know it,
you have no certainty until you try.
Sophocles (BC 495-406, Greek Tragic Poet)

Sophocles suggests the idea of play in this important quote. In order for us to know something we must do that thing and play is one of the ways in which we can realize that knowledge. Through play we unlock a truth, an inner essence of an idea, a practice, a theory. John Dewey uses this notion in the last century with his mantra of "learning by doing." O'Neill's Summerhill was a school based on play as was Montessori's experiment that has flourished around the world. Coaches provide a very useful playing field for the mind of our scholars as they use play to teach many important lessons for life.

I have an old and dear friend, Eric Crump, who in the 1990's spoke about and wrote about the importance of play in education for NCTE conferences and publications. Marc Prensky, a former teacher, is another writer who has devoted his time and efforts to research and document the positive effects of play in learning. In the early days in NYC, high schools like Murry Bergtraum; Martin Luther King, Jr; and Washington Irving formed an association that sponsored three ACT (Advancing Technology in Teaching) conferences at NYU. The first conference featured those schools in Manhattan using technology. The third conference included the high schools of the Alternative High School Superintendency. Other schools involved with technology in those days through Teachers College initiatives were Dalton, and Ralph Bunche Middle School. All of these schools not only used technology and play in the classes but also had digital clubhouses and tech squads to help maintain the technology. In some cases games were created in other webpages were created. Creating classes that combined disciplines like math and English were becoming very common as the technology was opening up more avenues with the world to become mentors. Theworld was becoming our playground as many schools engaged in international educational programs.

With a change in educational leadership in NYC, the initiatives begun were suddenly altered as we lost technology departments, lost the superintendencies and the technology wizards were scattered into the wind. Some retired, some left for more friendly technology environs, and some stayed and found a place to replant and to continue the work. Soon we saw schools created for the specific purpose of using technology in the learning process like Information Technology High School. Because of the emphasis on tests, technology was all but forgotten. Slowly almost at a glacial pace do we see technology emerging from its deep hiding place. It will be a while before we return to those halcyon days of the 90's when the NYC schools led the way in technology use in this country. Because of the constant changing of personnel and titles at the NYC Department of Education, technology keeps getting shortchanged as does any sustained educational policy. We still do not have a technology leadership person or committee. There are no technology offices that help teach the ways to use technology, to present at an annual best practices conference, or plan to incorporate technology in our schools. At best it is haphazard as someone comes up with an idea for a school that uses technology and sells the idea to Joel Klein.

During the 90's we were flying thanks to the leadership of President Clinton. But in 2000 we were suddenly thrust into a Dark Ages in education when W became president. Technology and play were closeted in favor of multiple choice tests and more time was used to prepare our suffering scholars for those mind numbing exams. We haven't recovered yet from those dark days. Obama hasn't quite got it yet about the importance of play and technology, though there do seem to be some glimmers of hope with the technology initiative. Race to the Top is countering real growth in education. What we need in our seats of leadership are people like Sophocles, Dewey, ONeill, Montessori not CEO's like Duncan, Klein, and many others who have assumed important educational leadership roles in this country. They just don't get education.

I know I was very excited when Obama had Linda Darling-Hammond as his spokesperson for education during his presidential campaign. I was relieved and hopeful because I thought he got it about education by having this brilliant woman lead the educational discussion for him. Wow was I shocked when I learned after his election he was debating between Arne Duncan and Joel Klein, choosing the former for the position of Secretary of Education. Duncan and the president may play basketball often, but they aren't quite there about the importance of play in education or about the importance of technology in our very competitive educational world.

More articles like the one in the Sunday Magazine section of the September 19, 2010 New York Times are needed. I only wish the author had spent a bit more time on the play in education and the history of technology in NYC schools. This one school in NYC is not new nor unique to NYC. Ten years ago this same publication reported on technology in our schools with more promise for the future than the September 19, 2010 article did. We have a long way to go to get to where we were ten years ago. The reason for this dismal situation has been poor educational leadership and it isn't much better today. In a world where technology is freeing people and liberating economies, I'm still stunned at how poorly technology is incorporated in the public schools when President Obama charges our scholars in his now annual beginning of school speech to do their best and to honor America, but technology is kept from them as a tool to excel. I've said it before and will say it again, technology is the panacea for our educational woes. Technology assists in differentiated instruction, in customizing education, in meeting the needs of our scholars in this brave new world. And what is the answer to this by our educational leaders? The use of filters, the banning of electronics in our schools. These are the very tools others use to excel. This is a tragic irony.

Teaching Shakespeare

2010-09-15T09:02:00.003-04:00

I have never questioned whether I should teach Shakespeare but which Shakespeare plays to teach.

I am not happy with the choices made in too many schools. They are Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, and Julius Caesar. I am not happy about these choices because of the message they send, the types of action they create, and the tragedy of each of them. Romeo and Juliet isn't for children, it is for the adults. It tells the adults, both parents and guidance or spiritual counselors to not impose their mores on the children. In addition, Romeo and Juliet are not two types of children I want my scholars to emulate or even feel sorry for. Hamlet is a loser who at the age of 30 is still a student and surely incapable of being king. If Romeo had lived, he would have grown up to be Hamlet. Again the parents are a main problem in this play and lead to the tragic deaths of their children. Macbeth is a man who is ambitious and allows witches to lead him astray and for him to listen to his ambitious wife. Macbeth is not the kind of man I want my scholars to become. Julius Caesar is also a play about blind ambition. The violence involved in these plays is not the correct message we should be sending to our scholars year after year.

I made the decision to select comedies, plays that involved young love, minor parent child conflict that ends well, education in some form, and great language. The plays I decided to teach were Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It, Comedy of Errors, Love's Labors Lost, Twelfth Night, and The Tempest. These plays deal beautifully with Honor, Time, and Life in a festival of glorious language as seen in classics passages, puns, and song. All them end well. They all provide a proper denouement to the problems that begin each play. Some of the most beautiful language in Shakespeare comes from these plays. The main characters in these plays are young people close to the age of those scholars in my class. Finally the type of character these plays depict are the examples of life I wish to expose to my scholars and not the characters of the classic tragedy choices too many schools select. They have time enough to learn the tragedies, it is the comedy of life we need to promote. One final point is that I have found these comedies played more than the tragedies so my scholars can see the play. I much prefer my scholars ruminating over "All the world's a stage" and not "To be or not to be." The former promotes life while the latter contemplates ending one's life.

Humor is an important habit of mind and a quality of genius. I am reminded of the classic scene in Singing in the Rain that always makes me laugh to the point of crying is Donald O'Connor's "Make 'em Laugh." The same holds true to how I view the comedies of Shakespeare. I know I am learning so much more when I laugh.

I almost lost my Camera

2010-09-04T14:19:00.004-04:00

One can never get tired of this fabulous weather. Another crisp clear morning that will be a perfect walking day and being out of doors kind of day. Not a day for slug a beds.

I set off mid morning for the bank and financial area of Monument to enjoy those empty beautiful streets on a Saturday. Last Thursday evening it was a madhouse as Thursday has turned into the new Friday and Friday is get out of town day. I followed the path we did Thursday evening and was able to get the shots I wanted without the hindrance of people. In some cases I was able to stand in the middle of the road and take the picture. This could not have been done on Thursday. An addition to this morning's jaunt was the hearing of the bells of the churches that dot the area. This is a most curious combination of old and new most notably represented by the new Lloyd's Building that incorporate the facade of the original building. Another example of this juxtaposition is the London Stone and all the modern architecture and the number of Wren churches here. Old and new and everything in between.

When I'm done here I catch a bus to Oxford Circus and then a bus to Warwick Ave where our afternoon walk in little Venice will take place. Riding the bus along Oxford Street is more pleasant to my thinking than walking it.

At Oxford Circus I transfer to another bus that will take me to Warwick Street. On the way I pass through a Lebanese community. When the bus suddenly makes a turn and is on a main street of Maida Hill, I immediately recognize where I am. I was here a couple of weeks ago when I was taking the bus back from Hampstead Heath. The bus stops in front of a Tesco and I decide to get off to get my lunch which I will eat in a quite park nearby. When I am in the Tesco, I discover I don't have my camera. I empty the bag I am carrying, No camera. I check all my pockets again. No camera. I don't panic, or do I?

I go to see if the bus is in sight. No bus. I consider waiting for the next bus and going to the end and see if i can retrieve my camera. I will have to wait too long for the next bus, so I hail the next taxi that I see. I tell him my problem. I am reading to him the rout of the bus and we catch up to it. He does a Starsky and Hutch move by passing the bus when we finally caught it and stopped in front of it. I jump out and tell the bus driver I left my camera in the seat next to me. The driver lets me on and I go upstairs to find my camera where I left it. All this cost me was 10 pounds including a handsome tip.

I saw another Tesco at the stop so I went in to pick up from where I was before the loss of my camera. I bought lunch and took the bus back to Warwick Station and walked up to the canal and had my lunch on a bench by the canal.

Our Little Venice walk started at 2PM. We toured the streets of the rich and famous, learned the history of this enchanting area of London and walked some of the canals.

I'm exhausted and take a train back to Kennington, stop at the store to buy some stores, and stop at the Prince of Wales for a pint of Whistling Boy. I have a lovely conversation with a young editor of chapbooks. At the next table the conversation is about finding a flat to rent and before I leave I suggest they look in the Pimlico area since MI6 is abandoning their safe houses over there now.

I take some time to sit in the garden to record my day's event, before heading over to the Black Prince for dinner and my last night in UK and London. I had the lamb shank which is one of the best I have had.

For tomorrow I fly home. As I told Mrs Steele this morning, I am a rat abandoning the ship since Monday promises to be terrible with the transit strike and the bad weather is arriving.

Walking London

2010-09-03T14:18:00.003-04:00

Today I will be doing two London walks, Soho and the Inns of Court and conclude the day with Comedy of Errors at the Globe. After breakfast and a shower I took the number 3 bus to Piccadilly and walked to Leicester Square station. Graham a robust Scott led the tour. He fancied pointing out the better eateries and punctuated these recommendations by patting his belly and telling us how many times a year he has gone to each. Another fond discussion was the prostitutes. We were in Soho after all and now they were models and here was where you will find the licensed sex shops. It is also the theater district, Chinatown, little Italy, Greek town, and the home of the music industry. Graham was a wealth of info as are all the guides.

I went back to the Shakespeare Head pub for a half before taking a bus to my next walk's starting place at Holborn. At Holborn, I found a large Sainsbury and bought a sandwich I planned on eating in Lincoln Inn Field. It is a beautiful day and lots of other people had the same idea and it is Friday.

After lunch I made my way back to the meeting place at the Holborn station. Richard III, a guide we have had before was leading this tour of the Inns of Court. We visited Lincoln Inn, Gray's Inn, Staple Inn, Inner Temple, and Middle Temple. This is a most unique kind of tour because the average visitor would never find these sites. In fact I had found the Middle Temple before and was walking all around the others on other occasions. These are great places to know about to get off the congested streets, to find sanctuary in a crazy hectic world.

I took the bus, an old heritage bus, back to London Bridge to catch a bus home. I picked up dinner at the shop and came home to relax in the garden and do some work. Tonight, there are people here. Two little girls are playing and three young ladies are drinking some wine as they wind down from the week.

I discovered that Charlie Chaplin was born in Kennington.

Tonight I went to the Globe to see a marvelous rendition of Comedy of Errors. I am reminded about the concept of Time and Honor in Shakespeare. Two words I must explore one day when I have the time. This was the travelling troupe and everyone plays two roles, except the wife and sister. Antipholus and Dromio begin the antics of the same person playing both with the simple distinction of glasses. This is the funniest play I have seen and still find it one of my favorites. This cast was superb. I have been lucky with the brilliant plays I have seen this trip.

Touring London

2010-09-02T14:17:00.003-04:00

Last night, I looked at the London Walks and decided to do the Thursday Forbidden City walk lead by Helena. I decided to walk to the meeting place and took Black Prince Road to Lambeth Bridge and down Houndsberry to the meeting place. On the way I came upon the magistrates offices that was filled with photographers and film crews to record the entrance of Christopher Tapin for extradition hearings back to the USA. Across the street were protesters organized to protest the hurried and perhaps illegal extradition process in UK as prescribed by the US-UK Extradition Treaty. I didn't hang out to see the spectacle.

The walk would start at St Jame's Park Tube and this is the description:

This walk is what in another context would be called a game-changer. Sure, it's Landmark London – all the Big Ticket stuff. Palaces aplenty, the Changing of the Guard, No. 10 Downing Street, the "Royal Peculiar", the places where history – world history – has been made, etc. What makes it a game changer is the way we see it. In short, we nook and cranny it. Get around behind. Get up above*. Get inside. See things Londoners – let alone the tourist hordes – never get to see. It's that "specialilty" London Walks is famous for – "the degree of granularity that you get". Everything from the import of a black circle by the 2 on a certain clock to what the Horse Guards are actually guarding. Want to read a bit more? Here's a related "take" on this walk.

*Up above because we end with an optional visit to "the reviewing stand in the sky" - opened specially for us! – where we look down into Buckingham Palace Gardens. How wag-a-tail wonderful is that? We get to see exactly what's on the other side of that wall! Even the Corgis if they're out.

We ended at the war memorial park with Wellington Arch and many tributes to Australian, New Zealand, and British soldiers of various wars.

I walked to the bus stop and caught a bus to Hammersmith. I was sitting next to a gentleman who was taking two of his grandsons on a tour of London. He was giving them a guided tour and I benefitted from this. I spied a cycle shop and got off to go and find a Sky Cycle Club jersey. They had all the team jerseys and I got a long sleeved jersey. I learned that Contador had joined the Saxo Bank team, WOW!!

With my new jersey I got back on a bus to Hamersmith which is a major transportation hub with shopping, dining, bus, rail and city bus connections. I grabbed a bus that would take me through Chelsea and to Westminster where I would catch a bus back to the B&B. This bus wove its way to Westminster and passed the Chelsea Football Club grounds which were impressive. They are the current English Premier Champions and have started the season well. Soon after some hospitals we were in Chelsea proper. I know this as the Bentleys, the Porches, the other cars of the wealthy were all I saw. The well heeled were dining in fine restaurants, shopping in the best stores, and walking the street that looked like Fifth Avenue. Soon we were at Westminster cathedral and then Parliament Square.

Here I changed for a bus back across the Lambreth Bridge that delivered me to Kennington Lane. I stopped in a store to buy sandwiches and a cider to have in the garden. I spent time writing my journal and will rest a bit before the evening's pub walk.

The evening pub walk was spectacular through the Banks of England and along the byways of the financial district. We viewed the ancient stones and places of The City of London which included The London Stone from Roman times as well as some remarkable churches by Wren. The Monument was a prelude to the new modern buildings of Lloyd's and the bullet shaped building.

I took two buses home.

To London

2010-09-01T14:14:00.000-04:00

Woke early, had breakfast, did last minute packing, took a shower and got to train station and boarded the train to Marleybone which was sitting in the station. The ride to London was about two hours and we passed some lovely landscape. By the time we arrived in Marleybone, at noon, every seat was filled and people were standing. I got my tube back to Kennington, picked up some lunch and proceeded back to the B&B and had lunch in the garden. While eating lunch I looked over the bus map and decided to explore the White Chapel area of London. I took a bus to Elephant and Castle, aught another bus to Bank, and then another one into the heart of the East End.

Riding these buses has given me a whole new look at London. Once we left Bank we were immediately in another world, a very diverse world mostly Muslim. The signage was in both Arabic and English. The markets were South Asian, the people were dressed in different forms from women fully covered to shorts. English was not the language of the people on the bus. At one point, the bus was boarded by policemen who checked everyone's bus pass and pulled a couple of people off who had not paid their fare. This was a bus that allows people to board at three spots and uses the honor system. These buses are controversial for this reason of cheating but also because they are just too long, they are double length.

After that excitement, I noticed one college after another. The College of Finance, The London College of Accounting, The Technical Institute of London and so on. The bus was slow going so I got off at Stratford and caught a bus back to the City Of London, but not before stopping in a pub for a half. I was definitely in the styx as Young's was a guest ale, but I did spy a bitter I hadn't tried, Toad Bitter, so I got a half. While there a man, quite obviously a street sleeper, came in to use the toilets. There was a sign clearly posted on the door stating, the toilets were for patrons only because of the abuse of the use of the toilets. The gentleman left, but returned after having a conversation with a lady outside who must have given him more courage because he and she stormed back in and headed straight for the toilets. The barkeep a young lad called his boss who came down in a few minutes and called the cops. I left.

I knew I was back in The City of London when people getting on the bus were in suits. Quite the line of demarkation. Since it was getting late, I decided to grab a Northern Line Train to Kennington and head over to the Black Prince for dinner. I met another young couple who had just come back from Scotland. They had been in Uig at the same time we had been. As we exchanged our adventures there, they accounted how they had rented bicycles and had taken a ride that they misjudged and left them on the Quatraing late on Saturday night in the rain. Suddenly I remember passing a couple of people on bikes on that very and only road over the Quatraing that Saturday evening as we were returning to Uig after that very disappointing dinner. Small world indeed, here in the Black Prince where the bartender knows the lads of Hibernia in NYC. As we were speaking of Oysters, another couple joined in since they had just come back from NYC and had spent a great afternoon at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central. Finally the conversation got us to the Wright Brothers Oyster house and all agreed it was the best in London. It was getting dark and chill and we all retired to the innards of the pub. I watched the beginning of the Open and then left for home. It was 10PM and I had been up since half six this morning and done more than I needed to do on vacation.

The Play's the Thing

2010-08-31T18:37:00.001-04:00

The Play is the Thing

Today I will be seeing As You Like It and Winter's Tale at the Courtyard today.

After breakfast I took a walk to town to explore. I went over Clopton Bridge along Banberry Road to find the house I stayed in during my studies here 24 years ago. I made my way back along the River Avon along the recreation park side. I stopped at a barge and spent some time speaking about his life on the barge. He spends six months on the barge and the other six in Norfolk. I spent time watching the dogs play in the recreation park and swim. I crossed the Avon via the walking bridge and made my way to the Shakespeare Institute. I strolled around and it was pretty much the same as when I was here.

I had to get ready, so I stopped at the Co-Op to buy lunch, a couple of sandwiches and a couple of ciders. I stopped at a souvenir shop and the Shakespeare shop to buy things. I dropped things off at the B&B.

I set off to the banks of the Avon to find a place to picnic. I found a tree between the Parish and the RSC on the Avon. Splendid spot as I watched the boaters and sea birds.

My seat was in the first row right at the stage. The play was beautifully done. Touchstone and Jacques were superb. My favorite passages were done well. Rosalind and Celia were excellent. I didn't really think I could see another AYL done so well, yet I have. The set was plain and then became so intricate. At the beginning of the second half, Sylvus was dressing a rabbit to applause when he held up the skinned carcass and toss the fur to Touchstone. The bawdiness of the second half was hilarious and well done.

I will rest before having dinner at the Windmill Inn before seeing Winter's Tale.

Another great play done well. I'm amazed at the intricacies of the sets. After the play went to the Dirty Duck and had a good conversation with the Camillo character.

The plays at RSC this summer will be in NYC next summer. Can't wait.

Off to London tomorrow.

Biking in Stratford upon Avon

2010-08-30T16:50:00.002-04:00

Biking in Stratford upon Avon

I woke at half six and took a walk into town to take pictures as the sun was rising and the place was sans people. I will have to remember to take some bread tomorrow because the swans and ducks expect food.

I returned home for breakfast and then headed out to rent a bike for the day. I walked to the bike rental spot in the Greenway and waited five minutes for Vic to open the rental shop. He outfitted me with a Trek Hybrid, a helmet, a tube, a pump, and a lock all for 13 pounds for the day. Vic provided me with a map that would take me on a 27 mile ride through the Cotswolds. He suggested a lunch stop at the Howard Arms. I had a carrot soup and a plate of Cotswold cheese with a couple of good ales. I picked berries as I rode. Farmers had bins of surplus fruit, plums, apples, and tomatoes available for free.

I started with a five mile ride along a Greenway, which is a converted railroad track, so I could used to the bike. t has been two weeks since I ode my bike. It felt good. Once off the Greenway I was riding through delightful roads or lanes in the Cotswold.

Went to the Dirty Duck for dinner and then to the windmill for the quiz. Took a walk to the birthplace on the way home.

To Stratford upon Avon

2010-08-29T00:09:00.003-04:00

To Stratford upon Avon

We woke at six and left the hostel by half six to get Heather to the airport for her 9AM flight. The roads were clear and we made it without a hitch. The airport was crowded as would be expected. After dropping off Heather I headed to car drop off. After dropping the key, I headed for the Glasglow flyer, the bus to Glasgow. I arrived at Central Station at half seven. It was from here I was to catch the half eleven to Birmingham and transfer to a train to Stratford upon Avon. I walked through the empty city to the Cathedral. I stopped in a store to pick up supplies for the train. I walked around the cathedral grounds. Walking back to town, I stopped to get a proper Scottish breakfast. I made my way back to the center to catch the City tour bus. My ticket from yesterday was still good, so I killed some time taking the tour again. I was the only passenger for the beginning of the tour and sat up top as we viewed an empty Glasgow. A far different sight this morning as compared to yesterday. Seeing these streets empty, especially Buchanan Street was refreshing. After the tour I made my way to the Weaver's Shop on Buchanan and St Vincent's Place to get some MacLeod scarves. It was 1110 when I got to Central Station and the train I wanted was just announced. I made my way my seat which had a table and electricity on the window. The other three seats were empty and I was going to get a seat mate at Carlisle, the first stop. Glasgow is a lovely city and we look forward to returning to it again.

We are cruising along at a good clip. As we were aligned with a motorway, we were flying by the cars that are probably going at about 60-70 mph, which means we are probably traveling at 90-100 mph. It is impossible to get pictures, but the eye takes it all in. The pastures are plenty. Some have sheep others have cows. In one pasture all the cows are grazing, their heads to the ground as they stroll through the pasture. In the next the cows are all lying down. In another a mother is cleaning a new born that is sleeping all curled up. The same goes for the sheep. In one field they are grazing in the next all lying down. The cows are of different variety from pasture to pasture. The sheep are pretty much of the same variety. I'm not seeing the sheep variety here that we see in the highlands or the islands or elsewhere. More cows here than sheep, actually. The care of the pastures varies. In some I see rolls of hay and then black rolled bales of hay in the next. Some pastures are well manicured by the livestock while others seem to be left alone. It seems as if they have just had a cutting as I see fewer fields of hay then those with cut and rolled bails in them. The lay of the land varies as we pass along. Severe hills with paths carved into them and then a slew of rolling soft meadows and gentle paths made by the sheep or hikers. Bike paths follow the train tracks fro village to village. Each village offers lovely snapshots of life as seen in their backyard gardens, play sets, and laundry lines. The one constant in all of this are the stone walls. The number of stone walls, the care of them, the height of them and the power of them is very evident. Some are augmented by a hedgerow, another with a wire fence. The gates that allow passage from one pasture to another are sometimes ornate, other times just functional. In the mountainous area of Scotland, the evidence of good practice in lumbering is evident as I see the plan for harvest and also the replanting scheme. Another beautiful sight are the windmill farms that dot the landscape. I a awed by them for their beauty and function. Clean energy is such an important way. I'm still wondering how politicians and others can be against these beautiful instruments of power when we know the damage coal mining in all forms and its use is so bad to the environment and how oil drilling and using are also so bad for the environment. Sure money is to be made in the latter forms of energy and that may be the cynics response. But that is not enough today as we see the affects of the Gulf spill by BP and become more aware of similar disasters all over the world in the backwater areas of South America where the crimes of the oil companies are hidden deep in the jungles and away from the eyes of the world. Or in Africa where corrupt leaders keep their dark secrets by using force and murder to quiet the noise of the people who are affected. As we leave Scotland and get into England the density of mankind is growing. I'm still in the outer island frame of mind of empty roads and beaches, in spite of our gentle entrance back via Glasgow. The stops are coming fast and furious after Carlisle which was an hour after we started. Then a Lake District town, Oxenholm and then a very dense Lancaster. I'm still amazed at he narrowness of the roads as they make there way through under and over the train tracks and follow the train then suddenly veer away in the undergrowth only to reappear further down or in some passing village. The stops aren't very long. No sooner have we stopped then within minutes we are off again. The same was true of the ferries on the islands. Very efficient. I've been on the train for two hours now and have three hours left.

The pastures are beginning to give way to the occasional playing field of cricket and soccer. More walkways over the roads and highway for walking appear as trailer parks pop up now and then. A car pulling a trailer has a smoking engine as it is stopped on a bridge, bad luck. The occasional train passes going in the other direction. I'm not on that side of the train. I sat going backwards for the first hour and switch to ride going forward the next hour. Preston is filled with row houses and is a real industrial town. Civilization is always marked by the ubiquitous steeple spires. The horizon is filled with the red brick row of chimneys and then lanes of tracks leading from Preston to other points. We are speeding into the density of England too fast. Crowds join us at Preston. One thing about these trains is people have reserved seats. We are at the halfway point. I know when we are arriving in Wigan because the soccer stadium is in clear view on our right and soccer fields dot the town on the left. I have abandoned my seat and taken the other reserved seat and now one of the available seats has been taken by a young man with a book about Ozzy by Ozzy. Before Crewe we pass a large nuclear power plant with eight stacks in the middle of nowhere. After Crewe huge stand of tall oaks trees following by corn fields. Now the pastures are speckled with huge solitary trees and more green houses. The stone walls are getting smaller and more manicured. Community gardens are surrounded by playing fields with boys playing pickup soccer. Industry is replacing agrarian. And suddenly a canal with locks. An occasional barge is spied and strollers along the tow path on this lazy sunny Sunday in the Lake country near Kidsgrove. The train has slowed down to as little as 15 for a long stretch as we are changing tracks. The speed enjoyed earlier has tempered itself to average 60 and even 40 for long stretches. Once through the switching we get back to proper speeds expected. Into Stoke-on-Trent and a lovely station, the home of Slash and the Stoke City footballers. Now I see the signs indicating speeds of 85-100. The stone walls have given way to wooden fences, wire fences, and hedgerows. It is as if we are in hyperspeed now as the vegetation by the tracks is that blur as represented in our sci-fi films. The backyard gardens are getting more and more beautiful and so elaborate. The landscape has become more rural again with pastures of cows and sheep, and rolled hay. More canals are seen as well.

Caravan storage and sales shops have now begun to appear. Barges are aplenty now and four of them are lined up waiting their turn at the lock. At Nuneaton we lose lots of passengers and the train is relatively empty. We have another hour before Birmingham New Street where I transfer to the train to Stratford. During the train ride a man has come along the train to collect trash. At Rugby we are resting here for 20 minutes and crews of cleaners come through and collect all the trash and neaten up the empty seats. Again, I am in a pac where one sees no trash in the streets or even at the train stations. I don't see garbage bins, and yet I don't see trash. In NYC, we have trash cans everywhere and we have trash all over the streets. Maybe we should just get rid of the trash cans, since we don't use them. NYC is a filthy city. It's trains and busses and its streets tell me this. The only places I've seen trash have been around McDonalds. Seems like trash is one of our great imports.

Heather should be landing soon. And I haven't even got to Birmingham yet. We are about 40 minutes away. We are now going back the way we came. I suspect we will take a spur line that puts us in the Birmingham direction. How strange. Quickly we are in Coventry which has a large crowd waiting for our train. A large number of people get off and since more people are getting on, the seats fill. Not much old stuff in Coventry except the famous spires that are about all that made it through the German bombings of WWII. Approaching the stop before mine, Birmingham International, so it is time to gather a of my stuff before we enter Birmingham proper. The last time I was in Birmingham was 24 years ago when I took the train from Brighton and then caught a bus to Stratford. This time I will take another train which will take me an hour.

The walk from New St to Moor Street was easy and got me outside and up into a bright warm sun. The Moor St station is some out of the past. Immediately I see A Thomas the Tank Engine type train on the tracks. After passing through the turnstile to get to my train and getting to my platform, an old stream engine pulls an old train into the station.It is the Shakespeare Express. This is not my train. My train arrives and it a more modern three car train. Stratford is the last stop and I will be there in about an hour.

When I arrive in Stratford, I'm immediately taken by the new buildings by the train and the large hotel. I walk out of the station and to the traffic lights to Arden Street where I cross the street and turn left. One hundred yards is my B&B, The Arden Park B&B. Mark, my host, greets me at the door and helps me settle in. I have a lovely room on the third floor. After unpacking and getting myself organized I head into town. I am amazed at how much this place has changed, the traffic at half seven, and all the new construction. I recognize little. Using the map Mark gave me, I find myself at the Avon in front of the construction of the main theater. I follow the construction to the Dirty Duck. It has not changed as I go up the winding stairs and into the Actor's Pub. I get a pint and wander around only to notice a new addition on the back, more restaurant space. I retire to the patio to have my pin t and look across to the Avon to the newly made park. I can barely see the spire of the church where Shakespeare lies. After my pint I continue onto the parish. So much new stuff I can barely see the parish. I turn up Old Town pass Hall's Croft to Church Street and see the Shakespeare Institute, where I spent much time 24 years ago, and the Windmill Inn, another old haunt. It is unchanged, except the back yard has been improved and I find a table back there to sit. I get a pint of Flowers and order sausage and mash. I stroll back to the B&B and head off to sleep. It is 10 already and it has been a long day for me.

Heather has arrived home safely.

A Day in Glasgow

2010-08-28T00:08:00.001-04:00

I wake at 630 and head downstairs to do some laundry to get me through the last week. Heather is sleeping peacefully. The day is lovely. Brisk and cool as we had one of those early morning ubiquitous rains. Now the sun is shining. I put in a wash, go out to the car and have a banana, a couple of hidden valley bars, and a bottle of water for breakfast. I stretch in the brisk air and take in the city fro this elevated perch where the hostel is located. The view of Glasgow from our room is breathtaking. People are leaving as the activity of a hostel in the early morning is busy. I spend time with the blog as I do my laundry.

We head out at 10AM and walk to the Spas to see if we can make Heather an appointment. Long story short, they are booked. We move on to the tour bus stop and wait for a bus so we can tour Glasgow. Eventually a bus appears and we spend the next two hours touring Glasgow. It is a beautiful day and since this is a three day weekend the city is very crowded and being on the bus allows us a chance to see the city easily.

When we have completed the loop, we get off where we started and go into Tennet's for lunch. It is crowded because of an English Premier game, Blackburn vs Arsenal. Arsenal scores two while we are there. We share a fish and chips, while I sample half pints of three ales I haven't had before. There are about 20 taps in this place and I have not seen about half of them before. We return to the hostel. Heather decides to rest before our dinner and I go back to city center to JJB to get a Glasgow Rangers a blue and red long sleeved goalie shirt.

When I return we head to our 5PM dinner reservations at Stravaign2. The food is a fusion of Southeast Asia and Scottish. All local foods with a taste of Indonesia and Thai. I discover they have three Czech beers I rarely see in America and one in particular, Czech Budweiser Budvar. There is a long story about this 700 year old beer and the American beer giant, and it ain't pretty as you can well imagine. A similar story to the American McDonald's and the very old MacDonald's in Scotland.

Heather starts with a mackerel pate and will have the salmon for her main course. I will have three starters: the mussels, the haggis, and a duck spring roll with a Krusovice Imperial. Everything is fabulous. Heather has a nutmeg tart while I have a Krusovice Black for dessert.

We return to the hostel and do our packing. Heather is heading home and I to Stratford upon Avon and then to London for the next week. This has been a most relaxing and enjoyable experience. Lots of good food, good weather mixed with the typical or atypical Scottish weather; but most importantly a time of renewal for us.

To Glasgow

2010-08-27T16:59:00.003-04:00

We wake at 645 to pack up and to have breakfast before getting in the standby line for the ferry. The sun is out, but an ominous cloud hovers over the bluff approaching Lochboisdale. While we are in the lounge, Heather points out a full rainbow over the harbor and into the hills. I grab the camera and go out into the light rain to capture this fabulous rainbow. It is too large and close to fit in one picture so I just snap away. As if we didn't think it could get any better.

Breakfast was well peopled as we were looking at our fellow passengers. It is 8AM and we make our way to the car and watch as the ferry arrives and they begin the loading process. This is the second stop as this ferry came from Barra. People are on all decks watching the loading process. It is slowed as the crew has to move a bus to allow for the campers getting on. We will get on, but larger campers and vehicles behind us go on first and we are last since we are a small car and can fit. When we make it upstairs we find people all over the place, sleeping and spread out in most of the couches. We head to the tables in the dining area and find a table with electricity. This will be needed for the five hour passage as I will be writing. Heather wanders the ferry, finds a quite place with luxurious airplane chairs and sleeps for awhile. The captain announces basking sharks on the starboard side and the ship seems to list to the starboard. Nothing sighted by the passengers. About an hour from port he announces the kitchen is serving lunch and the tables fill with passengers and their meals. We have to remember those people who got on before us have been onboard for two hours more than us.

Oban is a beautiful old city perfectly located in a very protected harbor. It is a sailor's delight as the yacht club is filled with fine looking vessels and the expanse of sea in which to sail is massive. As we disembark we have to wind our way through the city to exit and to get on the road to Glasgow. The town is charming as we pass the railroad station and drive along the quaint streets as we egress Oban. Hills greet us as we exit and than after we clear the crest it is downhill for a while as the road snakes into the countryside.

The drive to Glasgow is about two hours and is smooth as most of the traffic is going in the other direction. It is a three day holiday since Monday is a bank holiday. UK has bank holidays and we in the USA have federal holidays. We run into some traffic on the M8 in Glasgow as traffic has built going to Stirling and Edinburgh. We get off the M8 and Charing X and follow directions to the hostel. Problem it is the wrong hostel. We get directions to our hostel and we arrive to find they have a room for us tonight. We settle in and get directions to some good local food restaurants which are walking distance through Kalvingrove Park, University of Glasgow to Byres Road. Byres Road is a busy street of shops, restaurants and a subway stop. Lots of taxis wait at the subway stop.

We are looking for a specific restaurant and can't find it. We go into a shop to inquire and we are directed to an alley across the street to find ?????. They are booked, sowe make a reservation for tomorrow evening at 5PM since it is the only one available other than 945. We inquire about another eatery and she tells us about Ubiquitous Chip across the street in Ashon Lane. She calls and makes a reservation for us. We go across into the pub and up some stairs to an open air restaurant that was converted from horse stables to this fine eatery in 1971. We discover the name comes fro the habit of Scottish people having chips with every meal. The owner decided to open a restaurant of fine dining made from local products and serve no chips.

I order an ale made especially for the restaurant and Heather has a cranberry juice. The menu is impressive and we are debating about what to eat. The soup we are told is a pumpkin and parmessan soup. We order that to share. Heather orders a Calander Chanterele pan fried with Ayrshire Streaky bacon and tarragon served on a brioche starter and a Seil Island Partan Crab Salad. I order the haggis to start and a Dumfriesshire Lamb. The entire meal is fabulous and not rushed. We comment on how lucky we have been in finding the better restaurants in which to eat. The food has been superb, except that one misstep. For dessert Heather has the blueberry and vanilla pannacotta an dI have the poached pear with gingerbread ice cream.

As we leave the restaurant via the back door we discover a whole new world hidden fro the made road. It is filled with bars and restaurants. It is the nigh scene. We stroll though and head to a spa that our waitress told us about. It is on a perpendicular street to the one we are on and will take us back to the hostel. When we get to the corner after passing more fine restaurants, we find a church converted into a theater dinner club. It is the center of activity as the gardens are filled with tables and people are pouring in and out of the place. We turn on to Great Western Road, find the spa, which is closed now and will return tomorrow. We continue our stroll back to the hostel back through the park and up a slow winding path passed as new soccer pitch and back to the hostel. We are amazed that it is 930 already and it is still faintly light outside. We read a bit and head off to dreamland.

On Uist

2010-08-26T10:41:00.002-04:00

The day is bright as we wake for breakfast at half eight. Mary has made some great porridge. We see the tour buses filled with children for school are going north and then heading south empty fro our breakfast table window. The soft breeze keeps the midges away as we head south from Benbecula to South Uist. We decide to head to Lochboisdale a day early and then perhaps to go standby on the 5 hour ferry boat ride to Oban so we can get to Glasgow at a more peaceful pace, enjoy a day in Glasgow, instead of rushing after the five hour ferry that lands us in Oban at about 7PM Saturday night. If we don't make the standby ferry at 9AM Friday, then we stay at the hotel a second night and use our 1 PM ferry reservations the next day.

Since we are so filled with time we explore the byways. Our first stop was a beach discovered at the end of a rutted filled dirt road. We passed through a wheat field to get to the beach that was peaceful. Our next stop is the hostel at Howmore. This is where Heather met June and Laurie two years ago. t was fro here that she caught a bus to Lohmaddy to meet me in Uig. We stop and see it is pretty empty, but the midges are out. We continue this road to another beach that is empty and fllled with birds. We are watching a slowly approaching rain cloud and decided we should leave.

Refreshed we made our way back to the main road and stopped in at the Kildonan Museum that was filled with information about how life was for the islanders. It is a fascinating account and well detailed. In fact there are galleries of photographs from the 1920's that are magical. While we were in the museum the rain cloud we spied from the beach passed over. While the rain is slowing, we head to the cafe for some coffee and carrot cake. Our final stop is the craft shop and the rain has stopped and we continue our journey. The sun comes out in all its glory. I love how it rains slightly and lightly followed by sun and warmth. So very refreshing and why the gardens here are so lush. Mary did tell us that last Friday' wind and rain did some damage to her garden, which she found unfortunate.

Our next stop is a golf course that was opened in 1891. The drive to it is far more enjoyable than the club which has a modern structure like a trailer as the clubhouse and the course is not viewable. We had back to the main road and on to Lochboisdale.

When we arrive at our destination, we find the hotel on the bluff overlooking the harbor and the ferry pier. Very convenient. We get a room for the night and then go to the ferry terminal to inquire about standby for the next morning ferry. We discover that we will be first standby, if we put our car in the standby queue now. Since we are done with the car, we have a room, and we wish to rest, we put the car in the standby lane in the first position and retire to the hotel.

The day is the nicest one we have had. After settling into our room with a fantastic view of the harbor, we head downstairs to use the Internet and have lunch. After lunch we retire to the outside benches and bake in the sun while reading and imbibing the local spirits. It is a great way to end a perfect holiday in the outer islands. We spend the afternoon here as we watch the guests arrive at the hotel who will be on the ferry tomorrow.

Some bikers come in and we strike up a brief conversation at the bar. He and his wife have spent the last three weeks on bikes on Skye, Lewis&Harris, and Uist. They have stayed in many of the hostels we have stayed i and have pretty much followed the same path we have. We are speaking about the mountains on Harris a& Lewis and he tells me how he dreaded them. The last time he was here was 30 years ago and he was on the wrong bike then. This time, he has a better bike with better gears and found those climbs easier than he thought. He also recommended doing the trip south to north to follow the winds. It was the way I would do it, not because of the winds, but because the flat roads of Uist would be better preparation for the mountains of Harris & Lewis. On the other hand, we liked how we did this trip with the business of Skye followed by the slowness of Harris & Lewis and the final stop in Uist which is dead slow. Starting in Uist and heading to Skye just seems wrong.

Even though we are as happy as turtles on a log in a pond on a sunny day, we decide we should have dinner. It is after 7PM and we are shocked. We find a table by the window and are able to watch the sunset as we have a very good dinner. For hotel food, this is very good. It rivals Uig. Heather has a smoked salmon salad and local scallops while I have haggis and local mussels. We have eaten well, except for that one bad horrid meal at that very forgettable hotel, the Flodigarry Country House. We settle into the very comfortable lounge for coffee before bed. This is our kind of hotel, like the Uig Hotel. When we get to our room, the moon is full, reflecting off the harbor and filling our room with light. This magical and so fiting to end our journey of the isles.

From Harris to Uist

2010-08-25T10:41:00.001-04:00

Everyone left early this morning to catch the ferry to Uig. Our ferry isn't till half eleven at the Leverburgh pier, about 45 minutes from here. It was on a previously unexplored part of Harris. We were the only guests for breakfast. The morning was very still and warm, perfect for those dreaded midges that were out in force as we discovered when we went to the car. After quickly packing we set on our way with two and a half hours to get to the ferry. I turned on the fans in the car and we opened the windows a crack to force those midges that got in out. Mission accomplished in minutes as we drove past Tarbert, up the steep hill to Harris Tweed country.

We took our time and took a couple of side roads to do some exploring. The road was a mix of two lane and single lane with passing places. I as amazed at the quality of cars coming at us and passing us. The cars were occupied by men. Curious I thought till we came upon a lovely golf course crowded with early morning players. Around another turn we discovered a magnificent camp grounds crowded with caravans and very sturdy tents. The land here is sandy and lush with grass which explains the golf and the campgrounds. All of this hugs a very calm cove and bay with sheep acting like bathers as they are sleeping on the beach and some are standing in the water. Quite surreal after the harsh rocky terrain of Harris just a half hour behind us. Is this the same island?

The road meanders along beautifully as we see palatial houses with well heeled cars in the driveway. Eventually we arrive in Leverburgh and find it is a rather large community that appears to be a retirement village as indicated by much of the signage and numerous wheelchair ramps on many of the attached buildings. Since we have time instead of turning right to the pier we go straight to Roghadal (Rodel) at the end of the island. As we pass through the pristine streets of Leverburgh and cross the cattle grid keeping the livestock out of town, we are greeted immediately by a sheep dropping covered road and sheep all over the road and on each side. It is a sheep gauntlet as we come to a stop and proceed very very slowly as the sheep reluctant give way. Some just stand and stare at us and then move.

Once through this mass of sheep, we continue up a steep hill and over the top to discover a view of the sea and a magnificent church, the Church of St Clements. There is a road around the entire church that rests on top of a hill and we find the parking places at the end of this circle. Upon entering the cemetery, I discover it is filled with MacLeods. Inside there are crypts and plaques to the MacLeods. This is the resting place of many of my ancestors. After moments of reverence we head off to the Leverburgh pier.

Upon arriving we find only the pier. There is no ticket office, just a rest room and an electronic board announcing times of the ferries. A queue has begun and we join it. The restaurant and pub is closed and opens daily at noon and closes at 11pm. It is the local eatery/pub methinks. Opposite the restaurant is a bus converted into a food court. When we entered the bus we find five stools at counters and the cook at the rear preparing breakfasts. It is quite the setup. We get some coffee and retire to the car to enjoy the sun, no midges, our coffee and some of the treats we have. We see the ferry off in the distance and watch as it weaves through the buoys that are set up like a slalom course.

We are all interested in how the ferry will land since there is no pier to speak of. What we see is a ramp into the water much like those you find at any boat launch. The ferry approaches and the door begins to open as an WWII beach assault vehicle opens to reveal the car deck. The ramp rests on the cement that has brass runners and the ferry gently rams the ramp as the engines continue so the cars may disembark and then we embark. All of this happens smoothy. I wonder what it is like on rough days like the one last Friday. The first ones off the boat are golfers walking to waiting vans that will ferry them to the course for a day of golf and back again later tonight, I suspect. This is probably what that man did who we met on Skye who was riding the bicycle to fetch his car in Uig. We have a good seat with a table so I can write and Heather can read for the short one hour ride to Berneray.

When we leave the ferry we go right and everyone else has gone left toward North Uist. We are heading to the beaches at Borve. Winding along a very flat road that could have been straight eventually finds us at a parking place. The car in front of us turns around and leaves. The one behind us parks and the occupants head off over the hill in full hiker gear away from the beach. We head toward the dunes through a field filled with cows. As we get closer to the massive dunes we find some more cars and the remnants of fires from campers or beach combers. It reminds me greatly of my days at Dionis on Nantucket, but these dunes are taller like Provincetown. One very noticeable difference is the whiteness and cleanliness of he sand. I am wearing my flip flops which I take of and the sand is luscious. I'm also wearing shorts, a tees shirt and light sweater to cut the mild chill. The sun is shining brightly as we begin our long walk down this pristine tropics type beach that is empty with the exception of a family using wetsuits to swim and couples way way down at the end of this three mile stretch. The water is bearable as I do wade in and find it comfortable after a bit. The wetsuit has to make the experience more bearable. We spend a couple of hours on this beach.

We return to our car and begin our journey south to Uist across the causeway built in 1999. Before we continue we stop at the tearoom we spied earlier for a snack. It is a cute little store for locals and a cute little dining room of six tables. We are alone and order some toasties and I have a beer. Suddenly the tables fill and a group of 16-20 people come in and take up two tables. The place is filled, who would have thought. We are lucky as our food has arrived as the rest of the people will be here for long time as this is a small operation, one cook and one waitress.

Once we cross the causeway we are in North Uist which is separated from South Uist by Benbecula. All three islands are joined by causeways. The land is flat and the only mountains I see are to the left or the east coast of the islands. The road is on the west coast of the islands hugging the coast with access to the beaches that stretch practically the entire west coast. The other feature is how flat these roads are and perfect biking roads. The road is single lane with passing places with the occasional double lane road pops up and cars in a rush use this time to pass cars and make time. I'm in no rush and pull over often at passing places so cars can overtake us. We are constantly stopping to take in an ancient site illustrated by a plaque of explanation of how the Vikings used this resort area to set up their little fiefdoms of power for individual lords. It makes sense as all of the little islands in these bays are sandy shored and would allow for easy access to any ship, be it a Viking ship or a modern rowboat.

As we are thinking about dinner and staying some place we happen upon the Hebridean Smokehouse. We get some peat smoked scallops and salmon pate. Next to the shop we go in and learn about peat and peat smoking while watching the process of preparing the salmon for smoking. It is quite the elaborate operation. We stop at a hotel and find it unacceptable and move on. After passing the causeway to Benbecula we pass the military base and airport. As we move from this military complex we happen upon another hotel next to a massive community center complex with running tracks, a pool, a couple of soccer fields and a large windmill. All this with Beach access. This hotel, too, is unacceptable, plus there is a bus parked in the lot. We are in Lionacliet. Undaunted we continue and see a B&B sign without the No vacancies notice.

We pull into a lovely yard beautifully manicured with fabulous flowers. The entire property is surrounded by sturdy hedges. We are greeted by the lady of the house who looks and speaks just like my grandmother. Mary has a lovely cozy room for us with a view of the gardens and the dunes. We are alone. We get our goodies for dinner. We still have crackers, cheese, and salmon; to which we have added the salmon pate and smoked scallops. Heather has some apple juice and I a beer. A feast.

Heather wants to read so I drive back up to the hotel to use the beach access. The beach is okay, not as beautiful as the other beaches we have seen. The reason is probably overuse by the community center and hotel. As I leave the beach for the public pub at the hotel for a pint, I am suddenly assaulted by the ancients who must be on the tour bus. They are making their way to the beach for the sunset or for a walk on the beach. When I enter the pub, am just in time for the start of the Hotspur Young Boys Champion League match in London. Crouch scores a brilliant header and Dafoe scores a questionable hand ball assisted goal. I leave at half. I learn the next day that Crouch had a hat trick in the 4 nil win by the 'spurs. When I return to the B&B, I summon Heather outside so we can watch the fabulous sunset. When we settle in for the night we discover a full moon outside our window.

Standing Stones

2010-08-24T11:05:00.002-04:00

We woke to the quite of a harbor. The lapping of harbor waves o the stone beach, the playing and laughing gulls, and the occasional baa of the sheep on the hillside opposite the harbor. This is certainly an idyllic location for any dwelling. That it is a B&B means Mrs Morrison can share her little piece of heaven with the world.

As usual there was a heavy mist or light rain outside. We could see a fisherman readying his boat as we ate our breakfast and overlooked the harbor from our picture window seat. After breakfast we had planned on heading back to the second set of Calendish Stones and visiting the Iron Age House, which we had visited last time in Lewis.

The ride over the same roads and hills allow for automatic driving and we are to enjoy the sights a bit more as we know we can go slower and stop to view something that catches our eye. The signs peppering the moors alert fishermen to "watch your fishing line" because the electric lines go over the trout stream. This amuses us and seems threatening at the same time. Why are the lines here over this pristine stream instead of miles away. How many fisherman have caught a fly on a line?

The markers for the Land Struggle dot the landscape. We decide to head to the Iron Age House first. The long and winding road is a classic Island road with passing places. This road passes a school and museum in the middle of nowhere before converting into the narrowest road we have been on yet. In meanders through bogs and over steep grades and down steep grades and over streams and around sharp corners. Tour buses use this road. What a horror that must be.

Eventually we arrive at the Iron Age House parking lot which has avery clean and maintained bathrooms, picnic tables, and a cemetery. The path to the House leads to a beautiful sand beach and dunes. As we walk along the beach and a side of the cemetery we are directed to the Iron Age house which takes us along the third side of the cemetery along a narrow bluff above the beach and a mountain stream that courses through the Iron Age Village which we can see. There are stone oval configurations indicating where a structure once was and a replication of what they believe a Iron Age House might have looked like. We learn that the archaeologists have covered over about half of the find for later work. The house is oval shaped. It has a stone wall around it. A path circles the house that has a stone base that extends about a foot above the ground and then a wood and thatched roof appears and is held down by rocks and wood.

We see vent holes along the base of the thatch and a chimney is spewing smoke to one side of the house. We walk around to the entrance that has a small wall by the opening to provide protection from the elements and steps leading into the house. There is just one entrance. When we enter we have to duck as the entrance is about five feet tall. Upon entering the main room, there is a fire in the center of this room and the smoke lazily wafts up to the roof opening. It is not very efficient and the room has some smoke.

I'm sure they original dwellers had a better configuration. Maybe even an alter for the fire to get it closer to the roof and to provide drafts underneath. Anyway, it is something I would have considered. Above the entrance is a loft covered in hay that probably served for sleeping. A ladder leads up to the loft. There is a lady speaking and as our eyes adjust to the dark, we see more people in the room and an open doorway to another room. Steps lead down into a smaller room that has candles in scallop shells to light the room. Here we see a workroom with shelves built into the wall. The signage outside indicated this may have been a storeroom for cooking.

Last time we were here, there was no fire and no candles. This is better. As we exit, we see the mountain stream winding its way down the side of the gentle hill next to the house and out to the sea. The residents had an idyllic life with this lovely beach and access to seafood on one side of their house and on the hillside their cattle and sheep could graze. This is one heck of a piece of prime property for our Iron Age brethren.

We are now ready to make our way back down the single lane road to the single lane bridge where we will stop for lunch. As we are leaving a garbage truck has come in to collect the trash. It is huge. We escape now so we don't have to follow it. Eventually it catches us and passes us as we have stopped at a shop to see if we can get coffee.

I get a cider for lunch and we move on to the bridge. As I turn the corner that leads to the bridge, what do we find parked in the picnic bench area by the bridge but the garbage scow. There is enough room for us and they are in the truck eating their lunch and listening to the local island radio station which is playing classic Scottish music. The scow does not smell and the music is pleasant. We set up our lunch of crackers, salmon, salami, and cheese. I have my cider and Heather her water. It is a fabulous lunch as we are overlooking a loch and mountains in the background, listening to great ambient music and enjoying the brilliant sun. After they finish their lunches, take a walk along the bridge to smoke a fag, they are off on their appointed duties.

I spy some standing stones on he opposite side of the road and see steps leading through a gate up the hill. I explore and discover the grandest stand of standing stones overlooking the harbor. Almost configured like a family. Two grand stones side by side with a tiny wee stone in front of theme and then a larger small stone, like a teenager, furthest from the parent stones. All of these stones placed in a boggy place as water surrounds the stones. In fact when I walk around and step on a bog spot, water rises from the places around the bog spot. They are like little islands.

I rejoin Heather and we slowly clean up and prepare to continue our journey now satiated. When we eventually rejoin the main road we have passed a place where someone has been cutting the bog chips from the bog and piling the chips to dry and eventually cart to a house for fuel during the winter. We see these bog piles along the road as we drive with pallets of drying chips or neatly piled chips in a tipi shape to dry. Sometimes we see piles of plastic bags holding the chips.

On the main road we go left and head to the Standing Stones which come up very quickly, about a mile down the road. Yesterday it was raining when we had visited the large group of stones we see on the hill in the distance. The parking lot is filled and has two buses. We are glad we went yesterday.

Today the sun is out and Calendish III which is a fairly large collection of stones is emptying of five people as we approach. Lots of water here too and since cows and sheep share this area, the way is further hindered by manure pies. The cows have added the pie obstacles as well as making large holes from their stomping around. The stones are glorious and impressive. We have a better view of the three circles of stones called Calendish I, II, III. I is the largest, III is next in size and II is the smallest.

I realize the family of stones I found at the bridge are just over the ridge and perhaps would be Calendish IV. Anyway we are impressed and awed by these Standing Stones. We reflect on how we have continued this process with our own standing stones in our cemeteries and even building of worship, business, and residence. Stone has always had a fascination to us.

Our journey back to Tarbert is uneventful as we pass many bikers on this glorious day to bike ride. When we arrive in Tarbert we go to the three harris Tweed shops so Heather can shop. The weather is glorious now as the sun is out in all its glory and I am back in shorts and a tee shirt. We stop at the Inn's pub for dinner and then head home to relax by the harbor. Because the sun sets so late we suddenly realize it is half seven already which explains why we are feeling tired. We do some computing and watch some telly before turning in for the night.

Over to Harris-Lewis

2010-08-23T14:24:00.005-04:00

We rose at 4AM. We finished packing, had some coffee and tea and a quick breakfast of a banana and Nature Valley Honey&Oats bars. Basically a meal I have every morning before I take a bike ride. We were out of the hotel by 435 and arrived at the ferry terminal by 445. A line was already started and the place was a beehive of activity. We had to check in by 5 and they began loading the ferry then. We left at 530. We rested on the one and a half hour trip in very comfortable chairs. Very much like first class airline seats. Lots of legroom and nearly a full recline.

When we arrived in Harris, we were off the ferry at 707 and we went into town to avoid the traffic heading north. Nothing was open in Harris, but I was able to ask the bus driver how long the drive from here to Leverburgh, the place from which we were taking a ferry on Wednesday to Uist. It was only a 45 minute drive.

We left Harris heading for Port Ness at the top of Lewis. Because we had spent time on the west coast and had not seen the east coast we headed to Stornoway, the largest town on Lewis. We passed a trio of windmills and were able to drive to the base of them. They weren't in operation at the time. We arrived as school was starting. All of the tourist buses were now school buses. In addition, we were in the middle of rush hour.

Driving around and sightseeing as we were going against the traffic, we were having fun. We decided to leave after going by the school slowly filing up wit children. This looked like a fine town, but it was the business center of the island and not why were here. As we headed towards Barvas, the road out of town the traffic coming into town was huge and quite unbelievable. We stopped to chat to some children and their mothers about the windmills we had seen and to be sure we were on the right road to Ness. We learned they were practice for a farm of windmills that were going to be five times bigger. Very impressive. Driving across the island over this bog was relaxing after our adventure in the city of Stornoay.

When we arrived at Barvas we headed north. We arrived at our first standing stone. Further along the road we could see the sandy beaches and bogs on both sides of the road. When we arrived in Port Ness we headed to the harbor and the beach. We walked around the harbor which was well protected from the fierce North Sea that beat against the walls of the harbor. We went to the far side of the harbor and took a walk along the adjoining beach. The beaches here are fabulous and if the weather were warmer, this would be a resort. Finding the restaurant we were hoping to have coffee was closed for the season.

We headed off to the Butt, the very top of Lewis which has a lighthouse built by members of the Stevenson family, he same family that sired Robert Louis Stevenson. Following a single lane road to the lighthouse we passed another sandy beach. At the lighthouse we walked around and the wind dictated our path. This is the windiest place in Scotland and the winds were up to 80mph on Friday.

As we were leaving a farmer and his dog were shepherding a flock of sheep. He was walking with his hands behind him and he was whistling commands to the dog who was running all around the sheep and keeping them together and on the right path to where they were going. We stopped and turned off the car as we watched them work. Fascinating. Finally they were penned and off we were to find the Eoropie Tearoom.

At the tearoom we had some coffee and local bakery. In addition we purchased some tweed place mats and coasters. On our way up here we looked at a hotel and farm house guesthouse for a possible place to stay. Discovering that our tour was going quickly and was complete especially because the roads were clear and the sights were tourist free, we had the whole place to ourselves.

We had decided we would go back into Tarbert, where we had landed, and find a room there for two nights. We were going to stay in the rustic hostel where we stayed two years ago, but the weather made this an uncomfortable idea. We drove down the road to Tarbert and took all the turnoffs to explore. We discovered some interesting things that are not on the maps.

When we arrived at the rustic hostel in the Gearranan Blackhouse Village we strolled into the hostel and decided not to stay. It was empty, dark, and musty. We walked in a light drizzle to the beach where we exchanged rings. When we were assaulted by the midges, we knew we weren't going to stay. We went to the gift shop and found a poster of the Village and a mug.

We stopped at the Harris Tweed Factory on our way back to the main road. As we continued, we discovered the single lane part of the road had now been expanded into two way traffic. We stopped at the restaurant we had our meals when we were last here for a quick repast. As the rain got heavier we arrived at the Callandish stones. We took the road to the stones and discovered the field empty of people, so we went to enjoy this plot of standing stones on our own. We had enough and were tired, so we decided to start here tomorrow.

When we arrived back in Tarbert, we went to the information station to find a room. We were directed to the Avalon Guesthouse, which we had passed twice, once when we left and twice when we returned to Tarbert. After settling in, we went into town to find dinner at the restaurant associated with the Tarbert Hotel. When we returned to the room, we did our Internet work for our blog. We went to bed early since we had been up since 4 AM.

We Love Uig

2010-08-22T13:56:00.003-04:00

We woke to rain and after breakfast decided to head off to the Waternish Peninsula. That little bay area has unique crafts, good food, and is a cool area. Taking our time we were able to appreciate the landscape. I'm always amazed by the windmill farm on this stretch of road.

The windmills are so beautiful and provide a steady din and whoosh whoosh that is not sound polluting, but reassuring that the energy is pure. I'm always amazed at the fight against them. It makes little sense to me, since the alternatives are so much more deadly and harmful. Drill baby drill is the current mantra in spite of the bad effects and dangerous conditions those rigs represent. It is about the money, I suppose.

At any rate we were ambling along this lovely back road of Skye to The Waternish Peninsula. At the turn we were on another single track road with passing place niches strategically placed to allow an approaching car to pass. It is an interesting exercise in driving etiquette, these single track roads. Who will pull over? How does one react when both drivers indicate to the other to come forward by blinking one's lights? The simple wave of a hand to indicate a thanks is the customary method of gratitude. On the road I have found the use of emergency lights has been used when I have pulled over to allow an overtaking car to pass me as I slow and use my left blinker to indicate for him to pass. As that car whizzes by either the emergency lights flash or the left blinker then the right blinker is displayed to indicate appreciation for my getting out of the way. I also like to stop and get pictures, so the passing places become very handy. There is a steady drizzle and cars are zooming by as I move over. Wonder where everyone is going?

There are some great craft stores to visit down this road, a tannery, a potter, and a wool and dye shop. The first and he last are famous and considered must see. We are instead heading to the Loch Bay restaurant for an oyster and soup lunch. The road to the left is clear as all the cars are going right in the direction of the crafts. descending from atop the glen to the shore we pass lovely renovated crafts and a mansion or two. Arriving at the shore a long row of building is on the left while the bay is on the right. It is the classic Scottish fishing town, the archetype. We drive to the end of the lane only to discover the Loch Bay is closed, gone fishing. We discover that it is only open Tuesday to Friday. So we park and go to the Stein Inn. We have been here before and are not disappointed. I had langoustines here before. The pub has a low ceiling with open beams. We discover they serve oysters so we order a dozen and are in heaven. I have some ale I haven't had before and we follow the oysters up with a fabulous soup.

Satiated, we set off to the crafts. Our first stop is a tannery, a working tannery, SkyeSkyns. When we step into the workroom a guide immediately appears. All of the work is done in this one workspace, which isn't very big. The process begins by washing 50 hides at a time in the large washer. It is probably the largest machine in the shop. This process can take a whole day. Next they are taken into the drying room. After that the process is laborious. A single skin may take a week to process and be made ready for the upstairs showroom. If you think the tannery tour is fabulous and it is, then wait till you get to the showroom. The variety of finished skins is awesome. What they do to these pelts for our consumption is amazing and very reasonably priced. I don't believe anyone leaves the showroom without something. Heather purchased a lovely Fergie Band. This is a definite place to visit and we are glad we did.

Two of the guides were talking about how they had seen four rams on the way in. Rarely do you see rams roaming the fields. The ewes and lambs have the run of the land while the rams are restricted to the pens except in November which is topping time. Then they are busy.

We left the tannery heading to the potter who was recommended and the dye house. As we were driving the road we came upon three generations of women walking a dog on a leash who was approached by a single woman coming from the other direction being dragged by her dog who as anxious to play with his friend.

We came upon the potter and found his shop and work delightful. We purchased a pair of coffee and hot chocolate mugs here. Our last stop was the dye shop. It was not what we expected and the shop was peopled with women buying patterns and wool. There was a nice display of what vegetation is used for which dye, but I had hoped to see the process of the dying of wool.

We left and headed back to Uig. On our way out, we passed those same women in the same configuration but they were walking in opposite direction. We wondered if this is what they did al day for entertainment. It entertained us.

After the tannery and cutoff to the Stein Inn we suddenly came upon the four rams. You know they are rams because they are bigger, twice as big as the ewes and lambs. Their horns wrap in circles three times while the ewes only once, and of course when they walk away, they are rams, not ewes. Rare to see the rams in the fields and not in pens where they are usually lying down and just resting. Here they were grazing and moving along.

While driving back to Uig, the sun comes out and we decide to go to the Fairy Glen. It is empty and still showing signs of the rain as the streams of water are flowing down the little rivers to the pond. We ascend the glen and explore the little towers and spaces. The Fairy Glen is like a massive rotten tooth along a well formed hill. The reason for this unusual formation is that granite was placed on top of basalt stone many millions of years ago. Over time, the heavier harder stone crushed the softer lighter stone below to create this magical glen. We see this kind of formation throughout the region, but not like it is here. There are superb spottings of the granite on top of the basalt. Visitors create words and pictures with the small stone in the clearing. One can only imagine how the ancients and not so ancients have used this ground for worship and for partying.

We head back to the Uig Hotel to prepare for dinner at the Flodigarry Country House. It will be a long drive around the tip of Skye so we leave an hour and half before our reservation. The drive is fine with little traffic, so we make good time on this single lane road. When we arrive at the House, a man on a bicycle is in front of us as he leads us to the hotel. He parks by the Bistro/pub and we park in the car park.

We make our way to the bistro. The bicyclist has ordered a pint and we order our drinks. We engage in conversation and discover he started riding from Portree two and half hours ago and was stopping here for a pint. He was on his way to Uig to pick up his car. He and friends had taken the ferry to and from Lewis, the day before. They played golf and since they had had too much to drink on the ferry ride back, they took a taxi back to Portree. He had decided to bike. He was not a biker. The bistro is a fine olde pub style with a good food menu. We sat outside for a bit since the weather was in our favor. Another couple came in with their child. The child was having dinner and the parents some drinks. The father ate more of the food than did his son. We walked to the main part of the hotel and sat in the siting room. It was early 1940's decor.

As we walked around and saw the guests we felt we had been dropped onto an old Agatha Christie set. In the bar were the bicycle rider and some locals, who looked as if they just came in from the farm. While waiting for dinner their was a young, couldn't keep their hands off each other, Italian couple. He dashing with the flamboyant ascot and she the doting one. As I went upstairs to look around and find the rest room an elderly German couple was descending the stairs. She could have used an elevator. As dinner began and the guests arrived, we were the only English speakers. An elderly couple almost formally dressed entered before us.

Once we were seated two French couples in their 60's wearing stylish jeans came in. The middle aged couple with the child, entered sans child, whew. Instead they had a baby monitor, he placed on the table next to him. The table we had asked for when we made our reservations three days ago was left unattended and we had been told a couple who was staying there requested it for 730. Guests have preference. The waitress was in a kilt and traditional Scottish accoutrements.

The menu wasn't fabulous. Heather stayed with the sea as she ordered scallops to start and langoustines. I go with a trio of pates, venison, pork, and duck followed by a lamb dish. She asked me if I wanted the lamb pink and I told her yes. Heather's food was okay, not great. Mine was horrid. The plates were so so, but the lamb was tough, overdone and accompanied by the motliest group of vegetables. Needless to say the meal at the Flodigarry Country House was most disappointing. When we left at 815, the table we had requested was still empty. A most unfortunate evening. We drove back to the Uig Hotel for dessert and coffee to wash the bad taste of the Flodigarry Country House drek from our taste buds. We went upstairs and packed and prepared for our 4AM rising to catch the 530 ferry to Lewis and Harris.

The Uig Hotel is a fabulous hotel with great food. Though we didn't eat dinner this trip we have before and the Haggis is the best. When I spoke the chef about her Haggis, she didn't have it right now because her supplier was out of some key ingredients, so I couldn't have had it if I wanted it. Her breakfasts are superb. I love her porridge and scrambled eggs with salmon. Her Scottish breakfast is excellent, too. The bar at the Uig is so much fun. Sometimes they have local musicians, but since we were so late this year, most of them had left the area for college.

School has begun here so we were between the summer and fall, which explains the age of the fellow travelers and lack of children. The rooms in the Uig are spacious with a TV and Internet. We were very comfortable as we were able to enjoy the comfort during the bad weather and a hot bath when we returned from it. We highly recommend the Uig Hotel as a place to stay and use as a base for exploring Skye.

This trip was designed to enjoy the foods of Skye. The Three Chimneys is very very good. The food is the best and local. The service is excellent and we are not rushed. It is a restaurant we will return to. The Glenview was a great find and an up and coming stellar restaurant. We had excellent food and great service. We will return to it again. The Stein Inn is a great lunch venue and one we will always return to when we visit Dunvegan or the sites in the Waternish area. We hope to eat at the Loch Bay one day. We will never revisit the Flodigarry Country House again as the meal there wasn't worth it. We will of course always stay at the Uig Hotel for so many reasons.

Fixing a Tire

2010-08-21T05:09:00.002-04:00

We started the day late. Had a fine breakfast and lounge around for a bit. Luckily for not too long. We set off to Portree to repair the tire. When we arrived at the first place to repair it, the shop was closed. We went to the second station and the lone man there was inundated with tire repairs. In addition he got a call to fetch a broken down car in the middle of one of the few intersections in Portree. Our tire wouldn't be ready for at least an hour and a half.

We went into Portree for coffee and a scone at another place we wanted to try. It was a quiet Saturday morning in Portree as we saw more bikers walking around and taking a break from the arduous task of pedaling up and down these rolling Scottish hills in the wind and occasional rain. We filled the car with gas and the tire was just about ready, ahead of schedule. Rather than have him replace the tires as he wanted to get out of there and he still had a long line, I told him I would change the tires, now that I had it figured out. That saved me some money, so I was rewarded.

When we returned to the hotel, I changed the tire and went in for a bath and we spent the day at the hotel napping and reading. It is very nice having these kinds of rest days because we will be very busy in the next week as we will be in hostels and traveling the outer islands. These days in Uig were designed for good food and rest.

We were lucky to find the Scottish national bagpipe contest held in Glasgow on TV. It was glorious and the band that has been in existence for one hundred years and has never won this competition won. The music and pipers was grand and some of the stories about these bands, how they prepare, and where they are from is absolutely fascinating. A little known contest to us, but not to others quite obviously.

We left for our dinner at The Glenview very early. We took the road over the Quiraing. We were the solitary travelers on a road that is usually well peopled with cars of hikers, sightseers, and locals. The only living beings were the sheep, lots and lots of sheep. When we arrived at the parking place for the hikers, only three cars were there. The other day this was a traffic jam with no parking places and cars using the passing lanes. We made our way down the switchback with ease as we were the only car. It was fun and the sheep looked at us as if they knew we were crazy Americans enjoying these empty roads. We stopped at a couple more of the traditional tourist stops which were empty. At one spot I heard lovely pipes and discovered that the pipes that were the railings had holes drilled in them so that when the wind blew as it was, the result was a lovely deep bass. Just before we arrived at the restaurant, I spied a farmer in the field with his lily white sheep around him. We stopped to admire his flock and the beautiful image this picture of bliss provided. The sheep followed him around, whereas they would scatter when we approached.

The parking lot at the Glenview was pretty full when we arrived a few minutes early for dinner. We got a lovely table by the window. The porch room we were in filled up quickly and then the other room slowly filled. The people were locals and those staying in the inn. We ordered a dozen oysters. When they arrived we were amazed at how large they were. Served only with a lemon we dove in. They were fabulous. Meaty, briny, and so pure. Considering the source, the eastern coast of Skye, the pure unpolluted waters. These were perhaps the best oysters we have had. After a long pause we were given a kitchen treat of watercress soup with macadamia nuts. I had a pork belly starter and Heather had hand dived scallops. We both had the mullet for main course surrounded by local potatoes, summer squash, and mushrooms. A delightfully light course of excellently charred fish. Heather had a chocolate tart with chocolate chip ice cream while I had a berry and vanilla bean parfait. Another excellent meal in an up and coming restaurant that is reasonably priced.

Our drive home was peaceful as the sky was clear and the eyes of the sheep guided our way back over the Quiraing to Uig. About halfway across we passed some cyclists. The remoteness of the place was peaceful. Be fore bed we watched some comedy show hosted by one of our favorites Jimmie Carr, who is not related to Alan Carr, another very funny man.

Our Anniversary

2010-08-20T05:03:00.001-04:00

We both went to sleep about 8PM last night. We were exhausted, Heather from her all night flight, me from the all night train ride, and the both of us from the drive. I woke at about midnight and went into the kitchen to have some smoked salmon and cheese on crackers with a Belhaven, while I read a funny account of an expose of an expose of a royal reporter and his questionable methods of reporting. I retired at 1AM and we slept through to 9AM.

Heather needed the sleep as did I. I was very active in London, so this was my first sustained sleep. Today is our anniversary. After packing up and getting ready to go from the hostel, the heavy wind, gale force winds was now joined by slanting rain. Not a day to bike or enjoy the great outdoors, so we decided to head to Portree and look in at the shops.

The rain was spotty. In Portree we stopped to have some coffee and scones while it rained. Three soaked bikers came in for a respite. During a lull in the rain we strolled the town. While in a knit shop, the heavens emptied their water resources and the crowds in the streets hurried into shops. Such a deluge. When it stopped the sun appeared and we made our way to the car and headed up the east coast towards Uig via Flodigarry, because we wished to find the Country House there to make dinner reservations for Sunday evening.

Every where we go we see the tartan floor covering. On the ride up the rain subsided, but the gale force winds persisted. It kept the crowds away from the fabulous sight seeing spots along the road. The parking lots were empty as we were able to truly enjoy these majestic vistas unencumbered and littered with other tourists. As we walked up the bluffs the winds gusted and blew us away from the bluffs. When I spread my arms like wings, my sweatshirt filled and I thought I was going to fly. Watching the birds flying into the wind was educational. Barely did their wings move as they found ways to float against the wind and make it to where ever they were going. The grasses, the heather, the bushes, the trees all withstood the winds and seemed the better for it. It made me realize that we didn't see much deadwood on these trees.

We explored many byways off the main road and found many dead ends as we meandered through fields of sheep and cows. Having some difficulty locating the Country House, I stopped at a couple of B&B's to get directions. In both cases, I was informed it was just up the road. Just up the road has different meanings for locals and tourists. The two way trafficked road became a single lane road with the occasional passing lane stop.

This was the long way around the tip back to Uig. One of our favorite museums is on this road that depicts the life on Skye. Eventually we found the Country House that was off to the right and down a long and winding drive way that was shrouded in tall pines. When we cleared the trees we discovered a fabulously manicured lawn surrounded by stone walls and a vista of the open sea to die for. The Country House was a castle. We found the reception desk and made reservations for Sunday dinner and took a quick tour of the premises. Certainly a place to consider on another visit. We are now set for three great dinners and set off to the Uig hotel, our place of residence for the next three nights.

Driving these one lane roads can be both soothing and hair raising, depending upon your mood. Are you in a rush? Trouble. If you are just out for a calm ride, no problem. More on that later.

We were in no rush for the moment. When we finally arrived at the Uig Hotel, we settled in for a quick nap before our dinner at the The Chimneys. This celebrated restaurant had been chosen for our anniversary dinner. Heather bathed and I showered and we set off in the gale winds and spotty rains. As we left the hotel, we looked down to the bay as a ferry was coming in and the waves were spilling and splashing over the pier, the very pier those disembarking had to drive or walk. Unable to stay and watch, we headed off to dinner. The ride was longer than we had thought and I had to start to rush. Then we hit one of those dreaded one lane roads. Because we were heading into traffic returning from the famous lighthouse at the end of this road, we were slowed down, but not enough so as to find myself a bit too far to the left when I hit a massive pothole and flattened the left front tire. Luckily we were just around the corner from the restaurant and hobbled into a parking place and into the restaurant with 3 minutes to spare for our coveted reservations.

Dinner was great. Heather had a beet salad composed of the most delightful local ingredients and I had a haggis as starters. She had a bleu cheese truffle cheesecake and I the salmon and squid for entree. We each had a hot marmalade and brown bread dessert with coffee. Our dinner was not rushed and we had a delightful two and a half hours of pure bliss as we watched the weather outside.

Because we are so far north, it was still light outside, so the odious task of changing the tire was not as bad as I thought it might be. I found all the tools and spare to begin the process. The tire was a real tire and that was good. I got the special lug off, but for the life of me couldn't figure out how to remove the other three lugs. They seemed to have a plastic covering. I referenced the manual only to find that I needed a straight screw driver to remove them and all they provided me with was a philips head. This is why I always carry a Swiss Army knife and because of flying regulations, I was now without the knife, drat!!! Luckily a young couple came along and helped us. He, too, had never seen such a thing, but had a straight screwdriver in his boot and he proceeded to assist me in changing the tire. As a team we made a great pit crew and were done in no time.

As we set out the rains came down and required that I have the wipers on full. The ride back to Uig was uneventful and when we arrived the rains had stopped and the sky was clear and the stars were shining down on us. It was a perfect anniversary as everything fell into place as the day was a microcosm of life.

Off to Scotland

2010-08-19T11:10:00.001-04:00

I had an early dinner of pork pies at the Black Prince Pub and then with bags in tow, made my way to the Globe. There was some confusion about the bags, but not a problem in the end. The evening was beautiful for a play in The Globe.

The not oft played Henry VIII is an extravagant play of pomp and politics revolving around Henry's first two wives and ends with the birth of Elizabeth. The star of the show is Katherine, the first wife of Henry, the betrothed to Arthur. The politics of Thomas Cromwell, Thomas More and the Cardinal was superb. Henry is a minor part actually. The staging was fun and the costume of course was period. The house was packed, as packed as it was for Merry Wives. The second half was better than the first with lavish costuming. The Porter and his assistant stole the show as they included the groundlings in their antics by handing them the broom and hat and then later asking for them back. Other interaction was also great fun.

The play ended about half ten and I hurried out with my retrieved bags to London Bridge for the Northern Line to Euston. I arrived at Euston at five minutes past eleven and the train was just boarding. The train was made up of two parts, one going to Glasgow which was mine and was at the far end of the platform and the other was going to Edinburgh, which was on the near end of the platform. The trains were joined by the two tails and would disconnect sometime I the middle of the night so the Edinburgh train could go its way and our train would continue on to Glasgow.

I had a lovely berth and the only time I woke was a couple of times when we stopped. I woke at about 6AM and stared out at the Scottish landscape in the soft rain. I probably went in and out of sleep as I sipped my tea and prepared myself for departure. I disembarked with the bikers. There were at least a dozen bikers who had stowed their bicycles and were now in their riding gear carrying their bags they would strap to their bikes and pedal off. Some were taking another train to the North while others were setting off from Glasgow.

I went and bought a ticket to Stratford and then found the bus to the airport to meet Heather. The bus was easy and fast. I arrived at the airport at 8AM and found that Heather's plane had arrived at 707AM. I went to arrivals and no one was there, so I went to get the car and Heather wasn't there either. I found the car and put my bags in and returned to the terminal to find Heather. There wasn't anyone at the Continental booth, so I couldn't get her paged. I returned to the arrivals and there she was.

Two things I didn't consider. The plane had arrived early which is the god news bad news bit. Good news we are early, bad news no where to park. They sat on the plane for awhile. Then another two planes landed and customs was long. Nonetheless, we were united and on our way to Uig. The drive out of Glasgow from the airport is so simple. A couple of roundabouts and onto the highway which is the main road to Highlands. The roads were particularly crowded with bicycles, trucks and campers.

The road turned into a very narrow single road that hugged the shore of a loch as we headed towards Fort William. On the way we stopped for an egg sandwich and coffee. Heather took a nap as I waded our way along in the traffic till we passed a juncture where the way split in three, one to Oban, another to Inverness, and the third to Skye.

I stopped just outside Fort William to pick up water and other stores for our journey. Heather woke just before we were to cross the Skye Bridge and we stopped at a lovely Inn for lunch. Heather had salmon and I had Haggis.

Satiated we crossed the bridge and felt the power of Skye fill our soul. We stopped to pick up fresh foods and local salmon and cheese for our snacks and light dinner tonight. When we got to Portree, we decided to take the left to find the Glenview Restaurant and make reservations for Saturday Night.

Once done, we set off to Uig over the top of the mountain, the quiraing, that divides the east coast from the west coast of northern sky. Passing the old Man of Storr, we found the bakery we had liked closed. Bittersweet. We had discovered a new restaurant, only to find this fun bakery closed. The road that the bakery was on, was the shortcut over the mountain to Uig. It is a narrow road with passing lanes at strategic places. We identified the places in Uig from on top the plateau, the fairy glen, the hotel, the hostel. While we sat there surveying our dominion, we heard a plaintive bleat and spied two of the tiniest and cutest sheep we have seen in the wild frolicking on a craggy hillside above us. Mom wasn't too far away as they navigated their way back to her and disappeared over the crest.

We followed the switchback down to the ferry terminal where we went into the Skye brewery. I picked up some Red Cuillin and discovered they had biking jerseys. I was hoping to find a biking jersey form Skye, and this was perfect. We arrived at the hostel at 5PM and checked into our room which had a double. We showered did some laundry and retired to the living room which was bathed in light from the sun and was like a greenhouse. Heather has fallen asleep in a comfy chair with a book in her lap. I'm imbibing a local ale, Belhaven, and some crackers as I pen this blog. The sun warming the room with light and heat. This is such a comfortable quiet room. It is good to be in this peace after NYC and London.

From park to park

2010-08-18T12:04:00.003-04:00

Today when I woke the sun was out in all its glory. It was a perfect touring and walk in the parks kind of day. After breakfast and doing some packing for my journey tonight I grabbed the number 3 bus today that wove me to Oxford Circus through Westminster, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly.

At Oxford Circus I transferred to a C2 took be through the back waters of Camden Town and Kentish where I caught a 46 to Hampstead Heath, one of my favorite haunts. While on the C2, I saw a tailor sewing in his shop. I had been looking for a tailor to mend my bag which was beginning to come undone and needed some immediate attention. I got off and he did a fabulous job and I was on the next C2 to Kentish where I caught that 46.

When I arrived in Hampstead Heath, near the hospital I strolled the streets and back alleys and direct myself to the Holly Bush Pub for lunch. This pub had been introduced to me on one of those London Walks. The place was relatively packed with older folks sitting around the pub drinking and eating snacks. Some women in front of me were getting sandwiches for a picnic on the Heath.

After ordering some soup and a cheese plate, I collected my half of Seafarers and found a seat with the ancients. To my far left was a very old Italian looking woman eating something and drinking a red wine. Next to her was a younger woman I suspected to be the daughter of the older couple at the same table. Across from me was an old man with a half in front of him and a plate of pork shavings. Next to him was a sturdy cane. Hidden from my view was another young woman with an older woman I supposed her mother. Oh was I wrong. I had just stepped into a lost scene of One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. The young woman with the elderly couple had just fetched some more cream for her coffee. She then asked the other young woman near me if she wanted some of the cream for her coffee. The old woman drinking the red wine was meticulous in her eating habits. A forkful, a swipe of the napkin along her lips and then a dainty sip of wine. She would rest a couple of minutes and repeat these steps again and again and again till everything was gone at the same time. She had this down to a fine art. At one point the young woman next to her asked her if she was enjoying her red wine, to which the woman replied in the affirmative and said nothing more. The older woman of the couple with the young woman, looked over at the old man in front of me spoke to him, "David are you okay?" His response was, "I'm missing you, darling." There was a chuckle from all and she said, "You decided to sit alone, today, David." He grumbled and took a sip of his drink. The younger woman in front of me was eating prawns and shared them with the woman who spoke to David who then went on about prawns and her love of them. The young women were speaking to each other across the room and I surmised that these two ladies were nurses and the older folks were their charges. David spent most my time there staring at me. After my soup and cheese plate I was getting ready to go. The young nurse near me asked David if he was okay since he was just sitting there quietly and staring intently into space, then at his empty glass, then at me. "No, I'm not okay, I'm mentally disturbed." He grabbed his cane and rested his chin on it as the others ignored him and had their own conversations. It was time for me to leave and make my way to the Heath.

I followed a very indirect set of roads and pathways till I found a path leading into the Heath. It was much drier and less crowded than the last time I was here on New Year's Day. I followed the paths that crossed the larger paths or carriage roads. I stayed on the more rustic trail that wove around trees and brambles until I came upon a huge field littered with benches randomly placed to view trees, the city, and nothing. Each bench was in memory of someone and perhaps was at a place they particularly like to sit. I stopped at many of these benches to get a feel for these people. It was peaceful. Others were there for the same reasons as I and sat in silence or walked in silence as dogs and children ran around carefree.

I could see the Stark Tower from here. It certainly does dominate the sight lines in London. It does let me know where I'm staying as it is very close to my B&B. Sort of the way the World Trade Towers were my beacon in NYC. I followed more hidden paths much as Alice and crossed a street to return to the paths and found myself near town where I walked to catch a 46 to Lancaster Gate on Hyde Park.

I had planned on getting the 360 at The Royal Albert Hall which is directly across the park from Lancaster Gate. The walk through the park was grand as I stayed on the grass to rest my feet and legs from the pavement walking. My legs have been a bit sore this trip, especially after that huge walk I took my first day. I'm sure they are thanking me for discovering the buses. I walked around Albert Hall where Van Morrison is playing on the eve of my birthday in October for one night. What a hoot that would be to come over to see him.

When I found the bus top a 360 came in and I was on my way. At a couple of stops a three generations of women got on and the youngest one, about 4 was screaming and didn't stop. She was shrill and she stopped al conversation on the bus. I got off at the next stop and could hear her ailing and screeching as the bus continued on its way. The next bus was quieter with a mother reading to her child. So much more civilized. When I arrived back at the B&B, I stole myself to the garden to write.

The bus rides were amazing and so easy. The bus system here is so efficient and comfortable. I was able to see things I hadn't seen during my earlier trips, because we were underground. It reminds me that I'm not in a rush and it allows me to see the character and culture of the city. In addition I was able to see some great architecture. No dachshund sightings today.

I'm off the see Henry VIII tonight and then catch the half eleven from Euston to Glasgow to meet up with Heather who will be arriving at about the same time I do in Glasgow.

Double Falsehood

2010-08-18T12:00:00.005-04:00

I had one of those rare pleasures in life. I saw a new Shakespeare play tonight, Double Falsehood or The Distrest Lovers. The production was played at the Union Theater on Union Street in Southwark, about a three minute walk from The Globe.

The theater is under a trestle and we know that because we could hear, not feel, the trains pass by above. Not a distraction like the planes and other airborne machines above The Globe. The Union Theater is a black box that holds about 55 people. 30 in three rows of ten on the far side of the stage and five rows of five on the near side. To the right is backstage behind a curtain. The narrowness of the near audience is to allow the players two more ways of entering the stage area which is probably 20 feet by 15 feet, in addition to the one directly from the black curtain.

Tonight was the opening performance and it started on time, half seven. The performance was supported by the Arden Shakespeare, though I read the Theobold version from Google books. I had read the play twice in the past month, so as to become familiar with it. The performance was true to the text and in 18th Century costume. The cast was a mix of old hands on stage and newbies. One needed a program to know the difference. It was well played by all.

I was particularly struck by the interchange of the two fathers, Don Bernard and Camillo, in the First Act about Honor and Time. The use of Honor was visited by Falstaff the other night as a foil to Hector's magnificent account of Honor in Troilus and Cessida. Camillo's account is closer to Hector's. In addition we were treated by a monosyllabic and double syllabic use of the word Time from these two men. It reminded me of John Barton's discussion of how Time is used by Shakespeare and how is should be pronounced both ways depending upon the circumstance. The production added something, at least in my Theobold version. Since I haven't seen the Arden issue, I can't be sure it is an addition. Two gentlemen dressed as horses, appropriately enough, since The Duke is concerned with his younger son's sudden interest in horses, parade out between some scenes, an older man, perhaps, Time, as in Winter's Tale perhaps portending to be Shakespeare and a younger man a foil, a jack, a very nave. The older man would recite certain famous lines from other plays while the younger would finish them. He began with "All the world's a stage." The quoted lines were apt to the play we were watching. Now its purpose is unknown, except to provide some mild entertainment at particularly difficult times in the play to allow the players time to change from one costume to another. It was an entertaining interjection and did nothing to injure the performance, only to enhance it.

The costuming was well done, which begs the question why not the makeup. The players were plain, themselves. It was difficult to believe that Camillo was going to die soon as he railed because he was a large, healthy Rugby kind of man who wasn't dying too soon unless he was hit by a truck because he would destroy any car that hit him. Makeup would have helped the two fathers to help us, in spite of the concept of suspending disbelief. Couldn't be done just as it was hard to believe he was the father of a woman his own age. He was one of the strongest players on stage and delivered his lines smartly. I also found Henriquez, the younger son of the Duke to be a perfect cad and an evilly wayward boy.

The play has such obvious references to other Shakespeare works, like the opening to King Lear. The disguise and running to the woods as in As You Like It. The comedy in the woods like Midsummer Nights Dream. I felt honored to see such a fine performance by this little troupe and hope it all the success. I wonder why it is only playing for 4 nights.

The last time I was so blessed to see a premier performance of a new Shakespeare play was Two Noble Kinsman in Stratford in 1986. Bravo to the cast and to the director Barrie Addenbrooke who did admirably, kept it true, and had the pleasure of being the first to direct this new play since 1728. Bravissimo.

From Duncan Lynskey

I was also at the Double Falsehood premiere last night. The two men with the hobby horses were strictly speaking the characters Lopez and Fabian, but the production took their lines and mixed them up with random Shakespeare quotes and presented them as Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. This is a nod to the origins of the story behind Double Falsehood in the original Shakespeare/Fletcher play "Cardenio" which is taken from Cervantes' "Don Quixote".

You might not have realised but the editor of the Arden Edition, Brean Hammond was there that night in the centre of the front row facing the entrance door, as was the general editor of the Arden Shakespeare Richard Proudfoot, as well as the mayor of Southwark and the theatre director Janet Suzman!

Duncan Lynskey

He added this in a second communication and in response to my query about Double Falsehood being performed at the Swan when it reopens.

As for the Swan reopening, Greg Doran of the RSC has been working on reconstructing Cardenio by filling in scenes assumed to be missing from Double Falsehood. This has been done before, but he plans to work with a Spanish writer so that it will be in English and Spanish. The RSC has also workshopped this at the University of Michigan:

http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/cardenio-story/

I spoke to someone from the University of Warwick who has been working on related matters with Greg Doran and he said that The Two Noble Kinsmen might also be part of the Swan reopening.

In fact, Brean Hammond's Double Falsehood is so hot off the press that he discusses the forthcoming RSC Cardenio on page 131 of the book. As you haven't got it with you in Scotland I'll include the relevant paragraph below:

"As I write this, I am learning from the Shakespearean scholar Jonathan Bate and Gregory Doran, Chief Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, about plans to workshop a reconstruction of Cardenio in association with the Almagro Festival. It is hoped that this will be an Anglo-Spanish collaboration and will be a mix of Cervantes, Shelton and Theobold under the
title of Cardenio... [footnote] 'It will be a mix of Theobald, Shelton and Cervantes, and will definitely include the Johnson songs (one of Michael Wood's best bits of work, that). It'll be worked up with Spanish as well as British actors, in an attempt to re-Spanishize the feel of Shelton and Theobald' (Gregory Doran, private communication, 23 July 2007)"

From Bernard Richards:
Saw your blog about Double Falsehood. I didn't see the production. My production of Cardenio was put on at Queens' College, Cambridge in March 2009. Unfortunately the production team did not get their act together on publicity, and it disappeared without trace. It was also staged at the Edinburgh Festival in 2009. It has six new scenes written by me. There is a photo from my production in Brean Hammond's Arden edition (miscaptioned alas). It was in 17th century dress, and sounds as if it was 'straighter' than the production you saw. There is an edition of my play. £5 including postage (apply to me e-mail address bernard.richards@yahoo.co.uk). I am hoping to have it on sale at the RSC bookshop. It does not sound as if purists are going to enjoy Greg Doran's production. I was very lucky in my production to have some excellent actors. Henriquez and Violante were paticularly good. Easily up to professional standard. It's a pity it did not have more of an impact. I am reviewing the Arden edition in the forthcoming Essays in Criticism.
best wishes, Bernard Richards

Riding the Buses

2010-08-17T13:14:00.003-04:00

It is a shame that we don't see Merry Wives of Windsor done more often. It is a hilariously witty and apt play. This was an absolutely delightful performance to a very packed house. It is a short play, too It started at half seven and let out at 10. If Henry VIII is like this, I should have no problem getting to Euston in time for the half eleven train to Glasgow.

Today I woke late, at about 9AM. Mrs Steel and her friend had gone off to Stratford early in the AM and left my breakfast fixings out. It had rained and was still spotty. This morning I had raspberries, granola with yogurt and honey, coffee and toast. I listened to the BBC and hard Alan Cummings reading from Stuart Kelly's Scott-land, The Man who Invented a Nation. It is a biography of Sir Walter Scott and Cummings read delightfully.

I took a shower and set out by half ten by bus. I caught the 59 just around the corner for Kings Cross via Waterloo Bridge. The ride above ground through London was educational. I passed by the bits and pieces of London I knew only from popping up from the tube. Those pieces were being connected by my above ground transport. When I arrived at Euston, I disembarked and wandered to the 73 which was going to move me towards Tottenham Court where I would wander the book stores of Leicester Square in search of the Kelly tome. I started at Foyle's with no luck. Wandered in and out of the used stores along the lane and gave up. On my way back to Tottenham Court to snag a 242 to St Paul's I happened upon Blackwells and low and behold found a copy.

I meandered through the detours caused by the construction at the Court to find the 242 stop. As I was riding I discovered I was near the Seven Stars pub where Heather and I had met our friend Laurie for lunch during one of our Christmas trips. I remember the food was exceptional, so I hopped off and Chancery Lane and followed the maze to Carey Street and found the pub.

Upon entering a country gentleman was sitting at the bar tethered to two dachshunds. I ordered a cider, a soup, and quail salad. I found a table in the room adjoining the bar and watched the hounds as they kept guard. My soup was a very tasty vegetable soup and the quail was fabulous. I'm glad I stopped here for lunch.

I followed Bell Yard to Fleet Street, which I crossed to get to Middle Temple Lane hidden behind a wooden door with only a small opening for pedestrians. What a small world I discovered of law offices and parks and cobbled stones. I followed this all the way to the Embankment where I took a left and strolled to the Black Friar pub at the Black Friar Bridge. I had a half of a cider and then caught a 45 to Elephant and Castle where I caught a 242 to just outside the Black Prince Pub on Black Prince Road, the next street over from my B&B. I arrived home at half three and decided to take a nap as it was dreary outside. I set the alarm for 5PM.

Upon waking from my much needed nap, the sun was shining brightly and I stepped into the garden to write my day's adventures on the buses. Tonight I will be seeing Double Falsehood at the Union Theater.

The Day of the Fox

2010-08-16T12:50:00.006-04:00

Slept well and woke at 8AM for breakfast which I could smell. Perhaps it was the cooking of Mrs Steel that woke me. Fresh strawberries, granola, and toast with cranberry juice started my day. I decided I'd walk to Brixton Market via Kennington Park. Set out by 930 on a cool cloudy day. I was wearing my shorts and tee shirt, with my hoodie.

The park was filled with children and dogs. A camp of soccer players were on the playing field and the elders occupied the benches around the gardens. A lovely park. When I exited the far side, I spied a dead fox next to a dustbin. I was stunned.

The walk down Brixton Road was delightful as I found the homes lovely and the shops of African, Jamaican, and Carib makeup. Lots of renovation of many buildings of residence which is a good sign, methinks. I spied a delightful road to my right with a quaint church at its end, so I walked down this road which found me on Stockwell Road.

I stopped in a bike shop for a map which they were out of. Bikes have really taken over this city. The bike lanes are clearly marked, respected and filled with bikers commuting and exercising. There is quite a push to make this city more bike friendly. Perhaps we will see more of this in NYC too. The bikers are more friendly and respectful here. They use signals and observe the traffic lights. NYC bikers could take note of this, too. Once I got to Brixton, the empty roads I was traveling became a mob of people. The market was just left passed the railroad trestle. What a maze of shops. Fresh fish, meats, vegetables separated by pots and pans, socks and underwear, suitcases, jewelry, CD's, sheets and linens, and cell phones. Everything was for sale and there were more than one shop so you could check prices and haggle. Do you have a locked cell phone? No problem they will unlock it. The maze of shops is all around the railroad trestle, under it, all along Electric road (aptly named), and weaving everywhere. It is a festival of languages. I heard so many tongues and saw so many buyers at the food shops buying in bulk and for themselves. It is quite obvious that this is a place cooks shop as they had baskets of helpers to carry the purchases.

The bus stop was crowded with people carrying their loot as others made their way to the underground. I hopped on a 59 bus and enjoyed the views from the front seat of the upper deck along Brixton Road past my B&B to Lambeth Road, where I exited. I walked down Lambeth towards the Thames and the Garden Museum.

I stopped at Hercules Road for a cafe latte and sweet. After passing under the Waterloo train trestle, I strolled into the Archbishop's Park to find a father with his two sons practicing cricket in a type of batting cage. I returned to Lambeth Road to continue my way to the garden museum.

The museum is in an old church and is well appointed. The graveyard serves as a learning area about gardens. The opening video is about the railroads and early gardens in London. The museum has a great exhibition about gardeners and of tools. The walking sticks that served as pruners, weeders, and the like were absolutely fascinating as was the cucumber straightener. Once in the garden I was taken by the organization around the graves and by the one of Captain Bligh and his wife in the center of things.

The main garden featured a knot garden hedge that served as a divider. It was set up in sections and allowed for other plantings in the spaces provided. On one of the plaques explained how a fox in 2003, had done some damage the the hedge because this variety of hedge was an aphrodisiac to the fox. Eventually the fox was found dead in the park and the damage to the hedge ceased.

Upon leaving the museum I followed the Thames to the Brunel Musuem. At Blackfriar's Bridge, I picked up a basket of fruit (two apricots, two apples, a pear, an orange, a plum) for one pound. Along the way I passed the multi lingual tourists, the parade of joggers, and entertainers of all types. As always when I got to the London Eye, the mass of humanity was crazy. Once past the Globe, the crowds thinned out till I got near the Mayor's testicle, City Hall. Once past Tower Bridge, the path was empty.

When I got to the Mayflower Pub, I stopped for a pint and relaxed my feet and body on the balcony overlooking the Thames. A quick stroll to the overland to catch a train to conect me to the Jubilee line that connected me to the Northern line returned me to Kennington. Upon returning to the B&B, I collected my laptop, took the Magner cider I bought on the way home and put on my flipflops to retire to the garden to write my day's adventures.

When I mentioned my encounter of the fox in Kennington and the Museum garden to Mrs Steel, she mentioned the fox problem they had in their garden. Today was certainly the day of the Fox for me. It is 5PM. I must shower, have dinner and set off for tonight's entertainment, The Merry Wives of Windsor.

Cheers.

Back in London

2010-08-14T13:51:00.006-04:00

Summer School ended for me on Thursday. Friday evening I boarded a plane to London. Arrived Saturday morning about 8AM to a cloudy warm day. I was in shorts and a tee shirt and very comfortable. This trip I'm staying in South London in Vauxhall area. The B&B is equidistant between two tube lines so I have good options depending on my plans.

After having a good English breakfast at a local establishment near Vauxhall tube and rail, filled with locals, I made my way to my B&B in middle of busy and pub rich area on Kennington Lane. After settling in, I set out to walk to the Globe through Elephant and Castle. I wouldn't recommend this walk as the E&C double roundabouts are a driver and pedestrian nightmare. Pedestrians are confronted with dozens of undergrounds that weave, intersect, and otherwise create a subterranean world. In addition, right in the middle of E&C is the Strata Tower, the most recent winner of the Carbuncle Award as the ugliest building. Once I finally escaped this maze, I found the lovely Ruse Pub, which had wifi and was showing the first game of the new Premier League season. Tottenham Hotspurs tied Manchester City nil nil. After the game I continued my journey to the Globe and the Union Theater.

On Sunday I will be seeing Henry IV parts 1&2. On Monday I will be seeing Merry Wives. On Tuesday, I will be seeing Double Falsehood, at the Union Theater, a play recently attributed to Shakespeare and not played in 200 years. On Wednesday, I will be seeing Henry VIII. Since I will be taking a 2330 train from Euston to Glasgow, where I will pick up Heather who will be arriving at the Glasgow airport Thursday morning at about 730AM, I headed out to Euston to pick up my tickets and to scope out the commute since it will be a tight commute after Henry VIII to catch the 2330 train. From there we will head up to Skye and the outer Hebrides for ten days. My chores were done, so I headed back the B&B, took a shower and headed to the Black Prince around the corner form the B&B for dinner. I discovered they had wifi, were paying the Chelsea massacre of West Brom. Food was excellent.

In addition to the Strata Tower, their is the massive Oval Cricket Field and the Vauxhall City Farm and the new Barcaly's borrow a bike program.

The sun was in and out all day with sudden showers followed by bright sun. A lovely respite from the heat and humidity of NYC this past six weeks. A good start to my three week holiday in UK.

Cheers.