"Murphy was an optimist!"
How do you spell stress in four letters? May 16, 2011 12:36 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Health, MentalD-O-U-G
add a comment
Inhale May 4, 2011 5:10 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Family, HealthYou know what I shouldn’t have to remind myself to do? Breath! I shouldn’t have to remind myself to breath. I have awake apnea.
add a comment
Stop Outsourcing at Knox County Schools April 27, 2011 12:09 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Activism, Announcements, Education, Health, Local Politics, Of Interest, Politics, Touchy SubjectsA friend from Jobs with Justice of East Tennessee asked that I help spread their word:
Jobs with Justice of East Tennessee is petitioning to save the jobs of 275 or more custodial workers as Superintendent Dr. McIntyre has proposed an outsourcing plan as part of the 2011-2012 school budget which would:
- lay off 275 workers across the county
- reduce custodial wages by $2-$5 per hour
- decrease quality of work (as shown by the last outsourcing attempt)
Please sign our online petition urging the school board to avoid outsourcing in our schools! http://bit.ly/g69Uz3
Jobs with Justice of East Tennessee is having a lunch for custodians and other school employees and community members this Saturday.
Custodians and other school employees and community members have been circulating petitions and talking to the Board of Education about the proposal to contract out custodial services. This is a very bad idea – bad for employees, students, and the whole community. There are a couple of School Board meetings coming up soon, so this might be a good time for folks to get together and talk about what we need to do next.
Let’s meet for lunch Saturday, April 30, 12 noon to 2 pm at the UNITE Building, 1124 N. Broadway (less than a mile north of Central).
Since custodians work different shifts, Saturday seems like the best chance to get together. We’d like the other folks who have been working on this to attend as well.
Lunch & Child Care are provided.
Family members are welcome at this gathering. Everyone is important. We’ll talk about what we’ve accomplished so far, and how we might move forward to save jobs and the quality of our schools. We can do this!
If you have questions before Saturday, call Jobs with Justice volunteers Karly Safar, 615/519-0157 or Brad Rayson, 865/385-4421.
add a comment
Oh! I now understand why TN fears sex education. April 27, 2011 11:41 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Education, Health, Sex, Touchy SubjectsApparently sexual education is the gateway to teen sex and deviance! Without sex ed, teenagers would never, ever be aware of the capabilities of their bodies and therefore would never masturbate or have sex.
Seen on BoingBoing
add a comment
Oldest guy at the skate park April 13, 2011 3:54 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Health, JugglingIt’s only a hip.
add a comment
American Library Association List of Books People Tried to Ban in 2010 April 13, 2011 11:20 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Education, Health, Touchy SubjectsIn our enlightened world, people are still trying to ban books. The American Library Association (ALA) has just released its list of the 10 books which Americans tried hardest to ban in 2010.
- "And Tango Makes Three
" by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: Homosexuality, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group - "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
" by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: Offensive language, Racism, Sex Education, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group, Violence - "Brave New World
" by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: Insensitivity, Offensive Language, Racism, Sexually Explicit - "Crank
" by Ellen Hopkins
Reasons: Drugs, Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit
Note: Crank is available for the Kindle - "The Hunger Games
" by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group, Violence
Note: The Hunger Games is also available for the Kindle - "Lush
" by Natasha Friend
Reasons: Drugs, Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group
Note: Lush (Kindle version) - "What My Mother Doesn’t Know
" by Sonya Sones
Reasons: Sexism, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group
Note: What My Mother Doesn’t Know (Kindle version) - "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
" by Barbara Ehrenreich
Reasons: Drugs, Inaccurate, Offensive Language, Political Viewpoint, Religious Viewpoint
Note: Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America (Kindle Version) - "Revolutionary Voices
" edited by Amy Sonnie
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit - "Twilight
" by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: Religious Viewpoint, Violence
Note: Twilight (Kindle version)
Do you agree or disagree? What books would you ban?
The State of America’s Libraries Report documents trends in library usage and details the impact of library budget cuts, technology use and the various other challenges facing U.S. libraries. The full report is available at http://tinyurl.com/alasalr2011. [Source, American Library Association]
Sources:
DayRiffer, Cowardly New World
Guardian, Brave New World among top 10 books Americans most want banned
American Library Assciation, "And Tango Makes Three" waddles its way back to the number one slot as America’s most frequently challenged book
2comments
Knoxville STEM School Excites Students April 7, 2011 10:41 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Education, Family, Health, Noah, Of InterestThe student/parent orientation and final tour of the STEM school before major renovation begins was this week. Noah received his official acceptance letter and will be one of 43 students in the sophomore class. A graduating class of 43! My graduating class from Germantown High School in 1988 was 672 people. I can only imagine how unique and special Noah’s education will be. The orientation was akin to a family reunion. Everyone seemed to know each other and be very like minded with regard to the goals of education. The principal is extremely enthusiastic. I have high hopes and think the Knoxville STEM Academy will do great! Oh, one of the highlights was the announcement that all students will be issued an iPad 2. There will be no textbooks. I’m thrilled and I’m thrilled for Noah.
Video source: WBIR.
add a comment
My April/May 2011 Juggling Performances April 3, 2011 11:22 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Announcements, Health, Juggling, Of InterestThis is my upcoming performance schedule.
- April 15 11:15-11:30 and noon-12:15 – UT’s International Festival on the UC Plaza. Fire will be allowed.
- April 15 3:00-3:30 Dogwood Art’s festival children’s stage near Krutch Park downtown – Fire will be allowed.
- April 16 5:00-8:30 Zoo-to-do juggling at the Knoxville Zoo. No fire. LED show if darkness comes soon enough.
- April 17 4:00-4:30 Dogwood Art’s festival children’s stage near Krutch Park downtown – Fire will be allowed.
- April 30 time tbd (event is 8-5) Dogwood Art’s Chalk Wallk walk-around juggling in Market Square and Krutch Park – details still being worked out. Probably a G to PG-13 rated crowd since this will be atmospheric/walk-around the performances will be shorter more adhoc depending on what crowd gathers to watch. Fire will be based upon each location that is density of the crowd, nearness to flammables, etc. You know.. the standard safety considerations.
- May 6 5-8:30 Dreamnight at the Zoo with Children’s Hospital – the event is for children with severe ongoing medical concerns and terminal illness. – No fire. LED equipment if darkness comes soon enough.
- May 7 10-11:30 (probably more like 10:45-11:30 – event is 10am-2pm and the only slot taken is 11:30-noon when Michael Messing performs magic). The event is Children’s Mental Health Week sponsored by TN Voices for Children and will be near Krutch Park.
If you are interested in joining me on any of these endeavors, just let me know. Obviously most of the events are G-rated but I think we can have a little more fun with the UT students. Note: At this point, none of the performances are likely to be amp’d ie. no microphones or PAs. I currently do not have a passing partner for any of these events. If you want to pass with me or have some solo time at one of these events, please let me know. Don’t sell your skills short. If you learn to pass clubs Monday night, you’re already good enough! Performances are much less about perfect juggling and far more about audience engagement.
Juggle til you drop!
add a comment
The vicarious busker March 24, 2011 7:26 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, History, Juggling, Of InterestIn the middle of 1993, I decided to spend three months in the dance studios of the upper floors of Knoxville’s Candy Factory practicing my dance, pantomime, comedy and choreographing my juggling routines in preparation to hike Europe while living off the rewards of my busking. I had successfully busked the corner of Jackson Avenue and Central on the corner of Manhattan’s for 12 weeks every Friday and Saturday night making at least $50 a night sometimes working as little as two hours which was better than the tips I made on a full shift waiting tables at Shoney’s plus someone usually bought me a beer or two. My "success" in Knoxville along with the encouragement of a friend who had eight years experience juggling for money (2 on the streets, 6 on the cruise line/college circuits) left me confident that I would eat well, pay my bills, and stay in nice hotels and if that didn’t work out my friend had advised me on how to sleep under a bush without getting arrested or having equipment stolen.
By the end of 1993, I was making $13000 a year working 70 hours a week with 4 other smelly guys in a tiny, cramped motel room which had been converted to a software development office with desks made out of doors on filing cabinets. The shower doubled as storage and a sound room for recording audio. Another room was reserved for artists, one for customer service, and two for packaging and shipping.
My European ship sailed and I now live vicariously through the videos of buskers such as Street Show Keith.
Street Show Keith from StopDropAndRoll Inc. on Vimeo.
add a comment
Spoken by a juggler February 16, 2011 11:23 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Juggling, QuoteOh hell, I left my balls at home.
add a comment
Our Brains Are Shrinking January 3, 2011 9:52 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Health, Mental, Of Interest, Politics, Science, Technology, Touchy SubjectsA scientific explanation for the tea party.
add a comment
Just Breathe November 19, 2010 2:10 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Health, MentalEver since taking my breathing class at The Glowing Body, I have become acutely aware that much of my day is spent forgetting to breathe. That is, I tend to inhale far more than I exhale so when I finally have to relax and let the air out of my lungs I sound like a balloon with a slow leak. This also causes me to hold a great amount of tension and stress. I need Dory: "Just keep breathing. Just keep breathing."
add a comment
How did the snack tray go over? November 12, 2010 9:15 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Family, Food, Health, Of Being DadNot terribly. Broccoli and tomatoes didn’t go over great. My children enjoyed the tray while the neighborhood kids raided their Halloween candy.
Future trays to include melons (thanks R. Neal see his comment), apples and cheeses.
add a comment
Encouraging healthy snacking November 11, 2010 3:40 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Family, Food, Health, Of Being DadThis is my latest attempt to encourage the children to snack well. Everyday they arrive home from school, the neighborhood kids come over, and the whole gang immediately starts raiding the pantries and fridge scouring like starving mice for sweets. My hopes are that having this tray readily available on the kitchen table will make nibbling easier and discouraging staring into the cabinets. It has already been met with skepticism.
4comments
Movibf Targets October 28, 2010 12:25 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Health, Mental, Of Being DadOne of those things that pushes me toward the brink of insanity is “shit that magically moves.” For instance, the two youngest have forms due on November 1. I prefer to do my accounting on Thursdays and was too busy the day I received the forms so I set them in an out of the way place where I’d be able to finish them this morning while the kids readied themselves for school. Of course, the forms are gone so I’m now faced with squeezing a trip into the elementary school today to go to the office with two checks ($9 and $18) and saying, “I have no idea who to endorse these to nor what they are for but they are due Monday.”
This is not an OCD thing. This is a “constantly off balance” thing. It’s one of the benefits that cone with marriage and children. Never again will you be able to find anything, particularly your tools. Supposedly this teaches you to take things in stride. The way my heart feels right now, I think it’s going to teach me how to self-administer an AED.
add a comment
