Jaime Escalante and 'The Other Johnny'

I read today that the math teacher, Jaime Escalante, died at 79. He became famous when a 1988 movie, Stand and Deliver, depicted the teacher, a Bolivian immigrant, as he transformed students in an inner-city Los Angeles high school into math aces. At one point, the school had more students studying advanced calculus than all but three other state schools in the US.

Amazingly, this week I'd shared with my students this story told by Zig Ziglar.

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Hanami- Cherry Blossom Viewing Begins This Week.

This is the first weekend of my favorite season in Japan-- the blooming of the cherry trees. Although 'hanami' originally meant simply 'flower viewing', it now means, 'cherry blossom viewing'.

Plum trees began blooming weeks ago, but for me this was just a promise of spring. When the cherry trees bloom, spring is really here.

I hope that the photos I've taken over six past seasons are varied enough to portray a portion of hanami's meaning and beauty.

You can find them here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tipserve/sets/

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Tiny Tsunami! Did You Say Salami? Andrew Said, 'Baloney'!

   Yesterday there was a tsunami warning. We were asked to evacuate our seaside home as a precaution.

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Media Madness-- Our Choice

It's the menace that everyone loves to hate but can't seem to live without. -Paddy Chayevsky

 Kyle Cunningham wrote:

"I was just thinking. Do you plan to do a post on OUR part in this?-- That they show us what we want."

Hmm... Do you think I can be THAT truthful?...

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Surfing More Media Madness

  Post Five on Media Madness

I know it sounded in my last posts that I'm a bit of a Luddite, but I'm not. I know that television has some beauty and good, but... well I've said enough about TV. I promised that I would talk about the new strangers, the ones who make the old family friend, TV, seem somewhat stodgy and straight-laced in comparison.

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'The Stranger' Remix and Media Madness

(This is my fourth post on Media Madness)

Around the time of the incident mentioned in my last post, I read 'The Stranger'. I was so impressed that I've kept a copy of it ever since. 

I've included an edited version here, with apologies to its unknown author.

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Media Madness Culture Shock

Culture Shock-- Post Three on Media Madness

After five continuous years working in India, I was visiting my relatives. I sat down with my father-in-law to watch the evening news. Some minutes into the broadcast, I looked over to the doorway and saw my five year-old daughter, her eyes round and mouth agape-- in shock; she looked almost faint.

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Little Pitchers Have Big Ears-- Filtering the Media Madness

Part Two on Media Madness-- Little Pitchers Have Big Ears

'Ice-way eamcra'? My parents might whisper as we approached an ice-cream shop. Since we already knew Pig Latin, the secret was out. We were soon chanting, 'I scream. You scream. We all scream for Ice cream!'. 

'Eakspa aterla' ('speak later'), they might also say, if one thought their conversation was drifting into inappropriate territory.

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Death, Violence, and Other Media Toxins

Getting Used to Death, Violence, and Other Media Toxins

Millions watched this week, a video of an accidental death during the Winter Olympics.

Officials said, “It was the young man's fault for making a mistake.”

What was unsaid: “We didn't want any ugly padding on the concrete pillars or safety netting that would block the cameras.”

I was shocked and saddened-- not just by the excuses, but also by how many people reacted by saying,

“Get used to it. It's reality; why wouldn't they show the video”.

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Brush, Floss... and Turn Down the Earphones!

I was surprised, some years ago, to read that when researchers asked folks up in their 90s what it was, over the course of their lives, that they regretted most and would do differently if they had the change-- the surprise answer was, 'Take better care of my teeth.'

While teeth and gum loss is serious, and I whole-heartedly agree with the wisdom of these sages-- wishing to keep my teeth as long as possible, and with as little pain as possible-- I'm going to add to their 'brush and floss' mantra.

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