tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219802932024-03-07T20:44:32.989-07:00TobyCentralaus der mitte Tobys.<br>tobycentral at gmail dot com.Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.comBlogger544125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-14328738679995366942009-02-07T11:56:00.000-07:002009-02-07T11:56:26.138-07:00When Trekkies Go BadThe other day, here in Colorado Springs, some guy robbed two 7-11s with a Batleth. It "earned" a spot at the top of Keith Olbermann's "Best Persons in the World" segment:<br /><div><iframe height="339" width="425" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/29061868#29061868" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><style type="text/css">.msnbcLinks {font-size:11px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #999; margin-top: 5px; background: transparent; text-align: center; width: 425px;} .msnbcLinks a {text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px;} .msnbcLinks a:link, .msnbcLinks a:visited {color: #5799db !important;} .msnbcLinks a:hover, .msnbcLinks a:active {color:#CC0000 !important;} </style><p class="msnbcLinks">Visit msnbc.com for <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/">Breaking News</a>, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032507">World News</a>, and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072">News about the Economy</a></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-37471354502125836212008-12-30T11:08:00.002-07:002008-12-30T11:14:56.582-07:00No wonderthere's such a high turnover rate in teaching. I knew going into it that it was high stress. I knew I would take a pay cut, but I just crunched some numbers and found that I am making, on average, almost $800 less per month, after taxes than I was making as a dispatcher in Greeley. At that job, I sat at a desk and reacted things as they happened. After I got off work, I had no responsibilities. At my current job, I have to plan for hours before I go into work, then I have to go home and grade and plan after I get off work. For almost $10,000/year less.<br /><br />...<br />...<br />...<br /><br />Feel free to comment, but do NOT say "At least you get summers off." Seriously.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-85727010167379373032008-12-23T18:15:00.003-07:002008-12-23T18:32:46.267-07:00Happy HolidaysI've had a couple friends ask me what they should say to me this time of year; "Happy Holidays?" "Merry Christmas?" "Happy Festivus?" "Happy Solstice?" "Happy Christmahanakwanzika?" "You're going to burn in hell, you heathen." (On a side note, when I wished my friends a happy Solstice the other day, it was only because it happened to be the Winter Solstice; I wasn't trying to make some kind of politically correct statement.) Any of the above will do just fine, thank you. And I've had some people get offended when I say "Happy Holidays," as if I'm trying to undermine their Christian beliefs or mock them. Though I don't understand how recognizing that there are those who don't celebrate Christmas and being sensitive to that fact can be offensive.<br /><br />I don't mind if someone wishes me a Merry Christmas. In fact, I'll return the sentiment, just as I would if someone were to wish me a Happy Kwanzaa (I must admit to being a little offended that no one <span style="font-style:italic;">has</span> wished me a Happy Kwanzaa yet...)<br /><br />As far as Christmas goes, I do look forward to the time with the family and the Christmas songs (I've been avoiding them thus far -- the songs, not the family) I go to church with the family as part of our annual tradition, (At great personal risk, as I expect to burst into flames one of these years.) and I sing along with the Christmas songs; I actually prefer the Christian Christmas songs more than the annoying secular carols.<br /><br />Christmas, to me, is a time to get together with the family, give each other gifts, eat good food and just enjoy life. I understand that it means something different to Christians and that's fine. By saying "Happy Holidays," I'm not trying to impugn upon that. Christmas is included in those holidays.<br /><br />Happy Holidays!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-82594246358228611402008-11-18T18:53:00.002-07:002008-11-18T18:55:22.561-07:00It's almost that time of yearAnd the time-honored tradition of sticking the heads of those you love onto the bodies of ridiculous elves is back! It's the reason for the season!<br /><br /><div style='background-color:#e9e9e9; width: 425px;'><object id='A222302' quality='high' data='http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=S2MhFDNMKVf1qpGt&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=ElfYourself' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='transparent' height='319' width='425'><param name='wmode' value='transparent'></param><param name='movie' value='http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=S2MhFDNMKVf1qpGt&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=ElfYourself'></param><param name='scaleMode' value='showAll'></param><param name='quality' value='high'></param><param name='allowNetworking' value='all'></param><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true' /><param name='FlashVars' value='external_make_id=S2MhFDNMKVf1qpGt&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=ElfYourself'></param><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='always'></param></object><div style='text-align:center; width:435px; margin-top:6px;'>Send your own <a href='http://www.elfyourself.com'>ElfYourself</a> <a href='http://www.jibjab.com'>eCards</a></div></div><img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTIyNzA1OTYwNDk2NiZwdD*xMjI3MDU5NjMxMDI1JnA9NDE4ODEzJmQ9MjAyNjcwJm49YmxvZ2dlciZnPTImdD*mbz1jYjllYjNkNzBhNGM*MGRlYWM5ZjFlMDc1ZTljMWIxZQ==.gif" /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-88171713777387701912008-09-17T19:03:00.003-06:002008-09-17T19:10:19.051-06:00This is not a bag!I got my new <a href="http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/products/home">Timbuk2</a> bag today. It was a little pricey, but I like their <a href="http://www.timbuk2.com/wordpress_cms/customer-service/about/our-manufacturing-policy/">manufacturing policy</a> and I needed a new bag in which I could carry all my teaching crap around! Here is part of the plastic bag in which it was shipped:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwAp6B4IpWHo2pjGToXLczhjQvCPrrvSmv7XD5WUNGDrsUM-s4bvZTGESGl84TbJQUrCAOKC_T6vHOdDah5CQ3N4J4ZeykCfUYk_9o0lXcmwPnVBOhMwmXSFGAuUKRwaN9C2sNw/s1600-h/P9170010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwAp6B4IpWHo2pjGToXLczhjQvCPrrvSmv7XD5WUNGDrsUM-s4bvZTGESGl84TbJQUrCAOKC_T6vHOdDah5CQ3N4J4ZeykCfUYk_9o0lXcmwPnVBOhMwmXSFGAuUKRwaN9C2sNw/s400/P9170010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247161350261060130" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-20890473842005307242008-09-08T16:15:00.002-06:002008-09-08T16:23:14.069-06:00Large Hadron Collider, Yo.Just FYI: in two days, they will activate the <a href="http://lhc.web.cern.ch/lhc/">Large Hadron Collider</a> [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Hadron_Collider">wikipedia</a>], which will "cause the collision of 'two counter rotating beams of protons or heavy ions,' thus creating a tiny black hole that will steadily grow, swallowing the entire earth and destroying life as we know it." So, get your affairs in order... right after you finish watching this rap about it. The video should assure you that the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2008/09/05/scilhc105.xml">scientists working on the project aren't worried</a> (and have a lot of time on their hands right before activating the world's largest machine).<br /><br /><embed src="http://services.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/1137883380" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=1753815421&playerId=1137883380&viewerSecureGatewayURL=https://console.brightcove.com/services/amfgateway&servicesURL=http://services.brightcove.com/services&cdnURL=http://admin.brightcove.com&domain=embed&autoStart=false&" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="486" height="412" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" swLiveConnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed><br /><br />ht: German Joys<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-18920065180459582862008-08-27T18:14:00.002-06:002008-08-27T18:22:13.925-06:00UghThey told me it was going to happen. "Toby," they said, "you're going to get sick. First year teaching. Germs flying around the school. Stress messing with your immune system. Make sure you have some emergency lesson plans on hand that are easy for a sub to pull off..." But did I listen? No. I never get sick. I'm Toby. I'm effing Superman!<br /><br />And now for the predictable climax to this story: I'm sick. Sicker than I've been in a long time.<br /><br />I woke up this morning with that tell-tale sore throat, and it only went downhill from there. Now I can hardly talk, breathe, smell... And I'm exhausted but can't sleep. But I didn't listen about that emergency lesson plan. Just spent about three hours (which felt like 16), preparing stuff for the sub tomorrow.<br /><br />First order of business once I recover from this fun: make more emergency lesson plans.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-1336676385967597162008-08-21T05:43:00.002-06:002008-08-21T05:47:00.537-06:00Indie WeddingCame across <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewMix?id=217189856&s=143441&wm=1">this</a> while browsing the iTunes Store. No, I do not have any plans to marry soon, but I thought it was interesting. Even indie rockers need music at their wedding... Some decent tracks on there too.<br /><br />Word.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmOcNlZV_wSJ6BZ8ufO9MYu4uE-WB-GtMjvPJ-TZOXegYDqXhekvICmJ2ke4Ah-wU_8aAK64ILx2IQKz9rOcw0eEdRXd4uvxAImOzsa5kLW96CnSDx1GTcfsSiVPvn0mfJcDYIQ/s1600-h/indie+wedding.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmOcNlZV_wSJ6BZ8ufO9MYu4uE-WB-GtMjvPJ-TZOXegYDqXhekvICmJ2ke4Ah-wU_8aAK64ILx2IQKz9rOcw0eEdRXd4uvxAImOzsa5kLW96CnSDx1GTcfsSiVPvn0mfJcDYIQ/s400/indie+wedding.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236935987337829218" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-21198609246856116102008-08-15T05:34:00.005-06:002008-08-15T06:15:48.137-06:00Here we go again.The <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com/2006/10/holes.html">ceiling</a> in my living <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com/2006/07/just-my-luck.html">room</a> is <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com/2006/10/aftermath.html">leaking</a>. <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com/2006/10/chinese-water-torture.html">Again</a>. I am not happy.<br /><br /><b>Update:</b> Just got off the phone with maintenance, who got the "pleasure" of speaking with unshowered, uncaffeinated Toby (Most of you know what that's like!):<br />"Hello."<br />"Hi. This is maintenance. You have a leak or something?"<br />"Yes."<br />"I think it's all the rain we had."<br />"Yeah, well, that and the hole in the roof."<br />"Yeah."<br /><br />I think I came across as an ass... Maybe I shouldn't attempt humor before fully awake.<br /><br /><b>Update 2:</b> And the lace just broke on my shoe. I think this is an omen that I should call in sick on my first full day of teaching.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-85739923174875735322008-08-12T17:20:00.002-06:002008-08-12T17:28:27.671-06:00My horoscope this weekFrom the Onion: <blockquote>After years of being an emotionless drone, you'll finally break down and cry this week, instantly rusting your metal hinges and joints.</blockquote> I post this because there is a danger that it may happen this week... Being a teacher is tough! OK, it's not <i>that</i> bad, but sitting in meeting after meeting after meeting, during which I am inundated with new information, all while knowing that I have stacks of lesson plans and syllabi to write <i>and</i> stacks of boxes to unpack... I'm used to coming home after work and doing nothing! It's a bit overwhelming right now, but once the students start, and I start to settle in to a bit of normalcy, things will all be good. I complain, but when it boils down to it, I am a member of an amazing staff (which by all accounts, and by my limited experience, is one in a million) who will prove invaluable!<br /><br />Long story short (too late, I know): Rough start. Things will get better, but not easier.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-49905748811619317712008-08-05T17:12:00.001-06:002008-08-05T17:12:36.087-06:00First day as a teacher. Sort of. Not really.Got back a little bit ago from my first day in the employ of District <br>20. Unfortunately, it was new teacher orientation, so it was a long, <br>over-texted-PowerPoint filled day of policy, procedure, and paperwork. <br>To be repeated tomorrow. It will be nice to finally start teaching! On <br>the plus side, though, I reconnected with my best friend from Liberty. <br>Strange how things work out.<p>On a totally unrelated note, we are having a massive thunderstorm. I <br>love the thunderstorms here in Black Forest. So intense! But, it's <br>knocked out our satellite Internet... Thank god for iPhone!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-59730770880647812842008-08-01T03:16:00.004-06:002008-08-01T03:23:43.990-06:00Seattle Pictures<a href="http://gallery.me.com/tobypartridge/100100">See here</a>. Also, don't forget to click on the "i" under each picture for commentary. Enjoy!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-33569792123047198502008-07-25T12:46:00.001-06:002008-07-25T12:46:53.886-06:00A test This is a test of my mobile blogging. This is only a test.<p>That is all.<p>Sent from iPhone.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-45914880363433645862008-07-14T16:35:00.000-06:002008-07-14T16:36:01.502-06:00Finallysomeone is speaking to values that matter to me!<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.theonion.com/content/themes/common/assets/videoplayer/flvplayer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="355" flashvars="file=http://www.theonion.com/content/xml/82644/video&autostart=false&image=http://www.theonion.com/content/files/images/NO_VALUES_VOTERS_article.jpg&bufferlength=3&embedded=true&title=%27No%20Values%20Voters%27%20Looking%20To%20Support%20Most%20Evil%20Candidate"></embed><br/><a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/video/no_values_voters_looking_to?utm_source=embedded_video">'No Values Voters' Looking To Support Most Evil Candidate</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-86473829132540110792008-07-09T21:20:00.002-06:002008-07-09T21:44:22.147-06:00Expertise, fo' shizzle.I got an entertaining Facebook message last night from my friend, Melanie, whom I met in Munich last year. It was ironically entitled "expertise." She and I often exchange messages asking about the intricacies about each others' languages (she speaks German, in case you didn't deduce that with her being from Munich), but this one was especially funny. With her permission, here it is: <blockquote>I need your expertise as an english native. My boss wants to know what "hustlaz" means. It is used in Basketball, and in the Gangster milieu? The same with the words "pimp" and "Homie" - they apparently call their friends that.<br />And the girls say "Ho(e)" to each other, whats that? :-)<br /><br />Sorry for so many questions...<br />Hope you can help us<br />Mel</blockquote> I couldn't help but laugh. Not because they were silly or stupid questions, but because she was asking me, the whitest person I know! So, after giving it a little thought, and trying to translate a vernacular about which I know almost nothing (with a little help from the <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/">Urban Dictionary</a>, I replied with <blockquote>Hey Mel! I think you're asking the wrong American; I am, as they say, "too white" to be talking like that! Doesn't stop me when using it when goofing around, though!<br /><br />A "hustla," or "hustler" is someone who has ways of getting money out of people, like selling drugs or guns or something. It usually involves cheating someone out of their money, somehow. And it's definitely gangsta!<br /><br />Pimp is someone who deals out prostitutes and collects the money. Pimps have a lot of money. They are also hustlaz (PS: adding a "z" instead of an "s" to make something plural is also a gangsta thing. I do it to be funny sometimes.)<br /><br />Homie is short for homeboy. It refers to a good friend. Again, also in gangsta parlance. "Jared is my homie."<br /><br />"Ho" is short for hooker, or prostitute, or whore, or lady of the night. Pimps have hos. If you're calling someone that, make sure they're a close friend. Definitely don't say it to strangers, especially in LA.<br /><br />Also, throw in phrases like "fo' shizzle" (for sure) and "on the rizzle" (for real). And "word up yo," which really doesn't mean anything as far as I know, but I use it all the time.<br /><br />Toby.</blockquote> I think I got all that right, but again, I could be way off! Any ideas? Any other choice "American" words or phrases I should teach Melanie?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-16032291355136369682008-07-09T00:09:00.001-06:002008-07-09T00:10:43.384-06:00Leaving on a jet planeJust booked tickets to Seattle for the last weekend of July! Going to visit a good friend of mine! Wahoo!<br /><br />That is all.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-63086918889316464762008-07-08T05:29:00.003-06:002008-07-11T02:52:04.958-06:00Getting Real<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPXdSLkJ1_x48aNFV4iaXYIFHNGRuUzou2Xnj9b4lCfJdT7YXxtx5OQ2Nnjb8LbfQoHk_VBMHnG0VG7UKDzU9Al09m3NfA46wU7qWNqFlyALdYmapyBsZDIsycPtwiCqYh2bt3Q/s1600-h/sagebrook.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPXdSLkJ1_x48aNFV4iaXYIFHNGRuUzou2Xnj9b4lCfJdT7YXxtx5OQ2Nnjb8LbfQoHk_VBMHnG0VG7UKDzU9Al09m3NfA46wU7qWNqFlyALdYmapyBsZDIsycPtwiCqYh2bt3Q/s320/sagebrook.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220606518482804114" /></a>Things are really starting to move fast now. Yesterday, I picked up my keys to Pine Creek, got my textbooks (For to start writing lesson plans. Yay.), signed my contract, and put down a deposit on an apartment in the Springs.<br /><br />I'll be living at <a href="http://www.baronproperties.com/communityInformation.aspx?name=Sagebrook">Sagebrook</a>, which conveniently, is also where my sister lives. It's a nice complex, very close to the school, but it's about $80 more than I'm paying now... Which could prove painful given the pay-cut I'm taking. Donation, please! But, it is a short bike ride to the school, so between the short commute and biking, I hope to make up the difference by not paying so much for gas. I'll be moving in the second weekend of August (So soon!) and I'll start teaching the next week. Going to be a busy few weeks!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-9360748410341755532008-06-30T10:38:00.004-06:002008-06-30T10:45:58.949-06:00Yo ho, Yo ho!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEj8iMS4tcdM3MD2KEABQnjE7evqbYPaTcqaMKBlX7CshsmOd5qTO4Z20T69r7-WkL8q6nzk38WDADxxBJnkHpwzC5Qqi4URis_32lVivxb_iM51xVl8Ybnm-33ZYmT4JYouWItw/s1600-h/30tribal-spanA1-600.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEj8iMS4tcdM3MD2KEABQnjE7evqbYPaTcqaMKBlX7CshsmOd5qTO4Z20T69r7-WkL8q6nzk38WDADxxBJnkHpwzC5Qqi4URis_32lVivxb_iM51xVl8Ybnm-33ZYmT4JYouWItw/s320/30tribal-spanA1-600.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217716157917236786" /></a>As I was going through the news this morning, I found this picture, which shows that we are in some real trouble, as far as the "war on terror" is concerned. Not only is<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/washington/30tribal.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1214832956-OE9xjrboVpKaKte8lP6Gqw"> Al Qaeda growing</a>, but they have evidently enlisted animatronics from Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride to lead their army! And they've armed them with AK-47s! Arrggh! And is that.... a terrorist conga line?! Nooooo!<br /><br />Just make sure we don't have <a href="http://z.about.com/d/gocalifornia/1/0/S/7/3/14-No_Escape-DL-a.jpg">dogs carrying the keys</a> at Gitmo.<br /><br />Seriously, though, al Qaeda is bad. Go America.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-4137133308706824442008-06-27T12:08:00.002-06:002008-06-27T13:55:06.451-06:00I'm a teacher!I finally got a teaching job. And what's more, it's at my alma mater, Pine Creek High School! I'm pretty stoked and pretty terrified at the same time. It's a strange feeling to finally be beginning my career for which I studied. It's exciting!<br /><br />I will be teaching Social Studies, German, and Transitions (I'm not entirely sure what that entails...). It's almost like the position was tailor-made for me! My first day as a teacher will be August 5th... Just over a month away! Yikes!<br /><br />It's time for me to start <strike>corrupting</strike> educating our youth. Here goes nothing...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-10689335261265583502008-06-22T14:17:00.000-06:002008-06-22T14:17:06.439-06:00Why a "Bible" at all?The Bad Idea Blog has an <a href="http://badidea.wordpress.com/2008/06/08/liberal-christianity-vs-the-bible-why-a-bible-at-all/#">interesting article on Liberal Christianiy vs. the Bible</a>. The author wonders why liberal Christians still use the Bible in its traditional form. <blockquote>The Bible, as it is, is an artificially freeze-framed slice of spiritual speculation. Those texts are, by intrinsic implication, held as superior not only to others that the early Catholic Church rejected or never even knew of, but every single insightful thing that any Christian has thought or felt since. Heck, even the act of writing down what were likely once oral stories told and retold again with each generation is a sort of artificial freeze frame. The use of the Bible, by it’s very nature, is an act favoring routinized text over flexible oral traditions and particular selections of texts over all others. Is that bias (one that seems, in some sense, an arbitrary one amongst all forms of human understanding an expression) something you think your beliefs should support? Does the very existence of a Bible, as a religious practice, really make sense?</blockquote> The Bible is limited to such a small collection of Christian thought. Why is it that Christians limit themselves to the Bible as it is now. Why not, this author wonders, amend and change the Bible to reflect modern morals? <blockquote>Indeed, if the Bible is to be the ultimate text of human understanding of a living God’s will, it’s very, very odd that it should be frozen at a very arbitrary time in history, with no further chapters ever to be added, or subtracted, or retold for new generations. Has no theologian since the various missives and letters in the New Testament even had an insight into, say, the Trinity, that measures up to the previous material? I’m not a huge fan of theological work, but even I find that very hard to believe. Do the banal and absurd kvetchings found in many of the more forgettable Epistles really deserve a greater ceremonial place in the Christian corpus than the thoughts of Aquinas or Augustine? Has God really never spoken or acted since in a way that would demand inclusion?</blockquote> The main issue I, and many others, have with the Bible is that it reflects the morals of a few fourth and fifth century scribes. Today's liberal Christians conveniently ignore the parts of the Bible that don't fit in with the morals of modern society.<br /><br />I am genuinely interested to get some thoughts on these questions from some of my Christian readers. Not trying to play "Gotcha," or anything. Would you be open to amending the Bible to better reflect today's society? If not, why not?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-34476770683831921752008-06-20T09:01:00.005-06:002008-06-20T09:06:21.269-06:00Wow. Somebody must have picked a bad weekto become a Nazi Mexican Farmer. From <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=174300&title=guantanamo-baywatch-supreme">The Daily Show</span>'s segment, "Guantanamo Baywatch."</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi304Fk65zJsJJnsyyqWa3xC05dZ1NT7ulv2Y36Asfb7Rn_rKNd-wV5wJ9aXmGp_QC6fE9srLQ5eJla4LUoPM0lJghlWUY0nVOhzlT_UKHjONeEdA0jb1pw857WsfH_WaCnIUo_tw/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi304Fk65zJsJJnsyyqWa3xC05dZ1NT7ulv2Y36Asfb7Rn_rKNd-wV5wJ9aXmGp_QC6fE9srLQ5eJla4LUoPM0lJghlWUY0nVOhzlT_UKHjONeEdA0jb1pw857WsfH_WaCnIUo_tw/s320/Picture+1.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213979686492274994" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-25000034009609605872008-06-18T21:47:00.003-06:002008-06-18T21:56:10.694-06:00Majority of children do not want children's healthcare.<a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/video/study_finds_most_children_not_in">From the Onion News Network</a>:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRCHlqzF07c54_Mrk_19AcixfKVw7-q1KGBcQMzgl7i4X1aFQjmvHU3EXTEssoiy-Jxqd4zDluXCVab1lvRFtZdqEZnMrgKaIEtV143iHFENOie5aunI9IPi3XBbszwqaJQgXcw/s1600-h/Picture.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRCHlqzF07c54_Mrk_19AcixfKVw7-q1KGBcQMzgl7i4X1aFQjmvHU3EXTEssoiy-Jxqd4zDluXCVab1lvRFtZdqEZnMrgKaIEtV143iHFENOie5aunI9IPi3XBbszwqaJQgXcw/s400/Picture.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213436170615896818" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-57797945899561245032008-06-10T14:27:00.002-06:002008-06-10T14:38:26.223-06:00Obama's and my Divine ConnectionMany find it odd that I would be supporting Barack Obama. After all, until a few years ago, I <i>thought</i> I was a conservative. Come to think of it, I can trace my coming-to-the-light-side to a few years ago. I was never able to pinpoint the exact moment until now. As I was reading through my heathen blogs today, I came across <a href="http://friendlyatheist.com/2008/06/10/barack-stop-playing-with-the-monkey-god/">this post about Obama's lucky charms</a> ("Oh, leprechaun-man, leprechaun-man! Must to get the Lucky Charms!"). What I saw amazed me! Obama carries around a little figurine of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanuman">Hanuman, the Monkey God</a> for luck! Then it all came back to me. Just a few years ago, I had <a href="http://tinyurl.com/6cqf8h">a vision of Hanuman</a> in the Denver Art Museum (DAM)! It's as clear as day! It is by Hanuman's Divine Will that I support Obama!<br /><br />Hanuman bless Barack Obama!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-29696045902924549222008-06-10T12:07:00.002-06:002008-06-10T12:11:37.794-06:00PlayersA cool time-lapse movie from one of my favorite photography blogs, <a href="http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/08/06/10/">[daily dose of imagery]</a>.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="225"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1121475&server=www.vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /> <embed src="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1121475&server=www.vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://www.vimeo.com/1121475?pg=embed&sec=1121475">Players</a> from <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/wvs?pg=embed&sec=1121475">Sam Javanrouh</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com?pg=embed&sec=1121475">Vimeo</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21980293.post-12358453561002564862008-06-08T12:03:00.001-06:002008-06-08T12:06:58.952-06:00Amazing Science<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7440217.stm">Hints of 'time before Big Bang:'</a> <blockquote>Dr Adrienne Erickcek, and colleagues from the California Institute for Technology (Caltech), now believes these fluctuations contain hints that our Universe "bubbled off" from a previous one.<br />...<br />Their model suggests that new universes could be created spontaneously from apparently empty space. From inside the parent universe, the event would be surprisingly unspectacular.<br />...<br />"Every time you break an egg or spill a glass of water you're learning about the Big Bang."</blockquote> Wow.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p>Visit <a href="http://tobycentral.blogspot.com">TobyCentral</a> for more TobyGoodness.</p></div>Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04576302551728970387noreply@blogger.com0