Security???

I have no desire to do this, but, if you like jumping off tall things, this must be a thrill.

Musical Interlude

One of my favorite musicians is Jim Brickman. I've always loved his piano playing, and I've never understood why the "purists" complain about his collaborations. He does beautiful work with Martina McBride (Valentine), Collin Raye and Susan Ashton (The Gift), Michelle Wright (Your Love), and All-4-One (It Must Be You). I've always been a little soft pop and a little country. This one is just right. It brings a tear to my eyes.

Aaaarrrgghhh! 2

I gave one of my classes a grammar quiz today. One of the questions mentioned Jordan and Israel. In the middle of the quiz, one student put up his hand and asked if I thought that Israel was a country. I, of course, said, "Yes." He and two other guys in the class said that they were refusing to answer the question because Israel is NOT a country.

I haven't marked the quiz yet, so I'll have to see if they stood by their belief.

I intend to ask them who Egypt and Jordan signed peace treaties with and who Mahmoud Abbas and Yasser Arafat negotiated with if not with a country named Israel. (According to Wikipedia: Prior to signing the accords, Arafat — as Chairman of the PLO and its official representative — signed two letters renouncing violence and officially recognizing Israel.) I would like to see all the settlements removed and a more equitable division of the land - perhaps a 50/50 split, but that doesn't mean that I don't recognize the country of Israel.

I have a lot of Palestinian students in my class. My students seem quite privileged and far removed from the millions of Palestinians living in substandard conditions in the Gaza Strip or in refugee camps, so I'm a little less inclined to put up with too much crap from them, but I don't really know their situations. I'm assuming that every Palestinian knows someone who has suffered. I don't have the energy to struggle with this. I hope we can deal with this in an educated way and then it will just go away.

If there was every an argument that marijuana should be legalized, the last few years have convinced me. Everyone would be a lot more laid back if they smoked a joint from time to time. Perhaps George B, Donald R, and Dick C would still just be pondering an invasion of Iraq.

Can you imagine a bunch of suicide bombers sitting around a bong - "Oh, man. Let's do this another day"?

I don't think I've ever met an aggressive stoner.

Rain and other things

Yes, those are puddles. It rained fairly hard last night. There was even lightning and thunder.

Then, on the way to school, I saw this very beautiful Indian Roller sitting on a street light.

My favorite birds, of course, are the Eurasian Hoopoe. The two are regularly sitting in the window of someone's office.

I went down to the Emirates Towers today for lunch at the Noodle House (I had a serious craving for char kway teo.)

Around the outside of the building they had ant sculptures. They were odd, but kind of cool.