The National Association for the Advancement of Kipp

Before I start in on this, that, and the other I would like to announce that Mary (Full of Grace) went ring shopping, the first, important step in being trapped in marriage! Congratulate Mary (Full of Grace) here.

Today the President of the NAACP stepped down and the search begins for a new one. I say we scrap the NAACP and start anew with an organization that looks out for the good of everyone, a group of people brought together to work for something we can all agree upon; I propose The National Association for the Advancement of Kipp. It would happen in Pennsylvania so I am sure that Theresa Heinz Kerry would support the good work of the NAAK. She gave money to Fidel Castro, so why not Kipp? Get Your Kipp On.

Today at school�

Charlie brought in walkie-talkies. He had two of them and they were both in his desk. Well, as if by magic in the middle of me pontificating about why we should just memorize the multiplication tables someone named Ginger shouted from his desk, �This is Ginger, can you hear me now?� We could indeed, hear Ginger. I decided it would be rude not to let her know that we could hear her so I took the walkie-talkie out of Charlie�s desk and said, �We can hear you Ginger, you are coming through loud and clear! What�s up?� This turned the rest of my day into conversing with people tuned to station 19 in the greater Hartford area. I dispensed relationship advice, driving directions, and my feelings on the idle gossip people whom thought they were talking to someone else had to share with me. It was also fun to hide the other walkie-talkie in the couch and then scream in pain when kids sat on it.

I hope no one graduates with post-traumatic stress syndrome from being in my class.

I did have to tell a kid today that taunting the homeless people who mill around outside our security perimeter was not only impolite but incredibly dangerous as well.

I also got through an entire school day without caffeine. I had a headache, I was miserably tired, and after the experience, I can rate this as one of the stupidest things I have ever done. Whoever invented caffeine should be canonized by the Holy See. Whoever told me that not consuming caffeine was a good idea: it�s stomping time.