Countdown to Camp NaNoWrimo

In approximately one week, I shall be embarking on another seemingly grandiose project. This time, I shall attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. You got this, Ian Bee. I can tell that its serious when I begin to refer to myself in the third person.

As previously mentioned, Camp NaNoWriMo runs every April and July. After a lengthy presentation I gave at a recent department meeting, I have attempted to recruit fellow teachers and students to partake in this challenge with me. In the end, I have over two dozen compatriots to take this journey with me. Now, it can be a collective blunder instead of an individual one.

After much deliberation, I have finally planned and outlined my young adult novel which I will begin writing in one week's time. I would go ahead and say that I will be giving daily updates on my progress towards my word goal. The truth is, of course, that I clearly will not be. This will probably be my most anti-social April on record. Even more so than the April of 1993... which I dare not go into.

Get in on this. There is still time.

Mahalo.

Camp NaNoWriMo

Discoveries Unbounded

We are now into the second month of The Year of Discovery and already I am immersing myself in a plethora of new activities. For instance, I have started a new part time job at my local chapter of The Boys & Girls Club. This new job entails taking over their Aldebaran Robotics program for middle and high school students. This robot, named NAO, is a fully programmable bipedal robot capable of everything from holding a conversation, to breakdancing. I'll be sure to post some more about this soon.

I've also stumbled across a program for fledgling writers called NaNoWriMo.

I love this logo.

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. Every November, hundreds of thousands of people attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in just thirty days. Just the mere thought of this piqued my interest. I am attempting to get my school on board with this idea so that in November we can hold write-ins in the library and really get the students involved in creative writing. I have also been able to team up with two local libraries to get the community involved as well. While I have been facing a little bit a resistance, it seems to center around two notions.

1.) Why do you have to wait until November? You can write a novel at any time...
2.) NO ONE can write a novel in a month. If they do, it is trash anyway.

While I agree that if you have an idea for a novel you certainly do not need to wait until November to start writing it, I also feel that some people need something to help them set a goal. The pressure of a deadline can do wonders for the psyche. Furthermore...

Of course you cannot write a novel in a month. Yes, if you do, its probably going to a amorphous pile of strange and twisted ideas. It will also have a boatload of grammatical errors. The point being that achieving the goal is more important than the content of said writing. In fact, the editing and review process is part of the eleven months (or beyond) afterward to really flesh out your ideas. This is an amazing opportunity to be able to work with a group of people (both locally and through the internet) on improving not only one's writing, but also their thought processes.

Personally, I know of at least ten students who would salivate over this even more than I am right now. Of course, if only there were a way to speed up the months until November.

Enter....

Camp NaNoWriMo!!!

Camp NaNoWriMo is a sort of online summer camp that takes place in the months of April and July. During these sessions, writers young and old can attempt to write 50,000 words during the month. The best part about this program is that members are allowed to pick their word goal. If 50,000 words is just simply too many, one can choose a goal that is more suited to their level. I will be doing Camp NaNoWriMo this April and hopefully recruiting some peers and students to take the challenge with me. This will serve as a good trial run in the hopes that this can become a regular program at our school. 

I already have a pretty good idea for my novel. Getting it down on Google Docs... well that's another story.

For those interested, here is a few starting points.

1. NaNoWriMo
2. Camp NaNoWriMo
3. Aldebaran Robotics

Bee's Book Reviews: Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk

Welcome to the first (and hopefully not last) of my book reviews. Before I jump into this I should mention that this is exactly what I am going to do.... jump into it. This will be a trial run of reviews and it should be noted that it may be: incomplete, inconsistent, nonsensical, etc. As with many things, practice makes perfect. It should also be noted that I am also not feeling 100% today. More than likely, I am coming down with another famous winter bug. Regardless, perhaps some literary expression on my part will have a secondary healing process. More than likely, though, it won't.

I digress.

I have been setting a series of goals for 2014. One of these is to really get back into reading. I have set a massively insane goal of reading 100 books this year. I realize that for some, this goal is most certainly attainable. The fact that I am a teacher of English should also make this much easier.

It won't.

I will try my best to deliver a review without spoiling story elements for potential readers. I will then rate each book from 1-5 certain items that may or may not fill the mood. This review, being a test of sorts, will be completely impromptu. I will attempt not to edit as much as I am attempting to create a baseline for future reviews.

The first in this list of 100 books is Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris.

Not being an avid Sedaris reader, I was not certain what to expect. In fact, the first time I had heard about this author was through the teacher I was working with during my student teaching in 2009. He told me to get all of his books because they were the best he had ever read. I, of course, stated my overall interest in getting these books that were so vehemently suggested. I found this one, about a year later, in the bargain bin at my local Barnes & Noble. I figured it was worth the couple of bucks and was totally digging the cover. The illustrations contained within contain the same sort of whimsical animals engaging in human situations. It took me about four years to finally take it off the bookshelf and read it. It was quite short and I got through it in little over a day. 

The book itself is split into numerous short stories that are reminiscent of Aesop's Fables in an unusual way. Each story, meant to have some sort of moral by the end, are only a few pages long. After reading the first of these stories, I had a good chuckle. Few books give me that sort of "laugh out loud" sort of reaction that this one did. I was excited to dig a little deeper into this one.

Unfortunately, as I progressed, the stories moved from a sort of lighthearted humor to something much more dark. Many play with the notion on how humans treat each other and some actually made me uncomfortable. There is still that comedic undertone that comes with each story, but it is followed by a period of what I can only describe as self-loathing towards my species. The animals in each story have distinctly pronounced human foibles. Examples include a hen with a enormous lack of self-confidence and a hairdressing, compulsively lying baboon. As previously stated, it is assumed that there is some lesson learned by the character at the end of each story... even if that character is left a bloody heap of flesh by the end. 

At times, however, it seemed that no moral is present and the character just dies. There is quite a bit of death imagery in this book. I did enjoy how Sedaris poked fun at death as well as life with everyday situations. I could actually relate to some of these stories on some level. Admitting this is just making me more uncomfortable.

Cat and Baboon

The book is written with large font and interesting illustrations by Ian Falconer. In my opinion, the illustrations become increasingly more uncomfortable as you progress. This may have been planned to induce laughter, but just made me uncomfortable. In fact, for the first time that I can remember, finishing this book and setting it down left me with an extremely uncomfortable feeling. I wasn't sure how to reflect, if at all, about its events or morals. 

I give Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris "Three Rhinoceroses" for reasons that you will understand if you take the time to read it. If you are looking for a quick and interesting read, I suggest picking this one up. Just be warned that it evoked some certainly strange reactions out of me... I have been informed by a co-worker that Sedaris's audiobooks of his works where he, himself, narrates are usually better than actually reading them. If I get my hands on the audiobook, I shall give it a listen.

The Age of Robots - Part I

This is part one in a four part rant on the oncoming "Age of Robots"

I get asked a lot how an high school English teacher is so emphatically interested in the field of robotics. I suppose that in a stereotypical and somewhat satirical sense, I should be more infatuated with fine literature. I, of course, am. In fact, my concentration in college revolved around post-colonial literature from South Asia. However, if you take a step back, all fields of study are really interconnected are they not? I consider myself a student of the human condition.

Even as an English teacher, I attempt to bestow more than just a working knowledge of grammar, fluency in classic novels, or the nitty gritty aspects of the works of Shakespeare. I, along with many of my compatriots, focus on life skills and try our best to not only train the next generation to be competitive in the workforce, but also the next generation of decent human beings. Society is evolving at an exponential rate. Like it or not, things change. While at times these changes are for the better; other times they are most certainly for the worse. The fact of the matter is that if you don't "roll with the times," you will be swept away or left behind. It is important to realize, however, that the changes in the life and times of planet Earth are not on a fixed path. There are still ways to guide this ship safe to shore. These guiding winds lie within you, your thoughts, and your actions.

I remember reading a lot about robots of the future while growing up in the early 1990's. At that time, the thought of that kind of technology was always seen through a lens of awe. It was as if we were peering through a looking glass over the horizon of the future. These were exciting times. Now, more than twenty years later, we are taking our first steps towards that future. However, if you do a Google search today for robots, the majority of articles now speak of a plague on the horizon. A plague that will take your job and put you into poverty. We certainly are a curious species.

R.A.D The Robot (1990's)

The truth is like I have previously stated. That time... is here now. We certainly cannot live in fear of human advancement or shun those who would seek to discover it. We have adapted before and we will continue to adapt as a species. This is truly an exciting time and good things are in the future if we work for it.

This first entry is to serve as a sort of introduction to what I want to cover. The second and third installments will be dedicated to some popular culture in the world of robotics as well as some practical applications that it can have in K-12 education.

For those who are interested or want to get a jump start on what I am going to be covering, here are some starting points.

• Aldebaran Robotics
  
• NDtv Article : The Robots are Coming!!!

Here's to 2013

I have developed a little habit of whimsically dubbing the new year every New Year's Eve while in review. Starting in 2009, when things were really uncertain in my life, I named the year, "The Year of the Plague." I hoped that 2010 would bring me some better luck.

Sure enough, it most certainly did. Such events would cause 2011 to be dubbed, "The Year of Rebirth." I had somehow crawled out of the total nadir of my existence.

Obligatory pictures of cartoon phoenixes representing rebirth

Still in my Sony DiscMan to this day!

Riding on this momentum, 2012 would become "The Year of Expansion."

and now, continuing on this trend, in summation of 2013, I dub thee "The Year of Discovery." Reminiscent of the Daft Punk album... or nearly equally as cool.

The end of the year... always a great time for observation and reflection. This was a pretty good year considering all the bad things that happened. In fact, there was that one time where I popped a tire on the highway and had it replaced... only to have the new one pop a few days later.

I hate tires.

... and teeth. I had more than one run in with the dentist.

I hate tires and teeth.

On to the summation of the year... This time, I would like to forgo mentioning any of the bad things. It is important to remember that while bad things do indeed happen, it is better to just accept them and move on.

Accept and move on.

Without further ado... and in no particular order...

In summation of 2013, Ian Bee...

• Got attacked by Super Munchers
• Started completed year two teaching unscathed
• Pulled off a miracle 2012-2013 FIRST Robotics season
• Climbed out of debt
• Got over a few months of anxiety
• Kept score at a lego robotics competition
• Made new friends
• Said goodbye to friends
• Enjoyed 100 different beers of summer (more or less...)
• Spent time on the Cape
• Made Converse sneakers a part of my formal dress
• Got into Doctor Who (You should too...)
• Didn't complete his memoirs...
• Won 100$ at Keno
• Gained a considerable amount of weight.
• Enjoyed many a day at "The Lake."
• Caught up on "The Big Bang Theory"
• Is still working on his time machine
• Went to Foxwoods in a full suit
• Did considerably well at the roulette table at Foxwoods
• Wore a full suit even when it was inappropriate
• Found out that I was, in fact, not losing my hair
• Tested my trivia skills
• Renewed my faith in humanity
• Started looking at houses
• Enjoyed the splendors of "Salary Life"
• Completed year 10 at Hannaford Supermarket
• Participated in the 10th Annual Christmas Classic
• Discovered that Michelob isn't a bad cheap beer
• Gained and lost super powers
• Hopes for a bright and adventurous 2014.

This is all I could come up with in one sitting mind you. 

I am hoping to kick off the new year right by posting new and interesting entries involving life, literature, craft beer, and bow ties. 

Odds are we're gonna be alright.

Adieu!

The 2013 WPI Regional : Part I

After more than six weeks of blood, sweat, and tears, FRC Team 4410 has finally entered the post-season. Our team was able to compete at the Regional Robotics Competition held annually at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts. Aside from the fantastic pictures, and how immensely proud I am of the team and all of their accomplishments, the true reason for this post is to document the arduous, almost "action movie" story behind our journey to Worcester from our small town during a series of terrible snowstorms. That, along with the tenacity of both team members and their parents, is truly inspiring. Their story must be known.

Your 2013 Cyber Senators

Day 1 

 March 7th, 2013 - 5:00 a.m.

With impending fears of a snowstorm on all news stations, I left my house early bound for the school. Much to my elation, I found that not only were the roads clear of snow; it was actually not snowing at all! Driving on the highway was making me both anxious and nervous at the same time. I remember being on exit away from my destination when I received the phone call...

"Due to the projected weather forecast, school will be cancelled Thursday March 7th."

I had previously been in contact with a representative from our arranged transport to Worcester who stated clearly that if school was cancelled, due to their company's regulations, they would not be able to commit to the scheduled transportation. With the cancellation confirmed, I was unsure of how to proceed. I finally reached the school to find that the majority of the team there waiting for me. With much regret, I had to tell both students and parents that no transportation would be available and we would have to try for tomorrow. The sadness clearly present on their faces depressed me as I watched them drive away. It was at that point that one of the team members approached me...

"So what are we going to do?" 

I thought about it for a spell. The robot was bagged, tagged, and in the trunk of my car. I, also, had all of our tools, spare parts, and important paperwork in my back seat. While liability issues prohibited me from transporting students in my vehicle, I, finally, explained that I would make the journey myself and attempt to get the robot to our pit and get as much work done as I could and we would regroup Friday morning. After all, we could not be the only team that was having this problem. I would later discover that I was correct in this assumption. This student, however, had other plans. This would plan would soon go down in Mahar history as "Plan B."

"Let's go. I'll meet you there!"

With permission from his parents, it was entirely plausible for this student to follow behind me and drive himself to the competition. The plan was hatched, and we were off. I, however, needed time to regroup as well as call in some favors. I spent an hour in the school contacting teachers, other teams, and the reps at WPI of our status. I contacted Team 3623, in Leominster, Massachusetts, to check on their status. They were having similar difficulties and hatched a plan uncannily similar to our own. We agreed the best course of action was to get our robots to the competition and move on from there. 

Day 1 

 March 7th, 2013 - 9:00 a.m.

I made it a point to attempt to let the outside world know of our status as well through various mediums of social media. The support from friends, family, and other educators was incredible. I rode on this momentum and met my team member in Leominster to begin the journey to WPI.

      

Getting to WPI proved much easier than I had originally anticipated. The drive was pleasant and while the snow had picked up, it wasn't really affecting our commute. Arrival was at around 10:00 a.m. We were successful in dropping off our robot at the designated drop off point. Since we were ridiculously late, there were no other teams there to slow us down. Once this was complete, we made our way to the pit area. I remember our walk through the pit area quite vividly, this student and I, the only representatives of Team 4410 were catching glances from teams who had 20 or 30 times as many members in attendance. 

The task ahead of us was daunting. I had forgotten to mention that in addition to only having the two of us in attendance, the robot was also not finished. In fact, she was far from finished.

The state of S.O.P.H.I.E at arrival at WPI

I quickly started to panic. How on earth were we going to finish this robot? We were, after all, already close to four hours late and many other robots were already getting their final inspections. We both took a seat on the table provided to every team's pit and let out a collective sigh. It was at that point that I heard a voice.

"What's up Beeeeshaw?"

I turned my head to see another member of our team. She had arrived only minutes after we had with her parents and brother. Needless to say, it was difficult to maintain my composure as we had now more than doubled our team in a matter of a few seconds. It was also at this point, that other teams had started to notice our situation and reached out to us to offer assistance. Two teams in particular. Team 4557, The "Fullmetal Falcons" and Team 1251, The "TechTigers" offered several team members as well as spare parts and technical know-how. 

It was time to get to work on S.O.P.H.I.E... with a little help from friends.

Day 1 

 March 7th, 2013 - 5:00 p.m.

With the aid of more than ten teams, as well as members and parents of our own team, we were able to complete more work in that stretch of six hours, then we had in the last six weeks combined. I, honestly, have never seen anything like it before in my entire life. The night ended with us finally obtaining a passing inspection. In the matter of one day, Soph went from parts in a bag, to a robot ready for tomorrow's matches. 

It was a miracle day in every sense. The hard work, dedication, and tenacity of this team is nothing short of inspirational. We left Worcester at around 7:00 p.m. proud of what we had accomplished. We knew, of course, that the real fun/excitement/stress was only 12 hours away as tomorrow would be the start of the actual competition. 

Stay tuned for part two of this story. 

The Vacation Doldrums

As we are nearing the end of February vacation for millions of students and teachers across the country, I take time to reflect on what I got accomplished. Well, actually, more like what I did not get accomplished. I tend to get very restless when I am sitting around trying to relax. Due to this, I try my best to keep myself focused and busy. This vacation, was no exception to this rule. My actual vacation did not start until this past Wednesday as I spent upwards of ten hours each day prior at the place of my work finishing up the building of our robot.

Said robot, conveniently code-named "S.O.P.H.I.E" went through several revisions before going into a giant shipping bag that was the size of a Boston subway car. Our "more or less" finished design was not too shabby. Of course, we still have a lot of work to do before our exciting competition on March 8th. In this competition, we shall show every school in Massachusetts that we are not only badass robot designers, but that we look good doing it. Our team's slogan, after all, is "Bolts, Bots and Bow Ties"

Just as a side note, I prefer not to use the oxford comma. I shall create a creative rant for that in another post.

Anyway, once Soph made it into her bag, I immediately left the building and fled toward my hometown at top speed. The night concluded with a simple glass of tea and good conversation with friends and family.

The time off was not without it's fair share of events. I was able to travel to my favorite sushi restaurant and sample the delicacies off of their menu. My cousin and I, also partook of something new and interesting. We each had a single piece of Octopus placed on our plates. While looking not at all appetizing, we saved it to the end of our feast. When the time came, we each tried it at the same time. Subsequently we also spit it into our napkins at approximately the same time as well.

Octopi can be seen at the left and right. Never again. 

For those of you who have not had the distinct pleasure of eating raw octopus, let me just say that it is quite an interesting experience. My piece in particular was all the more interesting with the added addition of a little sucker at the end of it. Needless to say it was the equivalent of attempting to bite through a shoe with a flavor that I cannot begin to describe. In closing, I rather enjoy little excursions such as the sushi adventure described above. It is true that a little variety is good for one's soul.

The rest of this week, however, has been classified as "particularly boring." This may be my restlessness taking center stage... As previously mentioned, I have a difficult time taking a step back and just relaxing. I always feel as though I may be missing something or that some form of work would be a better use of my time. Of course, now as we near the end of this less than grandiose vacation, I am feeling that I did not have enough time to relax. Perhaps I have some sort of complex... Hmm...

We are already past the 1/6th mark of 2013. The year shows no sign of slowing, or getting any less dull for that matter. I, of course, will continue to take things one day at a time with a particular emphasis on stopping to smell the roses every once in a while. It is true what they say... sometimes you will not understand the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory. 

Speaking of memory... I hope everyone got a chance to see Google's new video for their new product Glass... If not, here it is! 

There is no question of a doubt that I will be getting one of these the day it comes out. Some people are afraid of change. Some people like to stick to the old ways of doing things. I, myself, still now of several people who mail out bill payments each month as opposed to completing such tasks via the internet. While there is nothing wrong with the old ways, I prefer to embrace the future. The future, of course, is now. Every moment shall now be captured, cherished  and stored.  People will be brought closer together than we would have thought possible. An interesting concept... albeit sort of creepy. It is necessary, however, in order for our species to become truly united. 

With that, I leave you with a few starting points.

1. Information on octopus sushi
   
2. CBS News article on Google Glass
   
3. Information on the 2013 FIRST Robotics Regional at WPI

This Beautiful Chaos

I realize that I keep promoting an eventual book review post... You just have to be patient. I, simply, just have no free time as of late. In fact, this post I feel will probably be abbreviated as well. With the upcoming end of the 2013 FIRST Robotics season only days away, I feel that a certain level of normalcy and regularity will return to my hectic life.

"Till all are one!"

At the end of our last season, I vowed to never undertake such a rigorous and unsupported task ever again. As we all know, however, once you get bit by the robot bug.... you never go back. It is like a bad robot girlfriend that I keep getting back together with. We did have a pretty successful, yet rocky season I will admit. In one year I was able to double the size of the team and create something that we can all very much be proud of. I seek not accolades for that is not the name of the game. I do this for the future of humanity.... that, and pizza.

I'm still not sure what all of this stuff does...

I often times find myself staring at the immense iTunes playlist on my computer. Sometimes I can just never find the right song. Right now I am stuck on a band from my youth... Something Corporate. The song, Konstantine, has been listened to over 100 times on this computer. Yet, I still know not the words to it.

A series of unfortunate events, while not directly entirely towards me, have occurred and will cause a significant ripple in the fabric of my day to day routine. On a side note, I do throughly enjoy beautiful chaos. Seemingly trivial things that people react to by running around with their arms flailing all about. It is just a bump in the road, as they say. This too... shall pass.

"It's always darkest before the dawn." my Uncle used to say that all the time. He was a wedding planner.

I do enjoy the eclectic nature of this post. Jumping from topic to topic... It reminds be of paisley. Not a paisley item, however. Just... paisley.

In closing, keep your stick on the ice!

Four Hours in Fourth Grade

Greetings and salutations,

The past few months have certainly been busy busy for me. My new job is a continuous stream of paperwork. I, now, feel as though I have mastered surfing waves of paperwork. If not mastered... then at least gotten used to.

The start of the new year also means the start of a new FIRST robotics season. My school returns for their Sophomore year in this program. While I do love robots and all... The sudden doubling in my hours in the work week has totally worn me out. While my diet of mainly avocados seems to have staved off any form of influenza, I have just recently recovered from an incredibly stubborn cold that reminded me of typhoid fever. This little bug totally incapacitated my usual calm persona and brought forth a snarly nasty boy with a constant red nose.

That... and some cough syrup?

Now that I have fully recovered, (for the most part) I figured that I had better start updating my blog that I had hyped up to much to the masses so many months ago. February will be the month of reviews. Within the next week, expect a book review on a novel that I have just recently finished. "Across the Universe" is part one of a dystopian trilogy. I eagerly await writing such a review!

Could not put this one down!

In conclusion, I am back. Remember that we are all in this together. I see great things in our future. Now for the obligatory picture of my new bow ties.

Huge sale at JcPenney

2012 - A Year in Review

In summation of 2012. Ian Bee....

• Nailed a teaching job.
• Started a blog.
• Visited Cape Cod for the first time.
• Enjoyed The Beachcomber for the first time.
• Enjoy much rest and relaxation at the lake.
• Ate chicken at Wright's over a dozen times.
• Got attacked by Super Munchers.
• Led a successful first-year U.S. FIRST robotics team.
• Paid off 75% of my credit card debt.
• Relished in my love of the avocado.
• Gained... and lost superpowers.
• Aquired a love for astronomy.
• Led the Goose Island revolution.
• Started graduate school.
• Gained many a bow tie.
• Got a new cat.
• Said goodbye.
• Reconnected with a long lost friend
• Instituted weekend trips to Keeper's
• Made Bow Tie Friday hip with the 7th grade.
• Learned to love Excel Spreadsheets.
• Had the worst of times.
• Had the best of times.
• Read some books.
• Learned to make a mean omelette.
• Planned to Free Tibet in 2014
• Sold away my video game collection.
• Watched every episode of FarScape.
• Was less boring.
• Learned how to blow glass.
• Learned to live a little.
• Worked over 45 Sundays at Hannaford.
• Moved out.
• Moved back home.
• Ate less fast food.
• Looking forward to a successful new year.

On time management.

I have fully settled into the new job. Things are well. I am, however, finding myself not having enough time to do, anything. Luckily enough, I have put aside thirty or so minutes for this long overdue blog posting. Truth be told, I have never really ever been that organized, or time-savvy as it were. The lack of time is punching me in the face like Liam Neeson in one of his action movies. 

Each week, my workday seems to be lasting longer and longer. 5, 6, even 7 in the evening at times. The good news is that I am actually accomplishing the work I set out to do. This was also a problem in my youth. Now, I must learn to consolidate work much like my debt, and pay over time. I have utilized things such as a calendar to improve my time management and to remind myself as to what day it is. These things really work wonders. 

Sometimes I feel as though I do not take enough advice from my cat. He knows how to live. 

Violo often times chooses to sleep. The entire day. 

I also find myself losing touch with my fellow educators. I tend to only leave my cubicle for coffee. Lots of coffee lately. Ergo, many trips to the bathroom as well. I'm sure my new time management skills will also help to assuage this as well. Not so much the frequent urinations, but the time away from friends. 

In other news, my swing dancing seems to be improving. At this rate, I shall be more than ready for next year's talent show. I have also changed my diet to that of mainly avocados. 

Well, my 30 minutes is up. Stay tuned for another exciting episode.

The Busy World of Ian Bee : Part One : Robots

So I am finally back into the swing of things with the new school year. While having only Saturday off may seem droll and lackluster, I actually prefer to keep busy. Too much rest causes my mind to become stagnant. That being said, I have much on my plate in terms of plans for this year. I hope to bring those plans to fruition in these few remaining months.

For starters, it is almost time for the new season for U.S. FIRST to start. For those unaware, FIRST is an annual robotics competition comprising of thousands of schools, clubs, and organizations with tens of thousands of students, teachers, and mentors helping to expand teamwork, ingenuity, and their overall goal of promoting what they like to call, "gracious professionalism." My school started their own robotics team last year. When the posting went out for the club advisor, I jumped at the opportunity. What better than a teacher of English to take over a club mainly involved with the exploration and implementation of science and technology. Then again, who doesn't love robots?

FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology

Each year, FIRST creates a new game that becomes the challenge for teams across the world. Each team has six weeks to build a robot from scratch to both solve the game's challenges and compete with other schools at one of hundreds of regional competitions. The winners of these events move onto the finals held in Minnesota. For our school's inaugural season, the game was entitled "Rebound Rumble" In which we had to design a robot that would compete in a game of 3-3 basketball. We fared quite well considering who we were up against. Many thought our team to be a complete joke and had little to no faith in the abilities of citizens of Western Massachusetts.

I find something about lost causes very attractive.

My hometown has FIRST in its blood. My alma mater often had hundreds of students in their robotics club with tens of thousands of dollars in private donations and sponsorships. Because of this, Team 126, better known as Gael Force, has won many championships in its 20+ year experience with FIRST. 

The special name tags I created for our competition. 

Our team, Team 4410, The Cyborg Senators, were comprised of myself, a few incredibly dedicated faculty members, and eight of the most hard working students I have ever come across. Together, we spent those six weeks making fun of each other and eating lots and lots of pizza. Having not one engineer or computer programmer on the team made building a robot from scratch a seemingly insurmountable task. We were, however, able to create something that we were not only proud of, but were able to compete with at our competition at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. I remember vividly the day I told the team that by the end of the six weeks, we would be absolutely sick of each other. Which we were. These students, for those six weeks, would go to school normally. After school, they would spend 4-5 hours extra eating pizza and building the robot. This is dedication that I was simply incapable of at that age. 

Six weeks of blood, sweat, and tears.

After many trials and tribulations, we made our way to WPI for our competition. The competitors were fierce and not very friendly. Nonetheless, we made some friends. and we were able to place 15th out of 32 schools. Not to shabby for a robot that couldn't throw a ball... The entire team was present when we presented our work to the district's school committee at their meeting a few weeks after the competition. 

It took us six weeks to get that light bulb to light up.

Unfortunately, some members of our team moved away and will not be returning for the 2012 season. In fact, my first meeting for the Robotics Team was last Wednesday. I had one student show up. She was in extremely high spirits, however. I take solace in the notion of continuing to advise a club that had such a profound influence on not only me, but its members as well. It is a six weeks that I am very much looking forward to. 

Prepping the robot in our cubicle

For those interested in the program, here's a few starting points. 

1. U.S. FIRST Official Website
2. YouTube Footage of our team winning our last qualifying match!

To eat the omelet, turn to Page 86.

For my inaugural post dedicated to literature, I have decided to delve into a series of books that I hold very dear. The "Choose Your Own Adventure" series was a childhood favorite of mine. For those who may be unaware, this series of books, most popular during the 1990's, placed the reader as the protagonist. The first few pages read like an ordinary novel but would then abruptly stop and give the reader two or more choices. These choices would then lead the reader to another page of the book to continue the story. The choices made would ultimately affect the outcome of the story. Back in the early nineties, this was the closest thing we had to "interactive." That, and Sega Genesis.

I remember many years ago in middle school going down to the library during class each Thursday to return and pick out a new book for the week. Truth be told, I was never much of a reader in my youth. Sure, I read the books in school... for the most part. But my idea of fun on a Saturday seldom involved a good book. I enjoyed very short stories. Books with a lot of pictures were also a plus. Because of this, I would often take out books in the EyeWitness series (A series that I shall talk more about later!).

On with the flashback!!!!

So, there he was. A chubby ten year old boy wandering around a simple looking school library looking for something interesting to read and/or flip through. Suddenly he comes upon a small white book with a funny cover. The book was called, "The Cave of Time." I remember the cover had some kid in a green shirt riding a horse in front of a ghoulishly looking bearded figure.

Just. Awesome.

The Cave of Time was the first in
the Choose Your Own Adventure series

It has been many years since I have read this book so I cannot really remember what it was about. I do, however, know that it involved time travel. Time travel, as we all know, is the coolest thing ever. With forty different endings... it was like reading forty books! It was slightly overwhelming for me at the time to even fathom. While I cannot recall the overall plot of the story, I can certainly remember the story ending in my death several times. These stories were notorious for having dozens of endings that ended in gloom and doom.

Certain death.

Bad endings.

Often times I would sneak a peak at a choice to see if it lead to the good ending or to my certain demise. Today that would be considered cheating by my standards. At the time, however, it was called...

Skill.


Needless to say, I would spent many more library days choosing new books in this series until I had read them all. It certainly piqued my interest in reading in general as well as in science fiction. Soon after this, I moved onto the Norby series by Issac Asimov.


Upon further reflection of this series. I often ponder the twists and turns of my own life. Large or small, every decision has made a profound influence on my life. Less than desirable outcomes have created loose threads on my journey. At times, I wish I could tug on those threads to remove them. I now realize, however, that pulling those threads would unravel the tapestry of my life. And we cannot have that, now can we? It is all apart of the grand adventure!

For those interested, these books can still be found at many bookstores. I recently discovered a lot of these at my local Barnes & Noble. Of course, you can also find them online for pennies on the dollar. Much to my jubilation, I discovered that, a few years ago, another publishing copy bought the rights to this series and started to release new stories. Better still, digital copies of these books are slated to be released for the iPhone and iPad. For those interested in this series, here are a few starting points.

1. The Official Website of Choose Your Own Adventure
2. Choose Your Own Adventure books on your iPad!

The Denim Deficiency

After many hours and many cups of coffee, this first week of school has finally come to a close. While it was a lot of work, I can happily say that I am settling into this new position nicely! Now, with the long weekend just beginning, I can sit down, put my feet up, and and do what I do best. Reflect.

This, of course, brings me to a tradition which I hold very dear. A certain tradition that I was introduced to during my first year on the job. Perhaps providing a little back story may clear things help you to understand. To my knowledge, many professions follow a similar tradition taking place on the Friday of every week.

Casual Fridays.

The idea is sound. A way to wind down the work week by allowing associates to ditch the suit and tie for something more comfortable. Jeans are a must for casual Friday.

I, personally, am indifferent towards denim.

In any event, at first I was elated at the concept of dressing down. After all, who doesn't love Fridays? Even better, who doesn't love to be reminded that it is, in fact, Friday? Thus, for several months I participated in the event, waded around in comfort, and was unsatisfied.

I started to think on the notion that many students believe that teachers are not real people. I know I felt the same way when I was in high school. I used to think that teachers went home and did teacher stuff. Teachers did not go to movies. They did not play video games. The list goes on and on. Perhaps a dress-down Friday was also a way to make the teachers seem more normal, albeit slightly, to students.

Regardless, the plain and simple truth of the matter is that I am not normal. That is why I got into teaching in the first place. That, and to save the world, of course. Enter...

Bow Tie Friday.

The truth of the matter is that many people have only worn a bow tie a few times in their life. Wearing one to your senior prom, or your retirement party. You may not notice yet, but this phenomenon of sorts is sweeping the nation. Bow ties have made a resurgence. Much like Nutella, or The Psychedelic Furs have. Perhaps wearing a bow tie is my way of going against social mores. Going in the opposite direction and choosing something that is considered more formal as opposed to less formal.

Or it could just be that I just look so good in them. So good.

The first Bow Tie Friday of the 2012-2013 school year

They really are not that expensive either. In fact, I get the majority of my bow ties on eBay for 99 cents each. Of course, I consider myself very skilled at sniping auctions. It is all part of the fun.

Its fun.

So now is the time to act. Self-tie or clip-on. Find a bow tie and help me on my journey to restore formality and dapperness to the human race.

Some starting points...

1. Article from Examiner
2. Article from The Wall Street Journal
3. A great place to snag your own bow ties

In the Captain's Seat

Life truly is stranger than fiction.

After oversleeping, losing my ID card, having the gas pump not accept my debit card, and spilling coffee on myself, I travelled with due haste to school. Living fifty or so miles from work makes for a long commute in the morning. The added addition of having the majority of the commute consist of highway miles gives the mind a chance to wander freely. When the mind wanders freely, of course, anxiety starts to kick in.

In this case, it was not only the first day of school. It was also my first day as a full-fledged teacher. New students and new responsibilities really don't allow a bagel with cream cheese to settle well in one's stomach. I remember arriving at the school, parking in my designated spot, and sitting for a few minutes to reflect on the morning and my life. If my life were a roller coaster, it would out perform sales on all major amusement parks in North America. I suppose it can be a good and bad thing. I, myself, don't really like roller coasters. Bumper cars are more my thing... fried dough as well.

The apex of this romantic comedy of a day came at the sounding of the bell which lets students know that they can enter the building. It was common knowledge at the end of the last school year that my position had been eliminated and that I was not returning in the Fall. Most students were unaware that I had been rehired. Surprise!!! Yes, it was quite an emotional reunion.

Right before the credits rolled, I was presented with a token of appreciation by two of my former students. A hot pink necktie.

Simply awesome.

The truth is, it's the little things that make all the difference. I often thought that possessing the qualities of a charismatic adult would help touch not only students' minds but also have an impact in the way they see and feel about themselves.

I realized today that this idea works both ways as it was they who had the impact on me.

It is good to be home!!!

Looking the part

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the new school year for many schools across the United States. The school in which I am employed is no exception to this. First days, or first impressions for that matter, are paramount in any given situation. For the students, first days can be both exciting and intimidating. I, myself, can remember many first days of school during my middle and high school journey. The thought of, "Where will I sit at lunch?" in particular always troubled me. Of course, as always, the first day jitters subside and eventually fade unleashing the humdrum days of learning in full force.

Even as a teacher, I still get these first day jitters in excess. Of course now I know full well where I will be sitting at lunch. No... my jitters often involve my wardrobe. Be that as it may, I believe the key to setting a positive and professional tone for the school year lies with first day apparel.

Being my third year working in a school, I have developed a certain strategy for attaining the perfect outfit to set the aforementioned tone. I do not want to appear too casual. Nor do I want to appear too professional. Either of these in excess would give off an inaccurate representation of who I am. A happy medium must be reached that expresses both professionalism and fun.

This is the sort of outfit that requires careful and painstaking planning. Allow me, if you will, to break this down.

Socks

The idea of socks may seem rather mundane to some. Especially since no one really sees them during the day. However, socks that border the line between simple and quirky have often made a good conversation starter. 

Socks that I wore to "New Teacher Orientation"

These socks, for example, may seem to be too flashy. In my case, however, they just happen to match the school's colors. This is a win.... all-around.

Ties

This is pretty self-explanatory. Neck ties of any sort of awesome. Bow ties, in particular, give an almost post-modern look that is clearly too detailed to go into. (At least in this post)

Some of my ties...

So which one do I choose... That is the question for the ages.

I could go on for hours.... and hours.

In summation, I suppose the real cusp of this matter is the notion of confidence. If I feel confident, then theoretically, others should feel confident via osmosis. Either way, on the first day of school tomorrow, I will unequivocally "look the part."



For those interested in looking the part, here are some starting points.

1. The Best Socks on the Planet!
   
2. Excellent Ties

A new beginning...

For many a year, I was known to many as "The Wandering Youth." It was an internet alias, a nickname, and also my passion.

A great deal of my childhood was spent in the giant yard in the house where I still currently reside. At the time, I found myself ever curious of the world around me. This trend continues today into my adulthood.

As a teacher of English, I save the world... one student at a time. As a freelance magician, I amaze and dazzle (most of the time). As an employee at my local supermarket, I provide excellent customer service, jokes, and reach containers of milk on the top shelf for the elderly.

I digress.

We are now in Season 25 in the television sitcom that is my life. A celebration is in order. This is, after all, a significant milestone.

This blog, among other things, will be a record of my musings, wacky adventures, and my overall opinions on this planet in which we live. I shall try to spice things up once in a while with things such as bow ties, colorful socks, and reviews on books and things of the like.

I shall try as often as possible to update this blog. In my youth, I was known to start projects and forget about them after a few weeks to start something else. An unending cycle it t'was. I'd like to think that I have the constitution now to maintain this record of my existence. For the moment, I will welcome comments to my stories. This life is a wonderful journey that is meant to be shared and discussed like a fine south-asian novella.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.