A Quote to Start Things Off

""I'd love to go to Santa Fe at some point, Emmett said, but for the time being, I need to go to New York. The panhandler stopped laughing and adopted a more serious expression. Well. that's life in a nutshell, aint it. Lovin' to go to one place and havin' to go to another. Amor Towles in the Lincoln Highway.

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Pictures of Memories I

Pictures of Memories I
Snow kidding! These "kids" now range from 17 to 23
Showing posts with label Dave Out Loud. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dave Out Loud. Show all posts

Monday, March 11, 2024

📚 Kids Read Aloud | INTERRUPTING CHICKEN by David Ezra Stein

Today at school was the readathon day. Instead of having core classes (Math, Social Sciences, ELA, & Science) are middle school students were able to read in those classes and have teachers and other staff read to them as well.  

As a building sub I don't usually know who I'm going to be that day.  Today I subbed for a paraprofessional in one of our SPED classes.  This particular class is rather low functioning so the books read to the students were geared for much younger children. There was one book the teacher read called Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein. The title reminded me of the old knock knock joke:

A: Knock Knock
B: Who's There
A: Interrupting Cow
B: Interrup
A: Moo

I was able to find a read aloud version of the book on you tube.  This is not that difficult of a thing to do.  I have considered in the past having an A  to Z challenge of children's books being read aloud on you tube videos.  

Here is one of the versions I found on You Tube,


Saturday, February 10, 2024

Two Ways To Film The Same Scene

I just saw this on You Tube and thought it was worth sharing. It makes me want to watch Shop Around the Corner, Good Old Summertime and You Got Mail back to back to back. I have seen the 1940 Jimmy Stewart Classic multiple times. Have never seen Good Old Summertime and believe I have only seen You've Got Mail Once. I really liked this glimpse into the storytelling process of filmmaking.


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Saturday, January 6, 2024

National Take a Poet to Lunch Day

 January 6, 2024 is Take A Poet to Lunch Day.  It was started in 1995 making today the 20th annual celebration of this event created by Professor Arnold Adoff. This link gives some good ideas of how to celebrate poetry on this day.  A few years back I found out about this day and wrote a poem to commemorate the occasion,


I Took A Poet to Lunch Today

I took a poet to lunch today

And there amid the verse

Our flow of thought

Was free and light

Not stifled, bland or terse


I took a poet to lunch today

And traded quip for quip

She scrawled a sonnet on her check

 And left it with her tip


If you can't take a poet to lunch today

Please don't wear a frown

We all write poems in our own way

And some just write them down.


A few years later I included the poem in a holiday poetry reading on my vlog.

Saturday, October 21, 2023

Randy stonehill Keith Green story

Keith Green would have turned 70 today. Here's a clip of Randy Stonehill talking about the behind the scenes story of the classic tune Your Love Broke Through.

Thursday, September 14, 2023

Jesse White Tumblers @ Elgin 4th of July Parade

I went to the Elgin 4th of July Parade and took this footage of the Jesse White Tumblers. Jesse White started the tumbling team in 1959 as an  positive activity for youth.  I first saw the tumblers when they performed at Taste Of Chicago in the mid 80's and have seen them at least 20 times over the years. Jesse White served  as an elected official in the state of Illinois from 1975 to earlier this year when his  final term as Illinois Secretary of State came to an end.  


 

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Dave Out Loud: Poetry Friday - Aileen Fisher's Rabbits Rabbits





Note:Aileen Fisher wrote the poems in this book but did not do the illustrations.  I did several takes of this video, and this was the only one where I omitted mentioning the fine work of illustrator Gail Niemann. 

Poetry Friday is being hosted by Irene Latham.  You can find it by clicking here.

Thursday, June 22, 2023

Avengers: Infinity War Cast Sings "The Marvel Bunch"

Have not posted for awhile. More on that later. Now that I'm back, let's get righ to it with this Brady Bunch Avengers parody which is just a little bittersweet as it includes the late Chadwich Boseman.  Just a little in the box thinking from the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.



 




Thursday, June 1, 2023

Reflections on the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee Winning Moment

I just finished watching the finals of the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Before I announce the winner and the winning word I'd like to talk about my involvement in the bee.   

I spent the first semester of the 2022 2023 school year as a long term substitute teacher in a 6th and 7th grade autism classroom.  My group of students studied the same curriculum as the rest of the students in our school.  All my 6th graders and 7th graders  participated in a classroom spelling bee, which is the first step in the Scripps spelling bee program. 

I drilled my students for several weeks held a few practice bees and even had a scrimmage with another classroom.  It was exciting to see all my students grow in their spelling during this process.  At the end of the semester they found someone to take over the class and I moved on to my current position as a building sub in a k-5 building.  When the 2nd semester began my 6th grade winner and my 7th grade winner participated in spelling bees for their grade.  Unfortunately both of my former students got out on their first word.

Tonight I was turning off the television when I saw that the Scripps final bee was about to air live.  This brought up memories of my former class.  As a substitute teacher I may never get another opportunity to conduct a bee, but it was one of the high points of my educational career.  

The finals were amazing.  The students were polished, poised and prepared.  I especially liked the parts where the judge would affirm the incorrect speller on the amazing run they had just finished.

Dev Shah of Largo, Florida win the competition.  Here is how it happened.  

 

The winning word was psammophile.


Tuesday, May 16, 2023

A to Z Roadtrip

#AtoZChallenge 2023 RoadTrip


The A to Z Road Trip is here. This is a chance to give anyone who wants to regardless of whether they participated in this years A to Z challenge a chance to take a deeper dive into the blogs that did participate.



Here is the link to the road trip.  Here is the spreadsheet of those who are so far entering their blogs into the roadtrip.

Today I picked up a book from my library, a biography of Jim Henson.  In the prologue he describes a  Sesame  Street sketch where a little girl is reciting the alphabet to Kermit.  I reemebering watching this scene as a kid, and again with my kids when I bought the Sesame Street Old School DVD set,  I pulled up the scene from YouTube because it has an a-z vibe to it.  


   


Sunday, April 30, 2023

Z Is For Zootopia

 A to Z Challenge 2023

A Month  At The Movies

 #AtoZChallenge 2023 letter Z

Film: Zootopia (2016)

Directors: Byron Howard & Rich Moore

2016 was a big year at the movies for Walt Disney Studios.  According to Box Office Mojo, they had 5 of the top 7 grossing films released in that year.  It was also a big year for animated children's movies with 3 of the aforementioned top 7.  Zootopia was 7th on the list grossing 341.3 million in the U.S. alone.


By gkaidan - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42701886


                                                                         Zootopia - Disney Enterprises Inc. 
Zootopia features Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon A Time) and Jason Bateman (Arrested Development) as the voices of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde a bunny on the Zootopia police department,  and a fox,    a hustler, and a condog (a male fox is called a dog, look it up.).

This movie follows the standard buddy cop movie plot.  A by the book, play by the rules cop is partnered with an informant who flaunts and plays fast and loose with the laws.  As they learn to work together they go deeper and deeper to uncover a vast conspiracy.

This plot also underlies the main theme of the movie that biases and prejudices don't really show what the true heart of a person, or in this case an animal is. 


Positive Tomato: Sure to speak to kids d grown-ups alike, Zootopia unfolds a poignant lesson about how prejudice can hurt people, but also how it can be overcome. And it does all this in a wonderfully fun film. Kristy Pucko - Pajiba  

 Negative Tomato: It just never fully settles into its own message or visual style. Deidre Crimmins - Cinematic Essential

Resiliency: Resiliency is a major theme of the movie.  It can best be summed up by the Shakira song that plays in the film. Try Everything.


 

The lyrics are chock full of what they call at my school, Growth Mindset.

Consider the opening verse:

I messed up tonight, I lost another fight
Lost to myself, but I'll just start again 
I keep falling down, I keep on hitting the ground 
But I always get up now to see what's next

The song continues:

Birds don't just fly, they fall down and get up.
Nobody learns without getting it wrong.

After the familiar chorus, the 2nd verse preaches even more resiliency:

Look how far you've come, you filled your heart with love
Baby, you've done enough, take a deep breath 
Don't beat yourself up, no need to run so fast 
Sometimes we come last, but we did our best 











Top 100: I enjoyed this film quite a bit, but it is nowhere near my top 100, I doubt it would even make the top 200.  

A to Z Connections: Bonnie Hunt who voices Judy's over-protected Mom also appears in Dave as a very eager White House tour guide. She co-starred, co-wrote, and directed Return To Me.  




Next Time: A to Z Reflection

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Hall & Oates Chariots of Fire Parody SCTV

Earlier Today I posted my C film for this month A to Z challenge.  This clip from SCTV always makes me laugh.       I hope you enjoy it.  


Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Deep Valley - Rich Mullins Live Album - Out on Streaming Devices.

Rich Mullins passed away over 25 years ago. His music is as meaningful and relevant to me today as it was back then. This is one reason why I am so delighted that a recording of a concert he gave many years ago has just been released on almost all of the streaming platforms and is also available on c.d. The Album is called Deep Valley and was recorded at Deep Valley Christian Service Camp in Western Pennsylvania.  Rich loved this camp and my understanding is that he performed there often. Here is a recording of the song Finish Line recorded at the camp in July of 1983.  (This song is not on the album.)


 

Rich Mullins's music still has an impact on people today as attested in this New York Times Piece. Bellsburg, the album mentioned in the NYT piece has been available for streaming since November and Deep Valley dropped (as the cool kids say) earlier this month.

Both albums were funded on Kickstarter and produced by Old Bear Records.  I received both albums on C.D. by participating in the Kickstarter.  I enjoy both albums immensely.   I guess if pressed, I would say I like Deep Valley every bit as well as Bellsburg as it is great to hear Rich playing in a concert setting again on a new recording.  I highly recommend either album.  

My wife and I are going to listen to Deep Valley on the way home from work today.

Love, 

Dave

Monday, January 30, 2023

Random Videos


Over the years I have taken so many videos for my blogs.  Here are some random ones I'd like to share today.


This "kid" just got engaged.  11 years ago He was in robotics with my son.


LJ Smooth FKA Wolflina FKA Puppy
Her first HI


Bob Bennett playing at my church after taping an album locally.



 

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Jim Kaat Full Baseball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech and Jim Kaat on Dick Allen

Amy gave me some White Sox Ticket vouchers as a Christmas gift and while I am excited for the future of the White Sox, I still love the past of the White Sox. Here are some videos featuring HOF pitcher Jim Kaat, The former White SOx hurler. The first is his induction speech at the Hall if Fame last summer.



 



The second is an interview he did on the MLB network after the passing of Dick Allen.





 




I was very glad to see Kaat finally make it to Cooperstown. It's too bad Allen did not make it in his lifetime, I hope that He will make it soon. Love, Crazy Uncle Dave

A to Z 2023 Road Trip

#AtoZChallenge 2023 RoadTrip