I've been out a fair bit this week, so didn't manage to catch up with all of Torchwood until late last night - but I have to say, it was worth the wait.

( Torchwood - Children of Earth )

West Side Story for the credit crunch era.

*snigger*

Latest Twitterings

• 14:01 Teachers aren’t qualified enough - apparently networkedblogs.com/p6704961 #
• 20:36 der der DER der, der der DER der... yep, it must be Status Quo! #
• 21:25 Catching up on Glasto via the wonder of the Red Button. Orquesta Aragon is pretty awesome. #
• 21:27 I'm wondering what the H&S rules are for room temperatures Forecast tomorrow is 26 deg - my room is always several above outside #
• 21:28 even with all the windows open (we're on the 1st floor so they don't open all the way!) it's boiling. #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

According to google, the weather for this area tomorrow is going to be sunny, and temperatures will reach 26 degrees. (That's 79 F for my leftpondian chums).

Well, that's not too bad - apart from the fact that even with the temperatures we've had so far, which haven't reached those dizzy heights (shut up - for the UK, it's a height, okay?) my classroom has been like an oven. I have all the windows open as far as possible (which isn't a lot; we're on the first floor, and while there are some kids, I'd gladly through out of the window, it's not all that desirable!) - but it's still horrible. The kids have been complaining for weeks, and so have I - but I have yet to see the fan(s) I've asked for. Even in winter, I had to turn the radiators off and open windows because it got overwarm in there!

So I'm not looking forward to next week because of that. And as well as the heat, there will be the delightful odour of unwashed-teenage-boy to contend with, together with the eau de god-knows-what-cheap-crap body spray they insist on spraying on themselves in the room despite repeated requests to refrain!

Yet another government initiative that fails to grasp some of the fundamentals about what's wrong with our education system.

Teachers aren't qualified enough - apparently | Learning is delightful and delicious ...

Posted using ShareThis

Latest Twitterings

• 21:31 Now I've seen everything. The Met Office has issued the first ever Heatwave Warning in the UK! bit.ly/alhP9 #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

I know teh interwebz is full of it, but I couldn't let today pass without saying how sad I was to hear of the death of Michael Jackson.

I know that his life - especially in the last couple of decades - was more renouned for its weirdness than for his music-making. I was working for Sony when the child abuse scandal was at its height and I remember the time he turned up at our offices - I've never seen so many blacked-out limos, SUVs and HUGE men dressed in black wearing cool shades!

He was obviously a very troubled individual. A worldwide superstar from a very young age, he lived almost the whole of his life in the public eye - not easy for anyone.

That said - I want to remember his incredible talent. As a performer, I think he was second to none. Reports are saying that he was the most important musical talent since Elvis, and I'm inclined to agree.

His music speaks for itself.

RIP.

Latest Twitterings

• 12:07 Waiting at the dentist for Mr Caz. Appt was 11.15; he went in at 11.55. What a time-waster. #
• 16:50 FFS! Why is my internet connection so effin' shite this afternoon? #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

I can never resist a meme that involves films, music or books...

So without further ado -

Don’t take too long to think about it.
Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you.
First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.
Copy the instructions into your own post.

I have to confess to feeling somewhat intimidated by some of the lists displayed by some on my flist. My reading taste doesn't tend to be as eclectic as my taste in music!

1. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
2. The Barchester Books - Anthony Trollope
3. The Way We Live Now - Anthony Trollope
4. The Moonstone - Wilkie Collins
5. Emma - Jane Austen
6. Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen
7. The House of Mirth - Edith Wharton
8. Evelina - Fanny Burney
9. L.A Confidential - James Ellroy
10. The Lymond Series - Dorothy Dunnett
11. The Sunne in Splendour - Sharon Penman
12. The Quincunx - Charles Palliser
13. The Forsyte Saga (the first 3 books in the series) - John Galsworthy
14. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
15. Venetia - Georgette Heyer

( Here's why... )
Anything else you wanna know? Just ask :-)

Latest Twitterings

• 14:37 In the middle of a field in our new tent and it's just started to rain. Typical. #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Yes, it's late and I'm too lazy to shift my arse off the sofa and go to bed...

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Musician   Doo doo de doo waaaa doo de doo! (<-- That's you playing something.) Everyone appreciates the band/orchestra geeks and the pretty voices. Whether you sing in the choir, participate in a school/local band, or sit at home writing music, you contribute a joy to society that everyone can agree on. Yay! Welcome to actually doing something for poor, pathetic human souls. (Just kidding.)
Literature Nerd
Drama Nerd
Science/Math Nerd
Social Nerd
Artistic Nerd
Gamer/Computer Nerd
Anime Nerd
What Be Your Nerd Type? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

I've just paid some bills online, and had to invent yet ANOTHER password for something.

I get that some of this stuff is an extra layer of security, all well and good. But if we're not supposed to write passwords down, how the hell are we going to remember them all?

I admit, I've taken to using the same usernames and passwords for practically everything - but it really pisses me off when a site won't let me have a particular password because it doesn't have the required number of letters/numbers/capital letters. That means I have to think of a new one, and they're the ones I'm likely to forget. The one I've just used is for Verified by Visa, which I've changed 3 times in the last couple of months. I'll have to change it next time as well, because all the easily memorable passwords are ones I've already used.

I think that next time I'll just enter a random bunch of numbers and letters, because whatever I put in, I'll have forgotten it by the next time!

Latest Twitterings

• 20:01 Blimey - that was one helluva lightning strike! I think we were struck; we all saw blue flashes inside! #
• 21:47 Watching this programme about Child Prodigies on C4. These kids are unbelievably good.
  Stunning, really. #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Dumb & Dumber | Learning is delightful and delicious ...

Posted using ShareThis

Latest Twitterings

• 16:33 Put your thinking caps on, peeps! I need questions for some quizzes for school. Music related, for 14 year olds, not too hard. #
• 16:34 My knowldege of the er... stuff (I can't call it music!) they listen to is practically non-existent I'm pleased to admit! #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

My lesson planning for this weekend is going to include making up some quizzes to use with the older kids. None of the year 9s are carrying on with music next year, and it's getting really hard to interest them in a particular topic, so I thought that until the end of the year, I'd do bits and pieces.

My knowledge of the sort of shite stuff (I can't bring myself to call it "music"!) these kids listen to is incredibly limited, so I'm throwing it out to all of you - give me a few questions that I could include in a quiz for 14 year-olds! I'm going to need some really stupidly simple questions a la Millionaire (because that's one of the quiz formats I'm using) and some slightly harder ones, but nothing especially challenging.

The other quiz-type I use is Blockbuster - the kids pick a letter from the board and the answer to the question will begin with that letter. (Hence the title of this post!)

The annoying thing is that it can take hours to make these things up and you use them once for 15 minutes! So the more questions the better!

Thanks guys!

Oh well. If I don't get that job I've just applied for, I could always try this.

Latest Twitterings

• 23:29 Joining a Twitter group. twibes.com/Tweechers?v=1 - What twibes do you belong to? #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Anyone who works in or anywhere remotely near education will appreciate this ;-)

Charlie and the Inclusive Chocolate Factory by oldandrew

Latest Twitterings

• 21:45 The job application is done and I did it. Now to find an envelope big enough... #
• 21:49 If I get this job, I'll be earning ALMOST as much as when I stopped work to have my kids almost 10 years ago. A sobering thought, innit? #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter