first of all, i've always maintained that the red panda is one of the awesomest animals ever. well, maybe not actively-- the only time i've ever seen then is at the cincinatti zoo, so they're not always foremost in my mind. but the point is, they rule. and cute overload knows it! they posted this video, which has kept me highly entertained for two days now.

second of all: discussion topic for today (since im pretty mcuh reading and organizing today in lab, woo the glamorous life of the scientist). someone mentioned a while back that we ought to compile a list of must read books for high school students, so now's as good a time as any. ready go ;)

heart of darkness
hamlet and at least one shakespeare comedy (as you like it, maybe, or twelfth night)
the handmaid's tale (seniors only!)
something dickens, as much as it pains me to say that (bleak house is probably too long, unfortunately)
huckleberry finn (connecticut yankee in king arthur's court is good too, for the twain requirement)
the bell jar
pride and prejudice

hmm, my brain isnt working. ill think of more later today. needs more plays, at the very least.

the good news: looks like in a few years i can ask bill gates and oprah winfrey for funding for our school.

the bad news? well, see for yourself.

...and just like that, i find myself drifting off to the happy place. the place where none of this matters, and i'm planning for The School.

it's funny, since sal and i are talking about moving to new mexico after graduation-- since things are cheaper there, it might be easier to start up a school. the funny part being that when i start to think and talk about this stuff, i feel like i should be dancing around a subway car..... do you think this whole school thing is just an elaborate escape fantasy? i hope not. i mean, yes, it does often distract me from the mundane real world, but i really believe i/we can do it.... we'll see, i suppose.

(and sorry again for the multiple posts in one day thing)

okay, so im a huge dork. but i had some free time this week (okay, i was avoiding real work), and so i put together a syllabus for my hypothetical senior english class. i wish i could have fit more hispanic writers in, but even in 18 weeks it's hard to cover everything. i havent thought about summer reading yet, though im thinking marquez (havent read any of his stuff-- can anyone recommend love in the time of cholera versus one hundred years of solitude?). but enough blathering, here 'tis.

hm. wonder when ill come up with a name, rather than just calling it The School. (i had been calling it thorax preparatory school, just so we could write tps reports....)

so, i had this thought that yesterday's entry would end up like some sort of deranged MUD (or sim, if you're me). i think if that's going to happen some sort of character sheets need to exist. and i think this will be interesting ;)

so, if you want to be part of my little fantasy, reply to this and tell me what you'd teach as your specialty, and what you'd teach as a hobby (even if you replied to the last post, do it again here!)

so, i'd take biology (molecular, if possible) and lit. id also probably try to start a mock trial team and a quiz bowl team in my "spare" time ;)

this should help distract me from the fact that i ran half my samples off my gel today :-p