I am going to keep Blogging

I was asked in my class would I continue blogging, I have been thinking about it ant I think that I will continue. You see, I have always wanted my own column and even if no one reads this except me that is ok because I will read it and practice on my writing and find a channel for my wit. Blogging, if it does nothing else is a relief and a great stress buster. I observe things during the day or the week and I write about them. I cannot think of a better way to relieve tension and get my 15 minutes of fame at the same time.
So, I will keep blogging putting my thoughts and observations out there. Who know maybe someone will read this and I will soon have a following.

BLACK FRIDAY

Why would anyone want to get up at 3 am to go to a big box store and spend money? The answer, the spirit of giving or the excitment of the hunt. Whatever it is I am probably one of the few people who is out on Black Friday just to see the behavior of the people who are out there trying to get something for as little as possible.
It amazing to see otherwise calm and sedate Minnesotans and Wisconsinites trun into stark raving maniacs, snacthing and grabbing anything that comes their way. It was'nt just upper midwesterners either, I also encountered shoppers from New York, California and England. You see, Minnesota has no sales tax on clothing so it is for lack of a better term, a shoppers paridise. They also behaved with the same frivolous excitement . A family friend is one of these bargain hunters . She without fail manages to go out every Black Friday and comes home with scores of what she thinks are bargains. Another friend and co-worker, went to the Albertville, Mn. outlets at midnight to start black friday from the beginning. What neither of these people realize is that the real bargains come right before and right after Christmas , if you can wait that long. Also, if you charged it , the purchase was no bargain.

Techno Snobs The New Divide

I often hear people that I come in contact with bragging about their lack of technology or knowledge thereof. One person braggardly remarked " I don't own a cellphone." Another remarked that they do not have cable or the internet at their home. To them it was a good thing to be disconnected and uninformed. I think it a tragedy and another attempt by the elite to separate themselves from the masses and once again prove to the rest of us that they are better.
I for one, find this to be an attempt to put down the rest of us who use tech as a tool to increase our knowledge and to make information more accessable.
I find this snobbery to be the most prevailant in my profession of teaching. I was at a workshop this summer, and was informed that laptops are now banned from school district meetings. How could a profession where technology is not a luxury but essential be so resistant to technology.
Many of the teachers that I work with, find technology mof of a nusance than an inhancement. Once I mentioned that student achievement would be greatly achieved if all student had laptops . One of the older teacher remarked in a patronizing tone that laptops would be a wast of money.
This lack of knowledge and insecurity amoung teachers toward technology is disturbing and one of the reasons why public schools are so far behind technology wise and otherwise. All of us need to see technology for what it is a tool to enhance our lives and not what it is not a burden or hinderence on our lives.

Tech Find of the Week.

How many people out there hate their cellphones. Not only do you hate it, you would like to throw it out of your car while going at break-neck speed down I-94. If you are on the GSM network(t-mobile, verizon etc.) you only have to do two simple things: 1. Log on to ebay and look for unlocked cell phones. Find a really cool one and buy or bid on it. 1. Once that cool phone is in your tight little hands, take the sim card out of your old phone, put it in your new phone and that's all there is.
The great thing about this, is that if you become tired of this phone, you can switch your sim card back to the old phone. you can do this everyday if you like and it will not harm you service as long as the sim card is intact . I change my cell phone often between a Razor and a Treo.
The sim card makes all of this possible. So if your cell phone is not your cup of tea anymore, and you want to get into something new but you do not want to pay the high prices that many carriers are asking, try the old sim card switch.

Tech Find of the Week.

Hello out there,
Do you want one of those new ipods but you do not have the $300 or $400 they are asking. I you do not there is hope for at least a portion of the cost if you have an old ipod that you would like to part with. First Tech in Uptown Minneapolis is taking trade-ins on the new ipods . Anyone can participate as long as they have the ear buds, data cord and it is in good working condition. You may get up to half the original value on the ipod and you can put that towards the purchase of a new ipod touch. To my knowledge, First Tech is the only store that take trade-ins and the pricing ir fair. You could probably sell it for more on Ebay or Craig's List with more of a hassel.

My How I-94 has Changed

This weekend, I was driving down interstate 94 on my way to Chicago and I was amazed what a nice trip it was. I have been making this trip for years and over the last few years it seems to get better every year. When I left Saint Paul at 6 am, I found it to be very little traffic , the traffic that was out there was evely spaced and in the right lane.
Along the way, I found not the typical wide open spaces but a mixture of space and sprawl. Places that were quaint off the road spots are now large collections of resorts , restaurants and shopping so instead of seeing rows and rows of fields, I saw fields, fun and fauna. I usually make the trip in a bout 6.5 hours and it used to be like pulling teeth and I would be exhausted . I arrived in downtown Chicago this time feeling refreshed and relaxed. All in all , the trip was excellent. A big shout out to Paul Bunyans in the Wisconsin Dells( great limberjack breakfast) and the Norskie Nook (grrrrreat pie). Need a break, need to relax, drive to Chicago catch the blues and the bears.

see the fall colors

If you want to wee the fall colors but you don't want to drive to the north shore and you want to come back the same day or the next why not try Decorah Iowa. I the heart of Amish country, Decorah is a weekend find. You can stay at the Winnesek hotel or one of the many hotels in the area. You can also take advantage of the Amish crafts and produce that dot the area. For those who do not want a long road trip but a get away but do want to get away southern Minnesota and Northern Iowa is theplace to be.