Gospel: Jesus said to Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

Word: to fish – To attempt to find or get hold of an object by searching among other objects

Though I have gone fishing properly, my strongest memory of fishing is of a sketch from Sesame Street when Ernie and Bert go fishing where Bert, ever the realist, fishes with his pole while Ernie shouts for his fish.

Spoiler alert: Bert, using conventional methods, catches no fish while Ernie coaxes dozens to jump into the boat simply by calling for them.

Ernie’s fishing tactics remind me of Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel. While they didn’t cry fish in a crowded movie-house, both Ernie and Jesus used their words to not only get people’s attention, but also to attract who they wanted to. Though yesterday I wrote about the importance of our actions backing up our words, today I’d like us to remember the of our words.

“It’s not what you said, it’s how you said it.” “Say what?” “Could you say that again?” “Don’t speak to me that way.” “Speak up!” “Did you hear what he said?” “I just called to say I love you.” “Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?”

That ye olde phrase “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” is a load of crap that even our child-selves recognized the first time we heard it. Words can hurt or heal, and remember young Skywalker, what you say will lead to who you catch.

Ich liebe Graf Zahl.

Den Text kenne ich von früher.

Today celebrates the 40 year anniversay of the Muppets version of the Mahna Mahna song.

Here is orginal from off Sesame Street:

However, I am a personal fan of the Muppets version (1969):

What does this have to do with photography and my work? Absolutely nothing. But I was required to make a youtube test post for Digital Portfolio class and figured this would be fun.

The other cake I had a couple fo weeks ago was for Ayden, he was turning 1!  Sesame Street was the theme of his party.  These are the cakes I love to do!  My mom says I do cakes she would never touch or even consider for that matter!  I was excited…

I began to shape my characters….

And I think it turned out adorable, although wait a minute…Why does Elmo look funny??  Something I can’t put my finger on!

It only took me a day to figure it out. I also had to turn around and go back home to fix him before I delivered it to Krista. What was missing????

HIS NOSE!!! Geez, that was frustrating! Glad I figured it out! Happy birthday Ayden, I hope you had as much fun as I did making your cake.

I became a member of vimeo back in March this year.  At the time I needed the membership to view a particular video (of which I can’t at all remember) and almost completely forgot about the site until I stumbled across another vimeo vid the other day.  I recently got back to my profile page and started watching some random vids and was kinda impressed.  Inspired actually.  If you have some internet time to kill and need a departure from your current tv programming, check it out.  Here’s a short little Thanksgiving Day vid put to some Sesame Street/Cake music.  The turkey cutting part synced up nicely.

Manamana

Ormai è alla terza stagione. E cammina sulle sue gambe. E’ la versione in salsa mediorentale dei “Muppets”. O, come preferiscono a Gerusalemme, “Rehov Sumsum”. Da tre anni, però, i Muppets made in Middle-east si sono sdoppiati. Una versione israeliana e una araba (“Shara’s Simsim”). Ma il contenuto è rimasto lo stesso: messaggi di pace, di fratellanza. Soprattutto, di reciproco rispetto delle identità. Da una parte. E dall’altra.

Chissà che la diplomazia dei pupazzi serva a qualcosa.

Recently, one of the greatest television shows of all time celebrated its fortieth anniversary. Of course, I’m talking about “Sesame Street,” that funky slice of 1970s America that continues to teach and inspire children today.

I’m sure most of us can recall the songs, characters, and lessons that the show imprinted on us. I was lucky enough to watch the show pre-Elmo, so I got the real deal:

“Sesame Street” was the first, and for a number of years, the only show where I saw people who looked like my family. I mean, who can forget Luis and Maria?

It wasn’t until years later that I realized how revolutionary Jim Henson’s approach was. The guy didn’t just throw in a few minor characters who were different races, which still would have been considered groundbreaking for the time. He made Latinos and blacks key members of the community, even if the block on which they all congregated was strangely free of sunlight every day of the year (maybe they lived in Seattle).

“Sesame Street” was also one of the first programs on which I heard Spanish. And it wasn’t just flavoring. The show went out of its way to teach basic Spanish words and phrases. I have to assume that if the show debuted today, it would be criticized for teaching the invaders’ language, and funding would be threatened unless all on-air business was conducted in English.

Indeed, I’ve heard of some parents who forbid their children to watch “Sesame Street” because of its perceived liberal agenda. I truly hope that this is an urban myth. Otherwise, someone is going to have to explain to me what is so “liberal” about racial tolerance and basic literacy.

But for the most part, “Sesame Street” has been grandfathered from the culture wars. MSNBC points out that the show “modeled the kind of racial idealism we should continually strive for” but that it “wasn’t just some idyllic land where no one ever disagreed…. It was a place where everyone always talked and continued talking.”

That wouldn’t be such a bad place to live.

I must admit a rather scandalous secret- I’ve never much liked parades. In fact, in 10th grade I wrote an entire paper for English class about how much I hate the Mummers. I know, I know, that’s an offense that could have me kicked out of town (that and the fact that I don’t eat cheesecakes), but hey, feathered dudes roaming the town was never exactly my thing.

But, lately, lately parades have kinda grown on me. I’ve still never gone to a mummers parade, but over the last year or so I’ve been to three parades. First the Phillies victory parade last year- which was awesome, if overly crowded and hindered by the fat that I went back to work later that day. The St. Patty’s Day parade was also a really good time, even if my friend didn’t bring booze, and I had on an entirely hideous green Phillies hat. And, the third parade, well, that was just yesterday- the Thanksgiving Day Parade (sponsored by Boscov’s!!).

I actually don’t think it was in fact sponsored by them this year, but in most years it has been so it’s stuck in my head. Just like May’s in town is still Wanamaker’s, certain things just don’t change in my mind, even if the reality of them has.

Anyway, this was my first Thanksgiving parade, and it was fun. Apparently shorter than previous years- but still a good time. There were Muppets there, and Goofy, and the Phanatic!! And, yes, sometimes I really am still a small child. But hey, maybe that’s the point of these things. Because for all of it’s flaws, there’s something to be said for childhood. For big balloons, and dancing batons. And standing outdoors and getting excited because Cookie Monster is passing by.

[LINK]

It’s true! The “most insidiousness socialist brainwashing program” is in fact brainwashing kids! It openly expresses socialist values (like sharing) and builds up false hopes in children for a bright future. It generalizes the core values of marriage and pokes fun at upstanding institutions like FOX News, which only wants to bring you the truth in an unbiased news media format for the whole family. Don’t let your kids watch it! Sure they’ll learn the alphabet, but they’ll also pick up faciast values in the subliminal messaging of Snuffaluffagus. You’re better off plopping your kids in front of Spongebob where they can learn words like “ding-a-ling” and watch a pastey pink star fish run around naked.

Some one should do something!

Angry Bob was angry.

“I will fly a kite,” he said. “Flying a kite makes people happy.”

So Angry Bob walked to the store. “Hello,” he said to the man at the store, “I would like to purchase a kite.”

“I’m sorry,” said the man, “but I am out of kites. Perhaps you’d like a couch?”

“A couch?” said Bob, “Why would I want a couch?”

“Because couches are nice,” said the man, “And they make people happy.”

Convinced, Bob bought a couch and carried it from the store over his head. Arriving at a field, he paused. “The man was correct,” thought Bob, “This couch will bring me happiness.” And for the first time in his 39 years, Bob smiled.

And threw the couch in the air.

It did not fly.

Bob was crushed like a soft biscuit.

I claim no ownership nor any input into this brilliant little story. I stole it from here and thought I’d share it to you in text format.

P.S.V.

Well ain’t this just the sweetest thing evarrrr?

If life is an emotional roller coaster, life in Korea is a taller, twistier, much more wicked one. Or perhaps an older, more rickety wooden classic that gives you as much whiplash as thrill.  Like The Beast at King’s Island, rather than the Millenium Force at Cedar Point.

Nerdy amusement Park references aside, I have major downer days and major upper days, without much in between. Yesterday? Tears at my desk with the lights out. Tuesday? Total awesomeness. Look what I found on my (other) desk in the teachers’ office at the end of the workday:

Things that keep me going #1: Love Notes.

Now, I think this kid’s teacher confused me with Bri, the last teacher here, and wrote that on the card. But I don’t care. The student who drew this beautiful little card for me is a disabled kid who I don’t even have in class. He just loves me and always runs after me to say hello in the halls and at lunch. Apparently, his written English is quite good (almost as good as his ability to draw Sesame Street characters, seals, and penguins):

He has better English than a lot of my regular kids. Not sure what he wants to say about his mother and sister, though...

I think he was worried about me when I was sick. And he likes art and English and the outdoors. He spent a lot of money on these cookies called Peppero he gave me. And he is “a king of the Korea”. Yes you are, buddy, in my book.

…and in case you were wondering: “Cutsie Boy” is a reference to “Crazy Boy”, something the kids love to shout at me as they point to their best friend, class partner, or random victim of between-class-violence. The craziest of these crazy boys might be Pinocchio (yes he named himself that), friend of some of my favorite (and possibly ADD) students: Clark, Taylor, and Romeo. Pinocchio is a student whose laugh is one of the shrillest, creepiest, babooniest, horror-movie-serial-killer-esque laughs I’ve EVER HEARD. I hope he cannot smell my fear.

I’m conflicted on this one.  Yes, I’m a HUGE fan of MadMen.  Yes, I’m a fan of children and education.  Should they mix?  I don’t see Freddy from Nightmare on Elm Street showing up to teach children on how not to be afraid of the dark….so….yeah.  I don’t think so.

Click here to view at YouTube.com

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Foreword:  I have a 35-year old sister with Down’s Syndrome and her childhood years have been a very happy one. She went to a special school and learned a lot. However, a major influence to her learning is Sesame Street where she learned to identify muppets by names, sing songs about A-B-C, words and numbers. Her favorite characters are Cookie Monster, The Count and Guy Smiley, among others. Without a doubt, Sesame Street has impacted her mind tremendously.  It has been many years since and it is with much concern that I am posting this article from Lighthouse Trails website. So to every Christian parents, please watch with discernment every children’s program with your kids.

EmmausTrekker

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Christian Parents Beware: Sesame Street Will Teach Your Children Yoga

November 14th, 2009 | Author: Lighthouse Trails Editors

LTRP Note: For parents or grandparents who have thought it is harmless to let their little children or grandchildren watch an hour of Sesame Street once a day, we offer this warning. While many Christian parents have most likely seen the liberal slants of the popular T.V. show, and perhaps kept their children away from the show, turning to Mr. Rogers instead, many Christian parents have allowed Sesame Street into their homes, feeling that the underlying New Age, liberal message was subtle enough to bypass the hearts and minds of little eyes and ears. But the following articles show that Yoga (the heartbeat of Hinduism) is alive and “well” on Sesame Street, and parents should beware. While warning a 4 year not to participate in any Yoga exercises they might see on Sesame Street can make parents feel they have done their job in protecting their kids, it isn’t likely that a 4 or 5 year old will understand the dangers when Big Bird tells them how fun it is or when they see their favorite personality on Sesame Street telling a room full of kids to do the Yoga exercises. Check out the following articles below.

New York Times:  ”Same Street, Different World: ‘Sesame’ Turns 40″:

The pedagogy hasn’t changed, but the look and tone of “Sesame Street” have evolved … Now there are green spaces, tofu and yoga…. 

This season has an Om sensibility. “My mom takes me to yoga class, I love doing yoga,” a little girl in pigtails says in an episode that ran in October. She is narrating a short film that shows a pixieish teacher and her pupils folding into the downward dog position. After class her mother arrives with a plastic water bottle. “She says it’s important to drink water when you exercise,” the girl explains. “When I grow up I want to be a yoga teacher.”

The Independent (London, UK): “Why Sesame Street still counts”

In recent years Sesame Street has faced challenges. It can sometimes seem at odds with the era of political correctness. The Cookie Monster has been accused of promoting obesity and sponsorship by McDonald’s was drew wide criticism. The show still attracts big name guest-stars but is up against competition from newer forms of entertainment. Even the programme’s core values have changed. In 1970 it taught racial tolerance, now young viewers hear about the environment or healthy food. In an episode of the new series a child talks about her mother’s yoga class. “I love yoga,” she announces. “When I grow up, I want to be a yoga teacher.”

David Beckham e Elmo

David Beckham, astro maior do Los Angeles Galaxy, pode não ter ganho a MLS Cup 2009, mas seu prestígio continua alto, principalmente entre as crianças. E não é que o craque inglês fez uma aparição no programa infantil Sesame Street (no Brasil, Vila Sésamo) explicando aos pimpolhos a palavra persistência com algumas dicas de futebol e recomendando: “Sejam persistentes”. Durantes as explicações temos várias aparições do boneco Elmo que sempre pergunta a Beckham: “Sr. David, vamos jogar?” Ao que este responde: “Agora não, Elmo”. Porém, de tanto o simpático bonequinho persisitir, Becks acaba cedendo e ambos vão bater uma bolinha. Elmo mostra que aprendeu a lição e diz: “Persistência”.

Veja o vídeo:

…from “Sesame Street,” and it is a fun segment; but what’s really great about the skit is that the legendary Frank Oz plays the lead character, Mr. Draper.

What’s awesome about this is that it’s Frank’s first “Sesame Street” performance in nearly 15 years. Bert, Grover and Cookie Monster haven’t been the same since.

Check it out here:

Weird hearing a “Sesame Street” version of Rjd2’s opening song,

-Shady