good movie

American Me: two thumbs up. Or two middle fingers up at the establishment. Either one is good.

Makes me realize how sheltered my kids at Sierra were - my kids now, they're hardcore. They speak exactly like the guys in this movie, though I've never heard "carnal" but that's because I don't hang out with families.

I read the reviews, and all the people who say the characters were superficial -they're talkin trash cuz they don't get it. These are the peeps of my students. The haters, they're just clueless.

One thing I liked - the violence wasn't at all gratuitous - it was integral and not shown full-up. Only had to turn away my head once.

Edward James Olmos - he's da man. DA man.

Also, just read this great article on baggies: http://www.groovetickets.com/bz_art.asp?DID=3 I don't care if it's true or not (seems like it) - I'm just tired of all the hatin on my kids for wearing big clothes. I like it better than the girls with the tight pants and seeing butt cleavage - ew! This other teacher was telling me that baggy comes all from prison, and he wouldn't even listen to other possible explanations.

That's the problem - there are always multiple explanations about counterculture. Hatin just simplifies it, but that's for small-minded people. Who the hell cares about fashion?

I have the nicest 1st period class now - it's a really small class, and almost all new kids to the school. But they are just da bomb, and they were like "Why they be hatin on you, puttin you in this ghetto room?" and I was just like THANK YOU! The other kids, they make it all about them, "Ah, Ms. B, this room sucks," blah blah. But 1st period - they realized I had to be in there all day long, and I was the one being punished. Extra credit for them all.

BTW, a teacher's car got keyed BAD. I had never heard complaints about her, though today kids were saying she's a bitch that can't teach, then others said, no, she's nice enough, she just can't teach (she's also, of course, the department head). Man, I was sure my truck was going to get keyed real bad after panel - major vandalism in the works. But no, nothing. Even when angry kicked-out students saw me get in and out of my truck.

Maybe I'm just a scarier bitch that can't teach.

Anyway, my 1st period told me about it. How do I know that I'm not the world's worst teacher? Because my kids tell me shit. Political shit, personal shit, and job-related shit - things that I wouldn't know otherwise. That's cool.

This kid that I wrote about before numerous times, he's got real issues, but I got him to stop being a dick by making fun of him - the class gets on my side and he backs down and restrategizes. Anyway, this new kid was not in my class for days, then I saw them talking together and I told Kid A to tell Kid B to come to class. Three days now he's been there. WTF? I see how the guys talk to Kid A, and it's a little creepy, because it's like the leader in the movie I just watched. Why creepy? Because the kid's a sociopath - and if he did get Kid B to come to class because I told him to, then he's going to think I owe him.

But, it's all social capital being built up. Very interesting, the dynamics of my school. My actions are political moves - it's all a chessboard. And yes, I am the Queen.