About That ALS Challenge Thing

Warning: The following video contains images of me and one will actually hear my voice if one hits play

I was challenged by a young man named Nathan. We're tight, so I did the ALS ice bucket challenge. I will still donate some cash. Careful listeners who are not frightened by the image of me or by hearing my voice may note that I say that I will keep talking after the ice. I did, but Tom cut the camera for a second or two and I sounded angry when I really wasn't, so I haven't decided whether to upload that part.

What I said was that I wasn't going to challenge any South Dakota bloggers or fellow teachers. I hoped no classes or homerooms would challenge each other. The people with ALS need the money more than they need to see average folks pouring ice water on themselves.

I was also challenged by a former student named Lacey H. A couple of people told me about it. If one of you would be so kind as to contact her on the malware that is Facebook and send her this link, I'd appreciate it.

A Fall Without Football

I've decided to stop being an American. I'm not going to renounce my American citizenship like Superman renounced his or Ted Cruz renounced his Canadian citizenship; I'm just not going to watch football or play fantasy football this season. Let's be honest, football is now America's game; fantasy football is something all the cool folks do, and not watching makes one a suspect citizen. I fully expect increased NSA surveillance.

The concussion stories of the past few years have given me pause, and I'm having a tough time justifying watching people voluntarily risk of brain damage for my entertainment. The NFL is taking a few steps but I'm not sure it's enough. I'm not going to go on a crusade. If I visit someone and the game is on, I won't demand the game be shut off. I'm not calling for a government investigation, and I'm not going to make hyperbolic comparisons to Roman gladiatorial combat. I'm just going to try to get through the fall and winter without turning on a game

I anticipate some problems like withdrawal. I have spent thousands of hours watching National Football League games. When I was a young'un I even spent a few hundred hours listening to Monday Night Football on the radio because ABC was not one of the networks our TV antenna picked up. I watched all through college. For the past few decades, it's been a habit to take a pile of work that needs to be corrected, turn on the game, and correct and watch.

Right now, baseball season will get me through most Sunday afternoons. After baseball, season, I expect a few problems. I'm not going to try to replace American football with soccer. I find soccer neither beautiful nor entertaining, and soccer fans grate worse than fingernails on a chalkboard.

I'll  watch Sports Center so that I can talk with the young'uns. Knowing a bit about sports and pop culture has always been part of the job. I may be making a distinction without a difference, but I don't believer that my watching the news makes me responsible for violent crime or Assad's use of chemical weapons; the same holds true for Sports Center. When I watch a game, however, I'm helping provide the advertising dollars that fund the $9 billion industry that cannot avoid causing concussions.

A Post Written Because My Wife Made A Mistake 10 Years Ago

Ten years ago today, my wife took leave of her senses and married me.  I have been thankful for that lapse in judgement every day since. She, however, has entered world where the following theatrics now seem the height of common sense compared to most of the things done by her husband. (The weirdness starts at about 1:15)