Sweatpants...Great Invention, or Greatest?

An interesting question is raised here. Are sweatpants one of the greatest, if not the greatest, inventions of all time? You say the wheel, electricity, or the Internet, but I say a good 'ol pair of sweats.

Whether heading to class, work, a sporting event, or simply to bed, sweatpants provide maximum comfort. While their are factors such as weather that must be taken into account, the answer is obvious. If it's too hot, roll them up. If it's too cold, roll them down. Can you roll your shorts down? No, you have to take the time to change into jeans. Jeans equal wasted time.

Another important issue is eating. The primary reason I bring this up is because holidays are times when we eat, usually overeat. The guilt of loosening your belt a notch or popping a button can cripple anyones' self-esteem. With sweatpants however, the waist band magically expands. Undeterred, we can now all attack that holiday buffet with no regard to our own expanding waistline.

Lastly, what exactly are "sweat-pants"? After countless hours of research, I think I may have pinpointed the perfect explanation.

Sweatpants are an informal variety of trousers intended for comfort or athletic purposes. Many jails or juvenile institutions use sweatpants for their main uniform because of comfort, loose fitting, and ease of washing. In the United Kingdom they are varyingly known as track suit bottoms or the more informal jogging bottoms. In Australia and New Zealand they are know as track pants or "trakky daks". Also they can, in Ireland, be known as 'Fatman Trousers'.

That settles the debate. Sweats are in fact the greatest creation by man to this point in time. What the future holds I do not know. For now though, you keep your gizmos and gadgets and please, just hand me a pair of trakky daks.

Munch Madness

March Madness is officially upon us. Now is time to start our endless research, pine over our blank brackets, and pencil in who we believe will be the final team standing for the title of NCAA Basketball Champion. There is no question March is an excellent month for the avid sports fan, but I believe it is about time we change the term “Bracketology” up a bit. Who does not love chocolate? If there is a person out there who claims to not crave a bite of product created from the seed of the tropical Theobroma Cacao tree every so often, let those liars be pointed out. Because of the world’s love for sugar, and mine of course, my March Madness brackets will be consisting of a winner-take-all tournament of the most sweet, succulent, and delightful chocolate candies. Let March, or rather Munch Madness begin!

While the NCAA tournament officially includes 64 basketball teams, mine for the sake of everyone’s sanity, will involved simply the elite eight. Eight of the most knee-buckling, mind-numbing, sugar-packed, chocolate bars on the market today will be pitted against each other in the official tournament to determine a candy bar king.

After the stressful event of seeding my top eight taste bud teasers, battle is set to begin. Round one faces off heavy weight favorite Snickers(1) up against the more original and well known, yet still delightful Hershey Bar(8). To the utter dismay of the faithful fans and founder late great Milton S. Hershey, the all time best seller Snickers easily dominates this matchup. Next we have another hyped contender, the Twix(2), battling the 3 Musketeers(7). Even being named after the famous novel and a number of well-received movies could not save this nougat, and the Twix simply overwhelmed the light and fluffy chocolateers. Who could deny a blend of rich caramel and crunchy cookie center? In this instance, I could not. Known by many countries in the past as the Raider, the Twix bar marches on.

Other news verifies the upsets of the Whatchamacallit(5) over Bart Simpson’s old fashioned Butterfinger(4). Also, the often described as “so good I’d rather eat it than spend it,” the 100 Grand Bar(6) squeaks a close victory over our baby, the Baby Ruth(3). Long live the Babe, but he was not meant to proceed on this day.

Heading into the semifinals, 100 Grand’s own strength became its undoing. Size does in fact matter as Snickers smothers the all bark and just not enough bite 100 Grand Bar. I love Grand, but to be named after an incredible amount of money, you had better be worth your weight in gold or rather, chocolate. Lastly, in another clash of chocolate powers, the Twix out lasts the dark horse Whatch. As much as I enjoy a chocolate dipped, peanut flavored crisp Who-sa-muh-wotsie, the caramel rich Twix stuck in my memory, and my teeth, much longer.

Ladies and gentleman, the time has finally come for the grand daddy of all main events. Come Hershey, come Nestle, come Cadbury and Mars. In this epic showdown of Goliath versus Goliath, caramel versus caramel, and best seller versus best seller, who will sugar rush their way to victory? In the left corner we have the official King. Made by Mars and selling over two billion dollars per year across the world, lift your cheers for your champion, and my afternoon snack the one and only Snickers Bar! Please, please save some energy. In the right corner we have the heavy (belly) hitter and fan favorite. Hailing from the United Kingdom, raise your voices as you “chew it over,” and welcome the Twix Bar!

Unfortunately there can only be one winner, and if I may draw from the immortal author J.R.R. Tolkien, “one [candy bar] to rule them all.” Wait a second, this is my tournament. I appreciate you all for gracing me with your time through the stand off of oh so sweet confection, but the results are in. Both Snickers and Twix will have their arms raised and be awarded the gold. Two champions might be unfathomable, perhaps I have ruined my dinner, and maybe this sugar rush followed by an inevitable crash will bring about a restless night’s sleep, but if the world of sports can continue to change their rules each and every year, I most certainly hold the right to declare two favorites. Oh Henry I may suffer the results later, but my two friends and I will be taking our leave on the Milky Way. Here, I bid you adieu with a quote from my co-candy champ Twix, “two for me, none for you.”

Fire the Critic

Awful, atrocious, a waste of time. Television, movies, political speeches, whatever the content, critics are always waiting in the wings to lecture us as to why what we just witnessed was terrible. Why? Sadly, it's because we have become a nation of pessimists. Case and point, Fashion Police. So called "fashion experts" invade our televisions after each award show explaining to us in dumbed down terms why each celebrity must have dressed themselves in the dark that day. Instead of discussing a gorgeous smile, happy couple, or sparkling personality, we hear only the ugly. It's a shame.

Sadly, I might be the biggest hypocrite. My cup is always half empty with a crack
in the glass slowly draining my optimism. Put me in an uncomfortable or "different" situation, and I instantly see 100 negatives. I will gladly bang home my point as to why Brett Favre isn't a top 5 quarterback of all time before I will take into consideration why he might just be the greatest.

We've become cynical, pessimistic, and unwavering. It's time for a pact. Right hand held high, speak with me. I will strip away the rust and search for gold in every movie, piece of literature, situation, and most importantly every person before I allow the critic inside to see only rotten tomatoes.

In the future when you stare in the mirror and ponder whether you should take responsibility for certain negative thoughts or feelings, chances are you will simply turn away and point your finger elsewhere. Why, because critics have engrained in our hard drive the idea that the good should follow the bad. We could very well continue to take the easy road, and blame the critic...Or, make a change.

Review In Short Order

First off, I'm a sad half-a-Buck fan who has a hard time watching a full four quarters of the ever so brittle Michael Redd and painfully slow, "Big White Stiff" (Thank you Bill Simmons, ESPN.com) Andrew Bogut. Yet, for someone who puts the NBA behind the likes of the NFL, MLB, competitive eating and watching paint dry, I just pounded out over 700 pages of "The Book of Basketball" by Bill Simmons in three days.

I had to ask myself whether I actually sat in this chair and read the entire super-sized piece of literature in just under 72 hours with little to no sleep, or had I gone on some sort of drug induced bender and hallucinated the entire event. Drugs are not the answer kids, and I don't condone the use of illegal narcotics.

Jokes aside, Simmon's book is pure gold and an excellent read for any fan of sports in general and/or pop culture references. Whether or not the NBA is your cup of tea, I strongly suggest you pick up a copy and enjoy the ride that is the Sports Guy's writing.

Who matters in the NBA? What does it take to build a championship team? Do I know any good genitalia jokes? Well, all of these questions and more are answered between the covers of "The Book of Basketball" as Simmons discusses rankings, hall of famers, and winning. Never before has a book of such girth, yes I said girth, been such a page turner. From avid sports fan to full blown NBA junkie, this book reaches all audiences. Oh, and it's good for a few laughs along the way.

"Breath'n Easy"

Do you remember the Preparation H commercial, “I was twitching from the itching and squirming from the burning”? Sure that is a light-hearted advertisement, but swap those terms around a bit. Imagine twitching from shortness of breath or squirming in panic from being unable to calm your racing lungs. In a nut shell, that is an asthma attack.

I was brought into this world, at no fault of my mother’s, with asthma. Never having a drop of alcohol or abusing a single drug, my mom was and is the picture of health. Unfortunately I was going to grow up with asthma regardless. Many other people battle much worse situations, and I have an incredible life, but asthma has always been a race I cannot finish.

Thankfully healthcare has vastly improved over the past twenty-one years of my life. Controlling my asthma has transitioned from hooking myself up to a machine during every episode to carrying around nothing more than a pocket sized inhaler. Lucky me.

Much like the advancement of healthcare, I have also begun to outgrow my sickness. My inhaler usage has been depleted from an unhealthy amount of “puffs” daily to just several weekly. Despite the giant steps I have taken, the constructing of my air ways during an attack often leads to severe anxiety. My problem is that I panic and cause my asthma attacks to worsen. As I pump medicinal oxygen into my lungs during these onslaughts, I feel as comforted as a small child cradling their favorite stuffed animal.

Whether I have my teddy bear in my back pocket or not, asthma is a chore I dread each day. Each task is, to a degree, more difficult. I have always been a half of a step slower than my friends in each sport, I have always had to take that unwanted rest mid-run, and I have always had to avoid certain circumstances such as spending the night at a friend’s house because they have a shedding cat or dog.

Still, asthma has only given me that much more of a chip on my shoulder. Whether it is school, athletics, or even my social life, my will to succeed is unmatched. Having to struggle when others thrive, I have gained if even a small amount, an advantage. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I have begun to understand that each person has daily issues, and how we deal with them is the real key. Life is good, don’t worry be happy, relax and breathe easy right? In my case, as long as I have my tinker toy sized life support at my side, then yes.

In Regards to Technology Use in My Classroom

When I finally have the fortune of leading my own classroom full of children as an educator, there are several aspects of technology I will do my best to make sure my students comprehend and learn to use not only in school but their daily lives as well.

First off, technology is everywhere. That has been established. Because of the undeniable efficiency and capabilities of the Internet and other technologies, I want my future students to be able to use their computers effectively.

Having a student hop on the Internet and telling them, "research Christopher Columbus" will have no educational benefit. I plan on providing my students with the understanding of how to research and utilize certain tools. I want them to be able to identify what is a quality search engine, how to research effectively, and also how to use the Internet for their personal gains. Through blogs, email, PowerPoints, educational activities, and many search engines, the amount of "gains" technology has is endless.

Whether used for school, work, or enjoyment, technology is an incredible tool. By preparing my students and physically showing them how to apply new technologies well, I can make their "job" as students not only easier but more enjoyable and fun. New technologies are being created each day, and we would be unwise not to try and harness as much of these new applications and tools as we can. The more we learn, the more we can teach our younger generation. In turn, our students will be better prepared for their futures in the real world.

Insights Related to Technology and Teaching

Well, what can I say? We live in a technology driven world. Everything I do now consists of using some form of technology that did not exist just several years ago.

First off, I cannot go a day without the use of my I-Pod. Everywhere I go and every time I work out, I need my I-Pod. What did I do a couple year ago? Geez, I must have been a caveman to work out or take a jog without music playing in my ear.

What about email? Can you imagine the times when each household had a single telephone to share amongst an entire family. Now not only are there cell phones everywhere, but I often just shoot my mother an email at her school or to my dad in the middle of work at his office.

This class has been really interesting in advancing my knowledge of technology. Some simple examples are PowerPoint presentations and blogs. Each PowerPoint presentation doesn't need to go from slide 1-2-3-4-5 and so on. By using all these new sorts of methods, we can make our presentation not only interactive but fun and interesting. Blogs are a great but easy use of new technology as well. Blogs can be used for teachers to reach out to their student's parents and other teachers.

The way technology is advancing at such an amazing rate, we can only hope as educators to harness even small pieces of it (blogs, email, PowerPoints, etc). We need to use these to help us communicate with others and become better educators in the future.

As I sat here today, a girl in my class took five minutes out of her day and absolutely blew my mind. There is a website called teachertube.com filled with all sorts of educational videos. Her example was power teaching, and I can only imagine the other ideas teachers have posted on this site. Would teachers have been able to share information and incorporate other strategies into their classroom twenty years ago? Not a chance.

Technology is everywhere, and we better hop on board or we'll get lost in the dust. This class has been one small key to helping me adjust to some of the new and useful technologies of the world today.