Chicago may get 'gay-friendly' high school

(CNN) -- Public school officials in Chicago, Illinois, are recommending approval of a "gay-friendly" high school because harassment and violence are causing gay students to skip class and drop out at alarming rates.

School officials say the proposed school would offer a welcoming, harassment-free environment for gay students.

The School for Social Justice Pride Campus, which officials say will not be exclusive to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, is aimed at being safe and welcoming for any student looking for another school option, said Josh Edelman, executive officer in the Chicago Public Schools' Office of New Schools.

More here

I think it would make more sense to punish the students that are doing the bullying. More options in public schooling are a good idea, but I'd rather see schools aimed at different careers and interests.

It almost sounds like a voluntary form of segregation as well.

And I can't get my laptop on this school's wireless.

Darn it all.

I wonder if the kids will notice me playing Oblivion while they are watching a movie. I know that's a really bad example, but I have 6 classes that are all watching the same movie.

I can access the internet through the teacher's computer. But I would rather use mine.

Damn my hotel job

I have to go in 3 hours earlier than usual Thursday night. I'm going to miss the Lightning/Islanders game. Those are my 2 favorite hockey teams.

I might go to the Thrashers game on the 21st though.

Marine Biology today

And all this week. Well until Thursday, no school Friday. Cool by me though I kinda feel like a babysitter with 3 of those days. The class is watching "The Day After Tomorrow" to learn about global warming. Good movie, but I'm going to wind up watching it 6 times.

At least I'm getting paid for it.

I'm looking for something to do Halloween night

Something not too expensive that involves alcohol and costumed stupidity.

That's really my only requirements. I know there are a few fetish balls going on in the area, including one really big one that some friends of mine are involved with, but I really don't want to spend more than normal night club cover. Money is a little tight for me now. I haven't seen the local clubs advertising much. I could go to the Castle But I'm nearly positive it's going to be wall to wall people, most of which will not be the normal crowd. I'm actually using it as a last resort if there is nowhere else that I want to go. I'd rather something a little closer to home, but there's not many bars I like on my side of the bay. I will say that I am trying to avoid severely crowded night clubs. Probly a lost cause, but what I hate most is having to shove people out of my way to get anywhere. And If I decide to wear my wings, I don't want them to get bashed up. Not only that, I like to dance. I need room to dance, lots of room.

So I'm open to suggestions.



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Now playing: Velvet Acid Christ - Parasite
via FoxyTunes

Working at a school again

This is a good thing, I still need the money.

Today it's Zoology. Well 5 courses of Zoology and one of Biology. I'm back at the school I was at last year and seeing lots of familiar faces.

And hearing lots of familiar whines.

One good thing is that the teacher I'm covering for teaches all 6 class periods. That's $10 more I get paid for today. Pretty easy day so far, they have a worksheet to work on. I'm just sitting back while they are working. These are mostly juniors and seniors so they know to just get to work. The Biology class is later on, mostly sophomores. Might be more difficult but I think they were pretty good the last time I covered this class. That was the only class where I didn't already know a few kids.

Only real issue I'm having now is I have a case of the munchies and lunch isn't for another 2 hours.

That will teach me to blog at the bus station

So I'm typing in this here blog. Actually, I'm typing in OpenOffice.org Writer because I can't connect to a wireless network. Anyway. A couple of guys come up to me and start asking about my bike. Questions like what did I pay for it and why so much. Modified high quality full suspension racing mountain bikes are not cheap. Then they started asking about my job. Then the one guy asked me if I could help him with bus fare. “Sorry, I'm barely making it to payday.” Then the same guy offers to buy this laptop that I'm using right now. I'm sorry, but my pink Dell is not for sale. I use it at home and both my jobs and I have some pretty important stuff on it at the moment. I said to him “It's not for sale.” So then he says to me “I'll give you $500 for it now.”
“Still not for sale.”
“But you need the money.”
“Not that bad I don't.”

So then his friend says to him “C'mon, he's straight, let's go.” They left me alone, but I was rather annoyed. I was getting the feeling that they were going to try to jack either my laptop or bike. I might have had to hurt them for that.

Really odd thing is, why would anyone that just asked for help with bus fare offer $500 cash for a laptop? And be pushy about it. Sure I could have sold it to him. I paid $600 for this back in January. So I doubt it's even worth $500. Just seems really dodgy to me. I should have asked him about it but I was happy he just went away.

My neighbor got arrested.

He was caught with an open container. Really I think that law is bullocks, but in my neighbor's case, maybe it will straighten him out. Seems that all he does is drink. And he's one of those annoying and angry drunks. He's woken me up a few times shouting at his roommates. They want him out, but his name is on the lease. They even asked me to call the cops if he wakes me. I got mixed feelings on it. Don't want to get involved. Don't want to make waves. I have nothing really all that personal against him, but I want to sleep too.

God thinks

I was looking up lyrics for a different song by Voltaire, but this came up in the list on google as I was typing it in. Must be a sign.

Sing it along with me....

God thinks all blacks are obsolete farm equipment
God thinks the Jews killed his son and must be punished
God thinks the white man is Satan
God, they know what God thinks

God thinks we should all convert to Judaism
God thinks we must all be Christians and
God thinks we should all embrace Islam
God thinks the only true religion is Hinduism

And I
I know what God thinks
God thinks you're a waste of flesh
God prefers an Atheist

God God
God thinks all people like you are hateful
God thinks all people like you are an embarrassment to creation
self-righteous, judgmental, first to throw a ston
eand using His name for your own protection

God thinks the sun revolves around the Earth
God thinks there was something very wrong with Copernicus
God thinks abortion is murder and
God thinks everything that science gave us is wrong

God thinks women deserve it
God thinks AIDS is a form of punishment
I hate people who blame the Devil for their own shortcomings and
I hate people who thank God when things go right

And I
I know what God thinks
God thinks you're an idiot
God prefers a heretic

God God
God thinks all people like you are hateful
God thinks all people like you are an embarrassment to creation
self-righteous, judgmental, first to throw the stone
and using His name for your own agenda

God is a liberal
God is a democrat
God wants you to vote republican
never trust a man who puts his words in the mouth of god
and says it's absolute truth its lies and it smells like death
its all in a day's work taking money from the poor
Why do you think that God would need your dirty money
if he want to start a holy war?

self-righteous, judgmental, first to throw a stone
and using His name for your own protection

God thinks puppies need to die and
God thinks babies need to drown
'cause God is neither good nor bad
God is you and me
God is Everything

Update on my bus woes

The issue with my passport has been corrected (it seems my apartment number was left off, I could have sworn I put it on the form), and they are sending it back out today.

An open letter to PSTA

Lately I have been having some pretty serious issues with my bus service. I have written a letter to the bus company, but I decided to make it public as well.

For starters, the express buses that go across the bay only runs Monday - Friday. I work on the other side of the bay on the weekends. So I wind up taking a bus as close as I can get to the bridge, then biking over the bridge. Finally I take a bus when I get over to the other side or just bike the rest of the way. An express bus on weekends would be great.

To save money on my commute to work, I bought a passport. I think it's a good deal. However I ordered it back on September 25th through the online store and I have not seen it as of yet. I called about it Friday afternoon (October 4th), but the people that handle internet purchases were gone for the day and would not be returning until Monday. I don't have a lot of money and $85 is a lot to me. I cannot afford to lose it. The online store needs to be more reliable in getting items to the customers and support needs to be more available.

There has been many occasions where I have been waiting a considerable about of time for a bus only to have a bus pull up that has a full bike rack. This means that I either have to ride my bike to where I'm going or wait for the next bus. Leaving the bike at the stop is generally not an option. Part because I usually need it to get to where I'm going. Part because if you think I'm just going to leave a bike that cost me $1500 chained to a bench, you are crazier than me.

Finally, many of the routes I take run every hour. My bad timing usually puts me at the bus stop about 10 or so minutes after the bus has left. This leaves me to wait nearly an hour for the next bus. Buses that run every half hour would be really nice. Many of us in today's world work all hours of the day and night, even on weekends. Running the bus less frequently complicates things for those of us that need the bus to get to and from work.

PSTA has recently raised it's fares and with the service I have been receiving, I do not feel that it is quite worth it. Along with the increase in fares, many routes were revised. These revisions as far as I have seen do not do much in the way of improving service. 5 routes were eliminated, 1 route was added, many routes had trips and stops removed. Was the fare increase even necessary? In recent years the number of people riding the bus has been increasing. What improvement in service do the customers get for the rate increase?

UPDATE!

I feel asleep way too early today

But I haven't been getting much sleep lately and needed it.

Now I'm awake and I have to teach at 7am. I might take a nap soon, right now I have some things on my mind that I need to spew forth.

I've been alone for nearly a month in this apartment. I'm loving it. My stress level is greatly reduced. I'm quite happy. I do feel I lost someone that was a good friend, but I'm fine with that. I can move on and don't care if they are never in my life again. I think I'm by far better off. I thought I was going to need another roommate but things are picking up to the point where I am OK just being me.

The Ray's won today. I fucking can't stand baseball but this makes me happy. I'm hoping for more day time games. This means more teachers that are fans will be taking off and I can work more. I'm human, I have ulterior motives. At least I admit it. I'm only in it for me. Well OK, that's not entirely true. I love to teach and everyone that knows me knows that. Still I also like having money. money is good and the Ray's are helping me make money. I still hate baseball. It's fucking boring. I think the great George Carlin details more things about baseball that make me annoyed.


That about sums it up.

I think that's about all that's on my mind right now.

Horatio Lee Jenkins says it's OK to be gay

Rather amusing.

And at the public school today

The teacher I'm covering for took half the day off to go to a baseball game.

Actually there's 25 teachers at this school alone that are taking the day off.

Go Rays! Teachers need to take more days off so I can make money.

It's great to be back in the classroom

And what better school to work at than the one I was at a good portion of last year. I saw a lot of familiar faces, all of which were happy to see me. Today's subject was zoology and one course of biology. Not my strongest subjects. It was ok though. The students had work to do and the teacher also left a video. So I wasn't much more than a babysitter today. In a way that sucks. I like it when I have to really teach. Maybe it's my work ethics, maybe it's because that's what I'm really good at and enjoy doing. I'm still having issues with the dumbing down of education in America especially where I live, it's still evident at the start of this year.

The good thing is that I am now on that schools preferred list and there is already another science teacher that wants me to cover for her for 3 days in about 2 weeks. With my hours being cut at the hotel and my still having some financial struggles, this bodes very well for me. Also I have a job at another school in the morning. I'm hoping to score something Friday too. At $70/day (yes that's all they pay me) that's $140 (possibly $210) this week and another $210 coming up. Maybe I can get the Escort fixed and use it as a trade in for my Smart car that will be arriving soon.

w00t!