| So it finally happened. I taught a group of sixth graders today in my old sixth grade classroom..and they were all born the year after I was in sixth grade. But adulthood is cool. I chuckled today when I opened The Book of Answers to find a disclaimer under the copyright: neither the publisher nor the author are willing to take responsibility for any decisions or consequences that a reader may experience should they follow the directions of the book, which essentially instruct the reader to think about a question, caress the book, thumb through the pages until it just feels right, stop, open to that page, and there's the answer.. The Book of Answers. hmmm... It really is a clever piece of artwork, and I believe the artist/author makes an excellent philosophical statement by including the disclaimer (not the mention the obvious legal implications). How quick I am to pull out my own list of easy phrases and quick answers in response to questions that may or may not have been directed to me. What if I approached my "answer-giving" with an eye for culpability? Would I be less flippant and more thoughtful, considering that real people making real decisions end up with real consequences? True, the "answer-taker" does bear their own responsibilities in the matter, but honestly, I think that if I were more careful about the answers that I give, I might just end up with a book of questions instead. |
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| It's been awhile. Wow. So much to say. Ninja v. Pirate? Ninja 9/10, pirate 1/10 if he has a gun...and a monkey. www.drudgereport.com |
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| It's never just a game. ... ... ... ... ... ... But that doesn't mean it can't be fun. |
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| I believe that the emotional sensation an umpire feels after the first time they eject a coach is probably similar to that of a police officer who has recently used his firearm for the first time. There follows the initial and repititious confession that "I had to do it," compensating for surfacing doubts. More to come. |
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| Maybe 22 years from now I'll publish "Dusting the Plate: 25 Years of Umpiring." I'm not sure why all the numbers lately. |
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