John Henry Alley, b 1829
I went today, with my father, step-mother, and grandmother to a ceremony held by the Milam County Genealogical Society and the Milam County Historical Commission. It was in 5 separate graveyards, for 6 different confederate veterans.
The one we attended was in Pin Oak Cemetery near Gause and Milano. It included a confederate battle flag and singing of Dixie but there was not much grandiose bolstering of the Confederacy. And the main ceremony leader made a case for not forgetting history.
There was also a re-enactor dressed in frontier like clothes who brought a vintage cannon that was fired afterward.
John Henry Alley, b 1829 – continue reading …
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Art Car 2003 – Free for All
Well, I survived the 16th Art Car Weekend. This was my second year to drive the “Green Mobile”. It belongs to Beverly Hayes and is a ‘73 AMC Hornet. It pulls an old (really old, like 40s) camping trailer that’s had a giant fin attached to the roof, made mostly of foam.
This year we worked on it to add a Stars and Stripes theme on the fin, with doves that had phrases on them with Green Party values. Particularly “Peace” was on the larger doves. That was about 5 days of sweaty work leading up to this years parade.
Thurs – The Art Car Artist’s Ball was in the Franklin Lofts’ Garage at Congress and Main. My car was oversized so we parked on the unfinished light rail on Main St. The Garage was fairly narrow compared to the Allen Center garage where they had the Ball maybe 5 years ago. It’s a little nicer when you could have more people/level. It sprawled for 4-5 levels, so I mostly walked up and down constantly to interact with all the people I knew.
Also, the port-a-pots (which I never used, and the women were horrified of) were some bizarre cut-off version of port-o-pots so they could fit inside the garage. They would have been much better served had they got some normal ones and hauled them to the top of the garage. And perhaps left one or two at ground level by the elevators.
Last year it was in a more spread area, and I prefer the wideness to the up-and-down. It was a good time, though, and $4 St Arnold wasn’t too horrible. Of course, many people had stashes in their cars, as did I.  But my stash was out on the street.
Art Car 2003 – Free for All – continue reading …
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bad mojo, good mojo
OK, so it’s been a weird mojo day.
I officially got into the ACP for HISD, but the day before…
My roommate’s (Conn’s) car was totalled, while parked outside his place of work (Catbirds) and two others were damaged. But the hit and runner had no luck, because someone had just had a 2×4 tossed through their window around the corner, so the HPD went and soon got the guy, who’s 30th birthday it was (and whose friend obviously suck for getting him drunk and not driving him home). Previously that day (around noon), at the construction site across the street, the crane dropped a load, killing one (near bottom) and seriously injuring another.
So,… bad mojo, good mojo – continue reading …
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Accepted to ACP
I went in for my Alternative Certification Program interview for HISD. It was interesting, the interviewer was quite nice, I totally forget her name (yes, I’m horrible with names). The process was interesting as well. A pat list of questions designed by Gallup mostly judging personality type and interpersonal skills. And after it was over… I “passed”.
So, I start the ACP cycle in a few weeks (May 12), and do TTH evening, Sat mornings for about 6 weeks and one week full time observing another teacher (Integrated Field Experience). And several tests to make sure “No Child Gets Left Behind” because I can’t speak a simple sentence. We need a test to determine that – acing the TASP can’t be trusted.
“This doesn’t guarantee you a job” is placed in many places of their paperwork, but the requirements for 8-12 Math are fairly high and they are always in need. (I heard there could be an opening at the HS closest to me – 16 minute walk.)
If it all comes about, I should be able to have a paycheck again by late August, only 2 years 5 months of unemployment.
-b
Shirl’s Weekend Preview
What are you doing this weekend?
Get out of the house!
Here’s some stuff going on in Houston…
International Festival is downtown on saturday and sunday which means many stages of music and lots of food and other things to entertain. I have found their website lacking, in particular a nice grid breakdown of the music by stage & time. But you’ll likely get one at the door (for your $10, $8 from HEB), and bopping between stages is the point, not overly preplanned listening.
Friday night at the Continental Club is Sugarman 3. If you want to see some NYC Soul/Funk, this is the show. $10
Also Friday night at Last Concert Cafe there is a great Austin band, Grupo Fantasma. I saw their multi-horn array at SXSW and it was a packed, high-energy show that everyone enjoyed. $6 (?)
Music on the bands’ sites if you want to prejudge whether you’ll like it.
-shirl
(I’ll be at Grupo, Int Fest (Sun, maybe Sat), and the Astros on Sat)
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