I spent a good bit of my planning period Monday working on a website for my classes. That's the latest thing that we're doing through Google, which has become ubiquitous in ways I had never imagined. Still, I had to take some time to try and sketch out a page that would connect well with both my classes (and I had to look to the examples of others for guidance). The site is nowhere near done, but that's okay because. . .

Teenagers and technology have a funny relationship. Anytime one of my students doesn't know how to change the volume on a YouTube video, I can't help but chuckle. There's technology and there's technology, though. Consider a new report out from the Pew Research Council concerning internet usage:

Teens and young adults are blogging less than they did three years ago;

Adults are blogging more than they did three years ago (which is good because they probably have more to blog about);

It seems that kids are writing less, most of it in the form of status updates and update comments on Facebook;

Twitter isn't that big a deal for teenagers, which makes sense to me. Teenage girls are more likely to use it than teenage boys, thus fulfilling the promise of Gossip Girl, I suppose;

Over half of 12-year-olds now own a cell-phone, which is a sobering thought.

It was funny, looking through various sites created by my co-workers. It reminded me of the early days of my exposure to the internet: funny fonts, weird colors, a nice innocence about the page. Seems we're always starting and finding something new and starting over again.

You can find the full Pew Internet research here.

I still don't know exactly how I feel about Facebook. I suppose that on a number of levels, its quite amoral, neither good nor bad. But sometimes you just don't know what to do with it.

Take, for instance, recent "memes" that have taken over status updates these last few weeks. One day it's about cancer. Another day it's about your celebrity look-alike (I wonder if celebrities did the reverse: find commoners that they resembled?). Almost every day I find someone posting and pasting something from somewhere else promoting faith or family and encouraging others to do the same (in a chain letter kind of way).

Anyway. Facebook is here to stay, at least for a while. And while I may not be joining in on the fun that others are having, it's definitely something to think about. Turns out that there's a nice little editorial about it from TIME Magazine that you can check out here. The comments about the article are quite illuminating, too.

There's something genuinely sobering about the passing of an author. I think it's because we (being I) assume that most writers of most classics are already dead. The middle of the last century might as well be a whole century away, really.

And so J.D. Salinger recently passed away. This is made doubly-interesting because he had been a recluse for so long (and who wants to be a recluse in our culture, which celebrates presence to the point of annoyance?). I've not read much of Salinger. In fact, Catcher in the Rye is the only work that I've actually read by him (though I did almost read one of his short story collections once). I remember quite liking it the first time through. I tried it again a few years ago and had the same experience that so many others have had: I just couldn't get into it.

Donald Miller has an interesting bit about Salinger up on his website. Turns out that Miller read and reread the book throughout the writing of Blue Like Jazz, which kind of makes sense. It's also interesting the conclusion that Miller has come to about both books.

You can read Miller's article here.

You can read the TIME Magazine article detailing more of Salinger's life here.

While I am well-aware of the fact that bad weather brings danger and discomfort, I am also aware that it can bring much beauty. The Washington Post recently posted a couple of videos about the snowy weather in DC. I think they're worth looking at an enjoying. . .



And you can see the humungous snowball fight here.

I guess the grass is always greener, even when its covered with a foot of snow. . .

I would feel worse about not knowing what to feel about America if I knew what America thought of itself.

Not to bring Jesus into the on-going debate of the fate of our country, but you'd think he'd have something to say about a house divided, being against yourself and all. But that seems to be where we are in this modern political climate.

As I mentioned last week, I was curious to see what President Obama's State of the Union address would say to us about who we are. I spoke to a co-worker about it the next day, and she informed me that she didn't think it was wise to let someone tell you who you are. Maybe she's right. Maybe she's wrong. Either way, I liked Diaz's idea of the President being a "storyteller-in-chief."

Which is why James Fallows' recent cover story in The Atlantic is such a nice piece to read. Fallows takes the idea that "America is in danger of falling behind/apart" and reminds us that such a picture has been a part of the American story from its very beginning, when the founders of our country were warned to stay faithful so that God's blessing would not leave us.

Knowing the prevailing myths of a country or organization or school can help you understand it.

Luckily, Fallows' article moves from the historic to the now and charts out some of the strengths of our country and ways that we can "rise again" (as the magazine cover challenges us to think).

Regardless your take on the state of the Union these days, the article is worth the read. And you can read it here.

In case you missed it: Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson did his first interview in years a couple of days ago with The Cleveland Plain Dealer. While it doesn't say much that is new, it is still an interview worth reading. Perhaps it was the last great comic strip we will know. . .

You can read the article here. Below is today's comic from the only site that legally puts the old strip out on a daily basis.

These last couple of weeks have been crazy for me, and I'd like to use that as an excuse for not updating the site more. I've had links to share, thoughts to post, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

A couple of weeks ago I spoke at our junior-level camp. I had the opportunity to speak twice. That's twice as much as I've spoken at a camp before, I believe. I quite like what I said, though I'm not sure how theologically sound it actually was (at least in a systematic way). I took the word "holy" and made a quick survey of it through the 5-act play of the biblical story (a la N.T. Wright). It was good to see the kids again. And I actually enjoyed speaking. I realized, though, that I actually want people to talk to me about what I say. If there's no follow-up conversation, it seems almost meaningless.

Which is funny because next week I'll be doing a presentation at a faculty meeting about "faith issues." Talking to adults is quite different for me (give me a class of students any day). I've got a few ideas floating around in my head. I've decided to see it as my one opportunity to actually speak my mind about some things, even if my view is slightly skewed.

Last week was Spirit Week at school, and I was the adviser in charge of most of it. And while the students did most of the work, it wasn't an easy week for me. Which is why I've called a meeting with admin for tomorrow to debrief things. The week was, according to many, the best Spirit Week we've had in years. How strange it is to see students excited about things, really. We honestly didn't know what to make of their competitive spirit.

Last night was the LOST premiere on television. I understand fully why they wouldn't want to show the second episode at the beach this past weekend (where I got to take a gander at most of the cast live one last time). I spoke to a couple of disgruntled fans today, but it was mostly positive reviews that I heard. I like the flash-sideways idea. I also like how they have sort-of resolved the identity of the black smoke monster. Had friends over for the show last night: TV, desert, and conversation make everything better.

I hope I don't go back to being quiet here. I've got an idea of something to post tomorrow. We'll see if it actually happens. . .