• Literacy strategy: read only books that have been turned into movies or a TV series

    As I prepare to student teach a senior American Government class (we will be exclusively watching The Daily Show and Colbert Report: suck it Scott Walker) I try do my very best to enjoy the time I am not lesson planning.  Lately, that has consisted of finding books that have been turned into movies and inquiring into both.

    Most recently, I re-watched the PBS Masterpiece Theater series Sherlock (I only assume everyone else’s parents forced their children to watch Masterpiece Theater on a weekly basis;  it becomes an enduring habit)  It came out last year as a special series of three episodes.  Each episode is between 1.5 – 2 hours but it will be the best 1.5 – 2 hours you ever spent since the last time you watched something awesome.  It is modern take on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic story of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson.  It does not stick to any strict plot line from any of the four original books or stories but instead pulls from all for a smorgasbord of updated Victorian mystery stories.

    Since it is old, and we all know Brian doesn’t really work as a graphic designer but instead scours the internet for subversive content to catalog for Wen Jaibao to synergize CCP censorship, he might have posted this already or you have already seen it.  Either way watch it again, read the novels or short stories,  and wait with bated breath for the release of the second series this coming Spring.

  • Rory Scovel

    From what the internet taught me about comedy, comedians take a long time to develop their jokes. They don’t just make up everything on stage, it takes a long time to polish a good “set.” And after hearing enough comedy cds, I like polished instead of unpolished.
    That being said, Rory Scovel comes off as writing about 25% of his set and just stretching it out. Which works somehow amazingly. He somehow takes a small bit he has and just keeps with it; sometimes it feels like Peter Griffin rubbing a sore, and it works.  Watch some more of his stuff and enjoy.