6-Word Saturday: I Love Bling!

It's time for 6-Word Saturday. I've just received this little bit o' bonding bling from Tiffany over at Poetry & Hugs. But, wait! I've got an acceptance speech, of sorts, to go with it!

"I'd like to thank the academy..."

Etcetera, Etcetera, Etcetera. Cate, at Show My Face, puts this 6-word gig on every week. You should drop by to see her!

And, oh...I Hereby Bequeath This Beautiful, Bodacious Bling to Candid Carrie. She's a good bloggy bud, and puts on one heckuva Friday Foto Finish Fiesta. Enjoy, Carrie!

PS: Don't forget to come by for our Silly Sunday Sweepstakes. We always have the best snaps, don't we?

Fx4: Nice Butt!

Ella Numera Dos & Her Mommy went to NYC last Spring for a b-day weekend. This here's the chica with Times Square's Naked Cowboy. BTW, he makes 6 figures a year in tips...posing with turistas in his skivvies. And, we have it on Reliable Authority that TNC wears double tighty-whiteys. More support, one would think!

Playing along with Candid Carrie & her Friday Foto Finish Fiesta. Come join the fun!

Asylum for the Verbally Insane

By Richard Lederer

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,

But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.

One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,

Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.

You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,

Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,

Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?

If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,

And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?

If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,

Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and three would be those,

Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,

And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.

We speak of a brother and also of brethren,

But though we say mother, we never say methren.

Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,

But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim.

Let's face it-English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England. We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend. If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.

In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.We have noses that run and feet that smell. We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway. And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out,and in which an alarm goes off by going on. And, in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop?

Editor's Note: Posted in honor of the blonde b-baller, above. A 9th-grade phenom who played her heart out in the playoffs this week. She sent Mrs. Scribe the above e-mail. No verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, articles nor particularly participles were harmed in the publishing of this post!

What's the Word Wednesday: Ronald Reagan, Still the Master

This Obama Guy is a pretty durn good speechafier. Caught most of his address to the Congress/Nation last nite & liked the whole metaphorical cast of it. Kudos to his speechwriters & to The Prez, as well. Your Humble Scribe understands that he's quite the wordsmith in his own right.

But no one...besides Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, or FDR under so many trying circumstances...could hold a candle to The Great Communicator Himself: The Late, Great, Ronald Reagan.

In case you don't remember, or are too young to know, the above speech, delivered in lieu of the State of the Union on the day the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded over FLA in 1986, is the quintessential look/listen at the craft of speechafying.

Note Ronnie's bearing; the timbre of his voice; his literary & historical allusions; his simple but eloquent diction; the sympathetic & empathetic connection he makes with his audience. Don't think RR wrote this tribute on the back of an envelope, à la Lincoln at Gettysburg; rather, his Wordsmith in Chief, Peggy Noonan (now of Wall Street Journal fame), gets credit for penning this poignant missive.

Stick with this video...which, because of age, has more than its share of bumps and gaps...so you can catch la pièce de résistance, which comes at the very end:

"The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives," President Reagan says. "We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved good-bye and slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God."

Chokes Mrs. Scribe up every time. All you English Teacher Types out there...if you don't teach this speech, you should. Why carry on for hours, when you can say what needs to be said beautifully in four-and-a-half minutes?

IDK...My BFF Verizon?

The Scribe family has been stuck in the old Cingular commercial for some time now.

Both girls, but most particularly Ella Numera Dos, use texting as their preferred form of cellular communication. Mr. Fairway, therefore, purchased the "Unlimited Texting" option from Verizon.

Then we got the bill: $50 above our regular charges. But why?

Ella Numera Dos had exceeded her "Unlimited Texting" allowance.

Big sis, Ella Numera Una, laughed & laughed. Until the following month. Another $50 charge. Seems she'd gone overboard, as well.

Don't try to make sense of any of it. We just hope our children don't end up with some strange thumb malady later in life.

Hyperbole Hits Home

Editor's Note: Mrs. Scribe cleaned (most) of her desk today...inside & out! Along with throwing away countless piles of flotsam & jetsam, she came across a couple of notes from former students. This one stands out. It's the one Mrs. Scribe intends to re-read every time she needs to be reminded of why she wanders into Our Humble High School every morning at the crack of dawn!

Dear Mrs. Scribe,

First off, kudos to you and your amazing teaching abilities. Not to get mushy, but I am so fortunate to have ended up in your AP Lang class. Not only did I somehow come out with very useful essays, but being on the [newspaper] and [yearbook staffs] has been AWESOME. I am only sorry that I flubbed and got a 3 on the exam. :) (Pshh...collegeboard...what do they know anyway?) My score, however, is no reflection of what I learned. Clearly you MUST know what a great and influential teacher you are. After all...so many kids and their parents raised all hell this year when they were pulled out of your super-fantastic classes [because of schedule changes].

Along with your stellar and creative teaching abilities, you're also a great advice-giver. Not only on education-related things, but life in general. Every story you tell, particularly the more humorous ones, all come to me like a little personal essay with some piece of mind to share. :) I'll definitely miss hearing about past [newspaper] staffs and about your cute John Belushi hubby [Mr. Fairway was accused, in his youth, of resembling the late SNL star].

The big one, though, has to be college-related stuff. [Insert name of big-time university here] is definitely the place for me and you (though you may not have been consciously aware) guided me through some mass confusion.

I am also super-duper grateful for all of those letters of rec you helped me out with for both colleges & scholarships. I'm at $6,100 in scholarship money right now and there's potential for more before the year ends (cross your fingers!).

Now that I've sung your praises, here's what I've been thinking about: Journalism! At the [insert important benevolent organization's name here] scholarship reception, [insert name of a big-time magazine editor here]...really got me thinking. I really loved the excitement of all the reporters loving their jobs.

In general, [the big-time editor's] story of wanting to be a doctor, then a lawyer, then freaking her parents out & becoming a journalist really caught my attention. I guess I just wanted to let you know that was on my mind :) and really...indirectly...you helped put it there. :)

Well, Mrs. Scribe, that's all I have to say for now. I need to save some thank-yous for the end of the year. You're a GREAT teacher; what else is there to say? I only hope my professors are as intriguing, funny and inspiring as you (corny moment, but oh-so-true!).

Sincerely,

A Cherub from the Class of '03

Sx3: February Christmas Kitty

Meet Pepper. She's been featured on The Scholastic Scribe's Silly Sunday Sweepstakes before. In fact, you may cruise down Memory Lane by clicking, first Here & then Here.

Pepper absolutely adores Christmas. She loves this festive holiday so much that she celebrates all year long. Specifically, she bows to bows. More specifically, Pepper collects the ready-made present-toppers, with the sticky stuff on the back. She carries them around in her mouth. She bats them across the floor. She sleeps with them curled up on the comfy family room rug.

Mrs. Scribe picks up these cleverly crafty bits of Christmas when she sees them, and puts them away. The kitty comes trotting by a little later, bow in hand (mouth?). Mrs. Scribe admonishes the little devil & puts the renegade ribbon away. Pepper comes scooting by a couple hours later, batting another symbol of the season. We're well into February here, folks, & still cleaning up from the end-of-2008 largesse!

You know what to do, Scribe Fans. Take a gander at this Superior Selection of Snaps. Conjure a cute caption. Then,m quick-like, tippy-type said caption in the comments space of this post. That's it. But of course, you receive nothing...zip, nada, zilch...for all your creative efforts. Just the knowledge that you've given Mrs. Scribe a real reason to let a good guffaw rip. Isn't that enough?

6-Word Saturday: What's in the Package?

"Stimulus Package": Soft Porn, or What?

Mrs. Scribe has wondered about this mammoth piece of legislative hijinx for some time. The Prez signed it into law in Denver last week. Only the Mile-High City for a Mile-High spending bill, correctamundo? We sincerely hope it puts folks back to work. But in the meantime, please enjoy this piece of cotton candy from barelypolitical.com. Same kids who brought you the Obama Girl.

And please, check out Show My Face for more 6-Word Saturday gems!

Fx4: Dick Cheney, Cookie Monster

Don't know the reasoning behind the above snap, but former Veep Dick Cheney definitely has a smile on his face as he cruises around on that Segway. No, Mrs. Scribe did not cage this Strange Snap...US News & World Report did, in 2002.

The Vice President & Ella Numera Una are tight, you see. Mrs. Scribe's eldest often refers to Mr. Cheney as the original Girl Scout Cookie Monster.

Follow us back to March 2001. The VP had just undergone one of those "procedures" that have plagued him for about as long as his ailing ticker has. A couple days after the Veep was released from the hospital, Ella Numera Una, an 8th-grader at the time, & her Girl Scout Troop staked out some shopping center space for a Saturday afternoon of selling Thin Mints & Samoas.

Sales were slow, but the thrill level at the Scouts' Cookie Table multiplied by a factor of about 100 as soon as a series of black, window-tinted Suburbans shooshed into the parking lot.

Shoosh! Slam! Scrreeeeek! Tap. Tap. Tap.

Those DC-area kids knew what was up. Secret Service, shore 'nuf!

Ella Numera Una & her friend, Lesley, determined that a Very Important DC Type was headed for the Borders Books located at their end of the shopping center. The 2 little middle-schoolers decided they'd scoot into the bookstore before the entourage reached it, thereby securing an advantageous angle for VIDCT-Viewing..

Low & Behold...in strides the Vice President, 7 Secret Service Types in tow.

Mr. Cheney spoke to a clerk, who procured a book for him. Ella & Lesley spied from behind a bookshelf. Mr. Cheney soon departed. And that's where the Girl Scout Cookies come in.

The VP pulled an agent aside before he exited the Borders. The Secret Service guy nodded, left the store, & headed on out to Camp Cookies.

"One box of Thin Mints, please," the Great Big Agent asked the Tiny Little Scouts.

Lots of whispering, exchanging glances, surreptitious snickering. One box Thin Mints, indeed!

"But didn't the Vice President just get out of the hospital?" Ella Una inquired. "Wasn't it a heart thing?"

Playing along with Candid Carrie & her Friday Foto Finish Fiesta. She's Grandma to that other Cookie Monster.

Editor's Note: Created as part of Mrs. Scribe's February contribution to the Random Complexity Writing Challenge. 373 words.

All Tied Up With Brian Williams

Mrs. Scribe wants to know: What's so freakin' fascinating about Brian Williams' ties?

An Ohio high school English teacher seems to think the NBC Nightly News Anchor's neckwear has the write stuff for news & notes; she maintains a site devoted exclusively to critiquing Williams' cravats.

The Brian Williams Tie Report Archives started 2 years ago, with this entry:

"Tonight's tie was oceanic blue with a pewtery cast," wrote Nance from Northeast Ohio...perhaps Cleveland? "It had a classic foulard print, much like one might find in the endpapers of a Dickens classic bound in leather and shelved in the library of a British former poet laureate. This tie was not stodgy, but had the staid presence of a trusted valet who would not only lay out the correct cravat, but also see to it that the laundress folded your socks, never rolled them."

Nance the Neckwear Critic blogs about BW's tie choices 5 nites a week. She notes fashion trends & faux pas, & even has a category labeled TWSNLBRAINDTM--Tie Which Shall No Longer Be Reviewed And Is Now Dead To Me.

The Tie Report is a quick, quirky read. Nance told The Washington Post in November that she finds ties "slightly ridiculous" (That's Post verbiage, not a direct quote from the critic.)

For the record, Nance has 2 other blogs that have also piqued Mrs. Scribe's curiosity. At The Department of Nance, readers can learn all kinds of funky things, including how to write a "Snarku." That's a 2-stanza Haiku, with a snarky bent to it (last Friday's Series of Snarkus is seriously a laugh riot!)

The Prolific Poster also runs Stuff on Our List with a guy named Jared, or JPD for short. This blog appears to be a collection of lists, including 5 Things People Have to Stop Doing, and 5 Things You Miss About College But Don't Realize It. All the "Stuff" is compiled in lists of 5 for some reason. The College post, BTW, was posted at 4:36 a.m., for what it's worth.

But back to Brian Williams' ties for a moment. The Tie Report's "Reading Level" is Genius. You might recall that back in December, The Scholastic Scribe only received a High School Rating. But no snarkiness here. Knot I!

What's the Word Wednesday: Bud. Breasts. Blood. Booze.

One of Mrs. Scibe's students wrote a review of the newly released Jason Flick: The 12th in the ice hockey mask ShriekFest.

"Mrs. Scribe, I've got writer's block."

"Just write about what you saw."

"All I saw was hard-core partying. And too much skin. Lots of blood, too."

"Did you like the film?"

"I think it was all too much information."

"Write your opinion. What does the flick feature?"

"Budweiser. And Boobs. Blood. Oh, and Booze, too."

A female Cherub interjects right here: "I don't think you can say 'Boobs.' This is a family newspaper, isn't it?"

Bud. Breasts. Blood. Booze.

And so, a Classic Newspaper Lede is born.

Editor's Note: Yet another of Mrs. Scribe's submissions in the Random Complexity Writing Challenge. This one weighs in at 109 words.

Top 10 Reasons We Miss Dubya

As much as Mrs. Scribe attempts to remain non-partisan, or at least bipartisan & scholarly & all, there's a tiny little fragment of her being that just plain misses Dubya.

Nothing tickles our funny bone so far in the Obama administration. Well, there's the stimulus package; we suppose late-nite will start attacking that fairly soon, for the name, if nothing else. And all those Cabinet appointees who failed to pay their fair share of taxes. But the 44th President doesn't lend himself to ridicule the way some of our previous Leaders of the Free World have.

Whatever would we do without David Letterman? The question is rhetorical, but feel free to answer it, anyway.

For a Job Well Done!

Mrs. Scribe thought that when she tackled high school journalism full-time that the quantity of actual papers that necessitated grading would go way, way down.

Well. Harrumph! she snorted. Mrs. Scribe was very, very wrong!

OK, so she doesn't skim her red felt-tip over student-generated prose quite as often; but ah, so many other activities to which she must assign an arbitrary score...

An example, if you please: For about 5 months now, the Journalistas at Our Humble High School have been hobbled. Yes, hobbled...stuck to a stake like a steer at a rodeo half-time show. By great, thick, hunks of twisted cyber-hemp.

Translation? The Damn Computers have be acting up. Big Time. Since September. Things got so bad for a while that we thought OHHS would have to do without a 2009 yearbook.

Mrs. Scribe asked the Tech Guru for help. He said the problemas were nada...in other words, all in The Superior Scribbler's imagination. She begged the Assistant Principal in charge of the Tech Guru for help. She was told, "those machines are just a year old." The purveyor of that astute observation insinuated that Mrs. Scribe was getting on in years, and that perhaps in need of new bifocals.

Hey, wait a dern minute, there! Mrs. Scribe is a veritable Cherub herself! And only recently acquired bifocals, thankyouverymuch!

Dire circumstances called for determined action. Mrs. Scribe went all the way to the proverbial top...she appealed to Principal Man.

And dagnabbit if PM failed yet again to live up to his often belittled & much maligned reputation as a climber. The one who allegedly is using his tenure at OHHS as a stepping stone to Middle Management.

When faced with the prospect of the "public" face of his high school going Belly Up...

...Principal Man took action. In a rather decisive, direct & determined way. He ordered Tech Guy & Assistant Principal Lady & a few more of the usual suspects to fix things. Immediately, if not sooner.

Of course, once the Powers That Be actually focused on the problema that Mrs. Scribe had been calling to their attention for the past 5 months, Your Humble Scribe's cyber-community responded & started working in the manner to which we had all become accustomed in earlier school years.

Turns out Mrs. Scribe didn't need to acquire new bifocals, after all. Her hardware...not to mention her software...just needed a little TLC. Feel free to interpret the previous sentence in any manner you so choose.

The problema got fixed so fast that Mrs. Scribe wonders if Principal Man reads this blog...NOT!

Mrs. Scribe is now a Very Happy Camper. And she has Principal Man to thank for that. The Intrepid Scribe plans to get out her red felt-tip and pencil in a cease fire for the guy who takes on so much incoming flak.

A-Plus for you, Principal Man. Super Job!

Editor's Note: Another contribution to Mrs. Scribe's February entries in the Random Complexity Writing Challenge. 479 words.

Sx3: Meet the Cookie Monster!

Welcome to The Scholastic Scribe's Silly Sunday Sweepstakes! Meet Candid Carrie's grandbaby, the Cookie Monster. This Superior Snap was shot right before Christmas, when CC was gearing up for the holidays with what appears to be dozens & dozens of sugar cookies.

Mrs. Scribe was "taken" with this Sweet Snap's composition: The cookies in the foreground, the little girl in her bib, gnawing on one cookie while eyeing the pile, and the bare trees and snow-covered ground behind her through the window. Pretty awesome, huh?

You know what to do! Take a gander at this Super Snap and Conjure a Caption. Tippy-Type that caption, quick like a Cookie Monster, in the comments section of this post. And there you have it!

Of course, you'll receive nothing, nada, zilch, zippo, for all your efforts. Just the knowledge that you've made us all smile...or even chuckle a tad. And thanks for that!

6-Word Saturday: Happy VD!

~A Holiday Founded By Hershey's, Hallmark?~

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all! Playing along with Cate and her 6-Word Saturday! Image by Artsy SF. Way cool, huh? Don't forget tomorrow's Silly Sunday Sweepstakes!

Kung Fu Panda? Not!

Tai Shan, DC's Very Own Baby Panda, will turn 4 this summer. When he starts lazing around outside, we DC-ites just know Spring is right around the corner. You might recognize this particular snap as Mrs. Scribe's long-time Blog Button. Although Your Humble Scribe retired Tai Shan about a month ago, she has an affinity for Giant Pandas... that's for certain!

Playing along with Candid Carrie and her Friday Foto Finish Fiesta!

Dear Facebook,

I don't know you, but I know you only too well. I don't want you, but I think I secretly covet your access. I abhore the shackles you throw around my family, my friends, my associates. But I crave those chains sometimes, too.

So many of my more "mature" friends have succumbed to your wiley ways. You've seduced more than 150 million people on this planet since 2004. Could that figure be correct? Say it isn't so! But your stats online say it is.

More than half of those you're involved with aren't even in college. And I know that pisses the 19-somethings off no end. Their jealousy reaches to infinity & beyond when they discover your deceit. You're cheating with their Moms, their Great Uncle Joes, even their Grandmas! Have you no shame?

When others came calling, I resisted. Twitter tried to tweet me, but I turned the other cheek. MySpace once had me interested, but I didn't like living on the edge like that.

Your artifices are transparent. I know you want me for only one thing. And I'm not that kind of girl!

But you're wearing me out. Your magnetism is too strong, your reach too wide. I can feel the heat of your aura beating down on my soul. I fear I, too, may soon fall under your cyber-spell.

Give me a reason to want you. You don't need to send me chocolate-covered strawberries, or blow wet kisses in my ear. Just give me a real reason to care.

Please.

Editor's Note: Cruisin-Mom posted the snap above just the other day. She's got a funny take on Facebook..please give her a visit! The preceding is part of Mrs. Scribe's February contribution to The Random Complexity Writing Challenge: 256 words.

100 Words Me

Please visit Tara H. at The Cupcake Cafe. She celebrated her 100th Post in a unique fashion.

"So, I have noticed that a lot of people do lists for their 100th post," Tara writes in the post commemorating her 100th. "I considered that, but then I thought it may be more fun to try a 100 word autobiography. With the help of my old school Microsoft Works word counter, I will attempt to tell you my entire life story in 100 words."

And then, she proceeded to entertain, inform, amaze & shock. In 100 words. Seriously.

Mrs. Scribe doesn't have such a dramatic story to tell, but plans to tell it, nonetheless. In 100 words. Seriously.

Drop by to visit Tara H. She's having ambivalent feelings about blogging. We think she should stay in business. Please go on over there and share your thoughts. And Mrs. Scribe recommends that you try this exercise yourself. If you do, please share the link with us. Downright humbling, it is!

Mrs. Scribe in 100 Words

(artwork provided by gelstuff.com.)

Parents stretched a penny 5 different ways to Sunday. Low-end house, high-end district. Très bien escuelas. Pushed reading, writing. Math, science, no flow, Joe. Suburban NYC, North Dallas, Columbia, Mo., East Dallas, Fort Worth, DC, NOVA. Hubby Big-Time Bucky Badger Fan. Ella Numera Una, Ella Numera Dos. Newspapers, politics, industry, SAHM, high school journalism teacher. 6 continents, 5 years. Met Erma Bombeck Northern Chilean Desert, Stephen Stills Dem Convention. Swim, walk, read, garden. Cat Woman. Kids in college, finances thin. Finally learned to stretch a penny 5 different ways to Sunday. In love with slightly sour smell of secondary education.

Editor's Note: Mrs. Scribe in 100 words is part of Your Humble Scribe's February contribution to The Random Complexity Writing Challenge: 100 words (duh!)

"The Most Lovable Grandma I'd Ever Met"

Editor's Note: Today's post was written by Ella Numera Dos, to commemorate the life of her Grandmother, lovingly known as "Baba," who died on February 9, 2006. Baba suffered from Alzheimer's for several years. The snap above shows Ella Dos & Rudy the Cat; you can just see Baba peeking up over the covers.

“I want to take my two cats and go home.”

“But where’s home, Baba?”

“Back to America.”

"Oh, Baba!"

After a little chuckle, the subject would change to how beautiful I was and if I were going to marry my non-existent boyfriend.

Those were the days. Three years ago, while making a mad dash out the door so as not to be late for school, the phone rang. Within a minute, school didn’t matter. In the early hours on February 9, the days of “Oh, Baba” ended.

I was 15 years, 6 months and 7 days old (I only remember this because it was by best friend’s Sweet Sixteen). In my years with the most lovable Grandma I’d ever met, I had some of the best times. I don’t have many memories from when Baba was “normal,” but I never loved her less; in fact, her "Baba-ness" made me love her even more.

I remember the days spent in The Bobs' backyard garden ("Baba" plus "Grandpa Baba" equalled "The Bobs"). Walking up a block to the corner market for a snack. Dinner with the fam around the old dining room table. The birthdays and holidays when Baba made her blueberry pie and lemon cake. Shopping for Easter and Christmas dresses at Pentagon City; dancing around the living room in my new "drat" (that would be a dress, to those outside my family), followed by a nap on Baba’s couch. Those days will never be lost.

Every year, around this time especially, I remember. No more lemon cakes for my birthday, no more trips to the corner market, no more excuses for going into DC. Sometimes I regret the fact that I wasn’t around her more, and didn’t appreciate her more. I look like my Dad; but I'm Baba's Beautiful Girl by heart.

"You're welcome."

Courtesy of Reuters Pictures, a powerful image indeed. If you haven't yet seen Katie Couric's riveting interview with Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger on 60 Minutes, you should. She then went on to interview the other 4 crew members & included footage of a reunion with passengers from Flight1549. The piece aired last nite.

The above photo, or one like it, will likely win the Pulitzer Prize. Couric's 60 Minutes package should win something, too. The gal flat-out knows how to capture the essence of emotion.

The interview with Sully can be viewed here. The story about the interview can be read here. Please spend some time perusing CBS's splendid coverage.

Couric asked Sully if the passengers talked to him after all had evacuated.

"One man did. He said, 'You saved my life, thank you'."

And how did the captain respond?

"You're welcome."

Sx3: Why Did the Armadillo Cross the Road?

To get flattened by a Red 1973 Ford Pickup Truck.

Welcome to our Silly Sunday Sweepstakes! You veterans know just what to do. But for the rest of you, There's Still Hope!

Take a look at this Superior Snap, shot by Tara R.'s son, WK, using his Mama's Blackberry. Apparently these 'dillos are lounging on the side of a utility truck down in Sunny FLA.

After you've taken a good gander at said snap, conjur a caption. Scribble that creative caption in the comments section of this post, and There You Have It.

Hope everyone's enjoying the same bee-OO-tee-ful weather that we have. Low-60s and sun yesterday, high-60s and sun today. Who can argue with that kind of forecast?

Of course, there's nothing to be won here, but don't give up! As always, Mrs. Scribe wishes you a Merry End-o-Weekend, and hopes we all get a few giggles out of this pointless exercise.

Seriously. The Man is a Joke!

Late-nite has been having its way with former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (did we spell that correctly?). Leno, Letterman & Jon Stewart have all added their Two Cents' Worth to the debate.

Mrs. Scribe doesn't feel the need to comment further; her contribution to Six-Word Saturday is the title of this post.

Fx4: Yoshio on the Streets

Mrs. Scribe told Yoshio's story last month, & followed up with this post. Above is a portrait of Yoshio captured by a professional photog named Thomas Michael Corcoran. To view more of Corcoran's work, Click Here.

Corcoran posted this expressive snap on his site January 10, along with this explanation: "When I was in College I used to go to the little park next to school. Sometimes I would try to talk to this homeless man. (He is holding my business card in this picture.) To communicate, sometimes I would sing a Japanese nursery rhyme my sister Gina taught me when I was a baby. Little did I know that was Yoshio Nakada's preferred method of communication." Corcoran then posted a link to The Washington Post story about Yoshio's death.

Ella Numera Una met Yoshio during a summer internship last year. That child learned more during a 3-month volunteer assignment at Miriam's Kitchen than in all of her 3+ years of college combined!

The DC Police have not yet solved the case, but they're offering a reward for info leading to an arrest. If you'd like more info on how you can help folks like Yoshio thru Miriam's Kitchen, please Click Here.

Playing along today, butofcourse, with Candid Carrie & her Friday Foto Finish Fiesta...Fx4 is one of the places to view Superior Snaps each week. The other being, natch, The Scholastic Scribe's Silly Sunday Sweepstakes...Sx3, for short.

Dear Debbie,

I'm happy, but I'm sad. A paradox, at best, just like the Shakespeare quote, above. From Romeo & Juliet, I believe. Literary Lingo aside, the English Teacher in me wants there to be much, much more to this story; this journey; this adventure.

I want to thank you for your friendship. I want to thank you for showcasing The Scholastic Scribe at Blog Around the World more than once. I want to thank you for allowing me to make fun of both Sarah Palin & Barack Obama with your endorsement, and for encouraging me more recently at your place to Catch Potomac Fever.

Over the last 6 months, you've Shouted Me Out and Showcased Me on BATW. You've put up with my Sweet & sometimes Snarky comments. You've put the word out for one of us who is lost. You've helped more than one of us...including Your Humble Scribe...find a voice in this Crazy Cyberworld.

You said "farewell" to all your BATWers on Monday; I hope you didn't mean "goodbye." I would, instead, prefer to quote author Garrison Keillor, the man I believe to be our National Conscience, and just say So Long, for Now: "Be well, do good work, and keep in touch."

And thanks for everything,
Mrs. Scribe

The preceding entry is Mrs. Scribe's first February contribution to The Random Complexity Writing Challenge: 212 words.

What's the Word Wednesday: What a Dope!

Thanks to "News of the World" for reminding us that even Michael Phelps is human. Mrs. Scribe actually has been flabbergasted by the news coverage of the Big Bong Incident. Some in our area have advocated excusing Phelps for his youthful transgressions. He works so hard, after all...he's only 23...he needs some time for Rest & Relaxation.

Seriously.

Same wannabes who wanted to Forgive Phelps His Trespasses when he was busted near here for Driving Under the Influence. In his Caddy Escalade. With the Spinning Rims. The Olympic God failed the Field Sobriety Test on that one. He got 18 months' probation and had to do some community service janx.

And said he'd learned his lesson. Went on to garner somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 million in endorsements. That's up there in the Unbelievable range. Add the Olympic Bling, and we're talkin' Stratospheric Stardom.

Does he have an obligation to his fans? Especially to all the kids out there who want to grow up to be like Michael Phelps?

Mrs. Scribe thinks so. Remember, Mike: There's no hope in dope!

"One Spirit" for All

We here at The Scholastic Scribe are all about inclusiveness. About the give-and-take. The ying and the yang. The applause for a Job Well Done.

Seems that Mrs. Scribe launched herself into another dimension, if not quite a galaxy, yesterday. Your Humble Scribe won a bloggy giveaway. And the reward is more than this modest high school teacher can fathom.

Mrs. Scribe has mentioned her friend Lynda before. She's shared Lynda's Journey with her readers. She's commiserated with Lynda, the Boss at Art on a Limb, over family & workplace faux pas. And she's admired Lynda's artistic gift.

Lynda sponsored a giveaway a couple of weeks ago. And the prize was not a Gift Card to Tar-jay, nor a couple million Etsy Points. Lynda offered a gift of herself~an original piece of art. Entitled, "One Spirit," she modestly points out that this painting "created itself."

The Artist Currently Known as Lynda explains her creative muses:

"I have not always been an artist," Lynda wrote to Mrs. Scribe in a poetic e-mail yesterday, "but have always loved drawing. I started doing this work about 9 years ago. It just happened. I am reluctant to call myself an 'artist,' as I haven't had any formal training at all."

"I wouldn't say I have any particular influence in the art world," Lynda says. "I like a number of artists, especially the Impressionists~Renoir in particular~but my work is nothing similar. I don't think I could do anything other than what I do. I am sure you feel the same way about your writing~it just flows through you. Maybe you don't, but that's how art works for me...it comes when it comes. And it ends up being what it is on its own. All I know is almost everything I do will be of a person~usually a face."

Lynda is not a professional; she doesn't generate cash for her efforts, but rather a creative pride. "I don't sell my work nor have I exhibited. The whole process has been very private for me. I feel like each piece is part of who I am or who I was in that moment and I am not sure I want people looking at it...I know that my work is 'different' and it's hard to share 'different' with others."

Thanks for sharing, Lynda. And thanks so much for the gifts of friendship & creativity. With this post, we'd like to share "One Spirit" with everyone it touches.

Ground Hog Tribute

Hey, y'all...before we launch into Today's Post, Mrs. Scribe needs your help. Mr. Fairway's Golf Blog was nominated for Best Sports Blog of 2009. It's so simple... Just Click Here To Vote for Mr. Fairway! Make sure you scroll to the right to find the Best Sports Blog category, then scroll all the way to the end to follow those instructions. See, that wasn't so bad, was it? Just thought we'd like to keep Award-Winning in the Family! Polls close TODAY, so Get Out and Vote! Now, back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program.

A Video Tribute to Punxsatawney Phil, whose predilection for shade determines whether or not we have 6 more weeks of winter. Hey, you'd be afraid, too, if a lot of big, old guys in silk tophats hauled you around all the time!

Congrats to the Steelers, in their come-from-behind Super Bowl Blitz. We teachers have to get up so early, Mrs. Scribe didn't make it thru the entire game. We suppose, though, since Pux Phil's from PA, that today's post could be a tribute to the Super Bowl Champs, too.

These clips mixed & set to "Shine," by Anna Nalick. A rodent never had it so good.

Sx3: It's a Dog's Life

Hey, y'all...before we launch into another superb Silly Sunday Sweepstakes, Mrs. Scribe needs your help. Mr. Fairway's Golf Blog was nominated for Best Sports Blog of 2009. It's so simple... Just Click Here To Vote for Mr. Fairway! Make sure you scroll to the right to find the Best Sports Blog category, then scroll all the way to the end to follow those instructions. See, that wasn't so bad, was it? Just thought we'd like to keep Award-Winning in the Family! Polls close on Monday, so Get Out and Vote! Now, back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program.

Snagged this Superior Snap from Veggie Mom, who used it for her Candid Carrie Fx4 submission on Friday. Moses won the Battle Of The Stick. Did you ever think the puppy, Rowdy, had a chance?

You know what to do, Sports Fans! Take a gander at said Superior Snap & Conjur a Caption. Tippy-Type that there caption real fast like, in the Comments section of this post. And there you have it! You don't win anything. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. But we'll be real pleased & proud, nonetheless!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to make Mrs. Scribe & all her readers smile. Isn't that what our Silly Sunday Sweepstakes is for?