Today was our first day of conditioning for the track and field season. It's gonna be a great year ... I have over 60 kids signed up, most of whom are awesome athletes ... but I only have 40 uniforms. Too much of a good thing, I guess. Needless to say, practices are going to be very tough these first few weeks (to weed out those kids who really don't want to be there).

Several of the runners showed up to the workout today in shorts and a t-shirt. Not too smart, considering that it's still February. And sure enough, it got colder and wetter as the workout went on, eventually covering us in a barrage of snow! How great is that? Yep ... I'm now officially one of those hardcore coaches who cracks the whip unmercifully, even through the driving snow.

All I know is that a hot bath and toasty chicken wings rarely felt so good ...

So let me get this straight ... the people who make films also vote on who wins their most coveted awards? Then it makes sense that only the biggest and most well-financed films would win. Think about it ... if an underdog or indie film wins a high honor, then future film financing would begin to be more distributed away from people in the Academy and more towards promising newcomers. Academy members wouldn't want that, so they'd logically vote for the big money-making films (Aviator, Million Dollar Baby, etc).

Regardless, Chris Rock was fearless and hilarious. Kudos to whomever casted him. And even more props go out to Halle Berry, for actually appearing at the Razzie Awards to accept her trophy for Worst Actress of 2004 in Catwoman.

"I want to thank Warner Brothers for casting me in this piece of [dung]," she said as she dragged her agent on stage and warned him "next time read the script first."

"Christians enter here. All others enter here."

"Are you good enough to go to heaven?"

"Thou shalt ..."

How can people like this be so out of touch with reality? It's saddening and maddening all at the same time.

I was brought up in a world that ignored culture ... I didn't listen to music or watch television, I didn't have many friends from "secular" places, and my family barely participated in things in our community. So now, as a 26-year-old "digital media" teacher in a middle school, I'm struggling to understand the world we live in. I spend tons of time watching television, browsing the web, and quizzing adolescents, with the hope of understanding the role my faith can play in the redemption of our culture. My deep desire is to see middle school kids use their creativity not to condemn, but to redeem. But I have to admit that I'm often just stumbling around in the dark. I'm trying to build a bridge without being intimately familiar with the territory on the other bank.

Let me simply echo maria's recent quotation:

"Historically speaking, Christianity has a rather bad reputation for cold-hearted fault-finding in its assessment of media, culture, and trends. It's as if such religious faith has no greater calling than counting the bad words, spotting the sexual innuendo, and walking away in a loud, well-publicized huff. In contrast, apocalyptic xenophilia responds redemptively, which isn't to say that it brings redemption or that it does the redeeming. Instead, it sees and affirms the redemption already present and already underway. It is looking for it. Xenophilia is the way of affirmation."

- David Dark, Everyday Apocalypse

We all know that bacteria in small amounts is healthy ... it allows our immune systems to be exposed without overpowering our system, helping us build up immunities. In fact, that's how many modern medicines work.

A top Austrian doctor has just given this basic concept a new twist ... he's claiming that we would be healthier if we ate our boogers.

Think about it.

Ok, I feel compelled to make another post ... just to spare you from having to see that awful animation further down the page. Whew ... that's bad. Ok, here are some random thoughts:

• I just heard a Ford commercial refer to multiple cars as "Ford Focuses". Shouldn't it be Ford Foci?
• This morning I found a great house that was newly listed ... an old house on a huge lot in a great neighborhood that needs a ton of work (but has a ton of potential). Within hours, the house was under contract. I guess I'm getting better at knowing what to look for ...
• I'm quite tired of hearing songs that rhyme the words "love" and "above". Not far behind are songs that rhyme the phrase "wrong and right" with "black and white".

Today I had a student, in all seriousness, tell me:

"Mr. Webel, you're my favorite teacher ... because you don't teach anything."

I still don't know how to take that ...

The Baby Name Wizard is a pretty cool tool for visualizing the popularity of all sorts of American names (not just baby names, as the title implies). Check it out!

Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop."

-- Ovid (43 BC - 17 AD)

When my alarm woke me up this morning at 9am, I felt horrible. So I turned over and went back to sleep. Church passed, the afternoon flew by, my to-do list became a distant memory. And now, seven hours later, I really haven't woken up yet.

I guess that the older I get, the more I realize the value of days like today. It helps that my church's messages are online. It's nice to be able to ad-lib tomorrow's activities instead of relying on thorough planning. And it's great just to be alone.

Later this week they're demolishing the old Sharonville Elementary School, so they held an auction yesterday to sell off all of the remaining items. It was pretty fun to walk around as they auctioned off everything in sight ... I ended up buying a paper cutter (sweet!) and a TV mount. PVM also bought some stuff ... including some crash mats, big cabinets, lockers, and an entire art room (for only $1). I tell ya ... if you're every remodeling or looking for furniture or storage units, go find an auction!

There's more to tell, but I don't really want to type any more. Sorry. :)

Want to become a ninja? It's easy. And awesome.

Viewer discretion is advised. For real.

"The Vatican has official exorcists? And how is Catholicism not a wacky cult? (Cue angry reader email...)"

-- kottke

"i think eyebrows are more expressive than words."

-- sent to annie on 12/10/01

10. Pizza Hut - It's the Muppet Show!
9. CareerBuilder.com - Guy sits on whoopee cushion as prankster monkey colleagues laugh.
8. Anheuser-Busch - American troops get standing ovation thank you at airport.
7. CareerBuilder.com - Guy in boardroom won't kiss-up to monkey boss, but one monkey does.
6. Ameriquest Mortgage - Store customer's cell phone chat misunderstood to be robbery.
5. Emerald Nuts - Nut-loving dad takes grief from unicorn, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.
4. Anheuser-Busch - Rich guy not smooth, smooth guy not rich, Michelob Amber Bock is both.
3. FedEx - Burt Reynolds dances with bear in ad with Top 10 Super Bowl ad tips.
2. CareerBuilder.com - Guy can't get work done because he works with a bunch of monkeys.
1. Ameriquest Mortgage - Romantic dinner goes awry after cat knocks over spaghetti sauce.

Overall, it's wasn't very exciting, though it was interesting to see advertisers try to find a balance between memorable and family-friendly. They mostly still don't get it.

Here are USA Today's viewer favorites. What were yours?

If I taught mathematics, I'd call myself "W.M.I."

Webel of Math Instruction.

Two of my students have been distributing "LIVE STRETCHY" wristbands (based on the LIVE STRONG ones). You gotta love that.

I really like watching most of the sports in the Winter X Games. I just wish the announcers would stop screaming all of the time. We're watching television, folks ... if we need you to be loud and distorted, we can turn the volume up.

It's almost as bad as NFL games when they put the announcer's table at midfield during the halftime show. Few things are less appealing than the sound of John Madden and Al Michaels trying to shout over the sound of an overproduced MTV pop star backed up by a marching band.

I liked Waterworld.