CONCERT UPDATE

Well, I have six days to rehearse, to plan, to record, and ultimately to decide the program.  Not quite there yet, but it should be a variety of things, hopefully something for everyone.

But...please notice....the event itself is on Saturday the 28th, not the 21st as some of the advertising indicates.

MILESTONES....AND A CONCERT

Well, on a day that began with me being alerted to arson on my campus, it seems strange to point out that today is a milestone of sorts for the blog. I've been doing the blog for about 14 months now, initially at the behest of others who felt I should do it. And on this date in 2007 I installed some widgets that kept track of site traffic.

According to these little bots, I've had 57,327 or so visitors in a year's time. That's about 157 visitors per day, though truth be told many of these visitors were fueled by contretemps having to do with PZ Myers, the movie 'Expelled' or famed cruelty artist Vox Dei. And, since this is full disclosure, I've never hesitated to promote the blog. I've come to the realization that, when it comes to things I care about, I'll dress up in a clown suit and let people throw pies at me, if that's what it takes. So, to the many of you who've encouraged me over the last year, left comments, even those who bashed me, to the extent that I've had a modest impact in cyberspace...thanks.

AND NOW FOR A REAL MILESTONE:

In just nine days, yours truly will be doing a benefit concert for my home church, Clovis Memorial United Methodist Church. Here's the blurb from the church:

Scott Hatfield in Concert

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. On June 28*, 2008, 7 PM, in Memorial's Sanctuary, talented pianist, singer, composer, and Memorial's Music Director, Scott Hatfield, will provide an evening of entertainment for the community. There will be prizes for those selling the most tickets. The tickets are $15.00 for the concert and dessert. The proceeds will go toward burning the mortgage on the social hall.

Tickets available at the church office, 299-4615

It's me and a few friends doing a variety of music, some original stuff of mine, and in a variety of genres, from pop and country to classical music. For more information, please email me today!

* Unfortunately, the blurb on the church web site originally said June 21st, which was incorrect. My apologies to any who were misled, in advance.

DON'T LET THIS GET BAYOU

At the request of Michael Zimmerman of the Clergy Letter Project, I am passing along the following alert to those who care about science education in this country, particularly in the 'Sportsman's Paradise', the Pelican State of Louisiana:

Please support Barbara Forrest and the Louisiana Coalition for Science in opposing SB 733, a bill which amends Louisiana law to allow a foot in the door for the promotion of the Discovery Institute's 'Wedge Strategy'. As they correctly point out in this press release, if Governor Bobby Jindal fails to put the kibosh on this legislation, then sooner or later they are going to end up in federal court as the DI's catspaw, and it's going to cost them. Unfortunately, given Jindal's public expression of sympathy for ID (and thus, indirectly, for the DI), I don't think that's going to happen.

ARSON!

(EXPURGATED)

I've just learned that, yesterday, someone appears to have set some of our classrooms undergoing 'modernization' at Bullard ablaze!

I don't know anything more, I will have to go to my site today to see for myself.

*************UPDATE*************

Fires were set in three locations in two adjoining classrooms (N-61 and N-63). The fires along the west wall and storage room of N-61 seem to be superficial in damage, not penetrating the gypsum wall board:












The third fire, in N-63, appears to have damaged a cabinet of a lab station and that will probably cost thousands to replace, though the resistant lab surface on top would probably have survived a room-wide blaze and still be useful:


Still, this is disturbing and, if news accounts are to be believed, could be linked to gang activity whose sole purpose is to demonstrate the relative strength of a given group of hoods to damage public property as compared to their rivals. And the news media are here:

Here's a video, from Channel 47, On Your Side

One more thing: I saw some people give me funny looks over the last few days, that I was taking pictures of science classrooms in the process of being disassembled ('modernization'). Obviously, I had no idea anyone was going to intentionally vandalize the classroom, but I have to say I now have the feeling I wish I had taken more pictures. The good news is that my colleague's teaching materials and personal possessions seemed to have been moved out before this happened. I can only imagine how I would feel if I lost all of the curricula I've generated over the years.

MODERNIZATION

In the going-slightly-crazy department:

One of my colleagues at Bullard had cabinets and other items which should've been preserved accidentally destroyed by the demolition team. The same thing, as far as I can see, may yet happen to my classrooms if I don't supervise.

So, I'm headed back to Bullard this afternoon to make sure everything is properly stored as I will be teaching out of a trailer next semester. And this is called (ahem) "modernization", which based on yesterday's experience seems almost Stalinist. Hopefully the trailer won't be a five-year plan!