It's over!

Tonight I attended my last class. I am now ABD! I may never have to sit through another student PowerPoint presentation again.

If CBS had produced Rock Star in 1985:

Coming to a TV near you:

"Rock Star:Doobie Brothers" brings 15 of the best undiscovered talents from around the world to Los Angeles for the opportunity of a lifetime: to become the new lead singer of the Doobie Brothers, one of the world's most successful rock bands.

The California-based Doobie Brothers has played over 4,000 live shows, sold over 30 million albums, and had No. 1 hit singles on four different continents before the talented lead singer Michael McDonald left the band for solo stardom. Now, one talented new artist will become the Doobie Brothers' frontman or woman, record an album with the band and lead its next worldwide tour.

But the unbelievable prize at stake isn't the only thing that makes "Rock Star:Doobie Brothers" an unmissable event TV. As the centerpiece of the competition, the contestants will perform the best rock music in history (including songs by The Monkees, The Byrds, Elton John, Procol Harum ,The Guess Who, The Electric Prunes, Bobby Darin and more), much of which has never been made available to a television show until now. Because all 15 contestants will also be living together in a Hollywood mansion steeped in rock-and-roll history, the human drama infused into the mix may be just as intense as the performances, especially as one competitor is eliminated each week.

These aspiring rock stars will be guided and mentored by legendary rocker Stephen Stills (Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills & Nash), and the performance segments of the show will be hosted by Cheryl Teigs.

"Rock Star:Doobie Brothers" is such a huge undertaking, it demands a huge presence on air. That's why, beginning on Monday, July 11, 1985, "Rock Star:Doobie Brothers" is airing an unprecedented three consecutive nights per week.

Ultimately, the Doobie Brothers will choose who to eliminate each week. Over the course of the summer, this process will highlight a new crop of talented rock and rollers, give the Doobie Brothers a brand-new lead singer, and turn this one talented musician into a bona fide Rock Star.

"Experience is a hard teacher. It gives the test first, the lesson afterward." - Zig Ziglar

End of civilization?

Today, I heard "I Wanna Be Sedated" by The Ramones. Nothing unusual in that, except that I heard it in the grocery store. Maybe it was to make us go buy something in the drug section?

Cheating in schools? When did that start?

Big news around here today is the fact that some Houston teachers were fired or demoted following an investigation that found them cheating on standardized "accountability" tests. This should not come as a surprise to anyone. Pressure on the teachers about test scores comes from the tired, top-down bureaucracy that has been present in education for more than a century. Nobody seems to ask the important questions: is this testing environment what parents really want for their children? Why is the public allowing the government to tell us what to teach our children?

Fat Albert movie

Hey, hey, hey - stay away.

Nostalgia

I am very nostalgic by nature. But today I visited a school that I attended for two years as a student and six years as a teacher. I felt nothing close to nostalgia. Very strange for me. I'm ready for a change of location, but it will be at least 18 months in coming, maybe more. Time flies? Life is short? It all depends on context.