Brown Skin Lady


Brown Skin Lady. Sunday, June 29, 2008 The dodgers got no hits last night at Chavez Ravine. That is, they were not able to make appropriate contact with their bats to put the ball into play. Going hitless during the course of a baseball game is not conducive to winning-- as getting hits is pretty much the totality of the sport. They still WON. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat???? The funny part is that most baseball analysts are using words such as "remarkable", "stunning", and "this could only happen in baseball" to describe the game. I mean, most dodger fans will tell you that there is nothing "stunning" about them going hitless. I bet Terell Owens could probably lead this team in homeruns. andycat stayed in the red at 8:38 AM Friday, June 27, 2008 I live across the street from The Grove. And from the hours between 11AM and 12AM, the traffic on the corner of third and fairfax is absolutely maddening. But the early morning hours here can be quite pleasant. The Whole Foods across the street opens at 7 as workers line the sidewalk with beautiful floral arrangements. Sleepy-eyed locals stumble across the street to Starbucks. And I get to wake up to the soothing bell of the Farmer's Market clock tower. I used to love hearing the Storke Tower bell ring at UCSB when I lived on the 6500 block of Sabado. I used to always enjoy hearing the distant blare of the fog horn somewhere off the coast of Santa Barbara while I was studying at night. andycat stayed in the red at 2:52 PM Thursday, June 26, 2008 The following is an email sent to a professor of mine. I think it places proper perspective during my time spent in the classroom. Hi Dr. -----, It has been too long since we last spoke, but I just wanted to let you know that you are always in my thoughts, and that I wouldn't be here enjoying my summer vacation if it weren't for you. I've just completed my 3rd year teaching (4th overall) as a Math teacher at Wallis Annenberg High School, a charter school in South Los Angeles, a school which currently has an API score of 683, the highest score of any surrounding schools with similar demographics. I've taught pre-algebra, algebra, and geometry. This past year I taught algebra 2, and hopefully next year, I'll be teaching pre-calculus. I've seen the school grow tremendously in the short amount of time I have been there, and can honestly say that this past year has truly been my most successful. During my time at CGU, I was told that it takes about 4 - 5 years to finally become comfortable in the teaching profession and it's completely true. As a "wily veteran" now, my classroom management has drastically improved, my lesson plans are well-planned and well-paced, and my dedication to the teaching craft has reaped many benefits. I've traveled to Palm Springs, Chicago, Dallas, and North Carolina, for professional development training particularly in the realm of teaching with technology. I've implemented a quasi-network in my classroom using Texas - Instrument's Navigator Technology, where students log into the network using the class set of graphing calculators. From here, I can do a myriad of activities...too many to list. It's been the most powerful tool in the math classroom I've ever witnessed. I believe I still have a ways to improve as a teacher, particularly in my ability to reach my students on a personal level...something that I've lacked in previous years due to the time I spend lesson planning and grading. However, as every year passes, less time is focused on lesson plans (as I recycle them) and more time is spent engaging my students -- through personal anecdotes, joking with them, and endearing myself to them. As I get older, (I'll be 29 in one month!), perspective has indeed led to personal growth, and thus I feel more comfortable with who I am and what I stand for. I don't know exactly what my students take from me or how I influence them on a daily basis, but when I go to sleep at night, I know I've worked diligently and patiently. I can only have faith, or as Barack Obama would say...I only have the audacity to hope that my students can follow my lead. I wanted to thank you for being so instrumental in my professional career. I hope all is well with your family and look forward to hearing from you. Sincerly, Andrew Doan andycat stayed in the red at 9:02 AM Wednesday, June 25, 2008 I have just completed my 3rd year of teaching in South Central Los Angeles and my 4th year of teaching overall. The old adage in traditional pedagogy states that teachers will start to feel successful after year 4. It's true, life seems to revolve around a four year cycle: Presidential Terms The Olympics World Cup College Degrees NBA Rookie Contracts And since lists are so awesome-- Professional athletes who have broken out in their fourth year: Derek Harper, PG, Dallas Mavericks Lava Man, California Bred Gelding Sasha Vujacic, SG, Los Angeles Lakers Erik Bedard, SP, Baltimore Orioles This is my first post in 2008. andycat stayed in the red at 1:15 PM Friday, December 28, 2007 Speaking of thoughts...how about Karl Malone's range? I am not talking about his 18 foot jumper range. I am talking about his 18-wheeler/ power forward persona range. Karl Malone is simulatneously the blackest man and whitest black man on the face of this earth. You know...drives hard to the rim, rebounds, muscular. In other words, he's everything a Jewish guy isn't. But then he's into 18 wheelers, and shooting squirrels. He's like this crazy sort of hillbilly mixed with this crazy sort of nubian warrior. andycat stayed in the red at 10:16 AM Tuesday, December 25, 2007 I am in the midst of a three week vacation providing me plenty of opportunities to not only think, but to blog about my thoughts. So -- clearly -- there are problems here. I have been dating her for one year now, and it wasn't until the one year mark that I wanted to know the specifics of her dating past. And -- clearly -- this is generally not a healthy topic of discussion. I knew that prior to asking her the details of her past, I had to be prepared for the litany of emotions that would subsequently follow and more precisely, the emotion of jealousy. Even though I feel like I love her, part of my brain resents her dating past with an unspeakable ferocity. Which is interesting because now whenever I feel like I love her, I unconsciously feel grains of jealousy. And it is becoming harder and harder for me to process those two emotions. So -- clearly -- I am not psychologically flawless. When you love somebody, you become fascinated by the myriad of components that define that person. If I were to try to explain Anel's life, it is an unfathomable collection of events, all things considered. And when I say "all things", I truly mean the entire spectrum of her existence: her ex-boyfriend, her mom, USC, the role of Mexican - American females, catholoicism, her ex-boyfriend, the coat of paint in her bedroom, Beyonce Knowles, Chinese Checkers, works of Latin American fiction, romantic comedies, the factors which contribute to a female's emotional dependency on men, and her ex-boyfriend. However, all that stuff is her life; that stuff has nothing to do with me, really, and it would be wrong for me to comment on anything that doesn't affect me directly. (In fact, it's probably wrong for me to even comment on the things that do affect me, since she's obviously a real person who probably does not expect to have her life brodcast over the Internet). andycat stayed in the red at 3:53 AM Monday, December 24, 2007 When I read this blog from four years ago, I cringe. I was 23 years old, going through one of the darkest periods of my life quite uncertain about that status of my career, and positively uncertain about my mental health. I used to drink alot too. Alot of posts were dedicated to the general nonsense of being in your early twenties, and while the excuse "I was young" may hold true, I still cringe at my usage of improper grammar, syntax, and spelling. I view these previous postings from the perspective of a psychologist, witnessing a pattern of self-destructive behavior -- alcohol, drugs, gambling. But today much of this behavior has ceased for a number of reasons. At 25, the miles on my body began to take its toll. At 26, the focus on my career shifted. And at 27, a beautiful partner came into my life. Pushing that former 23 year old hypermasculine ego aside I will say that she has become a stabilizing force in my life that I was lacking and I love her immensely for this. andycat stayed in the red at 11:41 AM Wednesday, December 05, 2007 Today I am for: Christmas quesadillas, inverse functions, paste, Trevor Ariza, and Clayton Kershaw Today I am against: Glue Sticks. My mindstate is currently one-dimensional. All I see are inverse functions. Logarithms, yo. andycat stayed in the red at 12:28 PM Thursday, November 29, 2007 Today I am for: Takashi Saito's recruiting efforts, the "shuuto" reverse slider, rock on education, mini zucchini walnut muffins, and tutoring HS school basketball players on Hollinger's player efficiency rating. Today I am against: Esteban Loiza, fork balls, lacksadaiscal parenting, caramel praline muffins, and tutoring HS baseball players on slugging percentage. I will admit that I am in currently in what Troy Polomalu calls the beach gorilla workout. That is "lifting weights to look good on the beach but serve no purpose in real life" Which is interesting because Troy Polomalu's reality includes executing open field tackles while spread in the Cover 2. andycat stayed in the red at 8:22 AM Tuesday, November 27, 2007 Holy crap! I'm 28! 28 is not 23. Sheesh! 28 is not even 25. At least at 28, you aren't stuck teaching remedial math. Maybe I've paid my dues. andycat stayed in the red at 9:29 PM Friday, November 23, 2007 A glimpse into the inner workings of the male intellect (per conversation with a buddy of mine): What's happening with D----? I don't ever want to think about her again. Why? Well I told her I was ready, and I said let's be together. And I bought her flowers. And then? Then she told me she didn't want to. That I was a "wildcard", and the guy she was with now was a "sure thing." How do you feel about that? Well I looked up any wildcard teams to have ever won a championship...and, well, that didn't help my cause. --------------------------------------------------------------- Critically thinking about sports is crucial to understanding relationships. andycat stayed in the red at 7:36 AM Wednesday, November 21, 2007 Mr Doan, what is it that every man needs to know about a women? Son, you need to know that women are very unpredictable, much more so than men. That when you think you know a women, you don't. She will love you when you cook her dinners, take her on spontaneous trips to vegas, pack her a picnic at the museum, and hang out with her little brother. But she might also feel that love has been taken away from her the minute she becomes disappointed with your decision to hang out with your buddies. andycat stayed in the red at 6:39 AM Tuesday, November 20, 2007 Super-hot chicks are annoying. Why? If you are good looking, I will agree with everything you say. If you are ugly, poor, or fat...you have obstacles. Super-hot women are empowered because society has never told them to shut up. andycat stayed in the red at 7:59 AM Saturday, November 17, 2007 These days I would prefer to spend my evenings watching a movie or attend a sporting event rather than have distilled malt, barley, and hops infest my liver. I guess that's not entirely true. I would like to have my liver infested with distilled malt, barley and hops only if the venue where aformentioned infiltration occurs is Staples Center. Or Elysian Park. Heck, even Home Depot Center. So today I am for: Farmar racking up two cruical steals in the 4th, Turiaf shimmy-ing on the bench, the Lakers offense running a freestyle offense before settling into the triangle, and playing soccer on Saturday mornings. Today I am against: Billups's knee injury, Mc~~Dyess's~~Nugget's shoulder, and Rick Mahorn. It would have been nice not to have paid to see Flip Murray and Jason Maxiel start. andycat stayed in the red at 6:19 AM Tuesday, November 13, 2007 I have visited: The United States Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Tuscon, Grand Canyon, Phoenix, San Antonio, Austin, Houston, New Orleans, Miami, Key West, Key Largo, Orlando, Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Honolulu. Mexico Tijuana, Rosarito, Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, and Mazatlan Canada British Columbia (Vancouver) Asia Thailand (Bangkok), Vietnam (Hanoi, Saigon), Hong Kong, Indonesia (Bali), Japan (Tokyo), and the Phillipines (Manila, Makati City) South America Brazil (Rio De Janiero, Buzios), Uruguay (Montevideo, Punta Del Este) Carribiean Puerto Rico (San Juan), Aruba I have not visited yet wish to visit: Central American Countries, More of the Carribean, More of South America, Europe, Austrailia, Africa Travelling truly builds resilience, a characteristic I believe to have acquired through my personal experience. I have also noticed that with all the different faces and colors, we all still play the same games. andycat stayed in the red at 5:42 AM Friday, November 09, 2007 A wsie man once told me that people will only achieve if there are incentives or consequences. However, rewarding is completely subjective. I shower my students with Starbursts for answering correctly. And my philosophy on teaching is this: I do. You watch. I do. You help. You do. I help. You do. I watch. Simple. And as much as I shower my students with Starburts, the true reward reflects on their progress report when I make a comment that comes straight from the heart: For Example: Jessica -- You're attitude is impeccable and you make me happy to wake up in the morning. Thanks! Mr. Doan andycat stayed in the red at 2:10 PM Wednesday, November 07, 2007 Today I am for: American Gangster, stretching and shrinking of absolute value functions, partially closed intervals, Miguel Cabrera playing 3rd at Chavez Ravine, and brining down 3/4 of the NY DEA! Today I am against: Cheese on meat, A-Rod playing 3rd at Chavez Ravine, and those who stand in the way of others making progress! You go see American Gangster! andycat stayed in the red at 3:22 PM Monday, November 05, 2007 Ever been out with one of your buddies who happens to bring along one of his buddies and you all are at a bar, having a couple of drinks...and it turns out that this friend of a friend happens to enjoy NASCAR, domestic violence, confederated flags, and racism? Does this not lower the stock of your mutual friend? And does this same type of analogy hold true for a significant other, male or female? Like say your GF previously dated a club DJ, who wore the brim of his hat over his face and refuses to talk to anybody -- that blowhard that every girl finds attractive. Wouldn't you look at your SO a little bit differently the next time you saw him/ her naked? andycat stayed in the red at 10:02 AM Sunday, November 04, 2007 Meatloaf Wellington. andycat stayed in the red at 5:52 AM Saturday, November 03, 2007 I am beginning to question if music is strictly for young folks. I am not limiting this question to just my own preferences of a certain brand of hip hop but to all musical genres. Why is that? Perhaps my old soul no longer has a preference to spending wads of cash on a Jaeger/ Coke to see a Funky Fiesta at the Key Club (which I did on Thursday). Perhaps I don't see too many 35 year olds rocking out to the latest GangstaBot CD or to any CD for that matter. Perhaps I just have an aversion to Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa (Food Network, daily at 5PM). Or perhaps, checking Joe Girardi's stats from his playing days will always be my one true outlet from life. Lakers rout Phoenix? For their homeowner? At US Airways?? Amen. andycat stayed in the red at 7:56 AM	Exponential ESPN Cicely Daily Nexus Sneak Move Dodger Blues LA Times Food Network Growth AIM: ANDYDOAN1 E-Mail: adoan1@hotmail.com Decay 03.03 04.03 05.03 06.03 07.03 08.03 09.03 10.03 11.03 12.03 01.04 02.04 03.04 04.04 05.04 06.04 07.04 08.04 09.04 10.04 11.04 12.04 01.05 02.05 03.05 04.05 05.05 06.05 07.05 08.05 09.05 10.05 11.05 12.05 01.06 02.06 03.06 04.06 05.06 06.06 07.06 08.06 09.06 10.06 11.06 12.06 01.07 02.07 03.07 04.07 05.07 10.07 11.07 12.07 06.08