Top 5 Teacher Must Have Linky
I’m linking up with Kelley at the Teacher Idea Factory and Rachelle at the Life is Sweet to recommend my five teacher must-haves to new teachers. OMG I remember that first year of teaching (so crazy but soooo fun)! Back then we didn’t have the web like we do now, we used listserves/messageboards and we weren’t able to post! But I worked with some of the most amazing teachers over the years and they always shared with me, so I need to return the favor.
So here’s my top 5 Must haves:
1. Sharpie Flipchart Markers – I know everyone loves Mr. Sketch Markers, but these markers are vibrant and they don’t leak through to the next page like regular Sharpies do. I bought mine at Staples.
2. The teacher toolbox – organizes everything you need! It is a must for teachers because it contains all of the essentials – staples, paperclips, post its, etc). Mine is at school and I don’t have a pic of it. It looks like Teach Mom Run’s toolbox:
3. Thank you notes – It doesn’t matter where you get them from, just get yourself a good supply because there are always people to thank (students, parents and other staff members too). A little note goes a long way and it shows people you appreciate what they do. The Christmas Tree Store has big boxes of cards that are very inexpensive, but I know a lot of teachers like to get theirs through VistaPrint (many purchase the postcards with Thanks on them). I saw VistaPrint has a sale through Groupon:
VistaPrint Deal at Groupon – Pay $20 to get $80 worth of stuff! The deal used to be just for a select number of states, but now it appears to be all states. I like to get homework passes and a few posters printed through them.
4. A laminating machine – they aren’t that expensive and it is so good to have one at home. Amazon has them for $30. You also need to purchase the laminating pockets with it.
5. A Great Lesson Plan Book – I love Stephanie Embrey’s Teacher Planner because it is well organized and has room for everything. I came across it after several years of teaching and once I found it, I fell in love and I buy it every year. Stephanie Embrey was a teacher so she set it up with plenty of room for lesson plans and grades (I have 12-16 classes each year). It is an amazing planner – so much so that I wrote to Stephanie Embrey and told her so. It’s always available in the teachers section of Barnes and Noble (remember to bring your ID so you can get the teacher’s discount). I hear that Erin Condren has good planners too, but I’ve never seen one of those planners so I don’t know how it compares (although they look very cute).
BTW, Coach Factory Outlet is having a sale today and tomorrow (7/25 and 7/26) – I get my teacher bag there every year.
Topics: Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
July 23, 2012Verrazano Bridge Jumper 7/23
All afternoon the streets of South Brooklyn have been congested. Why? Because a man tried to jump from the upper level of the Verrazano bridge on the Staten Island side and commit suicide. The bridge was full of emergency response vehicles. It took four hours for the NYPD ESU & Hostage Negotiators aided by Cantonese-speaking Police Officer to rescue the man and get him down (see their pic below).
(Gothamist has a pic of the man on the bridge)
The man was then brought to the hospital and the roads were open again. Third, 4th and 5th Avenues were a mess this evening due to the bridge being closed for so many hours and traffic being backed up so long. Traffic was bumper to bumper for miles. More info here.
Jumpers on the Verrazano Bridge are usually male. * Only three people have survived after jumping from the Verrazano Narrows Bridge – Maria Lynn Bertolini (22 years old in 1989- more here) and a college student in 1975 (source) and Lawrence Youshah – in October 2012 survived the jump
6/28/12 – On June 28, a 33-year-old man died hours after he leaped from the bridge. He left a 6-page suicide note behind.
6/8/12 – Benny Guzman, 46 years old and a Brooklyn resident jumped from the bridge
5/27/12 Joseph Battista, 54-year-old Sanitation worker from Todt Hill (Staten Island) jumped from the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.
4/4/12 Police stop a 41 year old man from jumping off the bridge.
In February 2012, statistics showed: “On average, the Verrazano sees about two suicides a year, and between four and six attempts foiled by officers patrolling the bridge. (source) **There are six phone on the bridge.
1/25/12 – Andre Carrasco, a 27 year old father of 6 jumped on the Brooklyn side. His niece wants fences installed on the bridge to stop people from being able to stop on the Bridge.
12/27/11 – Eric Suarez – 44 years old jumped from the SI side
* Only two people have survived after jumping from the Verrazano Narrows Bridge – Maria Lynn Bertolini (22 years old in 1989) and a college student in 1975. (source)
Topics: Uncategorized | 5 Comments »
July 23, 2012James Holmes Mother – Is She to Blame?
The news has been speculating on James Holmes – the Colorado movie theater Batman Joker killer. Why did James Holmes kill the people in the movie theater in Colorado? Holmes was a neuroscience graduate student at the University of Colorado Denver Medical Campus but had dropped out in June and had no job. So things weren’t going right in his life. But let’s not blame the movies, video games or Batman.
James Holmes Mother – When Arlene Holmes was contacted about her son’s involvement in the movie theater murder, she said she wasn’t surprised it was her son.
I’m sure James Holmes mother feels terrible that her son caused so much pain for so many other people. And I am sure her world is going to be turned upside down for the next year as her son sits in court awaiting his fate. Basically she lost a child too.
The news is reporting that neither parent is being cooperative with the police. Why would Robert or Arlene be cooperative? They didn’t commit the murder and they definitely aren’t going to say that James has problems when he was younger because that makes then responsible. And they definitely don’t want to give the prosecution any more info which may cause James to get the death penalty. At least they released a statement saying how sorry they were: “Our hearts go out to those who were involved in this tragedy and to the families and friends of those involved.” 7/23: Holmes mother released a statement that stated the news mistook her answers. See video
Is James Holmes crazy? Will he be able to take an insanity plea? He’s got problems, but he hopefully he isn’t going to be able to plead insanity because he is able to communicate with his attorneys. We will probably find out soon that he was on some mood altering drugs (either prescription or otherwise) for the past month or so.
Twelve people are dead including this six year old because of Holmes. I never supported the death penalty, but in cases like this it’s needed. There is no doubt that James Holmes is guilty of murder and there is no doubt that it wasn’t planned.
James Holmes Facebook page – this isn’t this James Holmes, but the guy who shares the same name left a message there. He doesn’t appear to have a twitter. Holmes used the username Classic Jimbo on other accounts though.
Holmes has seen better days:
And of course people can’t wait to see the inside of his apartment and how it was booby trapped. Or see James Holmes 19 year old sister who I am sure hid her FB page if she was smart.
Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
July 22, 2012A Visit to Albany
This week brought us on a trip to Albany for a bit of work and a bit of pleasure. I hadn’t been there in a few years and I distinctly remember it being a lot easier to pack and get going on a trip than it is now with everyone’s stuff. Needless to say we stayed at an awesome hotel and had a good time. Even Lee loved this trip!
During the day, I worked here:
But the evening gave me a chance to:
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
July 22, 2012House Collapsed in Bay Ridge
Imagine being woken at 3:00 in the morning to the sound of your neighbors home collapsing? The neighbors of 552 Ovington Avenue were awakened and the home looked like this earlier this week:
Neighbors in the buildings to the left and right were evacuated. The house belongs to Mousa Khalil. Khalil bought many properties in Bay Ridge when the market was hot. He was probably attempting to flip them, but then didn’t. Some of the properties went into foreclosure proceedings at the beginning of the year. At the scene of yesterday’s collapse, Khalil expressed his remorse. “Honestly, if I had known that, I would’ve done something a long time ago,” Khalil said of the building’s instability and problems. (source). This house has been in this condition for five years. Why did Mousa Khalil let these homes go? He explains here that it was due to a change of the zoning laws and his plans not working with the new zoning laws.
*The house was bulldozed the following day and all that sits in its place is a pile of rubble.
We had the pleasure of seeing one of his homes that we have always referred to as the Satan house because the first thing we saw as we walked into the dilapidated home was the word ‘Satan’ in graffiti over the fireplace. The graffiti was a small problem compared to the other structural problems. We saw the home on a sunny day, but it was raining into buckets in the upstairs bedroom because the roof was covered with a tarp and the tarp was soaked from a storm earlier that week.
The Bay Ridge Journal claims Khalil owns 23 properties in Bay Ridge – 19 of which are in some stage of foreclosure. Mousa Khalil’s Properties in Bay Ridge. This site lists these:
352 94th Street (yes this was the illegal hostel)
321 Bay Ridge Parkway
123 93rd Street in Bay Ridge
Khalil owns three properties on Ovington Avenue
Topics: Bay Ridge, Brooklyn | No Comments »
July 22, 2012Peace for Lisette Torres
In 1985, I met Lisette Torres through a few friends. She was a beautiful girl and she laughed a lot.
Lisette attended OLPH high school where my friends also went. When she was 19 years old, she was found dead on the street on New Years Day. I hadn’t spoken to Lisette in over a year, but I figured an old boyfriend must have done it. No one was arrested for the crime. But the police found the killers DNA under Lisette’s nails.
When Lisette was murdered, the story never appeared on the television or the newspaper. I’m not sure why. I remember how sad her funeral was because there were so many teens there crying.
A year ago, I saw a poster with her picture on it hanging on a lamp post and thought it looked too new to be a sign from many years ago. I knew they must have been investigating again.
A nab was arrested and is being charged with her death now 25 years later. The man was seen with Lisette before she died. He was tried, but found not guilty – see here
25 years later, Lisette’s killer was found.
RIP Lisette.
Topics: Brooklyn | No Comments »
July 17, 2012Jeremy Lin is a True New Yorker
Linn signed a deal with the Rockets for $30 million over the next four years – 10.2 million in the first two years and then $9.3 million each of the last two years. WOW – that’s some nice money! The Knicks can’t match the Rockets offer because NY has luxury tax. So everyone thinks that Jeremy Linn is a traitor and jerk because he is abandoning his hometown, NYC. But the truth is, Lin is a real New Yorker – he’s going for the money. And there is nothing wrong with that. Basketball stars only have a limited number of years they can play at the top of their game. Jeremy Linn needs to set himself up so he can relax when his sports career is over. News reporters are coming down on Lin for making the move, but they know they would move to if they were offered that amount of money.
Topics: Brooklyn | No Comments »
July 17, 2012Dooce’s House is for Sale
Update: March 2, 2013
Dooce’s house is for sale. I remember how excited Heather was when she found the home. She blogged about it being a dream home even though it didn’t have the modern style look. It has nine bedrooms and nine bathrooms! Look here I bet this house is a Mormon family’s dream house!
You can see it’s the same house as theirs (look at the kitchens and bathrooms). It’s sad to hear they are selling it.
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
July 15, 2012Dear Louis Vuitton
Dear Louis Vuitton,
I’ve never been a big fan of your monogrammed bags. I know everyone loves them, but I just don’t get why anyone would want to carry around a bag with someone else’s initials.
But then I saw your new Dotty shoes and my heart skipped a beat.
Oh they are so so pretty….But Louie they are over $1000. Now I understand that the talented Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama designed these shoes, but c’mon $1090.00? That’s just too much money for a pair of shoes, but I do love them. So Louie how about sending me a pair? I’ll be your bff!
:)
Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
July 15, 2012Who does Emily Maynard Pick? Bachelorette Spoiler
Who does Emily Maynard Pick? Bachelorette Spoiler
I love watching the television show, The Bachelor and now the Bachlorette – I know it’s reality tv, but it’s my guilty pleasure. I really prefer movies and only watch four television shows including The Bachelor. I am a hopeless romantic and I love seeing a good love story. Every other week, I have a few girlfriends over for dinner and we watch the show together. Plus I have guessed the winner of every season correct since the show began.
My friends were sad that Emily sent Sean home because he was the best looking of the three bachelors, but looks doesn’t always do it. Sean liked Emily, but he just wasn’t ready.
Emily picks Jef Holm (yes he has just one f in his name). How do I know that Jeff is the winner of the Bachelorette July 2012? Because he loves her and I know what love looks like. She loves him and she’s herself when she’s with him. Jef is funny and silly, but he really cares for Emily and knows how important her daughter is. Throughout the course of the show, Jef has taken steps to show Emily that he’s ready to take the next step and he’s ready to be a father. I know Emily and Jeff are engaged now.
I think the Bachelorette producers tried to make it look like Emily was in love with Arie Luyendyk because they show her kissing him quite a bit. But I don’t think Emily trusts Arie. He didn’t tell her that he dated one of the producers of the show and he wasn’t very strong in sticking up for her in one of the earlier segments of the show. I’m not sure she can picture him as a father to her daughter, Ricki.
So there you have it. The media of course has no news so they are making speculations that Emily is with Chris Harrison, the host of the show. She isn’t with Chris, but his recent divorce news made him a prime target. There’s also stories that she is communicating with Roberto Martinez (Allie’s ex-fiance), but that’s also just a rumor. Trust me – I know what love looks like.
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
July 14, 2012Dooce Divorce Update
3/2/13:House Sold
7/15/12: Update on Dooce’s divorce: Their house in Utah is for sale.
I read the news everyday. I know all about Anderson Cooper announcing he was gay and now that he might be getting married. But Somehow I missed the Dooce news update.
I just read that Dooce and Jon are divorcing! Back in the old days, I used to read Dooce everyday. Last Fall, I stopped reading her blog. I used to enjoy Heather’s home and style pics. Her blog posts used to contain helpful tips about Pottery Barn picture frames and style used to contain trendy Anthropologie earring posts. When Heather started posting the weird pictures of Cami (the Armstrong’s babysitter) or Tyrant, I think I lost interest. Something changed and I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I no longer enjoyed the blog.
Anyway I just read Dooce’s blog at 4:32 this morning. Although Heather didn’t say divorce, her writing seemed so sad so I googled ‘dooce divorce’ and saw the news of their separation. Then I saw bloggers writing that they were happy that Heather and Jon are divorcing. REALLY? That’s just a strange thing to think/write. I googled Why is Dooce divorcing and found Jon’s sad blog, where he explains she asked him to leave. He’s a good writer and he seems authentic too.
I also realized tonight that I also missed the news that Apartment Therapy’s founders Maxwell and his wife Sara Kate are divorcing. They are such a cute couple with their cute NYC apartment. Maxwell told the news that he believes chasing the perfect domestic life led to the end of his marriage. That is just so sad!
Divorce isn’t an easy thing and I am sure both couples are having a hard time. I hope they keep their personal life personal and don’t put it out on the web because it doesn’t belong out there. Yes people can be curious, but private matters need to stay private. The gossip news needs to stay with weird stories about affairs and Kris Humphries ex-girlfriend fake baby and stuff like that. Prayers and peace for them because life is too short for divorce drama.
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
July 11, 2012SWAT Team in Brooklyn 7/11/12
The SWAT team is near 86th street and Fort Hamilton Parkway in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn this morning. There were dozens of police cars and the police are running with the same shields they use for riots. Apparently, a man barricaded himself inside his apartment at 8502 Fort Hamilton Parkway. Onlookers said it was a possible hostage situation, but later they discovered i was just his girl. No one is being let into the building because it is believed that the person is armed. The suspect was sitting near the window so the police put out the airbag in case he was going to jump. Eventually after almost two hours, he gave himself up and was taken out in handcuffs. Afterwards, it was said that the man violated parole and the police came to pick him up, but he wouldn’t open the door so they called for backup.
Picture 4 of the SWAT Team is Downright Scary:
Update: Pictures of the SWAT team and more info here. Bay Ridge Brooklyn – July 11 2012
Topics: Brooklyn | No Comments »
« Previous Entries <<|>> Next Entries »