Simpsons Season 8 Arrives.

Upon reflection, this would have to be my favorite season of the Simpsons. Many critics would insist that the animated powerhouse peaked at season 5 (or 6) and "jumped the shark" during season 7. In my mind things are just getting good.

For all Simpsons fans, Season 8 contains at least one of your Top 10 favorite episodes, in my case, 3 of my Top 5.

"You Only Move Twice" -- Homer moves the family to Cypress Creek to work for Globex Corp. and a new boss in Hank Scorpio. Hank, unbeknownst to Homer, is a supervillian threatening the world with his Doomsday Device.
Key Dialogue: Homer: Sir, I need to know where I can get some business hammocks. Hank Scorpio: Hammocks? My goodness, what an idea. Why didn't I think of that? Hammocks! Homer, there's four places. There's the Hammock Hut, that's on third. There's Hammocks-R-Us, that's on third too. You got Put-Your-Butt-There, that's on third. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot... Matter of fact, they're all in the same complex; it's the hammock complex on third. Homer: Oh, the hammock district!

"El Viaje de Nuestro Jomer" -- Homer attends the Springfield chili cook-off, eats Wiggum's "Guatemalan Insanity Pepper," and goes (suprise!) insane. He wanders off on a spiritual quest where he meets a wise coyote voiced by Johnny Cash.
Key Dialogue: Ralph: "You don't want to drink a candle mister!" Homer: "Maybe I do son, Maybe I do..."


"Mountain of Madness" -- This episode takes us on a Nuclear Power Plant company retreat into the mountains where Burns and Homer are trapped in an avalanche.
Key Dialogue: Homer: "Lord, bless this rocket house, and all who dwell within the rocket house."


While these three are my favorites, also included in season 8 are the introduction of Frank Grimes (pictured left) in "Homer's Enemy," Bart's educational trip to the gay steel mill in "Homer's Phobia," and Homer, the Beer Baron, in "Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment."



And for X-Files freaks (and you ARE freaks), Duchovny and Anderson appear as Mulder and Scully in "The Springfield Files." Classic scene: Moe with Lenny and Carl carrying Shamu back to Sea World...Moe: "Oh, who thought a whale could be so heavy?!" Another classic: Scully: "Now, we're going to run a few tests. This is a simple lie detector. I'll ask you a few yes or no questions and you just answer truthfully. Do you understand?" Homer: "Yes." (lie detector explodes)

Factoring in these episodes and your standard commentary on all episodes by Matt Groening, this DVD is another stellar addition to any collection.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Little Nathan...

Back to the grind

This week marks the one month back to school date. It's hard to believe that in mid-August school has been in session for a month already. Take me back to the long summer where school starts after labor day...

Changing schools has been more of a positive than I could have imagined. At the elementary school I was the only counselor to 550 K-6th graders, now I am on a team of 7 counselors to a school of 1250 7-8th graders...do the math...that's about 300 students per counselor -- trick question -- because 3 of the counselors work with our high-risk kids. It's nice being on a team. Someone to answer questions, provide resources, handle other responsibilities, etc.

The kids are 100% different, the elementary was about 75% white, 10% black, and 15% other. At Ilima, ethnicity is spread fairly equally between Hawaiian and Filipino, with white and black being a sparse minority. The racial tension is unlike anything I have experienced. During the first week of school, there was a brawl involving 10 kids of Hawaiian and Filipino descent. The interesting thing to note was that several of the kids were of a mixed ethnicity. (Meaning: They were fighting with the Hawaiians even though they are half-Hawaiian). Police have been to the school for violence related issues more than 10 times in 20 days of school.

One major plus is the average age of teachers and support staff at the school. I would say that half of the staff is in their first 7 years of professional employment. (VS. several teachers at the elementary school that had been teaching AT THAT SCHOOL since the year I was born).

The other bonus is that I am coaching the 7th grade girls and the 7th grade boys basketball teams. Right now I am working with the girls and the boys start in February. This is something that I've wanted to do for years, and now that I've gotten started, I really enjoy it.

Brothers...

At the beach...

holding on...Nathan at 6 weeks

Gone Daddy Gone

Not to try and compete with Eisley's groove (on Sam Bills' blog), but to add to it...

First Words...sort of

For the Fans....

I recently read over on Erik Fisher's website that NBC is airing new "webisodes" of The Office during the summer layoff...There are currently three 1-2 minute shorts available for free viewing here. Enjoy.

Quasi-smile

Another picture, c'mon...

What's in this colon?

He finds this exhibit "humerus"

Mad Scientist

At the museum

Look at those little boogers.

Ant invasion -- that was wierd.

Ready for church.

Naptime...

Look at that haircut...

So serious

SUPERMAN!!!!

Superman relaxing under a tree.

Bath???

Up close and personal

Soccer

4th o' July

Nathan at the pool

Brothers watching Sesame Street.

On the raft.

chillin'...old man style.

"Cash" vs. Cash

VS.

I am a fan of Johnny Cash. I happen to also be a fan of Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. I, however, hated "Walk the Line." I anticipated seeing this film many months in advance, and ended up renting it the first few days after it was released. I was gripped all the way through, and then, pow, it was over....all fall, no redemption.

It took a while for me to even listen to a Johnny Cash album after watching that. I mean, part of the draw to Cash is the "outsider" or "rebellious" aura that surrounds Cash's life, but there is more to the man in black than just the black.

I recently picked up Cash: The autobiography from our public library, and flew through its 300ish pages. This is the literary equivalent to what Cash has created musically since 1955; a collection of stories that cut through the bullshit and "tell it like it is."

The stories alone are interesting, but it is Cash's heart that beats throughout these tales and gives them life. For example, the reader can sense that though Cash loves all his children, he TREASURES the relationship that he has with his only son, John Carter Cash. *As the father of two boys, these stories/passages really hit home*

A critic would (and has) read this autobiography and made comments about how the book feels disjointed, unorganized, and amateurish...but this is what gives the book its charm. The reader gains the sense that he is sitting with Johnny Cash and listening to him tell story after story sitting on his porch in Jamaica, Tennessee, or Florida. You can almost feel the sun shining on your face as you listen to this man share about family, music, faith, pills, fame, love, and friends.

This is the Johnny Cash that the world should remember.

Review: Green Street Hooligans

"Hooligans" is a great, gritty British movie, but how to describe it in one SAT-style analogy...oh, I know.

Green Street Hooligans: "football" :: Trainspotting: "heroin."

Ok, so I came up with that while watching the movie and thought it was pretty funny. The two films are similar for some reason...though I can't place it, must just be the cammeraderie and the (not similar at all) accents involved.

Some of the critics have mentioned that this film is pretty bankrupt due to its lack of a moral, or rather that it does have a moral..."We learn that violence is bad, except when it feels good, or helps solve our problems." Gary Thompson, Philadelphia Daily News.

Something, though, about this movie really involves the audience. Upon sitting here and reflecting a little, I'm upset that the writer/director/filmmaker did a poor job of fleshing out these really gripping and deep characters in favor of a good smash-up.

Elijah Wood gives a great performance as the "Yank" who gets involved with the Green Street Elite. I didn''t know if I could stand seeing Frodo in another non-Tolkien role...in my mind, I have that battling Shelob grimace pasted on any of the photos I've seen since...but he turns from shy, cowardly yankee to a football hooligan with a swagger very nicely. Brilliant performance.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5
RIYL: Transpotting; Snatch; Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; etc, and it must be mentioned although I haven't seen it, yet, the original football hooligan film, The Firm (1988).

Shaka bra! (Lucas attempting to teach his bro the"hang loose" greeting)

Holding hands

For those of you waiting to hear.

Baby boy #2 came into our lives this morning (Fri, 6/16/06) at 12:10am.

Nathan Kainalu Horsman was born weighing 8lbs 2 ounces. JoAnna received an epidural and delivered the baby as though it was no big deal, after only 10-15 minutes of pushing. We were smiling and chatting in between pushes....kinda surreal looking back.

Both momma and baby are healthy, JoAnna received some medication shortly after the birth to help with nausea and this made her completely incoherent. It was a little sad because she didn't get to hold Nathan very long as she was falling asleep. Dadda was able to have some real good "bonding" time with Nathan while she recovered.

Lucas spent the night with babysitters and was brought to the hospital early this morning to meet his new little brother. He seemed as happy about the situation as any (near) 2 1/2 year old could be. When Lucas and Daddy came home to sleep on Friday night, Lucas said, "Baby baby Nathan, love you." unprompted...so cute.

A word about the name. We felt the need to have some Hawaiian influence on Nathan's name because he was born here. There is some speculation if we will stay, but in all likelihood he will be living the majority of his childhood on the mainland. We wanted him to have a reminder of where he was born. The name "Kainalu" is Hawaiian and means, simply: ocean waves. Also, as a pronunciation guide...ky nall oo.

First bath

Happy Daddy

The whole family

Welcome Nathan Kainalu Horsman

Awww

So....now what?

Daddy and Nathan 2

Daddy and Nathan

The family

Resting Comfortably

Big brother.