The Daily Journal

Did you miss me?

Unlike Diet Pop Culture’s esteemed blogger, your truly wasn’t bright enough to remember to let his loyal readers know he was on vacation and wouldn’t be blogging last week.

I was actually in town, but we stayed a few nights at the Hilton while our bathroom was remodeled. It looks great! If anyone ever needs a good remodeler/drywaller/handy man, I got a good one for you. Just let me know.

American Idol

We lost Chikezie on American Idol, unjustly so, in my opinion. Chikezie didn’t have much of a chance of winning but deserved top 7 standing.

Ryan Seacrest said Dolly Parton was the mentor this week, so I am assuming country music is on the table. What will they sing? Can David Cook keep up his pace? He is flying high above the others at this point.

Here are the current rankings:

1) David C.

2) David A.

3) Brooke

4) Michael

5) Carly
6) Syesha

7) Jason

Kristy Lee

9) Ramiele

Out of the mouth of babes

The Ahrens twins each get a gold star for this one. While watching “Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?,” this question came up in geography —”What is the capital of Michigan?”

In unison, Tyra and Tyrece shouted “M!”

Posted 3/31/2008, 10:22:AM, by TAhrens | 5 Comments »

Idol - Top 11

Maybe it wasn’t a great idea to sing the Beatles again.

The performances lacked the zip of last week’s show.

Here are the rankings, from best to worst:

1) David C.

2) Syesha

3) David A.

4) Amanda

5) Carly

6) Chikezie

7) Brooke

Jason

9) Michael

10) Ramiele

11) Kristy Lee

Who will go: Last week was a bit of a shocker but I am confident that there are still too many Cooks in the Idol kitchen. Kristy Lee will go home.

Posted 3/18/2008, 9:41:PM, by TAhrens | 6 Comments »

Math frustrations

For whatever reason, math has always come easy to me.

As a kid, I was really into baseball and that helped with figuring decimals and adding, problem solving, etc. I wasn’t Einstein but I didn’t struggle with math at all.

When something comes easy, it makes it difficult to teach. At least, that’s what I’m finding out with my third graders. Both Tyrece and Tyra struggle with the basic concepts of math, especially as it pertains to money and time, which are totally foreign concepts to them.

Each can look at a clock and tell me what time it is. But if I ask what time will it be in 20 minutes, neither has a clue how to figure it out. It’s basically the same with money.

Tyrece scores higher in math, but when I think to my third-grade years with my beloved teacher Mrs. Shaw, I just don’t see that he is where he needs to be.

Tyra, on the other hand, is the greater source of frustration. She can add three-digit numbers, but that’s about it. Subtraction is hit or miss. She can do some multiplying, but basically, it’s a deer-in-the-headlights look when I ask math questions.

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On Monday, we had the biggest explosion in the house since the broken window incident of 2005, which happened the day I received my earnings from winning my fantasy baseball league. I went from buying fun things to buying a new window that my son broke while doing flips on the bed.

She started a sheet of 15 problems with dimensions (inches into feet, feet into yards, etc.). After 45 minutes, she brought me her work and each problem was wrong. Not just regular wrong, mind you, but way wrong, not-even-close wrong.

An hour later, I walked her through the first 12 problems. It was 6 p.m. and I had made arrangements to speak to a basketball player regarding a story for the next day, so I told her to try to get the final three on her own and after my call, I would check them and help.

I deliberately left the answer sheet by the microwave. The teacher sends it home but it’s third-grade math and I never use it. After I unloaded her book bag, I put it face down. I was hoping I was wrong, but I had suspicions.

I went upstairs to make my call in peace and as I finished up, here came Tyra up the stairs. She handed me the sheet, and the final three had the correct answers. I was pretty sure what happened but I dangled the rope out a little more.

“All right, Tyra. Good job. You got all of those correct.” She smiled, proud of her work.
I continued: “Let’s go downstairs so I can see how you did it on the scratch paper.”

Her smile left quickly. “I didn’t do it that way. I …” She stopped, not knowing what to say.

Back in the kitchen, she ran through a myriad of ways that she got the correct answer, culminating in “I just remembered the answer from school.”

I offered to let her show me the work and she said she couldn’t because she just remembered the answer. I took the homework away and asked her the first question she did on her own — How many inches are there in 7 1/2 feet?

Nothing, but a very attitude-filled “I told you: We DID IT at school.”

I exploded, demanding she tell me that she cheated. She refused, cold-staring me right in the face and saying she didn’t. Every point I made that I knew she cheated, including the fact that the answer sheet was now right-side up, brought even more defiance.

She was sent to bed right after supper (at 7 p.m.) and I opened the door every five minutes and asked her if she cheated. Finally at 8, she admitted it.

I think she will be grounded until high school graduation. Until then, I am confined to nine more years of frustrating math problems.

Posted 3/14/2008, 10:50:AM, by TAhrens | 3 Comments »

Idol - Cook sandwich

Four performers nailed the The Beatles while others …, well, not so much.

David Cook’s version of “Eleanor Rigby” was awesome. He was the top performance of the night. Props to Chikezie, Carlyand Brooke, who were also outstanding.

Amanda and Jason were also solid.

The rest were so-so to downright bad. David Archuleta’s poor memory overshadowed a very ordinary performance. Michael and Sayesha were middle of the road.

Then there were the bottom three - Ramiele, David Hernandez and Kristy Lee. At this point, each should get a home version of the game and be sent on their way.

But since only one goes …

American Idol proves there can be too many Cooks in the kitchen. Good bye, Kristy Lee Cook

Posted 3/12/2008, 1:35:PM, by TAhrens | 4 Comments »

Idol — Top 12 rankings

Going into tonight’s show, here are my rankings, based on the three performances so far.

12) Kristy Lee Cook

11) Chikezie

10) Amanda Overmyer

9) Ramiele Mulaby

Jason Castro (sorry, Jaclyn)

7) Michael Johns

6) David Hernandez

5) Brooke White

4) Syesha Mercado

3) David Cook

2) Carly Smithson

1) David Archuleta

Note: I am not very smart. Jordin was ranked fifth last year in the preseason poll. I did call Taylor and Carrie from recent years, but changed my mind as the season went on.

Note, part 2: I have little to no idea why the No.8 appears as a smiley face. No, I am not taking extra delight in ranking him eighth, although if it angers Jacyl …

Posted 3/11/2008, 11:04:AM, by TAhrens | 9 Comments »

Idol - 16 becomes 12

Before this week’s predictions, Mrs. Tim had a revelation.

After reading Diet Pop Culture, Mrs. Tim agrees that Luke Menard resembles Orlando Bloom. Even more, Mrs. Tim feels he looks like this guy.

Weigh in if you like.

Anyway, the men again outshone the women this week and the cast-offs should be fairly easy.

For the men, look for Luke and Danny to be voted off. Chikezie could go, but I think he’s good enough for the top 12.

The women present a bigger problem. Kristy Lee Cook is gone, no questions ask, but who else should go? Sometimes the voting public doesn’t get it right and tonight will be one of those occasions. Look for Ramiele Mulaby to go in an unjust send home.

Posted 3/6/2008, 1:09:PM, by TAhrens | 5 Comments »

Half a year

Eleanor is six months old today, hard to believe, I know.

I can’t remember what life was like before she came to be, although I got a little taste yesterday.

I took my son for a much-needed haircut and his twin sister came with us. By the time we got home, my wife left to get Ellie’s pictures taken.

They didn’t get back for four hours and the house just didn’t seem the same. Where was the noise? Where was the “I’m-hungry” cry? Where were the dirty diapers?

On at least three occasions while I was doing the dishes, I turned around to see what she was up to. Twice I started to tell one of the twins to check on her. Alas, she was not there; she was out working on her modeling career.

The silence was deafening.

For four months (my wife was off work or the first two months), it’s been basically Dad, the twins and Ellie at night. Our routine is set — make supper for Tyrece and Tyra, feed veggies for Ellie, give Ellie a bath, make sure twins are ready for bed, try to get Ellie to sleep for longer than 25 minutes, become frustrated when Ellie wouldn’t sleep longer than 25 minutes, give Ellie one last bottle to try to get her to sleep longer than 25 minutes …

I didn’t know what to do with myself.

When she finally did get home, I showered her with love and affection. She gave a little back … by puking on me.

Posted 3/4/2008, 10:44:AM, by TAhrens | 1 Comment »

Archive for March, 2008