I would like to urge anyone who is trying to get rid of the arts in schools to please take a look at this video. Being the daughter of a music teacher, I've seen how classes like art and music can transform a student's life. This guy has a serious gift for not only teaching music but teaching a love and passion for it. These kids never cease to amaze me. And it's a new group every year.

Turning Indicator

Dear fellow drivers,

I have for you today, a word of the day. See below.

Turning indicator - Also called: blinker -- a device for indicating that a motor vehicle is about to turn left or right.

I hope this clears things up.

If not, I'll be happy to give lessons. For free.

Thanks,

Katie

A Letter To Ole Miss

Dear Ole Miss,

Thanks, again, for letting the world see what "Mississippi's finest" is all about.

The lengths you go to to show the nation that Mississippi is indeed one of the least racist states in the country continue to amaze me. (end sarcasm)

To those who continue to live in an era before the 1950s, just a few opinions:

1. The South will never "rise again" because the north and the south are one nation now. Red and yellow, black and white. We are all one nation, under God. If you don't like it, move to Russia.

2. The Ku Klux Klan should be disbanned for life. The values that they stand on go against any and all that the "Bible Belt" should be proud to uphold. If you want to continue to gather, may I again say, move to Russia. I don't care what the First Amendment says. To me, you are no better than the terrorists who claim to do things in the name of Allah.

3. To the students of the University of Mississippi...as children of the 20th century and Generation X, Y, Z or whatever generation it is -- one of the most tolerant generations ever -- you should be ashamed that you are affiliated with a university that would allow the Ku Klux Klan to march on its campus in support of a stupid song. For the love of all that is right with college football, IT. IS. A. SONG. I'm sure it they took "Who Let The Dogs Out" or "Bad To The Bone" away from Mississippi State, the students wouldn't stage a protest, sitting in blazers and ties behind the goal posts. They would find a new song to create a new tradition. One that doesn't offend an entire people group. And I know what you are thinking: No, my cowbell doesn't offend cows.

Get over yourselves and become human beings.

Where The Air Is Sweet

When I was little, my favorite TV character -- hands down -- was Big Bird from Sesame Street. A close second was ALF but that's a whole 'nother story.

I even had a stuffed Big Bird doll that pretty much went everywhere with me. He slept with me every night and when I went to the hospital with the worst case of chicken pox the doctors had ever seen on a four-year-old, Big Bird was right there with me. I even think they gave him an IV just so I wouldn't be so scared.

Big Bird was my best friend. I cried when he turned blue in Follow That Bird because well, Big Bird is supposed to be yellow.

So, imagine my delight when I was flipping through the channels last night and Jimmy Kimmel announced that Big Bird would be his next guest. He was coming on to promote Sesame Street's 40th Anniversary, which just happens to be today. I couldn't help but stop and watch. It truly made my night. He killed. He was so funny. Take a look.





Then I changed the channel over to Jimmy Fallon and Elmo and Rosita were on with Lawrence Fishbourne. Now, this was funny. Elmo was slightly A.D.D. which I'm sure we all know is a fact and he wouldn't let Jimmy talk at all. He kept making fun of him. So funny. It made me miss my nephew. William loves Elmo.



This totally took me back about 20 years. Sesame Street was truly one of my favorite shows, as I'm sure it was for many kids. And still is. It's crazy to think how much we all learned from this show.

Only In Mississippi...

No offense to you EMCC or camo fans out there. This was just too good not to share. My volleyball team came up with the "great" idea of black/glow-in-the-dark football a couple of weekends ago. They thought that it would be cool to watch, until I told them that it was just an injury and a lawsuit waiting to happen. Now this -- camo football. Nice. Only in Mississippi.

EMCC Football Coach Buddy Stephens To Appear On Local TV Shows In Advance Of Lions' West Point Game

SCOOBA, Miss. – East Mississippi head football coach Buddy Stephens and EMCC vice president for athletics Mickey Stokes are scheduled to appear on two upcoming local television shows to promote the 16th-ranked Lions’ Saturday afternoon football game against Itawamba to be played at West Point High School.

The East Mississippi tandem will first be featured on the West Point of View program scheduled to air Sunday night at 10 p.m. on WLOV-TV/FOX 27 out of West Point/Columbus/Tupelo. The 30-minute show, hosted by Terry Smith, will be devoted entirely to Saturday’s EMCC-ICC football game in West Point. The following morning, Stephens and Stokes are slated to be interviewed live early Monday morning on WCBI-TV’s Sunrise program out of Columbus. Scheduled to take place around 6:40 a.m., Monday morning’s WCBI-TV Sunrise segment is scheduled to last around three minutes with Jackie Finch handling the interview duties.

In addition to East Mississippi scheduled to don Mossy Oak camouflage jerseys for Saturday’s contest against Itawamba, pre-game activities slated for the West Point game will include a swearing in of 30-35 Air Force recruits plus a planned flyover of T-38 Talon jets courtesy of Columbus Air Force Base and the United States Air Force. A United States Army ROTC cannon will also be on hand to sound off following all EMCC scores during the game. An EMCC recruiting station, hospitality tent and tailgating opportunities will also be available during Saturday afternoon’s EMCC-ICC game at West Point High School. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

Written by my favorite sports information director, the great David Rosinski

Reaching by Prayer and Teaching

I've been pretty emotional today. I'm not really sure why. I'm sure it's just a girl thing but it's a fact that I've been emotionally moved by a couple of things today and as a result, this post may turn into a jumble of random tangents. Bear with me. I'm writing as it comes.

This morning as I was doing my daily blog-browse, I read two specific posts by to people that surprisingly brought tears to my eyes. Both involved prayer. Both involved school. And both were written by teachers.

Prayer has been a huge part of my life. It's been how I've praise, thanked, communicated, wrestled and argued with God, my Savior, through so many of the highs and lows of my life. It's been the avenue of answers and silence from God, both are blessings. So I'm touched when I'm told stories of prayer being a part of circumstances that are often looked upon as circumstances in which prayer is not allowed. Like school.

One of my favorite memories of high school was praying with the football after games. It was only the Lord's Prayer, and it lasted only about 12.5 seconds, but it was a highlight of my night. I remember my friends Jennifer, Jessica, Lana and I would make it a point to go out an pray with them. It was inportant to us. So, now, it makes my heart soar when I see 30-40 college football players circle up in the endzone a few hours before the game, holding hands and praying, fervently, for themselves, each other, their opponents, the fans and whatever else God is laying on their hearts at that time. And, yes, we have a public prayer before our games. We can do that. We are Baptists.

See prayer isn't really welcomed in schools. There was a big to-do about it when I was in fifth grade that involved my school district and more specifically, the school my dad worked at. I won't go into all the details now, mainly because I don't know half of what went on, but I will say, rules are rules. Most are meant to be abided by, few are meant to be broken. But no one should be forced to do anything that they don't want to do. (And the tangent has just reared it's ugly head for the first time in this post.)

Anyway, both of these girls shared stories of when prayer was used in a school setting. One by a group of eighth graders. Another by an eight-year-old hoping God would help him and his classmates do well on a big test. Eight years old. I don't care what anybody says, that's cool.

So shifting gears a bit, to the teaching part of this post, teachers hold a very special place in my heart. So many teachers have had a huge impact on my life. I went to a high school where just about every other teacher/coach was like another mother or father to me. But a few stick out among the crowd in the impact that they had on me. First, there's Coach Rob. The coolest teacher every who made world history the most exciting subject ever. After his class, I wanted to become a world history teacher in high school. Coach Rob is an amazing man of God. He was one of those teachers you could go talk to about a friend who just didn't get the God thing. I had several of those convos and prayer sessions with him. His test bonuses were bible verses. He'd put a bible verse on the board and we would get bonus points if we could memorize it and write it out on the back of our tests.

Another on was Mr. Bridges. He's another great man of God. He was never afraid to speak truth into someone's life because he knew that was more important than any math problem he could ever teach. He's a great friend.

There are several more but I want to talk about the three most important teachers in my life. My Dad, my mom and my sister. They are all educators. Yes, I'm the only one in my family who doesn't have a summer vacation. Anyway, I was privileged enough to have my mom as a teacher. It wasn't as bad as you would think. It was actually lots of fun (lifetime supply of passes, ha). Anyway, she knows how much fun it was; I dedicated my senior Valentine's Day column in the school newspaper to her. Back when she retired from JPS, her friends made her a little book of memories and photos. They also had students from years past write her letters. I took the book this past year and made it into a scrapbook to give to her for Mother's Day. I was a little nosey and read the letters. It touched me to know how many people and in how many ways my mom had touched. To most of them, she was a mom away from home. Most even just called her Mama Walden. My mom was there to talk or give a ride home. She scolded and encouraged, confronted and comforted.

My dad is a principal now but he started out as a teacher. A science teacher (my dad rocked my science projects). He was a teacher/coach. He coached soccer (they won the district championship, or the state championship. I don't remember. I was five.), football and track, if I remember correctly. Most of his soccer players ended up spending the summers with him as he roped them into being lifeguards at the Y where he was aquatics director. There are several of them who actually go to my sister and brother-in-law's church now. I think it's been neat for him to see who they were then and who they are now. He's had a pretty heavy impact on a lot of kids. Just like my mom. There's not a place we go where we don't run into a former student of theirs and the last thing they say is what an impact my mom and dad made on their lives.

Thirty-five-ish years later, they are still making their impact. My mom is in a different school and my dad is too. Different settings, new set of people to impact. Their job is truly their mission field. My mom love to have her kids sing sacred songs. Not because they sound good, but I really think it's because she can shed a little God-light into the lives that she is with 8 hours a day. My seriously prays for every person he encounters every day, whether he likes them or not (you know, pray for you enemies). My sister has only been a teacher for three years but I know she's impacting people already. She did it even before she was teaching, back in high school and college. And of course, she's had a pretty huge impact on my life. She's pretty much one of my spiritual heroes.

Anyway, to sum it up. I owe a lot of my life to teachers. We all do. Most of them spend more time with our children than we do (I don't have children. I'm speaking generally.). Whether they or we like it or not, they do have an small (or large, depending on who you are and where you come from) effect on how we mature and grow up.

Do them a favor, thank a teacher today. Whether it is yours, your child's or just one that you know. Thank them for what they do and who they are. They don't get half the paycheck or credit for the things that they put up with these days.

You say who is on what?!?!?

Ole Miss is on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Yes, folks. The same Sports Illustrated that flaunted the large piece of man-ness know as Michael Phelps just a month ago. The same Sports Illustrated that had Paps and his crazyness on the front last year. (Sidenote: This crazy man named Craig who is reporting for the ALDS sure does not know how to pick a sports coat. It's orange. Or maybe that's just my TV.) Yes, even the same Sports Illustrated that had Lawrence Roberts wrapped in Chirstmas lights sitting on Santa's lap just five years ago (Ok, that was SI On Campus, but it's still the same company).

And for the record, I won't post a picture of the cover because I refuse to litter my blog with such rubbish. Google it if you choose. Anyway, why are they on the cover, you ask? Who freakin' knows. The tag line says: Rebels rise. Upsets change everything. Ole Miss 31, Florida 30. Alabama 41, Georgia 30. Oregon State 27, USC 21.

You may ask, "Why Katie. What is your problem?" I'll tell ya. Let's look at the rankings. Florida was number four. Ole Miss, unranked. Georgia was three. Alabama, eight. USC was number one. Oregon State, unranked.

Let's just forget the lovefest that Sports Illustrated has with Houston Nutt and Nick Saben for a second.

Although USC was a very overrated number one, I think Oregon State deserves their props.

Let's look at the facts:
- It's been 41 years since Oregon State has beaten a No. 1-ranked team.
- The Beavers had a 21 point lead at halftime.
- Although SC pulled the ever-famous come-from-behind that they always do, they couldn't get the job done because of a guy named Greg Layburn who intercepted a pass with less than three minutes to go and ran it back to the SC 2-yard line.
- Freshman at quarterback for OSU.

Ole Miss has upset people before. Florida has been upset before. My mind goes back to a little game last year against a team called Auburn, who had just lost to a team called Mississippi State (19-14) two weeks earlier. The score: 20-17. Auburn. Just about the same calibur of team that Ole Miss is this year. Only Ole Miss has a better quarterback this year. Yes, I said it. Gotta give credit where credit is due.

So with that said, give Oregon State some love. They probably weren't even receiving votes in the polls. I'm thinking Ole Miss might have been. I know the SEC is the best conference in the nation, with the Big 12 coming in at a close second. But the PAC-10 is bad. USC is miles above it's competition there. They go to Corvallis and just get embarassed for the first three quarters of football. That's an upset, no matter how you look at it. Home field advantage or not.

So, Beavers. I salute you. Way to play the underdog card. Well done. SC fell to nine. Florida, to 13. Ole Miss, still unranked.

Now I must go cheer on the BoSox. They are playing some wicked bad ball right now.

Weekend Recap and VMA Review

Ok...I think I'm going to have to do my review of the MTV VMAs first because it's the most annoying to me and I need to get it out of my head. I wasn't planning on watching the VMAs this year because really, MTV award shows...well MTV period...is just getting a little ridiculous. I think the only show I really watch on MTV now is "The Hills" and that is even laughable at times. But I was working on a golf story and turned my TV on and the VMAs just happened to be starting. Let's just start from the beginning.

1. Britney Spears - Poor Britney Spears. I really felt sorry for her. I was embarassed for her. It was just sad. First of all, she wasn't singing, but really, who does anymore? Aside from her tan, that seemed to be applied the day before to hide the flab, she looked horrible. Ok, Brit, you've popped out two kids in the past three years. Granted you do look like you have tried to work off some of the baby fat but seriously, you're a mom. You are someone's mother. There is no reason you should be on stage in a bra and panties. What a role model! You're definitely teaching your sons what they should look for in a girl. Class. Yeah.

Moving onto the performance, it was just sad. She looked like she had choreographed the routine 2 hours before, which it wouldn't surprise me if she did. She staggered around on the stage, looking very confused. And the song...it just doesn't make sense. I'm saddened by the road Brit Brit has taken and I really hope she finds her way back home.

But to defend Brit a little bit, I did read somewhere that the reason she looked so confused and uninterested was because during rehearsal she heard Sarah Silverman's monologue and how she called her children "adorable mistakes". I think that I would be a little thrown off by that comment as well but I think it would have fueled the fire even more to show everyone that I mean business. But oh well.

P.S. Did you see the looks on everyone's faces during the performance. It's got to take a lot to put a look of shock and awe on 50 Cent's face.

2. While we're on the subject, Sarah Silverman should fall off the face of the earth. Ok, maybe that was a little harsh, but she really annoys me. Her bit at the VMAs was not funny at all and all she really did was just trash talk. I don't get it. Can someone please get on stage and do a comedy bit that is funny without taking cheap shots at people. It really shows how classy you are when you have to stoop to such a level to get some laughs.

3. Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys and Chris Brown killed it. Those were some of the best performances I've ever seen. I randomly watched the JT Madison Square Garden concert on HBO last Thursday and I have to say, he's truly an incredible talent. Aside from being a great singer, he really knows how to put a show together and perform. Not to mention, that he played the piano and/or guitar on at least half the songs. Plus, he can dance. Really. (I wish I could find some good pictures of these guys but I've searched for 15 minutes and no luck. I quit.)

Now onto the next subject, my weekend. I had a pretty good weekend. I had to go to Atlanta Saturday for the Samford/GA Tech game. The department rented me a car so I wouldn't have to drive my own and I ended up with a yellow Exterra. It was one of the newer ones and they really drive great.

Anyway, to make a long story short. We lost. We lost bad. 69-14. And the third string was in for most of the game. They score four touchdowns in the first quarter. The FIRST QUARTER. It was worse that the MSU-LSU game last year. Oh, it was bad. However, there were a few positives we were able to take away but I won't go into that right now. Instead, I'll comment on how incredible the atmosphere at GA Tech is. They have a great game day atmosphere that made me want to go back to college and become an engineer. As most know, the mascot of GA Tech is a Yellowjacket. However, they are more commonly knows as the Wramblin' Wreck. So they have this car, the Wramblin' Wreck, that they drive across the field in every pregame. It made me miss the Mississippi State Bone Car but I digress. Here's a pic:

Anyway, their fight song is also a lot of fun. It's not very classy but it's really fun to sing. Here's the story about it from the program along with the lyrics:

It is doubtful that anything has ever meant as much to an

American college as has this Georgia Tech fight song, a curious mixture

of words and music that grew out of an old

folk ballad, "The Sons of the Gamboliers." Since the early 1900's,

it has been one of the most important vehicles in making

Georgia Tech's name known around the world and in the development

of the school as one of the most cosmopolitan institutions

of higher learning in America...In 1910, Michael A. Greenblatt,

Tech's first bandmaster, discovered the band playing "Ramblin' Wreck"

to the tune of "Sons of the Gamboliers," and made his first arrangement

of the song in the form of a handwritten manuscript.

When Frank Roman succeeded Greenblatt as bandmaster in 1911,

he wrote a new adaptation of "Ramblin' Wreck," accompanied by many

trumpet flourishes, that was played by every name band in the country

and became nationally known on radio.

His is the version that continues to be popular today.

I'm a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech and a hell of an engineer,

A helluva, helluva, helluva, helluva, hell of an engineer,

Like all the jolly good fellows, I drink my whiskey clear,

I'm a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech and a hell of an engineer.

Oh, if I had a daughter, sir, I'd dress her in White and Gold,

And put her on the campus, to cheer the brave and bold.

But if I had a son, sir, I'll tell you what he'd do.

He would yell, "To Hell with Georgia," like his daddy used to do.

Oh, I wish I had a barrel of rum and sugar three thousand pounds,

A college bell to put it in and a clapper to stir it around.

I'd drink to all good fellows who come from far and near.

I'm a ramblin', gamblin', hell of an engineer.

So that's that. I heard it so much that I found myself singing it when I woke up the next moring. It's kind of like "Rocky Top". It gets stuck in your head and it's hard to get out. However, it's a little less annoying than RT.

That's about it for my share time. We got home just in time for me to catch the second half of the MSU-Tulane game. I was glad to see that we were able to pull out a win, but we should have beat them my much more than that. But you know what they say, "A win is a win however you can get it." I don't know who says it but I've heard it many times before. Anyway, GO BULLDOGS!

What a representation for South Carolina!

Ok...ok. I know nerves can get the best of you. But this is probably the worst case I've ever seen. Miss Teen South Carolina answers the final top 5 question.



OK...

1. U.S. Americans? Isn't that a little redundant? I mean I know there are South Americans and Latin Americans but we usually refer to them as Latinos or Brazilians or Peruvians or something like that.

2. THE Iraq? Are you serious?

3. And what does "The Iraq", South Africa, and Asia have to do with the percentage of Americans not being able to identify the United States on a map? Of course "The Iraq" and South Africa aren't going to be able to identify it, they barely even have food.

4. Just a little word of advice, don't use a phrase such as "such as" if you don't know how to use it in a sentence. It just makes it worse.

Ok. I apologize if this was rude. I never got the chance to be in a pageant in which I had to answer a question. The Hinds County Junior Miss deadline was changed and moved up and before I knew what was going on, it was too late. However, I'm sure if I was handed a question like that I would have at least touched on the American education system and not foreign countries.

However, Bubba from "Rick and Bubba" said that he was given the suggestion that we should hired more teachers from Mexico because they have no problem figuring out where the U.S. is. Ouch. Stop it. That was just wrong.