High School

Substitute teaching a 10th grade English class is a sweet deal. The kids are great - not nearly as much trouble as junior high kids. And the money is great compared to EMT work. All you do is stand up at the beginning of class, take roll, announce what the kids have to do, and be open for questions. One drawback to substitute teaching is that you're more of a babysitter than a teacher. But on the plus side, you don't have to know the subject, no grading involved, nothing to work on at home, and you get the same money as if you were the real teacher.

Smoke Alarms

I believe smoke alarms save lives. And, in general, safety first. But last night I didn't sleep well because a smoke alarm had a low battery, and beeped every 30 seconds until I got up and pulled out the battery at 2am. I can remember 3 or 4 times this has happened to me in the past, and am wondering whether I might lead a better life without smoke alarms. Here's my analysis:
First, you have the cost of the alarm and batteries (about $50 over my lifetime).
Next, there is maybe a 1/1000 chance my home will ever catch fire (this is generous for Seattle).
Third, I'm a non-smoker, so divide that by 2.
Fourth, there is only a 1/3 chance I will be asleep at the time and need the detector to alert me of danger.
Next, let's say there is a 50/50 chance that I could have survived without the detector - maybe I had a dog to wake me up instead of the shrill beeping.
Now - the factor that I think may be overlooked sometimes - losing about 20 good nights of sleep over the course of my lifetime.
Finally, once every 2-3 years a smoke detector will tell me something I already know, i.e. I just burned some toast. That just bugs me. I guess, to be fair, I should add that there is potential comedic value in smoke detectors - you might use one in a practical joke.
So, the bottom line is you probably would win the lottery before a smoke detector saves your life. But we must put up with them to meet fire codes.

Stay In School

I taught 6 periods of language arts and math at a middle school today. Teaching wears me out. Most of the kids are great - quiet and patient - while others look for any excuse to get out of their seats and mess around. We had enough material to cover to keep them busy for most of the period, but the last 5 minutes for most of the classes was pandemonium. I need to pace my lessons better so I don't run out of material. Also, when the ruckus starts I need a way to regulate. Two ideas for that: 1 - make kids do jumping jacks if they get out of their seats (drain their energy), or 2 - send half the class to the principal's office. Any other ideas out there?

Surprise Visit

Yesterday I had the opportunity to take a patient up to Bellingham. My brother happened to be available for dinner after we finished business, so I took him to the classiest restaurant in town - Wendy's. I was glad to find things are going well for him and show off my ambulance. My partner was gracious enough to take the picture.

Nit-Picking

So, in the final moments of today's Jeopardy, on a daily double question, I think Alex Trebek was a little too harsh. The question was something about anthropology, and the person's eyes lit up (because she knew the answer) and she responded something like 'What is orapithidicea' with a big smile. Unfortunately, that wasn't good enough. Alex was looking for Oreopithecidae , which is a specialized hominoid from the Late Miocene of Europe. Ouch! Well, I guess some anthropologist would have been offended if they let that slide, but if Alex told me that wasn't good enough, I would have pulled out a can of clam chowder and thrown it at his head.

Auto Industry Bailout

3 reasons why we should not bail out the auto industry.
1 - It's not the government's responsibility
2 - American cars are inferior
3 - November 19, 2004 the Pacers visiting the Detroit Pistons. Pistons fans escalated a little argument with Ron Artest into a brawl. Everyone in the stadium in Detroit was throwing things at the Pacers as they left the game. Would that happen in any other city? The people of Detroit have no sportsmanship, and need to learn how to accept a big loss.

The Price is Right Wins

The data are conclusive - the Price is Right is the greatest game show of all time. Perhaps part of the reason is that, aside from entertainment value, this show can help you live better. It can simplify pricing out daily vitamin supplements or exercise equipment. And of course, each show concludes with a reminder to help control the pet population, which we can all feel good about.