Weekend Wrap-up

Caption Contest Winner!! This week's nod goes back to Aynde with her, "The garrote for self use has been tested and researchers agree it works a little too well."
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Netflix Movie of the Weekend: "Freedom Writers" (2007) Stacy gave me the heads-up about this movie in one of her previous posts. Hillary Swank stars as Erin Gruwell, a first-time teacher in Long Beach in 1994 after the Rodney King Riots. Again, this is another modern-day "Dead Poets" where the teacher rallies her students to work together for the greater cause.

I think one of the most profound moments in the movie was "The Line Game" where Gruwell put a tape line down the center of the room and had those students approach if a question pertained to them. At first you could see the posturing and intimidating stares of rivals when they approached the line. Then the questions started getting more personal, "How many have lost a friend to gang violence?" Now instead of posturing and intimidating, these kids, whom have seen and experienced more than anyone should at the tender age of 15, these kids start to see each other as a bit more human instead of the enemy.

I didn't want this movie to end. I really enjoyed this movie so I Googled Erin Gruwell and her Freedom Writer's Foundation. There's a CNN clip about a teacher in Indiana who was suspended for 1.5 years, without pay, for using the book, even though the book is in their library. If you haven't already, I recommend this movie. I think I'll have to check out the Freedom Writers' Diary as well.
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Weight Watcher's Update: Only down 0.2# this weel but I had *ahem* female issues to contend with. It's still a loss so I'll take it! This puts me down 20.8# in 8 weeks.
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Didn't do much this weekend as it was too blasted hot. Yup, it's August. Nebraska gets hot but rarely does it reach 100. On average we reach 100 maybe 5 days in the summer. But with our high humidity the heat index easily surpasses 110. I did grill both Saturday and Sunday as I'm not outside for very long. It's supposed to break and get back down in the 80s mid-week.