Would You Rather Save Sleep or Time?

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“People who say they sleep like a baby usually don’t have one.” ~ Leo J. Burke

Are you feeling a little sluggish today? That happens after Daylight Savings Time (DST) when we “spring ahead” and lose an hour of sleep. Chase McFadden gave DST the old what for in yesterday’s post. He offered this encouragement ala one of those well-dressed motivational speakers:

“Face it: that lost hour of sleep is going to plague you for days, if not weeks.”

I didn’t say he was a good motivational speaker, but he sure is funny. Chase also acknowledged the #1 most important tip to getting a good night’s sleep, and that is “Don’t have children. Ever.”

My oldest sibling (Sister Sarcastic) can relate. By the calculations of her and my bro-in-law they’ve actually been getting negative hours of sleep for a while courtesy of 3 kids and carousel of insomnia that is an average night in that house. I posited that DST shouldn’t really hurt people who never get sleep anyway. In fact, it might shorten the torture of an average night! You know, kind of like how the Great Depression didn’t really make much difference to people who were already poor. I didn’t say it was a good theory.

What I actually said (Saturday night on Twitter) was that losing an hour of sleep is dumb. My good fryber (friend you meet in cyberspace but haven’t met in person, a term we co-coined cause we’re so cool) Renee from Lessons from Teachers and Twits countered with these words of wisdom:

PTP 3: Origami & Airport Security

Never a dull moment I always say. Plenty of strange noises in this one. Maybe it’s just the wind.

Mark over at Schlabadoo got Freshly Pressed this week! If you don’t know what that means let’s just say it’s super good. I was cracking up all the way through this post about airport security. I keep saying this, but he’s as good as advertised. I see a very readable book coming from him in the future.

Popular WordPresser Todd Pack wrote a neat piece recently called Something my 5-year-old won’t remember: Video stores. He’s dead on and brought back memories of when video stores first appeared. Now they’re going away!

Nice tribute from Larry Hehn about the best teacher he ever had. Who’s yours? Stop over and add to the discussion on Larry’s site.

From Worst Professor Ever we have A Plan So Crazy, It Just Might Work. You might think this is pure satire, but WoPro isn’t kidding when she suggests that many or most teachers could be replaced by actors. If anyone could make this argument, it’s WoPro. Is she wrong?

Finally, something a little different. Origami. Yes, I said origami. I’m not artistic at all, but I found a teacher so good even I was able to make some cool stuff with my boy this week. The origami guru’s name is Rob and he’s a great teacher. Here’s the link to the part of his YouTube channel with a bunch of videos about making cool stuff.

That’s all for now. I’m off to work on spectacular things!

Have you found anything memorable on the web this week? Tell us in the comments!

[UPDATE: My story for the Post Gazette is now online. Click here.]

Posts That Pop appears every Saturday and features some of the best web content I’ve discovered recently. My goal is to be interesting in all I do so nothing I promote will be a waste of your time.

Connect with me on Twitter @ClayMorganPA.

March Movie Madness Selection Day!

This little project (long “O” for my Canadian friends) turned out to be a bit of work! Fun stuff though. So far this tournament includes input from 30 people on at least 3 continents. They’ve chosen 32 movies.

If you are just joining us, we’re taking the month of March to parallel the college basketball tournament by choosing some favorite films and completing our own bracket. We’re basically putting the Friday Flick Faceoff on ‘roids. This simple process will be completed through head to head votes by my fantastic readers.

Please read this short setup before we get to the actual bracket which is the awkward love child of me and sleep deprivation. Right then, off we go.

First off, thank you for so many wonderful selections! I pored over your picks and used those that best fit our format/audience.

If your name is attached to a specific movie, here is what you do:

Write 3-4 sentences (absolute maximum!) about why your pick should win. You can, of course, go into greater detail elsewhere like your blog, Facebook page, etc… All you need to do is write up the short pitch and email it along with the link (URL) to a page from your site. DON’T WORRY if you don’t have a site or anything you want to link to. Just send whatever you have to educlaytion[at]gmail[dot]com.

The reason for the link is so we can all check out your site or some web presence you care about and get to know you better! This event has thus became the social gala of the season.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

March Movie Madness!

Image by Australian War Memorial collection via Flickr

We’ve been pitting movies one against another for months around here. I often hear from folks who would like to see different options. Here’s your chance.

It’s time for you, yes you, to take control. We gonna have us some fun ’round these here parts.

As many of you know, March is the season of America’s great college basketball tournament, a time when millions of people fill out brackets despite never watching the sport or knowing where Gonzaga is located. Making picks is just fun.

I’ve come up with a way we can use that idea to get jiggy, chat about a few movies, and get to know each other better because you can use your site to build support.

Welcome to March Movie Madness. It’s just like the real tournament only we don’t have to run or sprain ankles. Or play basketball.

A few months back, I threw options out for the 12 Days of Christmas Movies. That was fun, but many of you wanted to see the tourney go a different direction. So I propose a movie bracket designed by you!

College hoops hosts 64 teams, an awfully high number. I’m shooting for 32. Get it? “Shooting” is what you do in basketball! I’ll wait for the laughter to die down as you wipe those joyful tears off your face.

In the sports world, this coming weekend features Selection Sunday when all the team seedings are announced. So today we’ll start the submission process and have our own selection. I’m hoping to use this Friday’s post to announce the field and participants, so be sure to get yourself on record in the comments here.

The b-ball tournament goes from next week until the first week of April. We’ll mirror that time frame as we work from 32 movies down. Like Highlander, there can be only 1 in the end. Let’s begin.

~*~*~*~

The Rules Committee (read: 2 people that pretended to listen while I brainstormed) has come up with the following humdingers. Please don’t commit any fouls. Get it? FOULS? Ha!

• Give me 2-3 movies that you want to be in the bracket. Some picks will be chosen by others. Some (like Christmas Vacation which already won the Christmas poll) will not be included.
• Depending on response, you may be teamed up with another person in support of the same film. Kind of like Team Edward and Team Jacob only without the vampires, werewolves, or ripped abs.
• When your movie comes up in the bracket, all you have to do is write 3-4 sentences on why it’s the best. You can do this here and I’ll link back to your blog, or you can do that on your blog and I’ll link to your post! Yay for you! We can do four head-to-head matchups at a time.
• If you don’t have a blog you can be part of a team with someone who does or maybe pick a site that you support.
• Seeding will be completely random.
• I reserve the right to screw up the mathematical and scientific portions of this contest. So please help me.
• Winner will receive a prize ranging from $1 million dollars to nothing.

That’s it. Are you in? Just use the comment section to say so. Even if you don’t want to participate, help us out by suggestion a couple flicks that should be in.

Give me the names of movies YOU want in this bracket!

[UPDATE: I will post the bracket Friday morning with further instructions for ya. It’ll be simple!]

Connect with me on Facebook.

An Interview With…YOU!

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I’ve been writing a ton lately as many deadlines have conspired at once. If my keyboard were a car there’d be smoke spewing from my fingers. Better busy than bored though, right?

One of the projects in the home stretch is a new website that required a bio page. You know what those things always look like, often written in third person with a leading statement about how the author hates writing in third person.

Clay Morgan is a writer who once started a grease fire while cooking Steakums in the early 90s. Clay was once punched while wearing a goalie mask. It didn’t even hurt…

Yeah, I had to do something like that, but I figured most people won’t read the thing. In fact, I think we are more fascinated about the little things. Those nuggets are what truly paint a picture of who we are.

So I started naming my favorite things and thought of you, dear reader. Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens didn’t make my list but perhaps they’d make yours. No, I have nothing against whiskers or kittens, but we’re talking about the top of the heap here.

So I decided to interview you, yes you, by throwing out a couple of the categories from my list (and a few that I just made up). Also, a quick nod to Pulp Fiction as I’ve borrowed a couple questions from a deleted scene in which Mia (Uma Thurman) interviews Vincent (John Travolta).

Here’s the short interview with my answers, but I want to hear yours more! Use the comment section to show me a little something about yourself.

1. Favorite movie ever: Braveheart

2. Elvis or The Beatles?* Elvis

3. What’s your favorite food? Chinese

4. In conversation do you listen or wait to talk? Mostly listen I think, but not always.

5. If you could hang out with one person from American history who would it be? Alexander Hamilton

6. Who’s your favorite writer? Dave Barry

7. Favorite cartoon ever: Scooby-Doo

8. What’s your favorite way to say thanks in a foreign language? Gracias

9. I probably know way too much about: ways to not be successful.

10. Do you have a website? Link please (or tell us to just click on your name). If you don’t have a site of your own, give us a good one to check out!

*Quoth the Uma: “Beatles people can like Elvis, and Elvis people can like Beatles, but nobody can like them both equally.”

Tell me a few of your favorite things below!

[UPDATE! Just a quick not of apology to those affected by the recent snag that sent some comments to spam. I’ve fixed that and will keep my eyes peeled for anymore foul ups.]

Connect with me on Twitter @ClayMorganPA.

Posts That Pop 2

You even get a few seconds of bonus eduClaytion Blair Witch style footage this week.

Chase McFadden is one of the best writers I’ve ever read. He often has me laughing until I cry, but this week he almost got the waterworks of a different kind. I don’t kick those up too often, but he sure put a lump in my throat with this tribute to his oldest, Slim, who turned 7. Subscribe to Chase and read him often.

Back on the laughing tip, we have one of the funniest videos you’ll see this year. I guess this came from the BBC, but I discovered it from a guy on Twitter named Joshua Hood. Me and many others have laughed so hard. I give you British Animal Voiceovers. I can’t wait until you get about 30 seconds in!

Mark over at Schlabadoo wrote Remember Choose Your Own Adventure Books? He has a wonderful style that I really enjoy reading.

Speaking of CYOA, I’ve recently discovered Shawn Smucker. Everything he’s done this week is good, but I especially like the Choose Your Own Adventure story he’s writing where we get to pick what happens next! How cool is that? Voting is open for part 2 but you can also check out what happened in part 1.

Piper Bayard is one of my favorite people on the whole internet. She’s an author who often features her writing partner, the mysterious Holmes, an intelligence insider on world affairs. This week, Piper set up Holmes’ Tearful Dear John Letter To Gadhafi, or as Holmes calls him, Uncle Momo. Super clever satire.

What great posts did YOU see this week? Tell me about them in the comments please!

And You Can Quote Me on That [Guest Post by Thoughts Appear]

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Let me tell you about the guest poster for today’s FFF, my buddy Thoughts Appear. She likes Pop-Tarts, zombies, and even took her blog name from an obscure Gen X movie reference (do you know which one?), so I was automatically hooked. She’ll tell you she’s “a 29-year-old woman…who isn’t sure when she crossed the threshold of girlhood into womanhood.” I’ll tell you she’s a peach and makes me laugh. And you can quote me on that.

~*~*~*~

And You Can Quote Me on That

Hi there! You probably don’t know me, but let’s step back in time for just a moment. It’ll be ok. I promise. Clay will hold your hand if you’re scared.

My brother and I are young, and we’re pointing neon green water guns at each other and scowling.

Me: “You dirty rat! You killed my brother.”

My Brother: “But I am your brother!”

Cue tiny children rolling on the ground in hysterics. That first line is from Taxi!, a movie from 1931. I have no clue where we heard it. Looney Tunes? Sounds like something Bugs Bunny might say.

Back to present day. Ahem. Let go of Clay’s hand.

Quotes. Sometimes words from movies just stick with you…even after the movie is over. You hear the words weeks later, and you know exactly what movies they’re from.

Initial drafts of this guest post included movies like The Godfather (“I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.”), Terminator (“I’ll be back.”), and Taxi Driver (“You talkin’ to me?”).

But because this is my post, I decided to choose some of my favorite movies. So there.  (Just in case you’re wondering, yes, I’m sticking my tongue out at you right now. I hope we can still be friends.)

What’s A Pop Teacher?

I get to make a cool announcement today, and that is to introduce you to the first of a series of new websites being developed by myself and a gifted friend. So, I’ll keep it real short and leave a link in hopes that you’ll check it out and let me know what you think.

You know I’m not afraid of criticism either, so thoughtful suggestions are also appreciated.

The concept of Pop Teacher is to pull together ideas of creative folks who know how to use elements from our culture (entertainment, sports, books, etc…) to effectively communicate with students at all levels. You don’t have to be a working teacher to have great ideas though.

Have you ever watched a movie or TV show or heard a song and thought of some great point to make from the content? That’s the idea.

In addition to developing the new version of eduClaytion, we’re soon moving onto the next big site which I’m really excited about. We are going to be looking for writers, storytellers really. I can’t wait!

So check out the new site and tell me what ya think. By the way, you’ll also see a Forum where you can register to become a member if you’d like to be a part of that kind of community. Anyone who joins will also be entered to win a Starbucks gift card, so there’s that too.

You can link to PopTeacher.Com here.

So what d’ya think? We’re looking for contributors and will promote the snot out of you! Especially as the rest of our network gets going.

Are you a teacher?

Do you know any teachers?

Do you have any ideas?

We’re also looking for people who will share great experiences they had in a learning setting where someone used something from pop culture to teach.

Help us spread the word 🙂

Connect with us on Twitter @PopTeacher1

Give Pop Teacher a “LIKE” on Facebook!

eduClaytion Went To The Oscars

I never planned this type of running log. It just sort of happened. I managed to get real work done with one eye on the tube. Here are some of the thoughts that spilled out of my brain and onto the screen.

I'm willing to brave the fire for you, dear reader.

~*~*~*~

8:06—The Red Carpet is as close a rendering of Dante’s Fourth Circle of hell as you’ll ever find.

8:07—Oh yeah, that’s why I never watch this stuff. How could I forget.

8:??–Beware Christian Bale. Stay out of his lighting and steer clear of his beard. He hides death in there.

8:13—Just when you think Nicole Kidman can’t become any more unlikeable she looks at husband Keith Urban when asked if she gets excited about Oscars anymore and actually says, “I’ve never been nominated since I’ve been married to Keith so…” He must feel great.

8:25—Halle Berry calls herself “slave to fashion,” looks like she has to pee.

8:33—Opening montage. Hilarious!

8:41—I don’t suppose Devil will get any awards, but it was one of my faves last year.

Are those barnacles?

8:59—Supporting actress winner from The Fighter is super annoying and classless. I can hear I’m Gonna Knock You Out playing in my brain. She better never win anything again.

9:00—Just realized that The A-Team got zero Oscar buzz or nominations. Ridiculous.

9:14—Aaron Sorkin wins best adapted screenplay for Social Network. You know that’s right.

??–Apparently Matt McConaughey didn’t get the memo to not tan/bronze. Pasty white is in this year, and I am trendy.

9:53—Oops, forgot I was keeping a running log. My ADD doesn’t play well here.

10:00—How ironic that Cate Blanchett announces award for Costume Design while wearing a Happy Meal box.

10:12—Know what would’ve made this show more interesting? An Inception style stage.

10:16—This short film guy’s really funny! “I should’ve got a haircut,” he says.

Luke Matheny. Short Film. Funny guy.

10:18—Auto tune the movies is funny too.

10:22—Well, we made it this far without an overt political statement, but it still wasn’t that big of a deal. Enjoying the lack of political grandstanding.

10:45—This just in: Gwyneth Paltrow doesn’t sing nearly as good as anyone else at the Oscars. Including Chuck (Zachary Levi from Tangled).

10:53—The In Memoriam part is always one of my faves. Bittersweet. But that will be enough Celine Dion for this decade.

10:57—I don’t know what this means, but I’m pretty sure I would look alright if I had Halle Berry’s hairstyle.

11:16—I was right about Natalie Portman winning, but it would be funny if the award went to someone like Angelina Jolie for Salt.

11:19—Ok, Portman is still talking. Blah, blah, blah, go away.

11:20–Congratulations to Nicole Kidman who has made it through the entire evening without taking her clothes off.

11:26—Okay Colin Firth. Great line: “I have a feeling my career has just peaked.” The world loves you for now though.

11:32—Anne Hathaway has more outfits than Rupaul.

11:43—It’s over. King’s Speech wins something else. This concludes the most consecutive, non-sports TV I will watch for the next year.

If it’s any consolation Inception, Social Network, & the rest, the Pittsburgh Steelers know exactly how you feel.

~*~*~*~

Takeaway points

It would’ve been nice to hear maybe one overblown Hollywood type thank a fan or regular person. Remember us? We’re the ones who spend money we don’t have to see you perform lines you could never write.

The show was pretty tame, so no classic comedy moments, but I’m happy because we also didn’t have to deal with…

Annoying political rants. I really despise that stuff, the normal Academy fare. The absence of said soapboxing just happens to coincide with the absence of Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Leo, and Matt Damon, great actors all but bothersome as social commentators. Yes, there are some who know what they’re talking about.

Gotta give my mom credit for recalling this classic moment from 1973 when Raquel Welch and Gene Hackman were announcing the winner for Best Actress. Here’s the short clip on YouTube. You can skip ahead to around the 45 second mark to hear what Welch thought of political rants.

Here’s the background on Welch’s “I hope they haven’t got a cause” comment. Maybe she had a point.

Maybe I’m way off.

What do you think? Do you even watch?

What memorable moments do you recall from last night or previous years?

We can connect on Twitter (@ClayMorganPA) where you can also read the rest of my comments from last night.

What If… Interview With Dallas Jenkins

Lots of folks are thinking about movies on this day after the Academy Awards. What better time to share an interview with an industry insider.

Dallas Jenkins has been making movies for over a decade. You can check out his IMDB page. I met Dallas a few years ago in Pittsburgh and can tell you he’s a great guy and gifted filmmaker.

His most recent movie What If… comes out on DVD tomorrow. In this interview Dallas talks about this latest film, faith in Hollywood, and the ever-changing student culture.

~*~*~*~

What are the best movies you’ve seen in the past couple of years?

I’m a huge fan of Juno; Jason Reitman is a favorite of mine. I loved District 9 last year, also loved 500 Days of Summer.Social Network was this year’s best film in my opinion.

Describe your latest movie What If…

What If… is basically It’s a Wonderful Life meets The Family Man. The basic storyline is similar to those films, but the twists and turns are different, and of course my film has a strong and explicit message of Christian faith (though not in a preachy way).

Kevin Sorbo plays Ben, who gets a chance to see what his life would look like if he had followed God’s call for his life 15 years ago instead of leaving his college sweetheart and path to be a preacher. John Ratzenberger plays the angel who knocks him into this alternate reality. Ben wakes up Sunday morning with a wife and kids getting ready for church, where he’s the new preacher. How he navigates through all of this and finds the joy of faith and family is the thrust of the story.

How have things been going since the release?

The movie came to theaters in August of 2010 and did okay. Not great, not bad. Got some great response which will hopefully give us some good momentum for the DVD release in March.

If you could take over Hollywood and make 2 or 3 immediate changes to the industry/culture what would they be?

Well, the beauty of Hollywood is that it’s a free market, so no one can really change things on their own! That said, I do wish that the industry wasn’t so tied to routine and trends; they don’t like taking risks. I also wish that they could figure out a way to market to that “in between” crowd, the people who don’t necessarily watch church movies but are also looking for something more faith-based than what the mainstream pumps out. And of course I wish the Hollywood culture was more politically and spiritually diverse. As a conservative and a Christian, I’m a double-whammy minority.

What do we need less or more of in movies?

Christian movies need more reality and darkness, but mainstream movies need more positive depictions of faith, marriage, family, etc…

Are you finding different challenges to communicating with students (especially college) today than a decade or so ago?

I think students are getting more cynical, and since I tend not to be a cynical person, it’s harder for me to communicate. To introduce a hope or faith that’s impactful, you have to first accurately capture the world in which that hope is needed, so it’s important for storytellers to understand their audience.

What is next for Jenkins Productions?

Well, Jenkins Entertainment is now connected to Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago, a big church where I’ve accepted a position to head up media, production, and ultimately movies. So we’re going to be developing our first film sometime this year. We’ll have an announcement about it soon. In the meantime, we need What If… to do well.

You can order a copy of What If… by going to http://thewhatifmovie.com/.

Check out a preview of the film at http://jenkins-entertainment.com/.

You can also find Dallas on Twitter @DallasJenkins.

Posts That Pop

Still thinking over names for this Saturday spot. Ironic Mom, who’s currently stalking Oprah, suggested the above title. Keenie Beanie and I came up with something else that sounds like ExClaymations. Still thinking over the possibilities.

Anyway, here’s the roundup. Pay no attention to the twitchy, sleep-deprived, pasty white guy in front of the camera. 😉

Dr. Kelli Marshall writes a blog on pop culture and teaching called Unmuzzled Thoughts. We found each other through our mutual adoration of Gene Kelly. From what I can tell she’s as funny as she is smart and–in a move that totally endears her to me–uses social networking technology like mad in her classes. One ongoing feature is “Favorite Student Tweets” where she gathers the best of what her students have to say on the movies they’re watching for class. Here’s the selections from Singing In The Rain week.

Kristen Lamb’s Warrior Writer blog featured 10 Ways To Improve Your Likability Quotient. Great tips on how to display proper Netiquette (internet etiqutte) while establishing your presence. Kind of like the Golden Rule for the interwebs.

K.B. Owen wrote Show Me The Money: 19th Century Bank Robbers & Counterfeiters. I’m a big fan of people who can make history really come alive and these anecdotes do that.

Check out Strength, Thy Name Is Woman! from Wendy at Herding Cats In Hammond River. Really neat post about some cool inventions that have changed our world. And they’re all done by women. I will now forego all women jokes for the next 3 hours in honor of this fact.

Why You Aren’t As Successful As You Want To Be by Chris Brogan. Warning: Don’t read if you don’t like blunt advice from strangers. But he’s right.

I actually found the Brogan post from a recommendation on Twitter by Jesse Desjardins, a top notch communicator who makes “presentations that don’t suck.” Here’s one of his finest pieces, a killer slideshow on how to not suck at PowerPoint.

What did you find this week that merits mention? Let us know in the comments?

Any more ideas for what to call this weekly feature?

Connect with me on Twitter @ClayMorganPA.

Classroom Hollywood

Cover of Blackboard Jungle

Since I filter much of the world through the never-ending reel of movie references scrolling across my brain, you can imagine how many classroom scenes have flickered in my mind during my teaching career. We love a good story of inspiration, and classrooms provide plenty of those where lives are literally saved by mentors and leaders who challenge the perspective of young individuals.

Hollywood has pumped out a fair share of educational epics, but the groundbreaking movie on classroom angst appeared in 1955. Blackboard Jungle stars a great cast including Glenn Ford, Anne Francis, and a young Sidney Poitier. Another key player is Vic Morrow who died in a helicopter crash while filming a Twilight Zone movie in 1982. And I bet you wouldn’t even recognize little Jamie Farr.

Blackboard Jungle also launched the rock n roll revolution in America. The film features Bill Haley & The Comets and their hit song Rock Around The Clock. Teenagers in the 1950s got crazy (especially in England) during the performance version of the song in the middle of the movie. Mini riots broke out in theaters!

If you’ve ever watched classic films from that era, you’ll notice how far ahead of the times Blackboard Jungle really was. I definitely recommend it, but I also figure most of you have not seen it, so let’s talk about films that many folks have watched.

First off, let me tell you what movies are not included in this week’s poll. These teacher movies could form a field all their own, yet I went with other options.

My favorite movie not on this week’s list is The Emperor’s Club (Full Screen Edition) starring Kevin Kline. If you liked Dead Poet’s Society, you’ll like The Emperor’s Club. Great film. Not enough people know about it.

I’m sure some of you would also expect me to include Stand and Deliver (1988) and Dangerous Minds (1995). Sorry. Nothing against either of those movies except space here.

So what are you picking from? Glad you asked.

Freedom Writers (2007)–I’m not sure how many of you have seen this Hilary Swank film, but you won’t be disappointed. This movie is based on a real school and teacher during the Rodney King riots in LA. The actual work of the students is in print and bookstores today.

Dead Poets Society (1989)–Carpe diem baby. This one made a big impact on me. I saw it when I was a young teenager and for the first time dreamed of being a teacher.

Finding Forrester (2000)–Not only do we have a cool mentor-student relationship, but we also get Sean Connery (in his last memorable role), and a story about writing! I’m a big fan.

Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)–The best reward for a noble educator has to be students who return later in life to express gratitude to an teacher who made an impact on their life. This movie explores the sacrifices we make and what really matters in the end. Great stuff. Also, my mom loves it.

Lean On Me (1989)–Morgan Freeman was picking up steam heading into 1989 when he absolutely exploded. In that year he starred in Glory, Driving Miss Daisy, and Lean On Me. The latter tells the story of a tough leader, Principal Joe Clark, who does whatever it takes to restore sanity in a mad world. With all the current controversy about unruly students and the handcuffs placed on teachers, I often wonder what Joe Clark would’ve done.

Which flick gets the passing grade?

The Friday Flick Faceoff features films that share a common thread. Cast your vote anyway you like and don’t worry if you’ve seen all the movies or not. Love to hear why you picked what you picked though!

Find me on Twitter under my new handle @ClayMorganPA!

That Night I Came Off The Bench

This story follows a previous tale told. Check out part 1 here.

~*~*~*~

The cast on my right arm went all the way from palm to just past my elbow–plenty of fiberglass real estate for signatures–and locked my busted limb at an almost ninety degree angle. As a left-hander I continued to write and eat normally. Shooting basketballs was a different matter.

B-ball had only been a hobby until that time. My injury coincided with a growth spurt that left me near 6’3 and skinny as a rail for my senior year. I had not played basketball during high school even though my friends all did. Once I became the second tallest kid in school more parents suggested that I join the team.

Before breaking my arm, I used to shoot from the gut. Both arms extended at once, the left pushing and right guiding. That bulky cast took my guide arm out of commission for weeks.

After a few cramped days indoors, I decided to pick up a ball again. If I released the ball from overhead I could use my right arm to guide the shot despite being incapacitated. With that adjustment I discovered a new release point and launched hundreds of balls in that way before the big day when that dirty, itchy cast was sawed off.

As soon as I got home I grabbed a ball and hit the street. I’ll never forget the first shot I took. I reverted to my old release, hands pushing from the hip.

Your elbow gets locked in a bent position after being stuck that way for so many weeks. My tender arm was not ready to be yanked straight when I forced it that day. I clutched my arm and crumpled in pain. Practice ended after about ten seconds.

I never shot a ball that way again.

~*~*~*~

When the season began I played center behind our 6’6 starter Scotty. I learned the game as we practiced our plays over and over.

The main play was called “shuffle.” I can still run that thing in my head all these years later. The job of the center was to jump out to the foul line towards the top of the key, back to the hoop. After receiving the ball there you could dish to a sprinting guard or turn and shoot.

Coach wanted every player to be prepared, even the newbies like me. He cranked the heat up over 90 degrees during practice. We ran every team into the ground that year and went undefeated at home. I also learned that those crazy screaming coaches on sidelines can be great guys.

My big chance came on the road one night in January when Scotty got injured. I was in.

That Day I Shattered My Arm

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Apparently the NBA held its all-star game this weekend complete with the famous Slam Dunk competition. I don’t care as I’ve grown to despise that league, but once upon a time I loved basketball. A really lot. You could even say that the sport sort of changed my life. Here’s one of my stories.

~*~*~*~

My doctor strolled in and clipped the x-rays to the viewbox. “It’s broken in four places,” he said to me and my mom.

I was a junior in high school, and mom happened to also be the technician who took scans of that busted arm after my aunt drove me to the medical center. Well, that’s just perfect, I thought.

My skinny bones had all been in tact three hours earlier when me and the boys shot hoops at the beginning of gym class. Someone decided they wanted to jump off of a chair and do some slam dunks. We followed. I threw down with ease while a couple others still couldn’t get there. I might have been gloating a little.

Someone said, “let’s see you do it with two hands.”

Remember that show The Wonder Years with Kevin and Winnie? As I look back on what happened next in that gymnasium, the adult narrator that I’ve become describes the scene in that same pithy voice.

If those other guys thought I couldn’t dunk with two hands I would show them. I would soar through the air like Jordan and bring down the thunder like Dominique.

I grabbed a ball and stared down the lane. The chair was positioned sideways with its back to the right. I would have to be mindful of such an alignment because I was left-footed. I considered the slippery legs of the steel mount as well. You had to hit the seat and push off just right, center flush, or the chair would shoot away and you’d kiss the court at 50 miles per hour.

No problem, I thought.  I’ve got this.

Stuff I Like

Welcome to the first installment of my roundup. Each Saturday I’m going to give you links to whatever gems I discover throughout the week. A couple different things about the way I plan to do this:

1. This feature won’t be a best of the week type deal. Whatever appears here could have been created at any time. I just happened to find it now.

2. The content here can include links to blog posts, video clips, articles, a great website, or any other worthy thing.

3. I’m not locking into a set number of finds each week.

4. I want you to be a part of uncovering gems. Help me find good work to promote.

I try my best to be interesting in all that I do and never want to waste your time. I plan on that same quality here.

Here’s this week’s mashup.

• Check out this great shortie from Seth Godin called The World’s Worst Boss.

• How To Get Free Books To Review On Your Blog from guest poster Nick at ProBlogger.

• In my post from this week called Who Would You Be If You Couldn’t Be You? readers were asked what they would do if they knew they couldn’t fail. One of the top answers was writing a book.  Well, here’s a piece on that, a guest post called 5 Reasons You’re Not Writing Your Novel by Jessica Stilling from Bob Mayer’s Write It Forward blog.

• In Praise of Young People from The Problem With Young People Is… earned a spot on Freshly Pressed this week. Hilarious stuff.

• Check out K.B. Owen. Her last two posts on con men back in the day are great!

• If you like the way I combine pop culture and the meaning of things check out this piece from College Ready Writing called Pump Up The Volume: Lessons About Social Media, Education, and Change.

What internet goodness did you discover this week? Leave the link in the comments!

Any thoughts on what I should call this weekly feature?