Great Educators

Day 86/100
A picture of someone who helps/helped you with school.

This, is Bobby Flanagan. An odd man. Experienced radio announcer for news and sports and educator in all things media related. Many things have a face value, and in the face of the more obscure, Bobby can illuminate the dark world of advertising in a flash. He cuts through questionable content and innocent advertising alike with his rapier of wit and sledgehammer of sarcasm.

He has a flare for honesty and a heart for controversy. He will push your buttons only as a way to pick your brain. If you find yourself getting emotional in a conversation with Bobby, realize it is only to force you deeper into your mind and find reason. He does not do this for some sadistic pleasure, nor is it out of a hatred for emotion. Bobby wants people to be passionate about their beliefs, and more importantly to know why they believe what they do.

I found great joy in studying under him. I learned to express my opinions with more understanding and eloquence. Before my responses to other educators was simple regurgitation. Even in situations where asked to extract subtext from a subject, my responses were more along the lines of what was expected and accepted, not what was really in my mind. Every school needs a teacher that pushes people. Students may not like it, but nothing will prepare them for college better.

Thanks Flanagan.

Everyday is a Holiday.

Day 85/100
A picture of your favorite holiday.

Holidays are great and all. Spending time with family and getting a break from work are definitely a blessing. The best for me is when no holiday is required, only the urge to be with those closest to me for good conversation, laughs and amazing food. Also, I copped out because I have trouble picking one favorite holiday, so let me just run down the list:

New Year's Eve/Day: Hmmm, another year. I mainly like this "holiday" just so I can be a party pooper.
Good Friday through Easter: Traditional hymns and recalling the Glory of the Lord and giving thanks.
Valentines Day: An excuse to show why I'm an awesome husband :)
Free Comic Book Day: 'Cause I'm a huge nerd.
4th of July, Veteran's Day, Memorial Day: Solid patriotism w/o politics and stories of those who serve/served make me tear up and straight up cry.
St. Patrick's Day: Eh, I'm part Irish, not catholic and know very little about this saint. But I'll take a drink or four.
My Wedding Anniversary: Awesome presents, date night, Marvin Gaye.
Thanksgiving: Really? The food and all four family dinners I get to go to. Oh, and the food.
Halloween: I like spooky things and fun, well done, costumes. And left over Reese's cups.
Christmas: Giving gifts, seeing family, and everyone's good mood at the mall (at least the one's that realize this holiday isn't at all about the gifts we give.
National Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day: Gives me a reason to dress and act like Steve the Pirate from "Dodgeball".

I hope everyone has a happy year full of events, and don't forget all the little random holidays. If you ever need a reason to celebrate, and waking up isn't reason enough, just google the day's date with holidays attached. I personally am looking forward to January 23rd, National Pie Day, which is sponsored by the American Pie Council and the American Diabetes Association.

Smile

Day 84/100
A picture of a school project.

A study of the human skull. The assignment was to take a single subject and represent it with line drawing only, shading only, and then a combination of both all within a single composition. My skull was a rubber one from a Halloween shop with the jaw falling apart and the back of the cranium caving in. I admit I was, and still am, very happy with the product. Most of the class took no attempt to overlay the different styles and opted only to represent the subject three styles next to each other. Composition wasn't the main objective of this project, so my classmates grades were not harmed, nor was mine helped. I can still pick out the three different styles and this piece just makes me grin.

Fun and Games

Day 83/100
A picture of you and a teammate.

Cornhole is intense and serious business. Many a man, and woman, have been injured in this game of epic proportions. However, I'm sure those injuries were sprained ankles and bruised shins, and at some point inebriation was a factor. Judging by the looks on our faces...I dunno, maybe you could caption this for me.

Catchin' Some Z's

Day 82/100
A picture of someone you love asleep.

This photo challenge almost turned creepy. Me rolling out of bed and grabbing my camera in the middle of the night, standing next to Jess. She opens her eyes, screams and chucks a pillow at me while kicking sheets into a fury.

Almost.

That didn't happen at all, but thinking of this scenario got a decent laugh out of me while looking for pictures I had of people asleep. Easily enough I had a few pictures from out 12 hours of airports and airplanes, on our way to the Dominican Republic. My niece was by far the cutest, and I almost got a two-for-one with the pic below. Almost. Mom woke up right before I snapped the shot. She must have one of those 6th senses for when a camera is pointed at her. That sense can be the most devastating thing to a photographer hunting down candid shots.
Enjoy your travels this summer, and everyone lucky enough to be a passenger, be wary of when you sleep.

I Don't Take Enough Pictures

Day 81/100
A picture of you with a character.

There wasn't any sarcasm in that title at all. I think I take plenty of pictures. The problem for this 100 day challenge is that very few of those pictures are focused on myself or my life. Issues aside, that still doesn't explain my lack of pictures with "characters". Instead of being clever and just putting up a picture with a friend, I took "character" to mean a mascot of some sort.

There is the rub.

I don't like mascots. Not for some dislike of what they represent, I just get uneasy around them. Whether it is Wooly the Bull, Blue (from Blue's Clues) or The Wake Forest Deacon, I just don't like them. Fluffy suits, a hidden face, knowing there is a person in there and they still won't talk to you are just a couple of reasons why I try not to get too close to them. When at a sporting event, I begin to shift in my seat at the site of a "costumer" coming towards me. I don't know why this is. I delight in well done costumes for theatre and comic conventions. Halloween is a wonderful day for me as I watch even adults get into the fun. This isn't quite a phobia, I can still hold it together around them. Whereas this could be considered an "irrational fear" I will label it an "irrational unease".