My little Jacob is sick today, and it was my turn to stay home with him. Kim took him to the doctor yesterday and he’s on an antibiotic. Lots of stuff going around. Jake seems to be feeling a little better at the moment. Staying home always reminds me of being a kid, staying home and watching reruns of Andy Griffith and Gomer Pyle. That was before there were 24-hour cartoon channels, of course.

I did some updating on my Web site today. There’s a new front page, with the new Murdered by Human Wolves cover, and the Appearances page has finally been updated for this year. It isn’t much, but at least the front page isn’t announcing a contest that ended last September.

Last Saturday I went to the nearby Game Exchange, traded in some crap, some duplicates, etc. and picked up the director’s cut of Blade Runner, a film I didn’t really like the first time I saw it. I liked it better this time. I still don’t see it as the classic many do, but … whatever. I also got the two-disc special edition of Pan’s Labyrinth, which I haven’t watched yet. As I was going to the counter to pay for them, my eye was miraculously drawn to something in the bargain bin. Yes, it was the class ’80s cheesefest known as C.H.U.D. You know I grabbed up that puppy. They ain’t nuthin like sewer cannibals to git yer motor runnin.

Yesterday I had my sophomores write about how they’d teach English 2 … how they’d choose lessons, arrange the room, administer discipline, etc. I got some surprisingly thoughtful answers and good suggestions. And yeah, I’d love to get rid of the desks and fill the room with sofas, beanbags and recliners, but there’s that money thing. The “more movies” suggestion was there, with no way of incorporating the movie into a lesson. One girl suggested we focus on vocabulary on Mondays, read on Tuesday and Wednesday, review Vocab on Thursday for a test on Fridays. Not all suggestions were so precise. Some were about choosing books and stories that are more interesting than those found in text books. One of my favorites was in the discipline area. Somebody suggested shock collars for the kids who can’t be quiet. If only …