The Capezzas
Rick and Rachel Capezza live and love in Spokane, WA. They are parents of Kyrie Eleison, Antonio Giovanni, and Epiphany Joy.
A Great IronyPosted by Rick on March 19th, 2007
As I was walking to my office this morning, something hit me. It’s a crying shame that we don’t have any politically correct names for stupid people. I mean, it used to be that you could call them an idiot, as in the other half of “idiot savant.” But we can’t even say they are “mentally challenged” because of that term now referring to those who are mentally retarded. Moron? No way!
It is a great irony that the more perverse a culture becomes, the more politically correct they become…the more perverse they become, the more they care about being careful with their words. What’s up with that? Maybe it’s just that vocabulary degenerates to the point where each word can have only one meaning…as if it’s easier that way.
I’ve been disillusioned by the fact that my students have been scoring higher ACT scores and getting dumber each year. It used to be that about half my students could spell well. Now it’s very rare to see even my brightest students go through a paper without a spelling error. sigh
Now, spelling is one thing. There may even be something genetic going on with poor spelling. But there are people who can’t spell who can still communicate clearly, effectively, and beautifully in their writing. They can get their ideas across. Those are few and far between in the college students that I see. I often have trouble understanding how a student’s writing got to the point it is at. How can these students write sentences that make no sense whatsoever? It’s incredible.
How do you go through 13 years of schooling and not know how to communicate clearly through words? More importantly for myself, how do you undo 13 years of ineffective or poor teaching? It’s really easy to give up and just pass them like all their other teachers did. But that can’t be done. Be real hard on them? No, then the administration gets on to you for retention issues. The best answer I’ve found is to have them write recursively. But even then, it’s a matter of getting them to want to work, to want to better themselves. And even that is getting more difficult. Each year, students want to work less. How did our culture get to this point? Where will it be in five years? ten? one hundred?
I often think there was something to the movie Idiocracy. I often feel like I live in that film. My students do things that could have been in that film, and it would look outrageous and even funny on the screen. But when it’s really real, it’s not so funny.
Woe is me. Wah. Wah. Cry. Cry.
She’s got a style all her own…Posted by Rachel on March 18th, 2007
This video is from a couple weeks ago, I believe.
Von Trapp ChildrenPosted by Rachel on March 17th, 2007
The Von Trapp Children came to town to perform with the Monroe Symphony orchestra. It was cool being able to accompany them; they’re amazingly talented. Their voices really are so great—it makes American Idol look even more crappy this year (as if it needed that). I am so glad the concert is over, though. I’ve been struggling with a cold and I feel like I’m getting a sinus infection. My teeth are throbbing. I’m staying home from church tomorrow because I’m just getting worse. It was kind of torturous to get through rehearsals and the concert, but the “boss” of the orchestra would’ve been extremely frustrated with me if I skipped out on another concert. I missed the last two. But anyway, I feel such huge relief now. I hope to get some sleep, maybe tomorrow morning while Rick and Kyrie are at church.
Quote of the DayPosted by Rick on March 16th, 2007
“When a person can no longer laugh at himself, it is time for others to laugh at him.”—Thomas Szasz, “The Second Sin”
Finally, some picturesPosted by Rachel on March 15th, 2007
I know you all have been going through withdrawal, so here are some recent pictures of my lovely little girl.
Mmmm…
This is my cheesy smile:
Who doesn’t love a good bubble bath?
Messy eater:
Not feeling so great…just takin’ it easy.
Umm…do you mind?
Doesn’t Mommy’s makeup look beautiful on me?
Silly Brag about KyriePosted by Rachel on March 11th, 2007
OK, so Kyrie is far from being potty-trained—in fact, we haven’t even begun the process. However, we bought her a potty, and if she asks to sit on it, we let her. She usually sits for a minute, then gets up and gets a new diaper and runs off to play. But today, she asked to go and actually went. This was the second time that she’s asked to potty and has followed through. Not too bad for absolutely no effort on our part! I’ll take what I can get. 
Bob Update 3/9/07 :-(Posted by Rick on March 10th, 2007
I am failing physically these days and this has been a tough week. I
am now having my abdomen drained twice a week and they usually get
6-7 liters each time. I have pain, which is manageable, and fatigue
but both vary day-to-day.
I’ve had to cancel my class at Northern Seminary for the spring
quarter, much to my distress, but my doctor doesn’t think that I’ll
be able to travel in a month. It was a seminar course, meeting once a
week, but I was looking forward to getting back to teaching.
Right now, what productive time I have, four to five hours a day, I
put into [surprise!], my writing and time with Joanne. I am trying
hard to complete my book contracts before I die. Right now our lives
are too indefinite to schedule anything other than what I have to do
to stay alive.
All the prayers, love, your blessings, emails, cards and thoughts are
with us daily. We literally thank God for each day that we’ve had and
for what days are left.
Love,
Bob and Joanne
The Lord be with you and with thy spirit.
My poor baby (and poor me!)Posted by Rachel on March 9th, 2007
We’ve both got nasty cases of bronchitis. Kyrie’s on antibiotics, and I’m riding through my sickness. I feel so sad for my little girl; she’s never been close to this sick before. Her cough sounds terrible. Thankfully, though, she is in fairly good spirits and still plays and runs around a lot, which is good. I’m just looking forward to the sickness being done & over with.