Articles by By Nancy Flanagan

I Hate American Idol

Inspired by Arla McPeek's "My Mother, the World's Oldest Rock Star," and Mary T. Kelly's ongoing, hyper-fan blog, I am reprinting my most commented-upon blog ever:

I hate American Idol. I really do.

Can't Buy Me Love

Around the education blogosphere, there's a lot of clucking about the nine southeast Michigan schools that paid $25,000 apiece to be named "The Best Schools in Michigan" by WXYZ, Channel Seven.

Doppelganger! Who is Your Imaginary Twin?

Further establishing my reputation as a person who has no real life, I'd like to ask Livingstontalk readers the ultimate Facebookian question: Have you been told you look like a celebrity?

Last Chance Animal Rescue needs your help. Last Chance Rescue is a non-profit organization committed to saving the lives of animals that otherwise would be destroyed. The website offers multiple ways to help--a great organization, a great cause--or, better yet, you can donate through Dimes for Dogs, February 8-19, at Lakes Elementary School in Hartland.

Most cool article on NPR's "All Songs Considered" on Friday-- asking the question:

Which album name best sums up your life?

What I Learned From Facebook

This week, my husband, Terry, and I have renewed our habit of walking the halls of the Hartland Educational Services Center. (Nobody calls this building the Educational Services Center, by the way--they call it "the old high school.")

Back to School Blahs

So--yesterday was what I came to think of, in my long career in education, as one of the Seven Dwarfs Days: on Monday morning, be prepared for Sleepy, Dopey and Grumpy.

I had a temporary crown installed this morning--such a delightful pre-Christmas activity!--and during the entire 90 minutes that I sat helpless and numbed in the dentist's chair, drills whizzing and water shooting up my nose, there was canned holiday music playing nonstop. Occasionally, the dentist would hum--do you hear what I hear?-- and the assistant would nod her head in time, pa rum pum pum pum.

Yech. And not just the dental work.

Merry Christmas, I think

My friend, Lisa, who lives in North Carolina, posted this little fit of pique on her Facebook page today:

I'm tired of people who get their knickers in a twist if they hear Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. If someone wishes you well, isn't that good enough? There are more holidays than Christmas in the next few weeks--I suggest we try to enjoy them all. Happy Holidays to you!

Here Comes the Governor!

So--I spent Tuesday up in Lansing, attending the annual conference of the Network of Michigan Educators and I also got to shake the Governor's hand. I admit that I acted like any other garden-variety citizen meeting a Big Famous Person: I smiled and made inane chit-chat with the gov. Here is the sum total of that conversation (bear in mind that we were instructed to tell Governor Granholm why we were members of the Network):

Me: How do you do? I'm Nancy Flanagan, and I was the Michigan Teacher of the Year--umm, well, a long time ago.