Goertz Thoughts

I'm sure you've seen Encanto . It was really big 3(ish) years ago. I remember because the current seniors were freshmen and wouldn't stop singing We Don't Talk about Bruno  (watch this cool video about how the song works). I know this post seems a little late to the game, but I just finished watching Brooklyn 99  and how crazy is it that Stefanie Beatriz is the voice of Mirabel and Rosa ? Anyway, one of the things that feels most unfair about the movie is that Mirabel doesn't get a gift. Here's my take: Mirabel does have a gift. Extreme empathy. She can literally enter people's minds! Let's take a look at this. Really watch Mirabel in these songs: Talking with Luisa Talking with Pepa and Felix Talking with Abuela This is more than just normal song and dance fantasy numbers from musicals. She is entering into her family's thoughts and memories. She's an active participant in some of the scenes in their heads. This explains a whole lot: No one not...

 Back to posting with a relatively simple one. Students, you may or may not know this, but the board games that are in the Commons are from my collection *. My hope is that someday everyone will put down their cellphones and pick up a game instead. I really enjoy board games (although I don't play them as often as I would like). I'm not talking chess and checkers. I'm not even talking Monopoly and Scrabble. While those are technically board games, the genre has come a long way in the past few decades. Here's a few of my favorites (I'll use the term "board game" loosely, as some of these don't actually use a board). (Settlers of**) Catan If you're familiar with modern board games, you probably know this one. It first came out in 1995 and its popularity really exploded. Collect resources Build towns, cities, and roads. Each has different point values. First player to 10 points wins. It's a very good entry point due to the straightforward rules. T...

  Today’s topic is: Getting the most out of your eclipse experience While most of the lower 48 states will see a partial eclipse, total solar eclipses are rare. The last time that Austin experienced a total solar eclipse was May 26th, 1397. The next one will be February 25th, 2343. So, this will be the only total eclipse that most of us will witness (there’s always eclipse tourism, though).  If at all possible, you really need to try to look at the sky during the eclipse. Even with the clouds, you’ll be able to see some effects (I’ll specifically list those later). Here’s some of the things that you might be able to observe: Look at the ground as totality approaches: The shadows of leaves under a tree will make the shape of the eclipse Alternating dark/light shadow bands The shadow line moving quickly across the landscape right before totality. Look at the Sun: First Contact: The Moon starts to cover the Sun (12:17) Second Contact: The Moon completely covers the Sun (1:35). It...

  Today’s topic is: Eclipse Safety. You know not to look at the sun, right?  This is even more important during an eclipse. The overall light is decreased, so your pupils will dilate to let in more light. However, since the actual intensity of the sun is undiminished, you will damage your retina even quicker. The retina does not contain pain receptors, so you won’t necessarily feel anything as you destroy your ability to see. It’s called solar retinopathy and there is no cure for severe cases.  Now that you’ve been sufficiently warned, there are ways to watch the eclipse safely. Ways to safely observe the sun: Binoculars/telescope with a solar filter (we’ll have the school’s 8 inch refractor on the field, if it’s not raining) Eclipse Glasses* (we have enough for all students and faculty/staff. They’re selling out through other sources, but you might be able to find some online, HEB, or Sonic . Prices are going up, so watch out for scalpers and imitations) Pinhole project...

  Today’s topic is Eclipse Pop Culture (4/4/24) Books: Lots of books feature eclipses. Here are some of the ones that I have read. A Connecticut Yankee in King Author’s Court by Mark Twain A man from modern day (19th Century) America ends up in the Arthurian legend. He uses his knowledge of the date of an eclipse to set himself up as a “magician” to rival Merlin. Nightfall by Isaac Asimov Originally a short story, later changed into a novel. Explores what happens when a society in perpetual sunlight experiences an eclipse and therefore darkness for the first time in thousands of years (hint: it’s not good). A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson An eclipse occurs during the “Last Battle” in The Wheel of Time series. The books are far different (and superior) to Amazon Prime’s series. Movies: Due to copyright reasons, I can’t provide clips. You can find most of these through streaming services. 2001: A Space Odyssey There’s an eclipse during the “Dawn of Man” s...