Gold Day. Formerly A Day. Day 11.

For quite some years biologists were concerned that the limpkin might disappear from Florida. The limpkin eats snails and the snail population was shrinking. Every day there was less food for the limpkin and the sight of one, once common was rare. Then an amazing thing happened. An invasive apple snail was accidentally released into the Everglades, and although this is normally a negative event in almost any ecosystem, in this case it meant that the once disappearing limpkin was able to thrive and become common once more. Even the endangered snail kite, once on the verge of extinction was able of follow the limpkins lead and thrive. All because an apple snail was released into the Everglades to be consumed by failing bird populations. Why do I mention any of this? Sometimes when I feel lonely or that the world around me is empty I think of the limpkins. A bird once rare and mysterious. A bird brought back from near extinction by a simple snail. Now in my loneliness and solitude I know I can always go to the swamp and eat snails with the limpkins and maybe that will be a bond we all can enjoy. Except for the snail. That seems like a dire predicament for the apple snail.

AP Government. We started the day with an opening exercise. Then we learned about specifically the creation of Articles, I, II, and III of the U.S. Constitution. (If you have trouble with Roman numerals, these are beginner ones.) We learned about enumerated and implied powers. We learned how they are connected by the Necessary and Proper Clause and how we ended up with a bicameral legislature. We also did some math and it turns out you actually have a bit more representation if you live in Wyoming than in Florida. I gave homework involving a video and a guide. It's not difficult just annoying. Also, an article in AMSCO on pages 27 and 28 relating to the Patriot Act, and another question about one of the upcoming court cases we will discuss USA v. Lopez. There is a quiz next class. I keep calling it a practice quiz. Perhaps that's misleading. I'm calling it that to keep everyone calm. I hate conflict. It's practice for me. You never really get enough practice writing quizzes...

U.S. History learned about Congressional Reconstruction and the time I fought the Klan. Literally. Like I actually got in a fight with the Ku Klux Klan. I don't condone fighting, and I consider myself a pacifist, but if you do end up in a fight, better that you are fighting the KKK than the Girl Scouts or something. I also delayed the quiz. For a day or two. But it will happen...eventually.