One Pissed Off Old Lady

It's an Ugly Place For My Grandson

2012-01-16T07:47:00.000-08:00

I worry about his future. Not yet two, his wonder about the moon and the stars, the darkness of night, the sun, how trees grow and why he can't move big rocks delights me. He wakes up in joy and expresses every emotion known to man and woman.
Over time he will become socialized. He will learn to control his impulses, to stifle his emotions and become a citizen of this anal repressed country.
How sad is that?
Not only will he lose that wonder in the schools we are now shaping as testing factories, identifying his talents as deficits because they don't fit the mold, by kindergarten testing, he will be labeled as either competent or "emerging" and discussion will begin about retention.
He will face pollution, water shortages, extreme weather as a product of global warming, racial profiling, dishonesty in product safety, and sadly, less opportunity in a country which once prided itself on opportunity. His chances to succeed financially in this world will be limited. Our income, as a school teacher, will limit his mobility. I see his mother struggle and I wonder, will he have the opportunities I had, to get an education? My family was very poor. I still had the opportunity to attend college without placing myself into enormous debt.
I wonder if he will be part of a generation which pulls it together. Stops the selfish, greedy capitalistic raping of our world, puts the brakes on the uberrich and corporations which set policy for our country? Will he be able to help stop the sucking of our world resources to benefit the bottom land and save our world for generations of the future? Will he even be able to have a family and raise it in a safe world?
I won't be here to see it but my spirit will be floating over him each day with hope and love for our earth and his life.

Legalizing marijuana ? Why not?

2012-01-16T07:24:00.000-08:00

Gateway drug? lmao! Addiction to prescription pills is the number one addiction is America. Alcohol? A genius in mixology over the past ten years created one drink killers. Addictions? Anyway the tobacco manufacturers label them, cigarettes are best friends until death!
How many thousands are locked in jail because of possession? What a waste.
America has no good reason to keep pot illegal. Unless the powers that be want to make alcohol and cigarettes illegal as well.
Now I am not saying I am a pot smoking grandma. I'm just asking the question-why? Why is marijuana an illegal substance? What part of our government strenuously objects to the legalization of marijuana?
Isn't it amazing to you all that those who govern our country are the baby boomers? Those who smoked pot in public? Those who flaunted the "establishment"?
When those guys go this country will be a different place.
What scares me is the ignorance of the Perry generation.
You may never get legalized marijuana.
If you vote Republican, you all deserve what comes.

American Politics-Ask not what I can do-ask me what the other guy can't do!

2012-01-08T11:36:00.000-08:00

Republican debates are entertaining. While candidates use sound bites for the most serious political statements, they use national media, paid ads, local and state supporters and PACs to keep voters from asking for more detail.
How do they do it? Trash the competition. Load the airways with deceitful half truths about fellow candidates.
We really should pay attention.
Karl Rove was the mastermind of trash elections and we got George Bush. He left office scurrying like a mole looking for darkness and anonymity.
Our country is still reeling from his incompetence.
I guess the Democrats timidity and good manners was perceived by the nation as weaknesses.
Perhaps we like the idea of a deceitful, vapid, uneducated and proud of it kind of guy.
If that is the case, go for Rick Perry.
Another Bush? Mitt Romney-this country has a weakness for rich, white guys who cannot relate to citizens. Go figure...

America's Educational Standards-Are we failing our children?

2012-01-08T06:25:00.000-08:00

I have two Master's degrees As an elementary school student I sat on the gym floor, month after month, wistfully watching the same students receive academic awards. I was told if I tried harder I too could get those awards . I struggled with math. I didn't get what the tests asked me to tell them. I could always find an argument for another answer. It was agonizing-and elusive.
The best teachers I hold in my heart are the ones who recognized the potential in me, used my strengths in reading and my ability to look at both sides of an issue and taught me how to use them for all my subject areas. Still it wasn't until high school that I realized I was intelligent and could be more than successful in school. Oh, I had moments of brilliance in my school career. A film I made about the elderly in Santa Monica made the paper. The poetry I wrote in elementary school hung in the hallways. I actually score the highest grade in a high school lit exam. The problem is, if you measured me against the standards today I would have been considered a remedial student and never, ever, would I have believed I had anything to offer the world, except perhaps, a minimum wage job.
As a teacher, I understand how important it is to keep track of what our students are gaining in terms of fundemental knowledge. As a parent, I would pull my kids from the school system the way it is curently pursuing a one size fits all approach.
The current quest for all kids to know all things at certain grades rather than see education as a developmental process throws away thousands of creative , eager, talented children in the process. If a child isn't following the same incubation period as the standards, he or she is failing. More ever, this "group think" process" provides no room for the "off the beaten path" child who sees the world and learning from not from a linear perspective, but perhaps from an off sides location, much like many gifted souls do.
Many of our most imaginative and creative citizens accomplished great things, despite our educational system. In fact, they had to leave it in order to pursue their goals.
As a parent and an educator, I want those kids to flourish in my classroom and our schools.
How can we both measure and grow our students in a manner that fits them?
The best teachers teach the student, not necessarily the curriculum as it presents itself. The best elementary school teachers teach children HOW to learn as well as what to learn. Learning to learn is an important process. We waste those precious growing and developing brain cells when we test them repeatedly, constantly sending the message that the child is a failure if they fail a test.
The question I ask parents is this,
"In this "data driven, one size fits all, education system, are you aware your child is no longer a person but a series of test scores?"
Is your acquiescence , by way of silence, of the educational system, as it now stands, providing the optimum educational environment for your child?
I cannot think of how my two year old grandson will survive the school curriculum the way it stands. It will crush his spirit. His language skills are already exceptional, he is inquisitive, he is enthusiastic, he has a bright smile on his face each morning when he wakes up. He reminds me of me when I was a child. The world was an incubator of wonder and awe. He may not follow the progression of the curriculum and the testing calendar. Is he, then a failure in kindergarten because he did not learn how to add and subtract numbers according to the calendar?
What do we tell our kids when they fail the tests in first or second grade?
As a parent I would be asking these questions.
In the hallway at our school, the walls are lined with the results of testing data. Teachers are given rewards for testing data results.
Students progress is important but we can't omit each student's personal idiosyncratic learning styles.
Lastly I want to tell you a story about a student who came to my class this year.
She moved from a midewestern state. She is ADD, and boy is she ever. By 9am her desk is a mess, papers on the floor, lost pencils, wet paper towels left behind from a spill.
A brilliant reader. Not just a brilliant reader, a child with the potential to write amazing stories, high verbal skills, great comprehension skills. Barely hanging on at her last school. Once she learned testing strategies she was able to demonstrate her high language apptitude.
Mostly she needed to see her strengths and develop confidence.
She is still a work in progress. Her writing is all over the page, she is not neat but her thoughts and ideas are wonderful!
She is moving to another state! Will her next teacher see the potential? Will the next teacher see beyond the messy, scattered desk and the scrawled writing?
Or will she return to the status of "remedial student" because she tests poorly?

Are Las Vegas Police racist??

2011-12-29T08:24:00.000-08:00

My daughter's boyfriend recently graduated from UCLA with a Master's degree.
He worked in California as a high school teacher. He currently works in the education field in Las Vegas. He bought a shiny new car last month. He has been home for three months.
Since he moved back home he has been pulled over three times by the Las Vegas police. Each time he is asked if his car is stolen. They run his plates, check is ID, run a federal search on his social security number. I think he should have purchased a white or a silver car. Maybe the color of his car would not have made a difference, but the color of his skin does.
He has never had a record with the police-anywhere.

Each time he leaves the house to go out for a night with my daughter or his friends, his father, a well respected black man, living in an upscale neighborhood, calls him throughout the night to make sure he is okay. He is worried about him being harassed by the LVPD. Each time he is pulled over it is in his affluent neighborhood.
The police appear to believe since he is black he has no business on that side of town.
The most recent pull over was definitely frightening. The police pulled him over and asked him if his car was stolen. They ran the usual checks. They asked him for his social security number. They treated him rudely, baiting him, egging him to lose him temper. They made him sit in his car for an hour by the side of the road.

He knows better. He is unfailingly polite and cooperative.
His plan to live in this town is gone. He is bright and talented. His father is an educated and successful man.
Black, educated, articulate and successful-I guess this means little in a town where the police department shoots first and doesn't have to ask questions later because the "suspect" is dead.
He needs to leave this town before it hurts him-fatally.

Revel Casino in New Jersey tells new hires reapply every four years for your job

2011-12-27T06:06:00.000-08:00

This is frightening. Can you imagine your employer telling you to reapply for your job every four years? The quality of your work doesn't matter. We want them young and pretty. You don't have a job after four years.
If you want to know what the breakdown of a civilized society looks like, try destabilizing the workforce.
Blatant ageism and sexism, backed by weakened labor laws allows such arrogant disdain for the respect of workers.
It could happen in any "right to work" establishment. Keep your heads in the sand, Americans. Worse is yet to come.
Those, "unemployed need not apply" signs are nothing compared to what might come nest. Too bad so may people see unions as the bad guys. Those years of fighting for workers rights kept this kind of contemptuous behavior off the table.

The Soviets take a stand-while the US whines..

2011-12-24T09:33:00.000-08:00

Countries across the world have risked everything to stand against tyranny and nepotism. No longer do citizens tolerate dictatorships and feudal repression.
The Soviets have tener cojones. Spanish/English slang for courage. Tens of thousands know the election was rigged and they have had enough.
You have my greatest admiration, Soviets.

In the US we have become a culture of whiners. When our election was rigged we stomped our feet, whined and went home to watch our big screen TV's.
Our government corruption is so blatant our congress ignores citizens voices with contempt.
Each election is funded by corporations, on the path to helping destroy our planet through pollution, exploitation and greed.
US, once a proud nation, 40 million citizens are now unemployed. 15.5 million of our children live in poverty-1 out of 5.
23 per cent of our 36 million senior citizens live in poverty. Eight million seniors are living in poverty.

The top 1% of the population own over 50% of the wealth in the United States.
Not a peep.
Oh, a sorry looking, mainly discredited, by the corporate owned news sources Occupy Wall Street Protesters.
Wisconsinites protesting the abolishment of union protections.
Still small whimpers.
Americans are whiners at heart.
They all believe they have the answers to the Us economy and government.
They will tell you even if you don't ask them.
They will tell what your country should do as well.
They have all the answers but no courage.

No courage to stop the dismantling of our democracy.
I am not even sure most Americans know what is right anymore.
Somehow our citizenry has opted for ignorance with a dash of stupidity,

Go for it, Soviets. Take that ideal and make it happen.

Men-Women who claim to like football are liars!

2011-12-20T08:08:00.000-08:00

Men, hear this, any woman who proclaims to like football is a liar.

Oh, they will tell you they do. They will watch and scream and yell. They will be able to tell you who their "favorite team" is this year.

But they do it for men.

Women are not aggressive by nature. Not only are they not aggressive, the idea of smashing onto others to gain ground is not a familiar ploy. Women are sneaky. They destroy others without a hint of violence.

Ask women about the players- call them on their lack of knowledge. Ask them to explain the game and use the correct "guy terminology". Ask them about fouls, off side, downs, etc. Ask them who the Heisman Winner was last year, MVP- all those stats. They don't know squat about it.

You see women aren't wired that way. Competition doesn't fire up the estrogen. Physical contact of a violent nature doesn't get the hormones flowing. It is scientifically proven. A female brain does not respond as strenuously or successfully to those activities. Women who claim to "love" football are doing it to impress you. Women have faked so many things for men. It is a historical and genetic nature for women to convince men they like and are interested in what men are.

And you know I am right! You know it. How many of you did the sports thing with your beloved while dating, all enthusiastic and gung ho-and after marriage, whine whine- or total disinterest!

If there is one thing I give men credit for it is this-I have rarely found one willing to feign interest in ballroom dancing, performing arts and ceramics. Most men are confident enough to say no. Women won't-they just know they can help you see the error of your ways once responsibilities lie in wait. Or they just ignore your football activities.

I have a great male friend who once took me to a football game at the University of Michigan. He scored free tickets. We were to meet a group of his friends at the game.

I told him I wasn't a football fan. All that yelling and screaming over a bunch of guys running with a ball, only to tear apart the ball carrier if caught was too much like the gladiators for me.

He wasn't a football fan either.

His winning argument?

They sell the best hot dogs and beer, and the entire stadium is surrounded by food kiosks.

We could drink and eat our way through the game!

We did..

Political Hacks-Where is the vision??

2011-12-17T06:10:00.000-08:00

Writing about the Republican Party's debates and candidates is enough to make me weep. Never have I observed such ignorance and stupidity in all my old lady years.
We don't even need to mention names, they all kind of blur together in a sea of geographical, historical, political and financial gaffes. White America, with a few outliers, have shown themselves to be the decline of American intelligence.
I keep wandering around my community asking, "Is the the best we have?" or has this been the best we have and I somehow missed the stupidity in past years?
I find myself wincing when I hear yet another totally ignorant "truth".
If I hear one more "poor people get rich off the system" tale, I'll scream!
The great myth of the poor living rich off the system has taken on a life of its own in the United States. The famous theory of those who deserve and those who don't is just plain ridiculous. Deserving of health care? Basic necessities? Shelter?
Food? Only the rich would make those kinds of observations. Money has triumphed humanity in the Republican Party of those who party like it is 1999.
They don't get it.
The ludicrousness of it all feels like a Twilight Zone episode with Jon Stewart as the mocker.
Please, somewhere out there has to be a person of color or a woman with a vision that can be heard?
How long do we have to live under the rule of rich old white men, or people who want to be them??

Celebrating Christmas at School for Children in Poverty

2011-12-17T05:46:00.000-08:00

Ellen DeGeneres and Justin Bieber recently spotlighted a school in Las Vegas by donating thousands of dollars and toys. It is a wonderful gift. The school has helped parents and children from that school with clothing, food, rental assistance and a myriad of other needs.
It got me to thinking about the use of donations at Christmas.
I was one of those poor kids . I remember the Salvation Army bringing Thanksgiving to our house and my father wanting them to take it back and my mother asking him not to do it. My father didn't like surprises and control freak that he was, his pride was more important than warm coats for his six kids.
Christmas is a great time to give.
I work in a school full of poor kids. They wear shoes which are too small or too big. Last year I bought a new winter jacket for one boy in my class and his parents made him give it to his little brother. So I bought him another one. Meeting the needs of one child doesn't always meet the needs of the others.
Another student showed up wearing a sweatshirt. She told me she didn't have a coat. It was 38 degrees that morning. Recently a little girl told me her mom sold her clothes to another girl in my class-they needed the money. The other girl showed up at school wearing her favorite dress. She pointed it out to me with a little sadness.
People do what they need to do to survive.
Our kids need warm clothing, new uniforms, new shoes, dental care, medical care and food. They need books to read, markers, colored pencils, crayons and notebooks. Some schools provide theses things-others don't. Most of my kids ask me if they can have glue, scissors, crayons and paper to take home. I let them when I have it. I consider them staples of childhood.

If you really want to donate during the holidays -don't.
Call up a school and tell them you would like to help out during the year. Get in touch with a teacher you know, or the social worker. Tell them you would like to help a child when the need arises. Don't give an amount.
Last year I paid for new glasses for a little boy who desperately needed them. I bought backpacks in the middle of the year for boys who did not have them. I bought a pair of shoes for a little girl who so dearly wanted a pair of flats like the other girls but only had tennis shoes.
I remember wearing hand me downs that were not even hand me downs from my sister. If it weren't for my first grade teacher, who used to put bags of clothing in my hands on the way out the door, I wonder what I would have worn?

I support four people. My salary is not great. The needs of kids don't start and stop at Christmas. Donations controlled by school districts or administration do not always get to kids when they need something. Every teacher I know buys necessities for kids in poor neighborhood schools. I just lost one of my best students because her mom lost her job and they were evicted. She cried. I did too. I tried to find a way to help her mom. Bah, humbug-no rental assistance around here! If I could have turned to a benefactor to hold them over another month, maybe something good could have happened, Instead, they moved to an ever poorer part of town. I forgot that was possible!

If you really want to make a difference hang on to your money. Offer year round. I have a list of teachers who have children who will need the help in the months to come.
Christmas magic comes and goes but a pair of shoes that fit, pants that don't have to be pinned together, socks without holes(or socks at all), a sweater to keep warm in the classroom, kids remember. There is nothing worse than coming to school worrying about the necessities of life.
I just wish teachers had access to a fund like that, without a lot of red tape. Our kids learn better when they don't have to worry about the basic necessities .

Beware of Family Gifts...

2011-12-10T06:16:00.001-08:00

In November a 70 woman died while skydiving near Las Vegas Nevada. Her family gave her the gift adventure for her 70th birthday. Two days ago another woman died in a helicopter crash over the Grand Canyon, after receiving the flight as an anniversary gift from her family.
Now I'm not saying this is a trend here but I am starting to wonder if, as an older person, I'd want to take a look at it?
These are some pretty unusual gifts. Maybe a scarf would have been more appropriate?

Pack Mentality and the Euro

2011-12-09T05:53:00.001-08:00

Britain, Sweden and Czechoslovakia have decided the Euro agreement is not a good one for their countries. As in any group think there are times when it leads the lemmings off the cliff into their own self destruction. Perhaps we ought to be paying more attention to those countries who take the divided path? Those countries, civilizations or individuals who forge the untraveled road are often those with vision. What a quandary we live in! Group consensus leading to extinction or learning to ask the unspoken questions aloud and accept the consequences from the lemmings??

Human nature-More like the beast?

2011-12-09T04:39:00.001-08:00

I never believed in such a thing as bad luck but I do wonder if there is some kind of energy we emit which attracts negativity? Nature has a way of handling wounded animals. A predator eventually finds it-and it is toast. Is this what happens to humans as well?
I recently read a story about a man who is homeless in Las Vegas. He wrote of losing his job, then his wife and then his family. He found it difficult to recover.
He recently worked in construction. When the bust occurred he lost a 60,000 plus a year job and his life fell apart. Another woman who was homeless had been a teacher. She has a Master's degree. She lost her job and is now living on the streets. She says she could never have imagined how it happened.
Our "safety net" for human lives has disintegrated. Those with jobs seem to think it is some personal flaw in an individual which precipitates the bad things that happen to other people.
I read these stories and I look outside at the 30 degree weather and I wonder how people survive?
It is really in our nature to turn away from those who suffer?
I used to think it wasn't. I used to think humanity was defined by the fact we as a culture, took care of others less fortunate.
Our capacity to care for other humans was the dividing line between humanity and animal nature.
Is this no longer true? Are we no longer any different from animals trying to survive in this world?

Republican candidates- is the media kidding???

2011-12-04T06:30:00.001-08:00

There isn't a one of them who ISN"T whacko. From Rick Perry's ignorance to Herman Cain's deceptive lying and adulterous behavior, to Michelle Bachman's delusional observations to Mitt Romney's "Bush style let them eat cake" stance. Newt has been around for ages. He left his wife when she was dying of cancer, remember?
Each week the news anoints a new king.
What-are they joking? Is this the best the Republicans can do?
The news agencies aren't "reporting" Each day we are treated with another, "Republic on top of the garbage heap story" as if this is all supposed to be normal.

News agencies act like this is all normal. Thus we are supposed to go along with this charade as if it is.
American citizens are either really, truly, stupid or the owners of these media outlets had such a sparse gene pool to pick from,who will rubber stamp their corporate greed, that this is what we have????
When politicians decide it is better to keep quiet than to tell us what they believe you know we are all in big trouble here.

I am not a voting Republican but if I were I would suggest the party wipe the current slate clean and look for a few articulate, thoughtful and intelligent candidates to sell the party. The Republican candidates are an indictment showing the stupidity to which are country's intelligence and moral values have sunk.
Not to say the democrats aren't there as well. We just haven't seen THAT road show yet.

When the "other guy" isn't paying attention

2011-11-30T05:13:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I was rear ended on the freeway. In Las Vegas, the speed limit is considered optional. People breeze by my granny speed limit of 65 easily driving 80 and 90 miles per hour. My maintaining the speed limit even in the right lane, is considered a nuisance by most drivers. I have seen the aftermath of a hit at ninety miles an hour by a mega truck, four wheels at the height of an airline passenger plane. I don't care to be on the receiving end of that. Las Vegas has some of the highest insurance rates in the nation. Rightly so. Rarely are the police out on the freeways enforcing the speed limit.
My "fender bender" occurred on the way to a class at 4pm in the afternoon. Traffic was moving at the breezy speed limit of 55 around a dangerous point on the freeway. It slowed to almost a stop. I had plenty of room and a friend of mine, going to the same class was in front of me. I could see the driver behind me coming up too fast but there was nothing I could do about it. I remember thinking, " Let him slow down" before he smashed into the back of me. Where do you stop in bumper to bumper traffic? Nowhere. You get off at the next exit.
I have driven a car for over 40 years. In all that time I have never had an accident that was my fault. I had a guy run a red light and hit me head on. I had a school bus run a red light and total my car. I had a woman back up at a drive in, driving one of those mega trucks and smash the crap out of my van.
Each time it is a nightmare. Waiting for cops, (who will not attend a fender bender)
reporting to the insurance company, waiting for repairs.
Having only one car, each morning I pray nothing happens to it.
I reported the accident. I wait now for the process to begin.
Life is full of irritants, reminding me of how little control we have over so much of it.
I suppose we can live life seeing that all the time and feeling frustrated, we can resign ourselves to that fact or we can play the fool and live life as if nothing else matters but the fact we have another day on this earth.
I still struggling with which one I want .

Self Employed?

2011-11-28T06:04:00.001-08:00

I keep racking my brains. There is something out there I can do as a self employed individual. Each day I drive to work in the morning and I generate lists of ideas. I haven't discovered what it is yet but I know it is out there. After years of working for others there has got to be a way. Why put in 15 hour days with an anxiety level of 150% for employers who see employees as the enemy?
There has got to be a way.
I know I have one more job in me that will benefit from my give it all work ethic.
I just haven't discovered it yet.
Any ideas??

Black Thursday Madness-only in the US

2011-11-23T22:50:00.001-08:00

Tonight, Wednesday night I had to make a run to the drugstore. I cut through the parking lot of Best Buy. A line formed outside the front door, people in tents (honest to god!) sleeping bags and lawn chairs. These "Americans" planned to spend Thanksgiving Day camping outside the store?
For what??? For stuff??? For stuff, things, stuff that will mean nothing in a year?
Who are these people so desperate to get 100 dollars off a television? A 39 dollar blue ray dvd player?
Are we out of our freaking minds in this country? Get a life people!
People, per se, are obsolete. Stuff rules in America!!
Only in America are we so freakin status conscious, so materialistic, that we would ditch our families to sleep in tents in front of a store for two freakin days to buy more junk.
You get my drift.

Why learn to read and write??

2011-11-22T06:10:00.001-08:00

Adults don't read they listen. Adults don't write they twitter using shortcut spelling.
Kids today get most of their information from media sources. The least used? Newspapers, books, magazines.
Some use the internet. Have you noticed most information is now on video?
Why teach forms of communication which are quickly becoming outdated?
My students at school are required to complete math and reading on computers.
They put headphones on and listen to the instructions and oftentimes the questions or the passages.
Teachers are outdated sources of information.
Children actually seem to learn quicker if on computers.
Perhaps we need to rethink education?
With all the disgruntled parents complaining about the standard of education provided children it is ironic most of them don't use the skills teachers are required to teach their children.
Think about it.
If you are reading this without the aid of a video or picture you are a minority.

Kent State all over again only no one is screaming

2011-11-19T19:12:00.001-08:00

Viewing the photos of students being pepper sprayed by the police brings back a lot of memories. I was a kid when the students were killed at Kent State but it remains a horrible vision in my head. At that time I think we realized police brutality had gone too far. The National Guard crossed the line.
With cell phone cameras providing us the photos and videos one would think we would immediately respond to the brutality upon 80 year old women, veterans and students. The photos are all over the internet.
The media doesn't seem to be showing much but Huffington Post does, as well as You Tube.
Not much of a peep comes from the citizens of this country.
Homeless camps are springing up all over the US. The "new middle class poor" are photographed each day. Those thrown out of their homes with nowhere to go is common place. Yet not a peep.
The masses like to believe it is the fault of those in the situations.
Of course, it will NEVER happen to them, will it?
So why bother speaking out?
It's not THEIR business, is it?
Pretty freakin scary

Megachurch Schuler's downfall

2011-11-18T19:14:00.001-08:00

What is it about the Crystal Cathedral that brought thousands of people on a pilgrimage of sorts-the the Holy Land in Garden Grove, California, of all places?
The eighties was the time of megachurches with Capella groups, full bands with rock and roll scripture and the dollars were flowing.
Rev. Schuler was an all star!
I remember the era well. One of the ministers from our church received a "calling"
A silver haired, charismatic minister who like the idea of fame on TV as opposed to a church from a 500,000+ city.
Off he went to make his fortune. Glitter and all.
After all, God is not humble in megachurches. Greed is good. Associate minsters run off with wealthy married women, and the downfall makes the sin even more glorious to forgive.
The flash of the eighties gave way to the pathetic sinning of the mega ministers. After all, what would a mega church be without a spectacular fall?
Sadly, Rev Schuler's charisma did not have a biological component and the children could not carry the message in such a spectacular way.
The church is now in bankruptcy and the only dollars left to tell the story will be the profit on the sale of the cathedral.
Jesus was a humble man who taught us to care for our neighbors.
This is not a popular message in today's culture.
It was never a popular message for megachurches.
Like any for profit, the money was meant for bigger and better stuff.
Outreach buildings, big cars, private jets, special speaking gigs, prime Sunday TV.
Do you think the message Jesus carried to the masses will ever become "hip" again?
Or is the fall of the megachurch just a blip on the radar to total selfishness and disregard for our society as a whole?

The new morals of our young adults-Penn State

2011-11-12T04:58:00.001-08:00

What have we taught them? Is this new generation a result of our own selfishness? Is the world population at such a tilting point we have forgone teaching ethics, morals and compassion? Have we become a earth populated with predators and victims?
The reaction of students at Penn State floored me. To protest the removal of a man who for years looked the other way while young boys were allowed to be brutalized by a staff member for the sake of a trophy? Students felt a "legendary coach" is being wrongly singled out? A University President who refused to deal with the problem for years? All up this chain of accountability, not just one, but many allowed young boys to be sodomized? Students are angry?
Are they stupid, selfish or just confused?
What does this say about our country's moral values?
Have we become so jaded, so inured to what is horrific, we don't care anymore?
Across the world we read stories which indicate the ripping of the fabric of societies built to care for those most vulnerable citizens-the elderly man who dies in his home after the gas company shuts off his heat, children in China given up for adoption after being stolen from families, sexual slavery in third world countries, vast corporations exploiting women and children for labor.
Police shootings, beatings, caught on tape, a judge who beats his daughter with a belt, caught on tape, without punishment. Cain still in the running after four women step forward to talk about sexual harassment and he jokes about it??
Is it because so much is unearthed we try to minimize the horror in our minds and look the other way? Citizens phone messages cracked, and Murdoch is still in business?
I could go on and on but it appears to me the new world order is in favor of the predator and if you are perceived as a victim -you will soon become one.
People should be afraid, not outraged for the wrong reasons.
You might be next. You will have no support in this world order. The predator rules.

Cannibalism among the 1%

2011-11-12T04:38:00.001-08:00

Greece and Italy have instituted austerity measures. This means pulling back government dollars, laying off workers and "belt tightening".
In the United States the media has been spouting "austerity" for the past three years.
This has resulted in high unemployment, high foreclosure rates and a decrease in spending from the average citizen.
It hasn't however, resulted in a decreasing income for Wall Street , bankers, and for profit corporations- megabucks CEO's, a 300% plus disparity in income from their workers.
Our politicians seem to be doing just fine with corporate donations , PAC support at all time highs.
The average citizen spends less, makes less, eats less meat, forgoes vacations and holidays, budgets without money, worries about rising costs of fuel and food.

I never agreed with George Bush but on this I do. People need to spend to get the economy going. Businesses can cut back employees, develop part time jobs without benefits and find hundreds of ways to get money to their stockholders, but eventually, not in the too far off future even those austerity measures, ( based on greed) will implode. You can only keep what you get.
If you don't get, you don't get to keep.
People will cut back on the extras first. Dining out. Gambling. Big screen TV's. Video games, washers and dryers, big expenses.
When we don't have it to spend, we can't spend it.
It seems pretty foolish for stockholders to de-invest in the communities which feed them for short term gains. Invest in jobs and the economy will begin to improve, people will have money to spend.
Continue to be greedy, take the short term money and run, and as we are already seeing, businesses go bankrupt, everyone loses, and the spiral continues.
Suck the livelihood out of people and no one is left to feed the 1% but the 1%.
Isn't that called cannibalism?

Is The Tide Turning? Jobless with no safety net

2011-11-11T11:23:00.001-08:00

The world order is changing and it isn't for the benefit of the average planetary citizen.
What will become of us?

Las Vegas Decay-Family Style

2011-11-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

A new book, Fade, Crumble and Sag introduced a number of authors writing about the decomposition of Las Vegas during Las Vegas Book Week.
I thought I would add my chapter, entitled, "Families, or what is left of them"

Two second grade girls are picked up by their mothers after school wearing six inch heels, breast exposing tops and shorts covering little. Not a blink on the playground of hundreds- parents picking up students after school. These girls are proud of their mommies, of course.
After Christmas vacation one year a little boy did not return to my class. His mother had murdered her boyfriend with a butcher knife in front of her five children. After a month he returned, quiet, withdrawn, spending time in Child Haven which is not an experience anyone would wish on an eight year old child.

A lock down lasting until 6pm kept nine hundred students in my school one year. A man shooting a high powered rifle directly across the street had to be killed before we could release the kids.
A student I tutored at home had six locks on her front door, along with all the
windows barred. A few months after working at her home her father was arrested as a gang leader and a drug lord. Her mother previously lost custody due to her drug habit.
Some staff are not much better. A principal and counselor were arrested for drug dealing, another accused of stealing from the school-was not fired but a senior staff member was for with holding information about the alleged thefts.

Families move here for the same reason singles do-it is a city in which one can disappear. The likelihood of protective services, the police or the government sticking noses into peoples business is minimal. Corruption is so rampant child abuse, neglect, gang activity or prostitution are all small potato issues for this hands off government.

Las Vegas sounds no siren call of seduction. Las Vegas makes no empty promises for those who come to the city to make a life. Las Vegas is not a deceitful mistress, mother or father figure.
It is exactly what is promises to be-sinful, evil, careless, cruel and heartless.
Be it the kindergartner who comes to school with rope burns around his wrists, the old man who dies alone in his trailer and is buried in a mass paupers grave, the homeless families who beg at Wal Mart, the mentally ill who's self talk is passed by without a blink, or the line of homeless vets, families and singles who line up on Owens Avenue in cardboard boxes, settling in for the night.
Those who defend the city are the predators-"If you don't like it, leave!"
As if those who are game for these predators have a chance of leaving, unless by cheap death-another staple of the Vegas experience.

The Changing Face of America

2011-11-03T05:21:00.000-07:00

A current CNN poll reports 68% of those responding believe corporal punishment is still a valid way to discipline America's children. Beating children, like using the death penalty, research shows, have never been effective deterrents . Not ne civilized nation in the world uses the death penalty anymore. Place the US with the uncivilized nations who amputate limbs for theft and stoning for adultery.

A current report states 1 in 15 children live below the poverty level in the United States. Oh! This is the belt tightening preaching we have been hearing since our economy collapsed, after our military spent over a trillion dollars on two wars with countries having no organized military.

In Las Vegas over the past three months an average of one murder a day occurs.
Read the paper. If you plan to visit do not leave the strip, do not become involved in an argument, and stay away from the crosswalks and curbs. Nevadans have a nasty habit of running over pedestrians. You see, alcohol and drugs are staples in the single Nevadan males lifestyle-but so is irresponsible behavior like drunk driving.

In the Republican primaries lunacy reigns supreme-from candidates who don't know geography, to those who proudly claim a lack of education fostered their ignorance, to sexual harassment charges. Perry? Cain? Bachman? Romney and his golden tablets from Missouri? How can anyone take these people seriously? Have we totally lost it?
Protesters is Oakland's Occupy Wall Street were tear gassed yesterday. We tear gas our own people for protesting? In a liberal bastion such as San Francisco/Oakland area?
The United States refuse to recognize Palestinians but the United Nations has. So the US will take its' wad of cash and go home. US reasons are the worst ever.

Huge campaign donations continue to pour into the coffers of the crazy Republican presidential nominees, not one peep on who would step up to embrace the principals of the Democratic party aside from our Centrist, mostly conservative President Obama.
Lindsay Lohan received a special dispensation from her 30 day jail sentence so she could pose for Playboy magazine.
Kim Kardashian continues to make headlines.
This is a snapshot of the US today.
Does the word "Superpower" ooze out of any of these stories?
We have become a nation of loonies.

Mean Girls Grow Up

2011-10-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

Remember those mean girls from high school? The ones who spent most of their waking hours inventing lists of those who supposedly harmed them?
They are all grown up now, alive and well, practicing their vindictiveness in the workplace.
With all the responsibilities on our plates, as adults, you would think they had more to worry about. Well apparently their miserable lives continue to be miserable and they still believe the problem is outside of themselves.
56 women work in my place of employment.
The women fight. Literally. They yell and scream (so does the boss). They accuse one another of talking behind their backs. They stomp, huff and preen.
It is enough to make one crazy.
Yesterday we were chastised like little kids. Parents I know don't demean their children is the manner we were chastised.
I am way too old for this garbage. I'm a Grandma. Life is too short.
Knock it off, women. Get therapy or shut up and do your job.
Grow up. We don't really care if you feel snubbed. Get over it. It's a grown up world for big people so stop your tantrums. You may have been cute and got away with it in high school but it isn't working for you now. All it does is tell the rest of us you aren't doing your job.

Let Occupy Wall Street Ear Cake..

2011-10-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Mainstream media's efforts to ignore Occupy Wall Street, minimize or deride it is interesting. One would have to do a little research to identify the actual owners or
members of the boards, but it is telling. One has to do some real digging to find the stories. How can that be? Rome burned. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets is many countries. One would think it would make headlines!
Why encourage the masses, why incite what already exists?

For those who choose to minimize this outpouring of anger-you might want to think it through. Unheard voices, thousands of them, don't disappear because those who own the 99% of the entire pie decide those voices are unworthy of their attention.

One poster likened it to their four year old having a temper tantrum.
Really? If you ignore it -it will go away?

Our nations politicians better start paying attention.
When you call citizens of a country, speaking out about injustice "mobs", you may become right.

Have we not learned from past movements in our country? Have we not matured at all? Do we really need to return to the violence and protest of the sixties to hear the nations voices?

An enlightened society would be beyond all that. We would have been ahead of the curve. The same failed policies that got us to this point continue to be the same failed policies our politicians want to continue to enforce. Make new cheese, fools!
Have we not learned that making the same mistakes with no new results is called abject failure?

Occupy Wall Street-Hear Our Voices

2011-10-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

The world is finally waking up. Our lives, our quality of life, should not, will not be tied to global capitalism. We cannot continue to hear we should tighten our belts and suffer for the good of of the nations while our livelihood is terminated or diminished.
The financial sectors of countries continue to reap windfall profits, citizens bail out banks and large corporations, yet our children cannot find jobs, are unable to live independently, our young children and elderly parents cannot afford or access health and dental care, and prices continue to rise.
Those who have look contemptuously upon those who are suffering. History repeats itself. Governments, corporations, banks and financial institutions need to be paying attention.
When laws fail citizens, when laws make huge exceptions for the wealthy and greedy, when governments and politicians are owned by global financial institutions we risk anarchy, we risk losing all that began as good.
Unfair practices lead to resentment and hostility. Peaceful demonstrations are occurring in some countries, violence in others.
Take note of those with violence. They are thousands of years old and have provided for their citizens well enough to keep them from resenting the rich. These countries are beyond that now-citizens will not accept meager portions of the economic pie so a few can live an impossibly wealthy lifestyle.

Our country may not experience violent protests at present. Look at our history. I am old enough to remember Watts, the Detroit Civil riots which spread to small cities. I remember the burning and looting, the frustration of a pent up black citizenry which could no longer be contained.

Our country needs to make significant changes-now.
Politicians are considered with contempt. Governments, local, state and federal are considered corrupt.

How loud do the American people need to speak to be heard?
I am hoping voices will be enough for our country to listen. The alternative is frightening.

Babyboomer Tailgaters

2011-10-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

I am one of the babyboomer tailgaters.
Most babyboomers have reached 65. They have their retirements. They have Social Security. Their work and lives have been during a lucrative era. They smugly sit at home with retirement packages and 401k's voting in line with the Tea Party.
This generation had advantages no other generation experienced. Their parents, most gone, gave them the sense they were the most important generation of our world.
They act like it. They believe if you can't make it in this life you deserve to suffer. This generation who fought for equal rights, civil rights and helping those less fortunate are truly the most selfish of generations.
Now they don't want to pay for anything not related to their retirement lives.
As a tailgater in my fifties no benefits come my way that come close to the Boomers.
Many people in their fifties have been laid off to save money. Congress wants to screw with Social Security. People have lost jobs, homes, retirement investments and the kids come home to live because no jobs are available.
Those in their fifties are deemed not desirable to hire. They are left to figure out how to survive in a world with no safety net and no promise of Social Security.
A few years ago I bought a bed from a man losing his house. He was a rocket scientist who had been laid off from his government job after 20 years. He was moving in with his daughter and son in law.

The tailgaters hang on to whatever jobs they can, take pay cuts, work extra hours and dread retirement. What will they have? No investment money from a home. No 401k. No chance to build a lifetime of savings such as the younger generations. Continued responsibility for elderly parents, adult children.
Increasing prices in the cost of living.

Tailgaters are discriminated by age in the job market. NO protections (or little) are left to protect them in a hostile work environment.

Congress is so corrupt we have no democratic recourse to change the situation.
Tailgaters are screwed.

Sarah Palin, five minutes of fame and millions later

2011-10-05T18:53:00.001-07:00

When you are on the road in a red, white and blue bus, stomping the important election venues with only one purpose: to rake in the high speaking fees, why would you want to run for President of the United States?
Take a pay cut?
Hopefully, the relevance of this person will decrease, knowing her loyalty to the country was a sham to begin with.

Vaccinate? Delusion or Truth?

2011-10-04T05:38:00.000-07:00

My daughter refuses to vaccinate her 17 month old son. She reports a teacher in her school told her they were more dangerous than the possibilities.
Having grown up during a time of limited vaccines, I remember contracting the measles, mumps and chicken pox. Hepatitis wasn't even a disease.
Whooping cough and polio were still in evidence.
I can't seem to get her to understand the seriousness of these diseases.
Many of her friends feel the same way. She adamantly believes autism may be a result of vaccinations. No proof is proof for her.
That seems to be the root of many of the problems in our country today.
Truth, or proof, seems to be automatically suspect.
How did we become such an ignorant and stubborn population?
One which will destroy ourselves because we do not have the capability to sort out truth from deception.
Have we been deceived by those in positions of authority so often we have become a nation of disbelievers, regardless of the consequences??

Seniors, don't count on that drink..

2011-10-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

Research shows elderly people live longer if they see events in their lives with the "glass half full" attitude.
I suppose that would be true if the Republicans weren't so intent on taking the glass away from seniors and telling them to be grateful they ever had a drink in the first place.

School Districts Fail Children Not Teachers

2011-10-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

When will the public start asking questions? Teachers have no control over the curriculum, the schedule of the curriculum or the evaluation of students. School district administrations call the shots.
School districts are failing because no one is looking in the right direction.
When Americans scrutinize, evaluate and hold school district administrators accountable for the poor management of the thousands of competent, qualified teachers, education will change.
This nation is shooting at the wrong targets.
In the business world management heads would roll if the product was inferior.
Only in education do school administrations continue to get paid the 100,00 plus salaries with little accountability.
The inferior product is not a result of the teachers. It is a result of poor management, high turnover, and cronyism.
What is with this country?
Start asking the right questions.
Who sets the curriculum for the district?
Who tells teachers what to teach and how?
How much actual time is set for instruction as opposed to testing and other required district and school functions? Who sets policy for homework ?
How are instructional materials acquired in a school district?
What redress do teachers have when an unethical administrator runs the school?
How does the district handle poor administration of schools?
Who oversees poor administration on a district level?
Where does the money go beyond teachers salaries?
Districts will give all kinds of pat answers to those questions. The real truth is teachers are not a part of the decision making process for what and how your children learn. It is school administrators who call the shots.
Hold them accountable.

Americans are shooting the wrong horse.

2011-09-13T21:43:00.001-07:00

The Republicans are being taken seriously and the Democrats aren't talking.
We have a small problem here, don't you think??

A List of Gripes

2011-09-08T04:47:00.000-07:00

1. Get those botoxed, ignorant fake tanned, dyed haired white men off the ballot. Show me a man with some real character who doesn't give two hoots about screen time and talking points.

2. I am sick to death of Americans bashing teachers. Go ahead, break the unions, hire the lower paid teachers. You think education is bad now??
When we go after the administrations of school districts for screwing up curriculums, having way too much power , yapping at the heels of teachers to change this, and the next year, do it the old way.., we will make some progress. Teachers used to teach. Now they jump like monkeys to the school district administrative organ grinders. Americans are just plain stupid. Let teachers teach.

3. Outsourcing. The real definition of outsourcing? Take the steady job away from Americans and give it to someone so hurting they will forgo any semblance of a decent paying job with health care benefits.
Make Americans starve! The motto of business is "who gives a rats patootie" about the humans working for us! Make em bleed! That is the American way!

4. If I hear one more profit making huge corporation whine about the cost of doing business, I will scream!
Where are you Americans?? Who put your heads in the toilets??
You don't mind bleeding while those fake tanned politicians whine for more tax breaks?
When are you going to get some ca hones??

5. One more American "love it or leave it" and I will campaign to send all those stupid ignoramuses to a third world country. We didn't get great by keeping our mouths shut.
Remember folks? FYI-We are a free country?? Or are we anymore?

6. Our great country is a shadow of its former self. What a shame we had to use our repreoductive systems to create a generation of idiots. I have become a strong advocate of birth control.

Of all the movie scenario endings to our civilization it never occurred to me our downfall would be stupidity and ignornance.

Voters-No vote unless campaign is about issues

2011-08-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

Are you as tired as I am of smear campaigns?
All trash talk and no substance?

Let;s hold those candidates accountable.

No votes for trash talkers.
Vote on the issues-what the candidate WILL do -
not what he claims his opponent will or will not do.

My Country? Where are you??

2011-08-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

In 1953 President Dwight Eisenhower ,became the 34th President. A Republican, along with running mate, Vice President Richard Nixon, came to office after World War Two, the Korean War, and in a relatively peaceful time.
McCarthy was outed as TV came to play a major role in the Us, He sent troops to uphold the Brown vs the Board of Education in 1954 and desegregation took place in the public schools.
I was born in 1953, desegregated schools were only four years old when I started kindergarten.

My country has reflected citizen's values over the years with significant actions.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964- who would have thought a white southern President by the name of Lyndon Johnson had the cojones to ensure the laws would be respected?
In 1962 President Kennedy granted federal workers the right to bargain.
In 1963 Equal Pay Act banned wage discrimination based on gender.
1964 Civil Rights Act bans institutional forms of racial discrimination

These are just a few of the great decisions, we as a country made during my lifetime. I grew up in a country focused on the quality of life for its citizens.

Over the years The United States was seen as a beacon of hope-although we fought the ugliness of our character-slavery, child labor, sexism, racism, elitism-
we always moved forward to eradicate the injustices human nature constantly oozed-In fact, those injustices were recognized in many ways as our baser side of nature. We had the courage to fight about them in the political arenas. Discourse was mainstay of our political system. The American citizens openly disagreed and debated. It is a part of our United States democracy-until now.

I can hardly write about this country of mine anymore.
I do not recognize it.
The selfishness, the cruelty, the elitism, the punitive nature of our laws and regulations.
I am afraid .
The hatefulness and polarization of our very own nation leads us to a brink of unknown destination.
Banana Republic is the phrase oft repeated.
Many levels of government are yelling poverty, demanding belt tightening, turning government dollars away from those unable to care for themselves-the disabled, the elderly, children who have been placed in a nightmare system of pared down services.
Governments have become punitive and judgmental. Deciding who "deserves" health care, immunizations, what rights a "less entitled" person has for health care.

Religion in the United States has become a fanatical exercise in judgmental terrorism. Nothing related to the ten commandments.
I am not sure where the religious fervor in the US finds its biblical translations which form the basis of hate filled, punitive rhetoric which allows people to make murder threats in the name of christian justice.

I am in the minority and I am very aware of this.
It is frightening. !
Ironically it appears to be the last desperate vestiges of the white minority to control a country fast becoming a melting pot reality.
Unfortunately those who have been discriminated against and now devalued take on the mantle of the powers-buying into the mantra of elitism, as if they identify with it -that reality will become theirs.
It is a scary time in our country's development.

Do we have no leaders with a sense of unity for our United States? Do we have no leader not bought and paid for by a mega corporation, one who speaks for the heart of our nations peoples?

Or, is this really the voice of our people coming out of Washington DC?
Are the elitist politicians owned and manipulated by a few powerful elite also speaking for the mindset of the American public?

When we, American citizens no longer believe our vote has an impact, when we turn over and look the other way, filled with a sense of futility, we have lost our country.

Dear President Obama, I'd love to give but....

2011-06-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

Dear President Obama,
During your election year I was thrilled to meet you when you came to Las Vegas. I campaigned for you and even donated money.
I am sorry I can't do that this time. I believed you when you said "Change"
I realize you have repeatedly said we must be pragmatic and compromise when it comes to politics.
I am a teacher looking at a state government who is intent on busting our union. I am asked to pay more for insurance and retirement although I accepted meager raises during the boom times. My pay is to be cut but I do not know how much yet.
I left a profession as a social worker with a Masters degree to borrow 40,000 to get a Masters degree in Education, at a time when the country was screaming for teachers.
After ten years of teaching elementary school, spending much of my own money for supplies, spending enormous amounts of personal time in my profession, volunteered countless hours for extracurricular activities, and always worked two jobs while teaching to support my family my profession, and myself, personally are now reviled by the entire country. How did this happen?
Tonight I sit here trying to figure out how I am going to pay my bills with the additional costs and a pay cut. Since I have been teaching ten years and am in my fifties, I am at risk for layoff, but one would never, never say it was because of my age or the amount I make compared to a first year teacher. would they?
Where have you been,, President Obama as the country ramped up the hate rhetoric about teachers?

I am lost. Who do I vote for in the next Presidential election? A President who ignores the tremendous unemployment rate of our country especially related to those over the age of fifty? The loss of full time employment for thousands in our county as corporations break our unions and decimate our employment laws? The loss of hope my eighteen year old daughter feels in the wake of high unemployment and low wages? Who do I vote for now? The suicide team intent on now taking away my social security and medicare when I am only seven years from eligibility? Or do I vote for you, a man I believed when he said, "Change Everyone Can Believe In? While I never supported Bush, his lies and manipulation were blatant and outrageous. We knew he was stealing from the middle class.
I don't know how you can ignore what is happening in states where government is king, people have no say, and big money doesn't even have to hide its role in dismantling one of the greatest nations in the world-all for greed. So who do I vote for?

Honestly, President Obama,
I have no one to vote for in the next election.

Three Wars-No armies

2011-05-26T16:43:00.000-07:00

The United States is fighting three wars with three countries having NO ORGANIZED ARMIES and we can't wrap it up???
We have no reason fighting any of these wars. None.
Why are we paying all this money to fight meaningless wars?
Bring our troops home and have a little respect for other country's business.

No insurance? What made you think you could come here????

2011-05-17T19:09:00.000-07:00

My grandson became very sick last week. Because my daughter has no health insurance for either of them we tried everything we could to stop his vomiting and bring down his fever. We kept looking for signs of dehydration. He kept nothing down. By day five he was listless and we were feeding him pedialyte with a syringe. By day six we were arguing about what we should do.
Should we take him to the emergency room where he would not be denied care? I had 160.00 left for two weeks, should we go to a med center?
Las Vegas is a mean town when it comes to health care.
The "free" clinic is for adults. No pediatric care is offered for a reasonable price. We have no pediatricians willing to see children without insurance coverage. How could they order tests? Too much liability.
we asked around. No luck.
Finally we took him to the emergency room at Sunrise Hospital.
He spent the day in the emergency room. He was hydrated and given a medicine to stop the vomiting and nausea. After eleven hours in the emergency room she went to check out.
The hospital knew she had no insurance. She told them when she came in the door.
When my daughter got to check out the billing clerk yelled at my daughter, "What did you think you were going to do when it came time pay?" she yelled in front of the people in the waiting room. "The bill is $2,000.!!
Who is going to pay the doctors for their care? How do you think this hospital keeps serving patients?
She yelled louder, "This bill is $2,000. "What WERE YOU THINKING?"
After seven days with a sick baby, agonizing whether to bring him in, she was exhausted and crying.
"I just wanted my son well, she said." I will pay you back after I get out of school in July, in the meantime I will send what I can>"
The clerk handed her the bill and stated, "Yeah, well good luck with that." Who will the pay the doctors?"

My daughter has two months of school and then she will have a job with insurance coverage.
She doesn't have much choice at this point.
This may sound a little dramatic, but the message from health care is this-"unless you qualify for medicare or medicaid, or have private insurance, don't come here. Don't you dare come here."

Like any service offered on an optional basis such as pedicures, facials, manicures, hair design, etc., if you don't have the money do not use the service. Your health, your baby's health is not important enough to warrant service without payment, Go away. If you die, it is that much cheaper for us.

How dare you come here without the ability to pay.
Know any pediatricians who take cash and charge reasonable rates.?

Welcome to The United States of Conspiracy Theories and Lunacy

2011-05-06T04:35:00.000-07:00

What factors account for a country's descent into sheer lunacy? When voices of reason and actual facts take a backseat to an increasingly paranoid population hell bent on destroying its' government and actual well being?
A country which celebrates cold blooded murder and firing squad assassinations of third world county leaders?
What barbaric code of ethics does this country abide within?
When normally reasonable people believe in conspiracy theories and demand the release of graphically violent pictures to assuage their cynical sense of self,- how did we get here?
Did the media become stupid first? Or did the citizens simply find an equal partner to put a face on their national stupidity?
Did we elect people into office whose initial intentions were greed, avarice and blatant disdain for the citizens actually served or have they become corrupted along the way?
The United States is a dying democracy.-
it's citizenship participating in its' own demise.
As a nation we are so divided we are beyond partisan politics.
We do not politely agree to disagree - we violently repudiate another's opinion, believing to our deepest core a differing opinion constitutes treason or at least a personal betrayal.

It is a sick, sick society, a runaway train with no brakes, this craziness in which the truth can no longer be recognized.

Us Budget Woes? Three Wars ignored by the American People???

2011-05-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

700 billion dollars were spent in the last year on three wars. Not a peep from the American people. The United States defense budget is more than all defense budgets of the entire world combined.
Did you know that?
We are fighting wars in three countries which have no organized armies. And we are losing!!
When will Americans quit thinking stupid?
Why are in three wars?
Why are we not out of these countries?
Enough!
Or do we like our persona? Kill anything that moves?

America's Degrees of Inhumanity

2011-03-29T05:16:00.000-07:00

Outrage isn't what it used to be.

Numbed by a barrage of culturally accepted, media hyped violent images, games, movies and real life violence, America has accepted higher degrees of inhumanity as the "new normal".

As we dumb down our education system and blame it on the teachers, ignore those most in need of our compassion and assistance, accept millions of unemployed fellow citizens -in fact, blame them for their unemployment and refuse to hire them, we plow on toward our goal:

Higher degrees of inhumanity, always with another explanation -another curious sound bite.

Human life in America continues to cheapen.

What other country on this planet is currently fighting three wars?

*yawn* says the dumbed down America. .

Momentary Perspective for those less than shallow

2011-03-16T05:53:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Momentary Perspective

Japan's horrible disaster appeared to create about 60 seconds of reflection from our mostly self absorbed, narcissistic country-
After all, what do we REALLY have? Stuff can get washed away in seconds. Entire families can die within minutes, and in some cases, family members will never be located.
As I drive to work in the morning my renewed respect for this earth has me humbly acknowledging the power of the mountains surrounding Las Vegas.
-Nature has a way of balancing itself- man can only destroy Earth for so long.
We seem to be feeling the effects of natures inability to balance all that we demand from it.
Millions of fish and birds dying, flooding, earthquakes, huge monster storms

If mankind can't get beyond the selfish destruction of its own planet, we will perish.
Earth will have another round of some form of life as it knows it, but we will not.

Bashing Unions: Losing a Profound History to Ignorance

2011-02-19T08:47:00.000-08:00

The United States corporate world has a long history of exploiting labor. We started with owning slaves and worked our way to child labor, paying more for mens work than womans and keeping pay to starvation salaries for blacks and people of color.
Today it is those same old white men who want to take away those protections earned and fought through the loss of lives and many injured to establish fair and equal employment for those in this nation.
I am 58 years old and I can still remember growing up in Detroit, my father coming home with huge gashes in his arm one day from working in one of the auto factories.
Protections did not exist for safety and it took another ten years for the auto unions to win those safety procedures and protect those on the assembly lines.
The unions not only provided protection for employees, fair wages for a days work, they kept the factories honest.
Today we have huge problems. As deregulation occurs, we have recalls of a myriad of products right down to larvae in Similac formula. It was removed from the shelves when my grandson was two months old. He is now 11 months old.
Baby cribs have been recalled. Children's toys imported by prominent American toy stores recalled because of lead paint. This, the result of "shipping" our production overseas to third world countries to exploit poor countries running the same kind of sweatshops outlawed in the United States.
Americans are shortchanged by an education system which gives short shrift to history, social studies and science lessons, all for the perceived notion we don't need those as much as we do reading and writing.
The results of our narrowed view of education is a narrowed view of the world, a lack of understanding and a mature world view.
Ironically, America is moving backward as less democratic countries move forward.
It is exciting to see Egypt and other countries dominated by monarchies and dictatorships willing to die for a free and fair country.
It is sad to see such a world power as the United States continue to erode freedoms and protections such as unions, regulations to ensure safety, labor laws, and our very right to privacy (i.e. terrorist act).
It is the ignorance of our general population which the wealthy corporations, banks and peoples prey upon to advance and promote the increase of wealth for themselves.
I have a history of watching those strikes in Detroit and the strikes did not derive from greed or exploitation.
I remember a country once proud of the protections and considerations citizens received and expected.
I see a country now steeped in ignorance and anger.
History repeats itself. I am old enough to see it. This history we are creating now is the past to the 1800's of Robber Barons and general poverty.
When we are willing to remove formula from a poor babies mouth (WIC) allow solo seniors to struggle and die alone such as the elderly man in Michigan whose power was shut off in the dead of winter and froze to death, , punish children for their parents choices, we are no longer a democracy.
We are no better than the lawless and brutal regimes of third world countries who kill, allow to die and exploit citizens, who are considered property and not fully free , self directed humans.
Video games and reality shows do not replace the important, no, critical need of our citizenry to learn about and understand our history as it is related to employment, workers, standards of living and corporate greed.
If the only way to teach our population about these events is through cable tv, cartoons, and video games, internet, You Tube and Tweets, let those brave enough to teach our population, please, do it now.

Bristol Palin, Republicans, , Black Friday and American stupidity

2010-11-26T05:13:00.000-08:00

So Americans are going to show us, yeah they are, that nobody is gonna push us around, by golly, wink wink.
We're gonna vote a greedy, stupid, avaricious (look that word up-Sarahgrzzly), reality star who encourages her daughter to make a fool of herself on national tv, quits her government job so she can rake in the millions, and really doesn't give a shit about the US- to be our next president!

Yessir, no one is gonna pull the wool over our eyes-we showed "them" (whoever "them" refers to in the US)
we voted all those Republicans back into office-better to have our money blatantly stolen that have a "BLACK MAN" in office, eh?

Oh yeah, we know where we are going in this country-Back to the good ole USofA -
Where blacks and hispanics knew their place and where God made sure women stayed in the kitchen.

We don't have communists to fear anymore, but we have them there Arabs, and we are gonna get them-
why we have plenty of poor black and mexican boys who will fight our wars-
and if they refuse, why we'll just draft them to die.
Don't ever forget our Manifest Destiny
Our mission from God-

We don't need no good education to conquer the world-
Why, we'll just do what we always do-
steal from our own citizens,, corrupt other governments, invade countries, oppress our own and other countries citizens in the name of security, and stomp on anyone who questions the status quo-as "Unamerican"
Yep, we sure like our stupidity and ignorance-
makes us feel mighty powerful

Yeah, I sat outside target in my tent all night so I could buy the 46 inch no name tv-for 600.00
So what about it? It's the American way-got my picture in the paper..
I was first!!!

No more Pissed Off

2010-11-20T18:28:00.000-08:00

I have given up the PO'd routine.
American citizens are proud of their vast store of ignorance.
I don't recognize this country -it has become a third world bastion of corruption, owned and operated by lobbyists and corporations.
The only Manifest Destiny the US can claim for fame is the ability to destroy a huge country, once proud of its' melting pot, now stirring all kinds of prejudice, racism, anger, hate and stupidity.
I still have a teeny bit of hope we right ourselves (we did with McCarthy madness) before we implode.

Otherwise I am hoping I can lie low, live long enough to collect my retirement, fade off into some oblivious portion of the US that isn't full of the same scary people I live around today, and find a little peace.

Since when did this country worry about the national debt?
Since when did America worry about being fiscally responsible-at the expense of the lives of other citizens?
Since when did our citizens decide to establish a "worthiness" scale which will allow some to live and others to starve, suffer and die?
Since when did money become so much more important than the quality of life for all US citizens?

This country is ridin' the wrong rails and there is no established track.
Of course, we refuse to pay to build one.
Growing old in this country is starting to look like one mean business.

Las Vegas ranked 55-dumbest city in the United States

2010-10-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

The Daily Beast lists 56 cities from smartest to dumbest.
Las Vegas, as usual is one of the dumbest cities in the United States. (Number 55!) With only 7% of our citizens with Masters Degrees, 14 % with a Bachelors and a dismal high school graduation rate, we can proudly call Sharon Angle our own, can't we??

Randy Michaels-When Your Age Doesn't Get It..

2010-10-19T05:35:00.000-07:00

At one time, former radio shock jock Randy Michaels was a maverick, just like McCain.
Their words were admired and actions tolerated.
People shrugged and said, "Hey, they make money(or policy).

What neither of them get is age IS a factor. Randy Michael's frat house behavior was considered cute when he was-but as an old man- he is considered perverse in some way, immature and offensive. The old, "bare your breast " jokes may have been seen as over the top in the eighties but the Hooter's girls see a bespectacled old man holding a 100 dollar bill in his pudgy fist and think, "there are limits to this job, pervert.."

American culture looks askance (I am sure that is on Michaels list of 163 words not to use in journalism)
at men as they age-the jokes are no longer ladened with a" sexy masculine virility " they are viewed as repulsive, immature and a sort of expected male senior moment.

If you are a man over the age of sixty and still telling sex jokes let me give the picture in the brain of those under that age-a dirty old man fondling what is left of his balls.
Not a pretty sight?

Randy Michaels broke all the rules.Twenty years ago it was outrageous, cute and the generation loved it.
He forgets, his generation looks a lot like him now-with one exception-
they grew up.

Christopher Columbus A Fairy Tale

2010-10-11T05:33:00.000-07:00

We Americans live in such a world of fantasy. Trusting historical tales is tricky.
Christopher Columbus never reached North America. He landed on Haiti and Cuba. Spent time in islands off the coast of South America.
Why do we teach kids otherwise?
The roundness of the earth was established long before he took his three ships out to sea.

Paul Bunyan and Babe, Pecos Bill-acknowledged tall tales.
Columbus has historical significance in a small way.
But a holiday? A legal holiday?

Democrats lose majority in 2010 race!!

2010-10-03T05:54:00.000-07:00

Open Letter to Democrats

June 18, 2009

Dear Democratic leaders,

What in the hell are you doing?

Harry and Nancy, can't you keep your kids in line?

You are going to give this country back to the crazies and the only reason will be the sheer disgust of supporters at your utter lack of cohesiveness.

An obvious flaw you all might not notice? No teamwork! You have members out there spouting off to the media to make a name for themselves -damn the teamwork. Every time I turn on the TV I see some red herring democrat vowing not to follow party lines.

What the hell!

You were elected to follow party lines.

Message to the egos-if you want to make a name for yourself-you are doing it-you will get voted right out of office. You don't think people notice backstabbing??-that's not independence-it's disloyalty and voters remember come election time.

Lately I am not a big fan of any party. Personally, I think the party is over for both sides.

But I am trying to give you a little advice here-you are going to lose your asses if you keep this up.

Citizens WANT affordable health care coverage, they DON"T WANT your sucking up and taking money from health care lobbyists and spinning it by calling it "independent thoughtfulness" on your part.

Voters want you to quit sucking up to the financial sector and get the country out of this mess.

Nail those credit card company extortionists.

US citizens voted for President Obama. Give US citizens what Obama promised. Quit undermining your own frickin party!

The Republicans party looks like satanists right now but you know something? At least they followed their leader-they got things done. Nothing voters wanted for sure-look at our country!

You are going to lose the opportunity to make this country whole again-or is that it? That is what you want? Your election is all about the money from the PACS, the lobbyists and your ego?

Keep this up and next election we will have a country comparable to any oppressive regime out there-and the Ayatollah (Gingrich). (Limbaugh),(crazylady Palin) or some other wing nut will be cramming their version of "Family Values" down our throats.

Get with the frickin program or you won't have a seat let alone a platform.

Follow the damn sheep and get something done up there!

When You Believe You are So, Absolutely, Right

2010-10-03T05:01:00.000-07:00

There is nothing so dangerous as a person who believes they are "absolutely right".
Absolutes are rare and belong to the category of natural elements not crackpot politics, in which we are all "absolutely certain" the incumbent is incompetent and out to screw us and the "fresh meat" would do no such thing..

When Did We Decide Money Was More Important Than Human Lives?

2010-10-02T04:04:00.000-07:00

The United States of Capitalism, Corporations, and For Profit Greed.
Our country's politicians have given away our citizenships to profit making mega corporations and death is considered a minor fallout..
When we allow our government to pass laws, policies and budgets so corrupt and obviously destructive to our citizens' lives, we no longer can call ourselves a country, let alone a democracy.
We are a corporatocracy., ruled by the interests of the corporations buying our congress.
We can vote out the politicians but until we take action to eliminate the corporations in our government workings,
we will continue our slide into third world status.

US-Master of the Bully

2010-10-02T03:36:00.000-07:00

Bullying is an art form in the US.

How can you expect kids to refrain from bullying?

Our television shows are predicated on it (most reality shows feature humiliation and degradation )

Our politicians use media outlets to lie, twist and rant untruths -(about our own President), and with elections in progress-are you kidding? Classic examples for kids to learn how to destroy another human.

Our news media is full of untruths, lies and twisted quotes.

Media uses tweets, blogs, radio, tv and print to write lies, deceptions and twisted truths , once thrown out there they can hardly be dispelled in as powerful a manner as they have been announced,

How can anyone in this crazy, convoluted culture expect kids to not do what adults are teaching them to do so well?

Destroy others because you can.

Why Teachers can't Teach and Why You are Killing the Wrong Messenger

2010-09-28T06:03:00.000-07:00

Teachers don't teach anymore. Well, they don't decide what your child needs to learn and how they will best learn it.
It is what teachers attended universities and paid thousands of dollars to learn to do, it is their field of expertise.
But School district administrators, researchers, curriculum developers and text book companies decided they know better.
What you need to know is all schools are "data driven" and your child's needs are based on that data. It doesn't matter if your child isn't ready to learn a certain developmental task. Your child fails if they aren't ready to learn it. Oh, teachers are to provide "remedial" training to your child, based on the curriculum calendar -for example, if your child doesn't understand the concept of groupings by September of this year in first grade, but gets it in March, your child's report card will reflect the fact they are failing that concept based on the timeline expected for them to learn it.
You see, teachers don't call the shots anymore. District curriculum administrators do that.
Teachers are told what to teach, when to teach it and how to teach it.
Your child's personal needs are not considered.
Teachers are evaluated by the ability of a class to achieve milestones directed by the school district deadlines.

While parents and the public are bashing public teachers as poorly motivated, lazy, even slothful, protected by unions who appear out to protect an archaic system, the public is attacking the messenger.
We would love to teach to each child's needs. We would love to spend a little extra time developing a learning environment which prepares your child for learning new concepts when ready.

We would love to use those tested , tried and true methods to instill a love of learning, an excitement and wonder for learning. It is what we all remember -the teacher who instilled the love of reading, made history and social studies come alive, knew how we learned and placed a full plate of educational wonders at our desk so we felt rich and full.
Last week my group of first grade boys were completing the district mandated calendar activities-
date, month, year, shapes, weather, counting by twos, fives and tens, and seasons when one of them asked me about the seasons. Why was their summer? Winter? How did the weather get cold or hot?
While not in the curriculum calendar for first grade 5 and 6 year olds it was a teachable moment and we used the globe to discuss the rotation and revolutions of the earth.
The astonishment on their faces, the rapt attention, the fast flying questions and the pondering looks on their faces reminded me of why I became a teacher.
It is the love of learning, the amazing connections we make when we learn and the wondrous looks on the 20 faces of the little boys I so love to teach -that is why I teach.
Mostly your children are cheated of these experiences and while it is happening the public is killing the wrong messengers.
The very ones who want , more than anything in this world, to make learning alive, rich in content, applicable and understandable to your children.
The teachers.

The New Poor In America

2010-09-23T05:37:00.000-07:00

Last night as I was leaving Wal-Mart a man with two children came up to me and ask if we had any money to spare.
Said he was laid off last year and couldn't find work. Food stamps didn't cover enough for food and he couldn't find a job. He asked me if I knew of anywhere he could find work, he was desperate.
I had 50 dollars to spend on groceries for five people in my family that had to last until Friday and we were hitting the dollar store,
I couldn't help him and I work.
These are kids that go to my schools.
They are kids who wear raggedy clothing and have nowhere to sleep at night.
What is happening to our country?
I got home and found out they had recalled the formula my grandson drinks because the Similac had bug parts in them.
Formula is 24.00 a can!
So 13.00 of my fifty went to buy a can of formula until we get paid on Friday.
Oh, sure, they will give you a voucher for their products without bugs but who wants to buy formula from a company that cares so little about infants they allow bugs to get in their formula?

Eggs? Formula? Lettuce?
These are things which happen in third world countries, not the United States.
Used to.

GOP Contract With America

2010-09-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

GOP Contract With America:

Fellow Americans
You loved the Flush of the Bush years.

New Contract:
Dear Middle Americans:
How would you like to lose it??
With cyanide or Drano??
The poor of this country are already on their way out.
Middle Americans, Stupid, Ignorant Middle Americans,
Vote us in so we can finish you off.

Let's Raise Social Security Until Their Dead

2010-09-13T05:12:00.000-07:00

Raising the age for Social Security is a cheap shot.
When massive unemployment plagues the United States
who do you think is the first to be laid off?
Look around
Those age 50 to 65 are in no man's land.
No Social Security to protect them,
so le';s raise the age for benefits.
The government saves money because it forces many elderly to draw it early
or people die before they can collect it.

Freedom of Speech

2010-09-12T02:00:00.000-07:00

I struggle with wanting to shut the pundits of sensationalism and lies up and respecting their right to open their mouths and pour out the inaccuracies, distortions and lies.

The American Psyche-Grandiosity Turned Paranoid

2010-09-11T04:43:00.000-07:00

As a nation we have always been full of ourselves.
We wouldn't have stood up to the most powerful British nation in the 1700's had we not had an insufferable amount of self importance.
Those moments are about the best of us.
Over time we have taken our sense of self importance beyond the healthy -
twisting our rationale to create Japanese internment camps during World War II and imprisoning our own American citizens, going to war with one another, a fight to own other humans, how much more grandiose can one get? To believe we the have the right to own another human?
We have taken it upon ourselves to "root out communism" destroying thousands of American citizens careers, livelihoods , families and lives in the process,
We have invaded smaller countries deciding our form of government is "free" so we should impose it on other countries. We claim to abhor the violation of others civil rights, considering many third world countries barbaric yet we are one of the few "civilized countries in the world to continue using the death penalty.

9/11 is a watershed in America. The lives lost at the Pentagon, the World Trade Centers, and on Flight 93 did not result in a shining America, ready to show the world how we unite and the wonders of our democratic principals.
Instead it curtailed the rights of citizens, created a witch hunt mentality for those few left in the country who believe they are not of immigrant heritage, laws allowing our phones to be tapped, out internet use to be monitored, and yes, even our most fundamental rights, the right to know our accusers, obtain legal council and the right to a fair trial have been thrown out the window-without one peep.
Oh the occasional blogger might have written something-without much notice.

The National Enquirer, once the gold standard for the outrageous? A small burp behind the hand of a child compared to absolute sensationalized, vacuous, self absorbed, shallow "news" meted out by airheaded, mean spirited, intellectually vacuumed mainstream media caricatures who call themselves "reporters"

9/11 shit happens. We are not so unique.

We have invaded countries on baseless lies-do you not think those citizens and families, the many deaths, is not suffering?
Do you not consider the deaths of thousands of blacks at the hands of America a a huge catastrophe?
Do you not consider the meddling in other countries-overthrowing governments, because "we" deem it right, removing whatever will the people own, an insufferable method of patronization?

Had we used these moments in history to declare change which actually did improve the lives of those who suffer, we could rationalize our insufferably grand delusional nature.

We didn't. use this tragedy to shine a light on our justice system, the belief in religious freedoms, or the rights of our citizens, did we?
In our bizarro twist of perspective, we have turned our nations' goodness into hatred- no paranoia , allowing our own freedoms to be sacrificed, taken our Statue of Liberty's welcoming beacon and turned it into a torch of persecution towards our own immigrant history, and emerged an angry nation, irrational, sensationalized, refusing to see truth, grasping at media bloviation as if it were truth, and headed for third world country status.

Our beloved country, the United States, once held out to the world as a nation of hope for others, has become a nightmare, to be feared, globally,
not because of our power or our our strength-
because of our dangerous paranoia and irrational grandiosity.

A knife or a gun? Voting

2010-09-09T06:46:00.000-07:00

Voting for most of the candidates this year is like asking do I want to kill myself with a knife or a gun?
Not doing anything allows someone else to make that decision for you.
Is this called a "conundrum?"
I think so, Helen...

Simple Rules of Communication

2010-09-05T01:53:00.000-07:00

I work at an elementary school. I love my work. I can't think of another job I would want to do.
The kids are amazing.
The greatest challenge is getting 70 women in one building to communicate in an honest and straightforward manner.
A lot of backdoor, backbiting, insinuations seem to occur and usually I just stay under the radar and teach.
For some reason, this year, there appears to be more vindictiveness than usual.
Ironic, when we are teachers of healthy social behaviors and communication skills.

So I wrote a few simple rules that might reduce the number of incidents in which conflict is created by poor communication behaviors.

1. If you have an issue with someone go to them first to resolve it-avoid discussing it with others you work with -what does that accomplish?
2. If you aren't sure or don't know-ask and clarify.
3. Think positive! It may very well be a misunderstanding-never assume.
4. Always ask yourself, "How would I like to be treated in this situation?"- before you act on your feelings. We are supposed to be role models for young children. Are we behaving in the manner we expect them to behave, in resolving differences?
5. Accept responsibility for making our work environment joyful! Isn't that what we all want for our students and ourselves?

Disaster America-the Reality Show

2010-08-29T06:31:00.000-07:00

Can anyone forget the carnage of 9-11? Bodies falling from buildings? Brothers, sisters, wives, sons, daughters, grandparents, beloved family members lost in one morning?

Riveted to the TV, not wanting to look at the disaster, horrified?

The legacy we brought from it?

One massive disastrous America.

The emotional climate in America is leading us to our greatest disaster yet.
One huge carnage, where the fallout will be our children, our families, our elderly parents and those most vulnerable without our love and care.

Help thy neighbor?
Show thy papers.

Educate they children?
Not on my dime.

Support those hurting in today's America? Unemployed? Homeless? Disabled? Uninsured? Without food or shelter?
Regard those people with suspicion. Their misfortunes are self induced.

America sees the world as one big conspiracy and they plan to defend it from unseen evil.
The white race, the supreme ones, those with income will lead the foolish citizens , if ever there was a conspiracy, it is the raping of the naive and foolish middle class citizens who follow the rich at their own peril./

Many bright and enlightened minds have written fact ladened articles regarding the lemming like direction of American citizens.
What they do not realize is the citizens of America have stopped listening to the truth. Sensationalized journalism has courted them for the past twenty years and the results are people believe Fox News and Entertainment Tonight are credible sources.
We are an America demented, having lost the ability to think critically. Entertained by Survivor, seduced by Reality Shows and filled with junk food media reports between our bouts of stupid tv..

It is a disaster of the bloodiest, goriest kind. I keep trying to turn my face away from the carnage-stop looking, I tell myself!
But the horror of it is too great. And I don't know how to prepare for the aftermath or
and the absolute, deep, profound grief of losing my America, the land of possibilities and opportunity.
It is a deep, deep dark hole we are falling into, America.
Far worse than Alice's fantasy-land.

A Nation of Stupids

2010-08-26T04:18:00.000-07:00

It used to be kind of amusing. That people bought the Bush lies. Rush Limbaugh could get people going on the dumbest things.
Glenn Beck was a joke and so was Fox News.
Now Fox News is truth to many people,
It is like having the old version of the National Enquirer, with its freak shows, aliens and area 51 cover ups only now half the citizens of our country are stupid enough to believe the outrageous garbage.
Media track Lindsey Lohan like she is something we care about.
We are a nation of stupids.
And come November, the stupids deserve what they vote for.
Perhaps there are people out there still hoping America will come to its senses.
Don't hold your breath.
Ignorance and stupidity are so popular in this country we will make the Iranian form of government look like something out of "It;s a Small Small World."

Ponderings of Insomnia

2010-08-18T06:34:00.000-07:00

Should you put the cream and sweetener in the coffee cup and then the coffee? Is it possible to do it in a way a spoon would not be needed?
Is there anything symbolic about dreaming of a white cat escaping your house and a black cat sneaking in?
Does a short heavy rain have more density than a longer light rain?
What is a good substitute for egg in a recipe?
If kids are coming to school less intelligent should it still be possible to teach them all that is required on a grade level? Should they just "be able to learn it", even if they come in dumber than 20 years ago?
Is sex still as exciting now that all but the inside of the vagina is shown on all medias? Was sex more exciting when certain things were considered taboo?
Do you think the next generation will have to deal with challenges our earth has never experienced in all it millions and millions of years? Or do you think finite is a myth?

Do you think we are all just going to be obliterated by antibiotic resistant germs or will we just blow ourselves up first?

Will money ever become obsolete?
What would be the next currency ?
Will we ever get past the gasoline engine or the use of oil?

Will Captain Crunch cereal still be around in ten years?
What can you buy for fifty cents?
A quarter?
What is the Tooth fairy giving out nowadays?
Should we outlaw trick or treating on Halloween?

Should we outlaw any holiday that is not considered a Christian holiday?
Should American businesses be punished for hiring illegal aliens?

Has President Obama Jumped The Shark?

2010-08-15T07:04:00.000-07:00

President Obama came out strong after the election. Stepping into the maelstrom of a melting economy and the dogsh*t of partisan politics, he gathered some of the best and the brightest to address the financial meltdown, the corrupt and negligent federal watchdogs of Wall Street would be tamed and leashed . It was working. The stimulus money seemed to plug the leaks on wall street and the three big auto dealers were salvaged. The banks, although many have failed over the past two years, were also bailed out . Profits for banks, wall street and private enterprise have soared in the past year.

That is where it ends. The middle class paid for the bail outs with retirement funds, small investments, their jobs, homes and any additional small luxuries they may have earned over the lifespan of their employments.
Those hit the hardest, workers fifty and over have been left holding the emptiest bag, after losing high paying jobs, using up those 401K's( Bush was so proud of )to sustain them while job hunting, discovered they were no longer considered employable. A new class of poor, those over fifty but under sixty five, having exhausted savings, retirement and unemployment, have no options.

In addition, the competition for employment is so fierce, those single woman on assistance, once the desirables for the low paying jobs in fast food, nursing homes and temporary work, live under a four year deadline requiring them to find employment-or what? Starve?

While citizens across the nation continue losing jobs and homes, President Obama seems to have gotten in with the "Let Them Eat Cake Crowd", ignoring all the indicators which tells us corporations, banks and finance have raped the citizens of the country, continue to do so by busting unions with concessions, cutbacks, whittling away at workers full time status with benefits and leaving many on the street.
Eventually who buys what industry produces, farmers grow, businesses serve up and banks seek?
It won't be the consumers of 2007 or 2010 will it?
Oh, President Obama no longer seems concerned about it.
Now we have two choices, the crazy Republicans- at least honest about supporting the rich and raping the country's workers or President Obama's crew, having gone half the distance and decided to join the uber-comfortable top 4%, I guess. Because he isn't speaking to me lately.

Our Country-The Reality Show

2010-08-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

Dumbing down is putting it mildly. Bristol's ex, Levi is now planning to run for mayor of Wasilla and has a reality show in the works to follow him. Sarah has her Alaska show and Bristol is running an ad against teen pregnancy.?? wtf?

We all act as if this parody and mockery of our political system is just another "pretend" "yawn*" day in the life of an American citizen.
There are days when I read the news and am ashamed to tell people I am a teacher.
Life is not a reality show and the vulgar the better wasn't exactly the motto I had hoped we would be proud to hold out to other countries.
The 14th Amendment scare, along with the unknown FBI informants is another example of the dumbing down of our country.
Watching the word stupidity become an action, a reality, is such a painful process.
I keep hoping we will come to our senses and stop all this craziness.
Will we or are we doomed to prove that the lowest common denominator in humanity is well and alive in the United States?
PS All the while the top 2%- the wealthiest- are laughing all the way to the bank.

The Mudslides of Motherhood

2010-08-09T04:57:00.000-07:00

I have a new grandson. He shed his newborn old man look and is slowly transforming into a chubby little baby with dimples. He has my crooked smile, my daughter's pretty face and his dad's ears.
The first thing he learned to do was smile.
Nature does that for a reason. Babies require so much time and work, if they didn't smile, it could be a little hard to keep going.
I just finished the 3:30 feeding and it is almost 6:30. He's a gourmet feeder-liked to try a little, smile and coo, eat a little more, smile and coo, gaze around the room, taste a little more.
I'm glad he already likes the finer things in life.

My daughter will be 18 in 5 months. She sat with me last night and told me taking care of a baby is the hardest thing she has ever done. She is exhausted and it shows. The pregnancy wasn't wasy but all the time she was pregnant I kept reminding her this was the easy part.
I raised my daughter by myself. Oh, her dad came to visit her and he has always been good about child support generous with her if she needed other things.
Bu the knew he did not want to be a full time parent at the stage in his life when I became pregnant. I definitely wasn't "the one" so that left me with a decision to make.
When I decided to keep my daughter, I was thirty nine. I had a son graduating from high school.
Raising her was never easy, but my love for her is steadfast, always there, she knows this.
For her motherhood is a huge, huge responsibility. She no longer feels connected to her friends. She is too tired to hang out. She feels isolated at home. One day she told me the hardest day is Monday when we all go back to work.
Motherhood comes in all sizes. From teen age to middle age, middle class to poor, motherhood stands, hung with expectations, traditions and assumptions.
Some things never change. woman bear children and bear the responsibility for them as well. The occasional bottle feeding, diaper changing and "willing to help out when asked" is about the limit for men.
Women spend thousands of hours caring for children. Over the past 50 years women have not only continued this job, they have taken on the additional role of breadwinner often alone, with a mate, it means triple the work.
My daughter and I talked frankly about motherhood. So I am going to say the words women never say out loud for fear they will be condemned as not only horrible mothers (omg!) but terrible human beings.
1. Motherhood is a thankless job at times. The demands can suck the life out of a woman and the only thing really motivating her is the need for sleep! Oh what sweet sleep five or more hours can be to a woman sleep deprived, exhausted and feeling terribly hormonal. Of course, men have to go to work, so they can't possibly awaken to take on all three night feedings. Many women are alone and have no choice.
As a society we all know what sleep deprivation feels like. Light headed-dizzy, spots before the eyes, dry skin, heavy limbs, zombie like brain.
Most of us know we can make it through one day-and then sleep for 12 hours.
New moms get no break. Constant sleep deprivation.
2. The rewards are intrinsic-great. Everyone tells you the rewards are intrinsic, society is so intent on sending the message to woman being a good mom means love it or your horrible-but the rewards are sparse, actually, and the love one has for a child has little to do with the actual chores of parenting. Yes, we love our kids. No we don't like being tethered to a human being with needs so great is controls the entire household. Yes, it is thrilling to see the changes, the first smile, the first step, no it isn't grand to work all day and be up with a crabby baby all night, and then go to work again.
Reality is-a baby needs the care of at least three full time caretakers.
Who invented the rule that the mom is responsible for triple duty?

3. Money IS everything. Money provides women more choices. It is the differences between a caretaker one worries about each day and a sense of security. Money provides respite care for mom. Money allows women choices about the level of work required outside of the home.
Money also provides choice. Poor women receiving cash assistance from any state in the US is required to place their child in day care 8 hours a day five days a week and do SOMETHING-even if it is cleaning up trash at the county dump 40 hours per week. Poor woman cannot stay home and raise their kids in infancy-at six weeks they are required to place their kids.
Money talks.

4. Have men become worthless to the woman who does it all?
"Helping out" ? Why do woman still accept this? Men should share equally in the child rearing process. Woman are equal partners in the work world. In today's world, I would not have a child unless I had a commitment from my spouse to provide equal care for our child. If he reneged, I would divorce him.
Seriously. I would be doing all the work anyway, so why keep him around?

5. The above observations do not cancel out the fact my grandson is cute, he has a great smile, and he is hungry again..:}

Waking with the strangest dreams-miniature cows??

2010-07-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

I woke up remembering my dreams. That is rare. I couldn't tell you the last time I remembered my dreams.
No, it wasn't anything I ate.
I stood in the kitchen looking at a little square Tupperware container. You know, the kind you stash your leftover Macaroni and cheese? Someone stood across from me. We were having a conversation and as we talked I lifted the lid to the container. Inside were four miniature cows and a miniature black bull with sharp horns.
They immediately jumped out and I found myself chasing them around the fruit bowl and cereal boxes.
I got the cows back inside but the bull kept fighting.
Each time I opened the container to return the bull a cow would jump out.
Finally I got the lid on tight and walked away.

A few hours later I was standing inside a department store and a family stood by a counter with the cows and bull, claiming they found them running around . I explained they weren't for sale, put them back in the container and wondered how I ended up taking care of four miniature cows and a bull and what they would do next.

Any ideas?

"Reality TV" It's Dead-Get On With It!

2010-07-29T06:02:00.000-07:00

I am so sick of reality tv- it doesn't deserve to be capitalized.
For awhile a few of the shows amused me-Housewives of New Jersey was kind of trashy in a Jerry Springer way-the word reality is some kind of joke, scripting is an insult-kind of like watching WWF. You know it's fake, why waste time?
Can't flip through the channels without sixty odd reality shows, the other channels are nailing us with reality infomercials and there isn't much difference.
Now, Sarah Palin is going to have an "Alaska" reality show and her kid is shopping around for a Bristol family Donna Reed show, what is left?
Have we no shame or dignity anymore?
A show about repo-ing someone's truck or motorcycle? Cheaters? Process Servers? Pawn Shops? Funeral Homes? Sara and Bristol Palin?
The entire United States media has jumped the shark.
No, jumping is a kind description, US media trawls the ocean floors with catfish, slugs and other bottom feeders.
We're supposed to be "entertained" by media's lowest common denominator-stupidity.

Anyone Else Not Care To Be Along For This Ride?? (Politics)

2010-07-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

My stomach is in knots when I read the news. I don't remember getting on this roller coaster ride voluntarily -and I sure don't know how to get off unless pleading ignorance is the E Ticket ?
I do not believe in profiling race to control immigration.
I don't believe 2 1/2 million unemployed people in our nation are "whiners" and "lazy"
I don't believe every person losing a home to foreclosure is shirking responsibility.
I don't believe we need to "tighten our belts" in order to control the economy.

I do believe the middle class are disappearing.
Many professionals have been laid off to "save money" and are replaced with "younger, inexperienced" people.

Why do I believe it?
Because companies are making record profits and the unemployment and foreclosure rates continue upwards yet consumer spending rates are down.
So big companies and Wall Street are doing great but our citizenship is struggling and losing ground financially.
No, I don't want to go along on this crazy ride called,
"We don't want more taxes, we want less-
and no we don't care who is suffering out there, if families are suffering, it is their problem".
I don't like being on the ride called, "Public schools are horrible, teachers and government employees are over paid, let's cut them off even more."

Our "voice" per se, as a nation, has become one of hostility, heartlessness , selfishness and greed.
I don't know how this happened or where it is coming from, but it isn't the "E ticket ride" I chose.
Get me off.
This nation feels like a bad "Chuckie" movie, and I don't like it.

Beware, Las Vegas Police shoot first, ask questions later

2010-07-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas has become a microcosm of what a police state looks like.
You might want to keep this information for future reference.
The Las Vegas Police department doesn't use tasers to subdue potentially dangerous suspects,
They shoot to kill.
In the past 6 months, 17 people have been killed by Metro Police officers.
Of those incidents, one especially trigger happy officer has killed twice in six months.

Consider that Las Vegas, the place you go to keep secrets, is a "libertarian state", carrying concealed weapons is a badge of honor for the tough, independent, but very self centered men living in this little corner of the state.

And it is the men who are shot and killed.
Well, they did shoot and kill a woman standing outside next to an ice cream truck because they claimed she had a butter knife in her hand. She was upset with the police because they were apprehending her husband, the driver of the truck.

Las Vegas Police officers don't mess with deescalation techniques, or quelling a potentially charged situation.
In fact the most recent shooting to create real controversy was the shooting of a man outside of Costco, in the parking lot .
Glad I wasn't pushing my shopping cart around Costco that day.
Oh, it was recorded but something about the tapes not working correctly.

Flawed video is kind of a mantra with the department.
Used to help elect Jim Gibbons, Nevada's worst governor ever, brought this state to its knees these past two years.
Perhaps the LVMPD should share the blame for our fiscal and regulatory nightmare.

So what, right?
Our little corner of the world isn't very big, is it?
Visitors are getting the message that Las Vegas is a very scary place for a vacation.
A very, very scary place.

Suckers! The Palin Greed Train

2010-07-16T05:54:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin dumps her Gov job to sell a ghost written book and earn hundreds of thousands of dollars for "speaking engagements"
Surprise!
Levi and the Palin Princess are reunited! Will marry!
Oh, what a surprise! Shopping for a reality show.
Have we had enough of the sleazy behavior
or are some of you still convinced she's the A ticket for president?

That's what I thought..
The painful reality of my country -please prove me wrong here-please?
morons, ignorant, ignorant morons

Wild Country and the Las Vegas Man

2010-07-15T05:55:00.000-07:00

Like wild horses in the Nevada Canyons, only not as pretty or self sufficient, the Las Vegas man of Nevada considers himself to be a Libertarian. Now a Libertarian believes the less government the better.-
But let's take a look at what the Nevada man really says when he speaks "Libertarian"
"The less government the better-no one has the right to be in my business-"
what this really translates into is a mandate for legalized prostitution, legalized drug use, loose alcohol and gambling restrictions, and no responsibilities toward the community in which one resides.
The Las Vegas man can be spotted in the comments section of both local newspapers railing about less government spending and regulation. Regular commentary from this species usually entails the ranting about the uselessness of children and encouraging the closing of public schools, the disgust with single women and children, anyone needing help, disabled, mentally ill, elderly-
one might believe Hitler's ancestors sent their remaining genes disguised as men to Las Vegas to set up a pure, healthy, white race of humans, preferably "just men" because women can be purchased for a few hours.

Trucks abound in Nevada. Not a state to worry about conservation of any resource except the money in the Las Vegas man's wallet, he sees women as entertainment, ignoring laws and rules as his right, and the only responsibility he claims is for himself.
You won't find this man on Match.com, nor will he ever claim to be lonely or in need of long term companionship.
As long as he has a paycheck, he has all he needs.
A beer or a joint in hand, a roll of the dice, a hook up from the night club, a working truck, and he is good to go.

Welcome, Midwest and East Coast to

2010-07-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

90 degrees ? A luxury in summertime Las Vegas. Anything under 100-comfortable.
While those in the Midwest and on the East coast complain about the heat they might want to take a look at the hottest cities and learn how to cope.
Unfortunately many cities aren't equipped to deal with the heat as well as Las Vegas.

1. Acclimate yourself to the heat by going outside in it during early mornings and evenings. Stay out of the days hottest hours if possible. Amazing but true-lots of people actually work out in the heat and get used to it.
They drink lots of water and wear sun protection but it is doable.

2. Las Vegans turn their days and nights around when possible. Las Vegas is a 24 hour town. Shopping can be done at night.
In fact, most of what you want to do can be after sundown with the exception perhaps of going to the bank.
Early evening is a perfect time to get those prescriptions filled, hit the library, go to Walmart.

3. If you must go into the daytime heat, plan your trips to cover as much as possible. Hit the bank, any chores requiring 9-5 hours in one trip. Stay indoors the rest of the time.
4. Turn your nights into days. Sleep during the day and work during the night. Clean your house at 2am. You will have more energy when the air is cooler and the suns glare is gone.
5. Keep moving. The heat makes us lazy. In the desert, summer is our winter. Most people gain weight in the summer and lose it in the winter. Take early morning walks, garden or mow the lawn at sunrise or sunset.
Heat really does make us lazy.
6. Take water everywhere. Dehydration is not only dangerous in the early stages it makes people grumpy. Grumpy people are bad drivers, poor customers and lousy neighbors. Drink water!
7. The heat harms babies and the elderly must faster than the rest of the population. Infants bodies don't regulate temperatures like adults. Heat can be deadly. Keep them indoors if possible, if not, cover them with a light cotton blanket in the sun, give lots of fluids, keep their skin out of the suns glare.
8. Older adults whacked by the heat can suffer strokes and heart failure with excessive exposure. Check on your parents and neighbors.
9. Stay positive. Makes the difference between road rage and tolerance.
Las Vegans can be ugly drivers in the heat. Our insurance rates prove it.

You think we WANT Republicans in Office??

2010-07-12T10:37:00.000-07:00

Of course no one wants to see the rest of those idiots blunder, plunder and cheat the remaining 1% of America, since the middle class and poor are almost one.
But Hey?? Democrats-you can't even get a vote together to keep the unemployed from hurting even more?

So what ARE OUR choices come fall? Ineptitude or Destruction?
Give us something to hope for, Democrats, please?

Doing More Of The Same-the American Way

2010-07-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

With over 1.2 million American citizens unemployed and without unemployment, the Fourth of July must feel seeped in betrayal.
How frightening it must be to have no options to feed ones family, pay the utilities or pay the rent or mortgage.
Not since the Great Depression have American citizens been without a safety net.
State budgets have been cut to the bone.
Yeah, let's stay in this craziness and bail out the big banks but allow those who have worked and contributed to our economy for years and years to suffer.
What country is this, again? Please refresh my memory.

2010-06-30T06:07:00.000-07:00

1.2 million people are unemployed in the United States.
Congress, collectively in their most pious tone, lacking complete wisdom, believes the unemployed are enjoying their benefits too much .
In addition, the latest buzzwords, "fiscal restraint" take precedence over the 1.2 million unemployed, not counting their families-
When the "Eat Cake " politicians come off their collective clouds, they might find themselves on the unemployment line come fall.
"Stupid is as Stupid does" says Mama.

Congress represents WHO??

2010-06-30T04:07:00.000-07:00

Congress is truly a group of old white men, many who have not worked a REAL job-claiming their years as politicians grant them the expertise needed to make decisions for the rest of us.
Take a look at the numbers. Over 400 of our representatives list their occupations as politics.
Talk about being totally out of touch with the rest of us.
These numbers are from Wikipedia.

441 members of Congress are male (83%) and 92 are female (17
269 members (227 Representatives, two Delegates, and 40 Senators) served in state or territorial legislatures
214 members (182 Representatives and 33 Senators) list their occupation as public service/politics
225 (168 Representatives and 57 Senators) list law [www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40086.pdf]
201 (175 Representatives and 27 Senators) list business
94 (78 Representatives and 16 Senators) list education
At least 112 members are former congressional staffers, i
Currently 42 members (9.5%) of the House are African American.
As of 2009 there is only one Africam American. Hispanics represent over 14% of the U.S. population, while the Senate is 3% Hispanic and the House is approximately 5% (25 members
As of 2009 there is only one African -American currently serving in the Senate 1.5% of the population, are the most underrepresented group. Tom Cole, a Chickasaw, is the only registered American Indian currently in Congress.
GI Generation 1901–1924 3
Silent Generation 1925–1942 33
Boomer Generation 1943–1960 56
Generation X 1961–1981 7
Generation Y 1982–2001 0[1]

Senator Party Birth Year Generation Noted for:

Hawaii Daniel Inouye D 1924 GI
New Jersey Frank Lautenberg D 1924 GI
Hawaii Daniel Akaka D 1924 GI
Pennsylvania Arlen Specter D 1930 Silent
Kentucky Jim Bunning R 1931 Silent
Indiana Richard Lugar R 1932 Silent
California Dianne Feinstein D 1933 Silent
Iowa Chuck Grassley R 1933 Silent
Utah Robert Foster Bennett R 1933 Silent
Alabama Richard Shelby R 1934 Silent
Michigan Carl Levin D 1934 Silent
Oklahoma James Inhofe R 1934 Silent
Utah Orrin Hatch R 1934 Silent
Wisconsin Herbert Kohl D 1935 Silent
Arizona John McCain R 1936 Silent
Kansas Pat Roberts R 1936 Silent
Maryland Barbara Mikulski D 1936 Silent
Ohio George Voinovich R 1936 Silent
Illinois Roland Burris D 1937 Silent
Mississippi Thad Cochran R 1937 Silent
West Virginia Jay Rockefeller D 1937 Silent
Delaware Ted Kaufman D 1939 Silent
Iowa Tom Harkin D 1939 Silent
Missouri Kit Bond R 1939 Silent
Nevada Harry Reid D 1939 Silent

When it Happens-and it Will Happen

2010-06-12T05:32:00.000-07:00

Have you considered the possibility humans one day will destroy a natural resource beyond the point of no return?
Maybe it will be our oceans- maybe the process of landfilling garbage will destroy the natural water table.
Perhaps one day some company will pollute the air with chemicals which cannot be adsorbed into our atmosphere.
One we damage an ecosystem or natural resource beyond repair. what happens?

Jim Gibbons-Nevada's first Gov. to lose a primary

2010-06-10T06:21:00.000-07:00

It has been a painful 3 years and 5 months. I declare, no state in this nation has endured what Nevada has experienced.
A Governor with no common sense, little intellect and poor breeding. Didn't his momma ever tell him it wasn't polite to text mistresses during legislative hearings? You don't attack women, you have to ASK!
Throwing your wife out of the Governor's mansion and forcing her to live in the little guest house out back, with no money was something the people of Nevada would not admire?

Thank the good lord Nevadan's had enough sense to kick him out. Between Gov. Gibbons and George Bush these last fews years have been a harrowing experience of ignorance, stupidity and just plain foolishness.
Will we ever get down to some serious work in this country and not just a bunch of grandstanding from old white men???.

On Offense For Experienced Teachers

2010-06-06T16:34:00.000-07:00

PBS , using that quiet intellectual tone listeners are so comfortable hearing ran a story on the unfairness of teachers union to new, qualified teachers and the devastation wrought to students .
The gist of this argument is this: Unions protect bad teachers, allow "new" competent teachers to be fired first and leave districts with "highly paid less than qualified" teachers.

The truth of the matter is this: School districts would like nothing more than to bust unions. If you believe school districts are performing poorly, imagine the education your children will receive from low paying first or second year teachers.Compare it to accepting the lowest bidder to perform heart surgery. You want to hire the youngest, "most up to date" new heart surgeon to cut you or a family member open?
Be my guest.

The myths behind the "union as stone waller" argument are these:

1. Many incompetent teachers are allowed to teach because the union protects them.
False:
Like many businesses a process does exist to fire a teacher. The employer must write the employee a warning notice specifically directing the teacher's performance, citing the contract expectations.
This process does not address suchs activities as leaving students unattended, using force, neglecting students, not providing the educational curriculum expected by the district, driving students in personal vehicles, etc. Many of these are immediate firing offenses. No contract protects the irresponsible or dangerous teacher from termination.
So the myth teachers can't be dismissed is is just that. Incompetent teachers can and are dismissed . Ask any teacher, if an administrator wants you gone, they will find a way.
2. "New teachers" are cheaper and better.
What a joke. Every teacher knows it takes at least two years to know your curriculum well enough to be proficient.
Research shows that every class with a first year teacher puts your child back a year in learning.
Most first year teachers are just hoping to get through the year without being noticed. Good first year teachers will admit their ignorance and ask master teachers for help. They will inhale all the good teaching around them, remembering the best classroom management practices and pursue opportunities to watch master teachers in action.
Those first year teachers, smug in their beliefs the education just completed makes them experts are the dangerous ones parents should hope are in another classroom. I have seen a third grade cadre of experienced teachers assist a failed fourth year NCLB school to success. In three years test scores climbed and two years in a row the school met AYP for the first time (ever). A new principal came in, hired new staff three years ago encouraging many of the master teachers to go elsewhere so young teachers could be hired. The school has failed three years in a row. If the new teachers are well trained and continue to learn, perhaps the school will see results in another year or so. What a loss for the students.
I was a first year teacher, I remember feeling totally overwhelmed, staying at work until 9pm most nights, working weekends, feeling like a beggar, asking if I could sit in classrooms, ideas for lesson extensions, ways to differentiate my lessons, and a million other questions. Some teachers were gracious and helpful, others mean and petty. Like any large business, one can appreciate those willing to help. It is a commitment of mine and I am forever grateful .
New and young are not always better. Yes, a young heart surgeon may have learned all the latest techniques-but his lack of experience would sure make me nervous. A teacher's experience is critical to the success of your child.

3. Teachers with experience are not as up to date as new teachers.
False. Teachers are not only strongly encouraged to obtain a Master's Degree once they begin teaching, they are required by the employing district, the state and the federal government to complete a substantial amount of training hours in order to renew their licenses.. Not only are they required to complete these hours, they are also required to pay for the training . This can amount to thousands of dollars.
In my district, once a Masters degree is obtained, the pay scale is set up to reward continued schooling. The levels of expertise look something like this:
BA/BA+16. BA+32, MA, MA+16, MA+32, PhD.
After having reached MA+32, I am still required to obtain further education to maintain my license. In fact, teachers are now encouraged to attend another program for those with MA+32, an additional 16 college credits, which provides an additional 3,000 per year.
At a time of potential layoffs, and salary freezes, this program remains intact. No one, but those in the 16 college credit program, receive raises. The program will cost me 3100.00 this year.
I suppose I could have gone on and worked for a PhD but I love teaching children. I love learning new methods and approaches to teaching. I just want to be an effective teacher. I have no desire to be an administrator or a University professor. Sometimes I think the educational requirements are overinflated
but if these classes make me a more effective teacher, I'll do it.
4. Longevity is too expensive.
You get what you pay for. Wouldn't you rather have a teacher, well paid, knowledgeable and experienced teaching your children? Most teachers stay in teaching because they love it. It is a passion. The committment has everything to do with the learning success of students. If you had any idea of how much money teachers personally spend decorating classrooms, purchasing learning materials, keeping snacks for hungry children, kleenex for those sent to school with runny noses and paper towels which will do the job, brown paper bags for projects, notebooks so each child has a journal, extra markers and coloring pencils because the district does not provide them, craft stuff for parent presents, additional learning games, flash cards, puzzles and games, a library usually consisting of 300 or more books because the district does not provide classroom libraries, and all of it is a labor of love. Teachers who love teaching don't care what it cost to teach children. But they do need to make a living to support their own families.
5. Teachers get paid to do nothing
Yeah? Our contract is for a specific number of teaching days. We do not get paid for holidays, those weeks off in the summer, spring break or Christmas break. We get paid for the days we teach. We ask that our salary be spread over 12 months because we need to eat during those times. We aren't getting paid for those times.
Ironically teachers will spend a good part of their "time off" preparing for the next semester, or the next school year, or scouring stores, Goodwill, Salvation army, Walmart and any other store offering specials on school supplies, books, furniture, games and whatever else is needed for the next school year.

Next time you hear the myth of the teacher who cannot be fired, the myth of the teacher who does nothing but babysit, or the myth of the teacher who walks out of the building each day at 3:00 with nothing to do, hopefully you remember teachers are not the enemy. In fact, good teachers are precious and consider your children to be precious as well.

Liberty Gone Awry

2010-05-24T03:15:00.000-07:00

There must be some philosopher who discovered every action, with time, becomes a parody of itself.
Our nations' intertwining use of the words "liberty" and democracy" are as farcical as the myriad of "God Bless America" advertisements taken out by major corporations after 9-11.
Sincerity becomes an advertising player, as are words used to describe precious American concepts.
When Beatles songs sell advertising the Baby Boomers have made their last stand.

Tragically, Humans think

2010-05-20T04:51:00.000-07:00

Humans are animals who have the misfortune to think they are superior to other life on earth (or anywhere else for that matter)
The unfortunate aspect is not that we are human but that we think-
-our problem is just because we know how to think
it doesn't mean we do it well.
The blessing ? because we all know how to think
thinking poorly is done en masse
and only a few aberrations in the food chain notice
and they are considered anomalies and must be destroyed
Darwin's finest theory at work keeping human survival right up there with the pigeons and the cockroaches.

Oil Spill Won't Hurt National Economy: Report

2010-05-20T04:33:00.000-07:00

Oil Spill Won't Hurt National Economy: Report

Gee that sure is a relief, eh?

Men, What does she really look like underneath all that...

2010-05-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

Aging men don't realize they aren't a pretty sight. Those stooped shoulders, the belt under the belly, the thinning hair.
Nice for men that they in their superiority from day one and it never wavers-right up to the walker, wheel chair and Attends.
Woman don't fare so well either. Oh, Helen Gurley Brown and Joan Rivers thought they could fool the world with those onion skinned face jobs and oozing of Botox, enough to paralyze the face and look like something out of one of R.L. Stein's scary stories. The Pumpkin Heads or something like that.
Woman are so indoctrinated with hiding and secrets, from infancy, they won't show you the real stuff-mostly because they don't recognize it.
God forbid, men would see them as less than perfect-whatever perfect is supposed to be nowadays.
Women hide stuff -obvious stuff, we have make up and face creams , foundations, concealers(can you believe we buy "concealers", we have hair extensions, breast enhancing bras with water or gel, ass girdles, stomach girdles, even false toenails (did you know that?)
We can grow, replace or add to our eyelashes, tattoo eyeliner and eyebrows, make chipmunk cheeks with plastic filler, pull our back teeth to make our faces look thinner, hide fat on our back with full length spandex, and even wear leg make up if we are too lazy to get an artificial tan.
We use perfumes on our skins, in our vaginas, our ears, our hands and behind knees and elbows.
We have special creams for face, hands, feet, and even knees and toes.
We spray our vaginal areas with "deodorizers", shave the hair and do cutsie things like leave a heart shape.

Guys have no clue who they are really with-they really don't.
If Nature gave us Pheromones to attract one another, women have killed them a thousand times over. No wonder they complain about guys who use soap and water and scentless deodorant-they wouldn't recognize a sweat gland if it called to them.

Immigration Anger? Losing the bigger picture..

2010-05-02T08:15:00.000-07:00

We do have a serious problem with illegal immigration. I know. I work in a public school system where my elementary school kids cannot always remember the name by which they were enrolled. They don't have addresses or phone numbers, (which constantly change by the way) because parents don't want to be found. Families move around the city frequently to avoid detection. Many live with legal relatives or friends-two or three families may live together, sleeping in shifts, waiting in the Kmart parking lot for an employer looking for cheap labor.

We can't have it both ways. Large employers hire illegal immigrants because the deal is good. Immigrants are hard workers, the pay it worth fourfold in Mexico, the employer pays no taxes, social security and below minimum wage. Many times laborers are cheated in the agreement, but employers know they can't do anything about it.
Employers need to feel the consequences of hiring illegal immigrants. Ignorance is no excuse. Neither is the greed employers harbor when hiring illegals. Americans need to ask themselves-"At what point do we acknowledge the need for fair and equitable treatment for workers, a fair profit for employers, and a just employment system?
At the present time the greed in our country is so rampant and blatant, citizens have a right to be angry.
But they seem to be killing the wrong messenger.
Illegal immigration isn't the biggest problem we have right now.
It is our willingness to forfeit our own freedoms to address a problem which could be easily dealt with.
George Bush made the invasion of our privacy quite palatable to us. We still haven't made a peep about the fact we can be arrested under the guise of terrorist, placed in confinement, refused the right to be told of our
crimes, refused a trial, and held indefinitely. In addition, our phone calls, emails and any other correspondence can be monitored without our knowledge at any time.
US citizens, forget the wired and bugged White House of the Nixon Administration. History is not exactly a priority of standardized testing, so we seem doomed to repeat our mistakes.
The McCarthy era spread the same paranoia, anger, and ignorance as the Rush Limbaughs of the present day craziness.
When an entire state legislator votes to required a birth certificate prior to placement on a ballot, all based on the bizarro birth certificate fairy tale concocted by crazy media, we are out of control.
These are frightning times for Americans. Misdirected anger , fueled mostly by ignorance, is leading us down a cliff, lemming like, and the obviousness of it is seen by the entire world, except for those it will impact the most-us.
Profiling of any sort leads to the era of "armbands"-shall we continue to lead to our destiny?-Hitlerish choices, to segregate and isolate our nation?
The simplistic philosophy, "You don't have anything to worry about if you haven't done anything wrong" is a great and deadly fallacy.
Not all Hispanics have carmel colored skin and dark hair.
It could be you-picked up because you don't carry your social security card, or "proof" of citizenship by some disgruntled cop, locked up, unjustly, until you can prove your citizenship.
Of course, you don't believe it.
Therein lies the frightning prospect of making laws which oppress rather than fixing a problem.
I wish I could understand better how perfectly reasonable people , some of whom I love dearly, fueled by fear and anger, are willing to give up the liberty and freedoms we all hold so dearly just to feel like they have a modicum of control.
Vengeance does not steer well, my comrades.It moves full boar ahead into any obstacle, ignoring the helpless and the innocent.
Anger is a dangerous engine to drive any decision.
Think about that. When was the last time you made an excellent decision in the midst of rage?

Time, Useless Time

2010-04-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

Oh if it were so! Large, falling chunks of time, spilling into the spaces of humanity, wasted.
Even smaller, tiny slivers of time, tinkling in richness of feeling and sound, drift quietly, ignored . The boisterous clamoring of wasted time invites us, seduces us to pay attention-like spoiled petulant children, feet stomping, wailing, gimmee-gimmee-I want, can't help but look at the wreckage -kind of time..
Adding the hours-thousands, no perhaps millions of people hours added together, feeding off the carcass of wasted time.
Perhaps it isn't wasted. Perhaps time is meant to be wasted on nothingness-like twinkies-empty on the inside with a scant touch of sugar to fool the mind.

Sweet time, time rushing into eternity, time lost only by regrets yet treasured and rewarded with sweet moments,
that time lives as well,
lightly,
honeyed moments
quietly,
without fanfare,
without media
feathered by thoughtfulness
tasted in awareness.

Lest we Point Fingers

2010-04-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

Cheatin seems to be in vogue this season.
In fact, whole families seem to be "condonin" it lately. Act like freedom comes from being dishonest to someone near and dear for years-now useless to the "newfound individual".
Yep, Christianity has come a long ways these past twenty years. All those church goin, prayerful people, asking for forgiveness after tearing hearts out.
umm hmm umm hmm

When The Angry Fuel Anger with More Angry

2010-04-28T19:40:00.000-07:00

I glance at the news and try to avoid a full on confrontation with the details. Tired of wincing from the pain of the stupidity, ignorance and anger, avoidance has become my coping mechanism.
If ignorance is bliss, perhaps I ought to try more of it.
Being responsible, feeling responsible and acting responsible seems to be the mantra of the angry-yet how responsible can one be when irrationality leads the argument?

Yeah. I'm getting old. Not diaper old but old enough to have lived the cycles and recognize the craziness of this one.

Did you know the desert flowers are in bloom?

ummhmmm-as the old ladies comment.
ummhmm ummhmm

Media's Responsibility and the Lunatic Fringe

2010-03-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

You need to change your spin. The Glen Becks and Rush Limbaughs used to be the lunatic fringe.
Now it's CNN, CNBC, ABC and CBS. Small newspapers across the nation have entered the lunacy.
Radio Talk show hosts increase ratings by ranting.
Greed and irresponsible media become synonomous.
The GOP isn't the party of "NO" any longer. They are the party of "No Nation Under God"
They will destroy our country rather than accept the will of constituents.
It is a dangerous tactic, leading our nation to physical violence and death.
Hopefully, civility still lives in the heart of those who identify with the "Tea Party" and they realize it no longer represents those who believe the government should be run differently-peacefully-and they get out.
History repeats itself.
McCarthy led the nation by the nose stirring up fear with his communism rhetoric. Lives were destroyed.
The US locked up its own citizens in internment camps during world war two.
We are distinguished by a war in which half our country wanted to continue owning black human beings.
Are we destined to continue on this destructive and ignorant path?
I would not be surprised if enough crazies descend on little Searchlight Nevada to create harm.
Media creates its own news by egging on the crazies and the violent.
It also needs to be held accountable.

Yahoo! Health Care Reform for Grandma Ginny!

2010-03-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

Grandma Ginny will not have to pay those high prescription bills anymore.
All those temps hired by by Workforce and offered 600$ per month insurance coverage by Manpower? You have an opportunity to purchase affordable insurance.
All those kicked off policies for "pre existing conditions"-you can buy health care as well.
Still attending college but kicked off your parents policy because you turned 18-you get to stay on until you finish graduate school!

It ain't universal but it is a start!

What ARE the Tea Party Principals?

2010-03-20T18:14:00.000-07:00

I haven't attacked the "Tea Party" in theory but only because I haven't had a clue about what they stand for.
I have however, shaken my head in disgust as news reports show racist signs depicting President Obama, cite "Death Panels" and continue to ask President Obama for his "real birth certificate".
Do I did a google search looking for the principals of the "Tea Party". I found a lot of information on what they consider themselves NOT to be.
There does not seem to be any ONE mouthpiece for the Baggers-
but these are the ideas that seem to seep into the blogesphere-and I ask-do these seem like over all national goals for our country?
There seems to be an awful lot "Male rights". God insertions and white guy kinds of privledge-in addition to the same arrogant, "manifest destiny" we seem to think our entitled asses can just reach out and grab.
I am not in any mood to return to "white male model of living.
Doesn't it seem a little creepy? Like the nations who can stone a woman to death for showing her ankle? Just plain creepy..

•Voting out each and every single incumbent up for re-election in 2010 who voted for the Stimulus Package and/or the 2008 Wall Street Bailout/

Electing to office only candidates who promise to support a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution (without any exceptions -e.g. in the case of war, emergency, or a 3/5ths vote in Congress) in an act that also requires spending reductions only (no raising taxes) for the first four years to balance the budget, as well as:

•The transition of Social Security from a mandatory pay-as-you go system to an optional system of private pensions.

A permanent repeal of the payroll tax.

1. The only reliable basis for sound government and just human relations is natural law.

2. A free people cannot survive under a republican constitution unless they remain virtuous and morally strong
3. The most promising method of securing a virtuous and morally stable people is to elect virtuous leaders
4. Without religion the government of a free people cannot be maintained
5. All things were created by God, and therefore upon him Him all mankind are equally dependent, and to Him they are equally responsible.

6. All men are created equal.

7. The proper role of government is to protect equal rights, not provide equal things.

8. Men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.

9. To protect man’s rights, God has revealed certain principles of divine law.

10. The God given right to govern is vested in the sovereign authority of the whole people.

11. The majority of the people may alter or abolish a government which has become tyrannical.

12. The United States of America shall be a republic.

13. A Constitution should be structured to permanently protect the people from the human frailties of their rulers.

14. Life and liberty are secure only as long as the right of property is secure.

15. The highest level of prosperity occurs when there is a free market economy and a minimum of government regulations.

16. The government should be separated into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

17. A system of checks and balances should be adopted to prevent the abuse of power.

18. The unalienable rights of the people are most likely to be preserved if the principles of government are set forth in a written Constitution.

19. Only limited and carefully defined powers should be delegated to the government, all others being retained by the people.

20. Efficiency and dispatch require government to operate according to the will of the majority, but Constitutional provisions should protect the rights of the minority.

21. Strong local self-government is the keystone to preserving human freedoms.

22. A free people should be governed by law and not the whims of men.

23. A free society cannot survive as a republic without a broad program of general education.

24. A free people will not survive unless they remain strong.

25. Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none.

26. The core unit which determines the strength of any society is the family; therefore, the government should foster and protect its integrity.

27. The burden of debt is as destructive to freedom as the subjugation of conquest.

28. The United States of America has a manifest destiny to be an example and a blessing to the entire human race.

.

Insanity reigns Tea Party Racism and Ignorance

2010-03-20T18:06:00.000-07:00

This isn't even the worst of them. Protesters spitting and calling legislators "nigger" and "faggot".
This is beyond scary-when the truth is not enough-citizens get so crazy using racist signs and insults, our country is out of control.
I still believe this is not about health care, socialism, Obama's birth certificate, or taxes(which have actually been lowered)
Bush drove our country into the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression-by deregulating greedy banks, wall street and corporations-
The Republicans graciously helped him do it and the citizens of the US lost jobs, pensions, savings and homes.
Great for Bush- he was white, huh?
President Obama could hand the Tea Partiers the economy on a golden platter and they would still use racial epithats, crazy illogic and anger-
this isn't about the issues-
this is all about racial prejudice-and it is damn creepy to see so much still exists.

Do Dumb Politicians reflect Our National IQ??

2010-02-24T06:09:00.000-08:00

Are we a nation of ignorant, selfish people? Did we really vote these idiots into office?
When did a career in politics become an easy ticket for stupid, ignorant, egotistical white men?
The Special session currently in process makes even a semi-intelligent person cringe.
Our own Gov. Gibbons claims he doesn't need to be smart to run the state?!!
Our we reflecting our own personal and national stupidity when we elect simpletons??

Heller told a weekend crowd at the Republican Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner in Elko that Washington’s efforts to continue extending unemployment benefits for jobless Americans may be creating a dependent class, unable to get work- a new generation of "hobos".

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Jim Gibbons admitted Tuesday that a woman with whom he has been accused of having an affair accompanied him over the weekend to Washington, D.C., for a meeting of the National Governors Conference.Gibbons repeatedly denied to a KLAS-TV, Channel 8, reporter -- but then later admitted -- that Kathy Karrasch went with him to Washington. She is one of the two women whom his estranged wife, Dawn, said in divorce documents had engaged in sexual relations with the governor.
Nevada Gov Celibate Since 1995: 'You Can Survive Without Sex For That Long'

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) believes that the U.S. has the best health care system in the world.

Newt Gingrich 'Sharing Resources, Coordinating Efforts' With Oil Lobby

Republican National Chairman Michael Steele is spending twice as much as his recent predecessors on private planes and paying more for limousines, catering and flowers – expenses that are infuriating the party's major donors who say Republicans need every penny they can get for the fight to win back Congress

These men represent our country???

Congress-Old White Men are Destroying Our Nation

2010-02-17T05:26:00.000-08:00

What do they know about the needs of the majority? A bunch of entitled rich old white men with free health insurance and mega benefits making decisions which affect the majority of us-women, children, Hispanic , Black and Asian descent?
What the heck do they know about our needs? Take a look at who runs our country? A bunch of old white farts,
Do you think they really give a rats patootie about the suffering in our nation?
Quit voting for them, idiots-
They run our banks, corporations, credit card companies, health care, wall st, they outsource jobs to third world countries, exploiting even poorer minorities, the lobby and pass laws to protect their fat white butts-
the only thing more repulsive?
People are so stupid they vote for them-against their own interests-

111th Congress is as follows:

Generation Birth Years Count Party Division

GI Generation 1901–1924 4 4D, 0R

Silent Generation 1925–1942 33 15D, 1I, 1ID, 16 R

Boomer Generation 1943–1960 56 32D, 23R

Generation X 1961–1981 7 4D, 3R

Generation Y 1982–2001 0[1] 0D, 0R

State Senator Party Birth Year Generation Noted for:

West Virginia Robert Byrd D 1917 GI

Hawaii Daniel Inouye D 1924 GI

New Jersey Frank Lautenberg D 1924 GI

Hawaii Daniel Akaka D 1924 GI

Pennsylvania Arlen Specter D 1930 Silent

Kentucky Jim Bunning R 1931 Silent

Indiana Richard Lugar R 1932 Silent

California Dianne Feinstein D 1933 Silent

Iowa Chuck Grassley R 1933 Silent

Utah Robert Foster Bennett R 1933 Silent

Alabama Richard Shelby R 1934 Silent

Michigan Carl Levin D 1934 Silent

Oklahoma James Inhofe R 1934 Silent

Utah Orrin Hatch R 1934 Silent

Wisconsin Herbert Kohl D 1935 Silent

Arizona John McCain R 1936 Silent

Kansas Pat Roberts R 1936 Silent

Maryland Barbara Mikulski D 1936 Silent

Ohio George Voinovich R 1936 Silent

Illinois Roland Burris D 1937 Silent

Mississippi Thad Cochran R 1937 Silent

West Virginia Jay Rockefeller D 1937 Silent

Delaware Ted Kaufman D 1939 Silent

Iowa Tom Harkin D 1939 Silent

Missouri Kit Bond R 1939 Silent

Nevada Harry Reid D 1939 Silent

California Barbara Boxer D 1940 Silent

Tennessee Lamar Alexander R 1940 Silent

Vermont Patrick Leahy D 1940 Silent

Montana Max Baucus D 1941 Silent

Nebraska Ben Nelson D 1941 Silent

Vermont Bernard Sanders I 1941 Silent

Arizona Jon Kyl R 1942 Silent

Connecticut Joe Lieberman ID 1942 Silent

Florida Bill Nelson D 1942 Silent

Kentucky Mitch McConnell R 1942 Silent

North Dakota Byron Dorgan D 1942 Silent

Georgia Saxby Chambliss R 1943 Boomer

Idaho Jim Risch R 1943 Boomer

Maryland Ben Cardin D 1943 Boomer

Massachusetts John Kerry D 1943 Boomer

New Mexico Jeff Bingaman D 1943 Boomer

Texas Kay Bailey Hutchison R 1943 Boomer

Connecticut Christopher Dodd D 1944 Boomer

Georgia Johnny Isakson R 1944 Boomer

Illinois Richard Durbin D 1944 Boomer

Wyoming Michael Enzi R 1944 Boomer

Alabama Jeff Sessions R 1946 Boomer

South Dakota Tim Johnson D 1946 Boomer

Virginia Jim Webb D 1946 Boomer

Delaware Thomas R. Carper D 1947 Boomer

Maine Olympia Snowe R 1947 Boomer

New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen D 1947 Boomer

New Hampshire Judd Gregg R 1947 Boomer

New Mexico Tom Udall D 1948 Boomer

North Dakota Kent Conrad D 1948 Boomer

Oklahoma Tom Coburn R 1948 Boomer

Oregon Ron Wyden D 1949 Boomer

Rhode Island Jack Reed D 1949 Boomer

Colorado Mark Udall D 1950 Boomer

Michigan Debbie Stabenow D 1950 Boomer

Nebraska Mike Johanns R 1950 Boomer

New York Charles Schumer D 1950 Boomer

Washington Patty Murray D 1950 Boomer

Idaho Mike Crapo R 1951 Boomer

Minnesota Al Franken D 1951 Boomer

Mississippi Roger Wicker R 1951 Boomer

South Carolina Jim DeMint R 1951 Boomer

Maine Susan Collins R 1952 Boomer

Ohio Sherrod Brown D 1952 Boomer

Tennessee Bob Corker R 1952 Boomer

Texas John Cornyn R 1952 Boomer

Wyoming John Barrasso R 1952 Boomer

Missouri Claire McCaskill D 1953 Boomer

North Carolina Kay Hagan D 1953 Boomer

Wisconsin Russ Feingold D 1953 Boomer

New Jersey Bob Menendez D 1954 Boomer

Virginia Mark Warner D 1954 Boomer

Indiana Evan Bayh D 1955 Boomer

Louisiana Mary Landrieu D 1955 Boomer

North Carolina Richard Burr R 1955 Boomer

Rhode Island Sheldon Whitehouse D 1955 Boomer

South Carolina Lindsey Graham R 1955 Boomer

Kansas Sam Brownback R 1956 Boomer

Montana Jon Tester D 1956 Boomer

Oregon Jeff Merkley D 1956 Boomer

Alaska Lisa Murkowski R 1957 Boomer

Nevada John Ensign R 1958 Boomer

Washington Maria Cantwell D 1958 Boomer

Massachusetts Scott Brown R 1959 Boomer

Arkansas Blanche Lincoln D 1960 Boomer

Minnesota Amy Klobuchar D 1960 Boomer

Pennsylvania Bob Casey, Jr. D 1960 Boomer

Louisiana David Vitter R 1961 Generation X

South Dakota John Thune R 1961 Generation X

Alaska Mark Begich D 1962 Generation X

Arkansas Mark Pryor D 1963 Generation X

Colorado Michael Bennet D 1964 Generation X

New York Kirsten Gillibrand D 1966 Generation X

Florida George LeMieux R 1969 Generation X

Incongruent Township, Defining Justice as Intolerance

2010-02-15T08:28:00.000-08:00

The national landscape is fettered with little towns comprised of citizens with value systems out of the 1900's.
They are outraged with government spending. They believe we should all honor our debts. They believe in hard work, honesty and a days pay for an days work.
If only local, state and federal government practiced the same way.
If only banks, businesses, Wall Street and major corporations played by the same rules.

The town of Incongruence believes God will smite those who do not pay their debts-
oh! yeah - it doesn't count if you are a major corporation or a business owner.

The citizens of Incongruence would define themselves as "christians"
-you know, the ones who believe God chooses who goes to Heavan, and it isn't you my black, muslim, jewish, islamic, hindu neighbor

Home grown Incongruents believe more "christianity" should be in the schools, the government and on our money.
They send money to Haiti but allow the poor in their hometowns to live without electricity . They still have poor neighborhoods full of black, unemployed men (they consider them lazy, when in reality the unemployment rate for black men is double the national rate), yet they send "missions to poor countries".

Hang the poor- if they worked harder they would not be poor.
Incongruents believe poverty is chosen.
They believe their wealth is a gift, a reward, perhaps, from God, for doing the "right thing"

And last but most important?
Incongruents believe abortion is murder.
Abortion is murder, but having a child out of wedlock is a sin and should be punished.
For all you women who chose birth rather than abortion, you are to be commended-
but once you have that child-you are a whore-

Incongruent citizens will turn their backs on you and ensure you suffer like the slut you are..along with your bastard child.

Incongruent townships dot the USA like McDonalds.

Are they any different than the close minded, intolerant religious fanatics of other nations?

Incongruents believe the poor deserve to be poor. If they

Step Up to the Plate, States-if the Feds can't do it..

2010-02-10T05:52:00.000-08:00

We aren't totally helpless in this morass created by our federal government. Their lack of cohesion, paralysis created by both parties, bickering, posturing and pontificating can be and should be overridden by individual states.

New Mexico's idea of moving money out of big banks and placing it in community banks and credit unions is a step in the right direction. Other states have provided health care for residents. Others have worked to create jobs for its citizens.

If the Federal Government and our legislators are so over run by lobbyists, so polarized , and so weak they are unwilling to take a stand on any issue, states need to step up to the plate. Democracy in the United States was created with many levels to provide autonomy and opportunity.

Let's seek alternative methods to deal with credit ripoffs, bank monopolies, price fixing and job loss.
States can do it. Show courage-United States of America.
Don't let your citizens down.
Seek out your best and brightest to solve these issues.

American Anger-the Two Year Old's Temper Tantrum

2010-02-08T06:23:00.000-08:00

When Americans get angry they get destructive. Like two year olds we stomp our feet and break our toys. We don't much care what destruction we leave behind, we want what we want and we want it now!
Perhaps we weathered the great depression with greater aplomb as a younger country because we had the experience of citizens from other countries. Other countries with hundreds and sometimes thousands of years of experience as civilizations. Civilizations which learned hard lessons, some disappearing from this planet because they refused to listen, learn from mistakes, or considered themselves "too big to fail"
Our government is on a quest to destroy the very fabric of democracy built over the baby years we have been in business. We are babies compared to France, Spain, England and Italy. All major power players on this planet at various times.
Perhaps the wisdom of experiences and the lessons which can be learned by observing history would be helpful to our quest to grow and mature as a country.
Two year olds, as we know, don't have the maturity to reflect. The two year old's tantrum wreaks destruction, out of control, not understanding his own anger, only the desire to remove whatever pain or discomfort creating the chaotic feelings from within.
As citizens, we behave much the same,
pointing fingers, yelling and screaming, crying and stomping our feet, willing to vote for the biggest, most destructive bullies, much like us, who will express our collective anger, without reason, forethought or maturity,
We don't want to just blame others for our immaturity and destructive behavior, we want to destroy them so we don't have to accept responsibility for our own destructiveness.
For this reason, we will vote for those with the biggest bully voices, ignoring our own destructive and irresponsible behavior. We will applaud the destructivness of politicians who obstruct that which will guide us, care for us, lead us or protect us. We look for the bully with the biggest stick, the loudest mouth, the greatest ignorance to lash out, destroy and make us all feel powerful-for the moment.

That moment, that tantrum, when completed, is the great threat to our nation.
Our refusal to grow up and take responsibility for ourselves, our own lives, and our country's health and well being .
We have no one to put us in the corner to cool off, to get control, to learn to control our anger.

Let us hope we can learn to do it for ourselves. Right now, it doesn't look so good.

A layman's perspective of politics

2010-01-31T00:15:00.000-08:00

I think I can speak for most citizens when I say we are sick of politics as usual.
Politics as usual seem to encompass an insidious, blatant corruption at just about every level-local. county, state and federal. Layer it with an arrogance reserved for the wealthy, the greedier than thou corporate bonus slackers and the laugh in your face wall street /bankers using their blanket mandate from the prior repubulican government to take every dollar possible from the citizens of the US while off shore banking profits, using tax shelters and outsourcing jobs, I guess you could say we are not only sick of it but cynical, angry and outright hostile.
Yes Americans still want to believe in something. Thus the finger pointing at specific political parties.
As if all of them aren't responsible for the current state of affairs.

Our destructive devisiveness does nothing to force change in our country's manner of doing business.
In fact, spinning our wheels states it mildly.
It seems as if we are on a path of self destruction, our anger loose, our beliefs staid, stubborn and sadly, ignorant.
Those who could put us back together, those we believed would change the direction and destiny of our country -are those we elected, hoping change, change which would address the ills of our country, our economy, our civil rights, our very democracy, present themselves as charlatans-lying with aplomb, brazenly twisting truth, and no longer caring if citizens call them on it-because we no longer have consequences for unethical behavior, hypocritcal acts, yes, even illegal behaviors are acceptable in our hall of congress and government seats of power.
How did we get here? One of the greatest democracies in the world? The doors to opportunity are now in India, perhaps other countries which, while having problems, still have a dream of a better world.

I keep waiting, pollyannish though it may be, for my fellow citizens, waiting for their anger, sense of justice, hope for the future of their children, and yes, that old work ethic Americans have proudly adhered to in eras past, to wake up, to notice and take on the brokenness of our country-one crooked politician, one greedy bank, one selfish lobbyist at a time-to vote-to speak-to let the two party system which is curently failing us, which has failed us and will continue to do so unless we vote-not for the two party system, but for the mavericks, the independants, the ethical outspoken eccentrics and innovators-who will speak and act on the truth.
This nest election, we need to vote for neither party.
Remember those signs from the last election? "Anybody but Bush?"
We need new slogans-anybody but democrats or republicans.
They are destroying our country.
Continuing to vote for them as if we have no other option is not the democracy our country founded.
Let us change our own destiny, as citizens of the United States.
Begin by listening and then send the message to all parties-you are failing us.
Remember us? The citizens of the Unites States?
You are failing us and we can do something about it-
We can vote you all out. Both parties. All of you.
We can, and we will.