Why do we need a reason??

"I just don't know what to do.." a friend of mine lamented to me the other day.

After being in this world a few years I know that the decision making process is a very personal decision making process for all of us. (ha)

Some of us make lists and decide based on pros and cons. Others of us listen to friends and family and decide based on whomever is perceived as the wisest. Others of us just jump in without thinking. Some of us don't make decisions and we let whatever happens become the decision .

In retrospect I could ask myself , Was this the best decision I could have made considering all factors.

My answer, some yes, some no.

I think you have to go with your heart and your gut and whatever happens is easier to live with.

Sometimes we will cross that road for no reason at all. We get run over in the process for our stupidity but perhaps that is the price we pay for taking risks and jumping instead of peering over the edge of that abyss we call life.

Let's put the screws where they belong...

Yeah, this isn't exactly Clark County School District, Nevada-but the picture just about tells the story of how much teachers get paid to live in this enormously expensive town-which is getting even more expensive as we speak..

I think we get paid, based on inflation and cost of living just about the same as these teachers were getting paid then, NOT adjusted for inflation and cost of living.

I have to qualify my bitch by telling you I love teaching -the kids are still magical and full of wonder-the smiles on their faces as they walk in the door each morning opens my heart and reminds me , often, that the world isn't full of crap-we still have the kids-and it is worth it.

For the past three of my six years I have worked my ass off at an at risk school, along with a number of other teachers. We have stuck it out-moving from a spanish speaking curriculum to all english-going to school ourselves, in constant training to bring the best from our kids and the past two years have paid off.
Going from a failed school of thirty years to making AYP-or passing the "Bush" test, has been an enormous task and the kids should be very proud!

Yet we will be 1200 teachers short this year which puts a burden on us teachers who stay and remain committed. Teachers stay about two years at our schools and move back home, whereever that is, retire, quit teaching altogether or find a place with a lower cost of living with affordable housing.

Yet our legislature refused to provide a decent salary increase so teachers don't want to work here. They cut out retirment incentives for those of us who work at at risk schools and cut out health insurance discounts for teachers at retirement. Basically, they said "Screw you", put millions of dollars in their new concept of "Superintendant's Schools-those schools which get extra money and get to decide how to teach, added all day kindergarten, which we need-and told the teachers, sorry, assholes-don't have anything left for you.

That left us with a teacher shortage of 1200-and let me tell you-I am so discouraged and so fed up I am either going to go work at private schools, leave the field altogether or move to another state.

I had an incredible principal at my school. After five years of teaching, I know how to help my kids make the grade and make learning fun and indelible.

Our kids deserve better. If I were a parent in this district I would be be screaming bloody murder if my kid had permanent substitute teachers year after year. Last year we were 600 teachers short. This year double.

It isn't that we have new openings for 1200 teachers. Lets find out why so many are leaving??
Or just read what I wrote. Affordable housing is nonexistant-starting prices are over 250,000., utilities are outrageous and the cost of gasoline, groceries and services are more than even Wal-Mart can bear.

*Sigh*

What did you say??? You haven't seen your kid for three years? Dealing with mom too much hassle?

Kick your ass to the curb, I say. Not too much the kid would gain from knowing you anyways, eh?

This isn't accolades for those Dads out there who know the value of their contributions to their kids. You guys don't walk arround looking for pats on the back because you all love your kids-family is family and whatever the constitution of it your place starts from the heart..hearty hugs from all your kids..

Naw, this one is for you guys who seem to think kids are disposable and your role isn't important, so why try? Or perhaps each time you pay that child support you get all in a wad-forgetting that few moms live on easy street even with your paltry monetary contribution. So you think child support payments make you a dad? .Your proud of that, eh? never missed a payment. .. Your new wife and new baby have to sacrifice because of it and that's not fair, eh? You never get to see your kids anyway, so why should you pay?

If you do any one thing right in your life let's hope you come to the realization that being a parent is probably the one act , the one gift you can provide your kids that will be immortal, everlasting, profoundly impacting-even, at times, the difference between a child's sense of happiness and well being and the streets.

Twenty-four million children in the United States live without fathers in the home. Twenty-four million. This means one in three children in the US live without a father. These kids are 5x more likely to be living in poverty. All kinds of risks are tied with being raised in a fatherless home. I am sure you could tell stories.

The point is, our kids need us. It's not about us and what we want -once we choose to bring other humans into this complicated, constantly changing world of ours. Once you have those kids, the days of "me,me,me" are over. Get over yourselves. Get over your excuses. Grow up. Give your kids a chance to make it in this world. If you're divorced, get over that, too-who cares? It's over-done. It's the kids turn now.

Our world is an ever increasing complexity of moral mazes we need to prepare our kids for as adults. Dads are such a crucial, crucial connection for girls and boys.
Girls need to learn about healthy relationsips with men-from their dads.
Boys need to learn about being men.

Step up to the plate, guys. Our kids really need you to make it in this world.

Don't ever underestimate your influence, dads, the loss of a dad has a profound impact on kids.

Excellence Without A Soul

Words feel so empty what must the kids feel?

Overrated-My List

Just passing through my brain this morning and I found these thoughts lurking behind the prefrontal lobes...

1. You Tube-Used to be where to go for innovative, interesting videos. Now consider it eaten, gorged and pablumed out by the opportunists now exploiting the media to downsize it to American cultural tastes. Why is it we have this drive to stupidize just about anything considered original?

2. My Space-just another vultured, predatorial space for sickos.

Yeah, I'm making these words up as I go along.

3. Wrinkle creams-give me a break. If one worked there wouldn't be thousands on the market.

4. Manicures-I used to like them-but what gives? Anything for a buck. First there was the manicure, then the french manicure, then the square nails-now we are back to round nails? We have thousands of women roaming the US with nail fungus because they just had to have acrylic nails..How about just plain clean nails, buffed to a nice shine and left alone?

5. Recalls-used to be just for automobiles. We can follow the decline of American business by following the recalls. Autos first-pajamas(remember flammable pj's?)-then canned goods-ode to the bottles of aspirin, followed by baby walkers and other kiddie paraphernalia-then we worked our way through pharmaceuticals and have entered into our food chain!! First it was fast foods, then our own fruits and vegetables-currently invading our meats-thus making sense that our pets would get the bottom of our rotten means-yep-deregulation has really pumped up the old economy, hasn't it? Notice how eating Au natural isn't safe anymore??

6. Fashion-Maybe I am getting old-but can't designers come up with anything better than recycling the same shit circa 1940's to 1990's? I haven't seen much originality, have you? We have gone the circuit of skinny pants-wide legs-gaucho at least three times in the past ten years.

Oh! I forgot-sleaze hasn't changed a bit! Too bad naked doesn't sell clothes? We're almost there...

7. Health insurance costs-Slowly creeping up on the middle class-soon to be applying for state health coverage-the health insurance industry is on a mission-to charge you enormous premiums -steadily climbing co-pays-to break the backs of the middle class-who have to make decisions about whether to follow up on tests-treatment options and medications. Health care is an INDUSTRY now-it bills itself as such and it no longer provides necessary services for the well being of our citizens. Dental care has been "optional" now for the past ten years-ask any family struggling to make their bills-the health care INDUSTRY is overrated and needs to be taken down many pegs not just a few. (note: the health care industry does not include doctors-doctors have become the pawns of the industry-a sorry state).

8. Top ten lists. Give me a break. Lists of any kind, actually-except the important ones which remind you to pay bills, go to the doctor, check your foodstuffs for contamination and to clean your nails...

Why...Why...Why..I don't really care why...

Why your electric bills are rising..

Why your gas prices are rising...

Why your water bills are increasing...

Why eggs are more expensive..

Why tomatoes have increased threefold....

You know what??

I really don't care why...

I don't because 99% of the time I don't believe you . Somewhere, someone has to put a lid on all this garbage and take it away.

Include the people in the White House.

I don't care why so don't waste your time explaining that your company bought power at too high a rate and now we have to bail you out, or that oil refineries are "restoring their faclities" so gas prices increase 11 cents a gallon.

You know, there is nothing worse than a bold face liar...just don't bother with an explanation-I don't really care to waste my time reading it.

Just stop it.

Edwin Traisman, 91; helped develop Cheez Whiz

Have we invented all there is to invent?
Edwin not only helped invent cheese whiz he was instrumental in inventing instant pudding and developed the process for freezing and preserving those wonderful french fries you buy from McDonalds.

Edwin was also one of the first to buy a McDonalds franchise in the fifties(he actually bought five) and sold them in the 1970's.

He must have lived rather modestly considering he dies in Mono, Wisconsin at the age of 91.

Isn't it amazing how creative brains imagine , develop, and then invent items, services and goods we take for granted???

I'll bet he never had to pass a standardized test to show he was well qualified to invent.