The Presidential Campaign

     I'm back!  Got really busy and was  not able to write.  But, here I am and I thought I would say a little about the Presidential campaign as it seems that it is more interesting than I thought it would be.  I watched the Republican Debate Saturday and could not stop laughing.  Most of my friends know where I stand politically and I do have a few conservative, far to the right, friends.  We all are allowed to have differing views of the world without being shunned by people of differing views.  So yes I do have friends who don't see the world as I do and that is ok.
     But, back to the debates.  After listening to the Republicans left attempting to oust President Obama I think the debates should be put on the Comedy Channel or at least aired on Saturday Night Live.  The inaccuracies espoused not only about present policies but about each other was astounding.   This lack of knowledge about the important people on stage was like hearing my students tell me that Las Vegas is the capitol of California.  Hysterical!  And then to hear the Republican candidates pontificate about character was even more laughable.  When attempting to run for political office they forget history or skew it to their advantage it is no wonder we don't trust any politician.  What was more important to me was that all them talked more about things unattached to the people.  They weren't interested in helping people but business.  Yes business is people, ask the worker that was laid off months before retirement, the worker that is making substandard wages, the worker that is working in substandard working conditions.  How about the people who have gotten sick due to the lack of environmental controls or a businesses lack to follow the ones we already have, the people who lost their medical insurance because their company laid them off and sent whole departments over seas where people work for 30 cents an hour or child labor laws are non existent?  Those issues seem to be absent in their discussions of the economy and many other issues.  I wonder if the real people they meet have any impact on any of them.  It seems that people are like the machinery in a factory, to be treated as assets, equipment and numbers on a spread sheet.  If I was a Republican and I really disliked the present administrations policies I would be sincerely discouraged.  No one on that stage has my interests at heart, my landlord, my employer, my insurance carrier maybe, but not me. 
     I think the only worries President Obama has in his bid for re-election is losing to the square "none of the above."
    By the way, I do know that there is no "none of the above" on the ballot.  Please vote, it allows you the right to criticize and complain as you participated in the democratic process and expressed your opinion.  If you don't participate you let others make decisions for you and abdicate the right to express displeasure.
    

A Man and His Dog

     I am a real animal lover.  All kinds of animals, even the exoskeleton kind.  Don't get me wrong, I will eliminate a spider or use a roach motel to rid our home of those who do not belong and wander into the wrong area and I am that man that still has teeth designed for eating meat, just don't let me look at that meat in its' natural state and let someone else prepare it for my consumption.  But, I am drifting, as I get older, toward removing some of that meat form my diet.  Probably as a payback for my previous consumption that most meats reek havoc on my digestive tract.  But, I get off topic.
     I love cats and dogs.  We have 3 cats ranging from 15 to 5 years and I think the only people who get cats, really get cats are those who love them.  Cats are not that independent, but rather survivors.  Through a cat out on its' proverbial ear and it will survive all but being hunted by coyotes.  But if you have indoor cats, you will see that they can be needy, aloof, sad, angry, playful and all the emotions you yourself can experience.  They can express those emotion through obvious means like purring, howling and the usual meowing.  A single cat is a lonely cat and that is why we rescued two.  We thought they would play together and keep each other company as our busy schedule would necessitate us being absent often.  So...getting a third was a no brainer.  We fast recognized that the second one developed "Middle Child" syndrome and now we are stuck dealing with all the issues associated with that.  Hissing, fighting, chasing, stealing toys and food and always someone is left out of the "Reindeer Games" and we need to referee.
     Then, we decided to get a dog.  OMG! You would have thought the Russians had invaded America.  At least the cats had a common enemy.  When we leave to go out, we put the dog in a guest bathroom with her food, water, and plushy crate as a safety measure not for the condition of the house but for her safety from the cats.  One cat out weighs the dog by 10 pounds, so the Chihuahua/rat terrier mix hasn't got a chance.  So, I have been the dogs protector.  And consequently her and I have developed the kind of relationship that we both enjoy.  On long walks at the park we hold world saving conversations, we tell each other our dreams, hers for the perfect spot to pee and mine for that exotic car I dream about.  We comfort each other in times of stress and medical emergencies and interact with others of like minded individuals.  She greets me when I get home like no other and and loves me unconditionally.  He eyes and actions display all the emotions I can personify in her and I adore coming home and seeing my wife at the park walking her as one of the cutest images I know.
     In short having a dog is a fulfilling experience.  I feel needed, appreciated in the truest sense of the words and research shows that old people with pets live longer than those without.  I guess that means I will live even longer than planned.

Too Busy or Not Too Busy That is the Question

     Yes sports fans I'm back.  Sorry it has been so long.  It's been a busy month. But here we are on a Sunday morning and I thought I'd share a few thoughts about being busy. 
     They say(whomever "they" are) that to get something done you need ask a busy person.  Seems contradictory.  If you are busy you don't have time to do anything else.  But seems not to be true.  There are lots of people who use the excuse of being busy to say no to a request for this and that but I have found that when I ask individuals to help out with the programs that my students are involved in it is always the same people who do everything and the same people who do nothing that claim they are too busy.  I don't get it.  In a discussion at an event a parent of one of my students and I were discussing how too many parents do not attend their children's activities.  Whether it is a soccer, baseball or football game.  Concert, play or recital the excuse is always "I'm too busy".  We both agreed that those parents should not have children.  Why have them if you were not going to participate in their life?  You and they can do without the newest electronic gadget or the Mercedes.  We have our children for such a short time and then they leave and build families of their own.  No one remembers when they had the latest in material things.  What they do remember is when Mom or Dad was there to see them score the goal or perform the result of hours of hard work. 
    I'm not saying that it isn't difficult to be there every time your child participates in an activity.  I remember driving from Santa Clara, California to Tustin, California in a mini van way too fast to make my sons first baseball game at his high school and he and I remember that more than when I bought him his first glove.  I remember being the only Dad in a sea of mothers at a performance of my daughters' in a local theater.  We both remember that with the mere mention of the musical act that was there and laugh about the day, not what she was wearing or even what she did.  I think it was a monologue from somewhere.
     I guess my point is that if you make the decision to have children ( in this day and age it is a choice) then participate fully.  Be at their concerts, don't just drop them off, as long as they are involved. Don't just go when they are very young but all the way.  My Father-in-Law was at my concerts and my sons games all the way until his death at 81.  He was a fixture at my sons baseball games as we also are.  Now my son and daughter are all grown up.  Unfortunately, my daughter and our grandchildren are too far away to participate in their activities but my son and our grandchildren with him are close by and we try to be at it all.  We are never too "busy" to be supportive of the children we chose to have.  They are with us for so short a time, my iPhone is of little importance in the grand scheme of things.

The Education Nation For All?

     Having been an educator for the past 40+ years I have learned a thing or two.  You are never to old to learn is one and that " you get what you pay for" is another.  Right now and for the last 100 + years we as a people have either predicted the demise of public education or listened to those who have never been in the classroom except as students pontificate on how to improve it.  Our great grand parents predicted that the pencil would ruin education as we knew it, our grand parents predicted that radio and television would ruin education and our parents predicted that the personal computer would be a bane on society and just a fad like Rock and Roll.  But, none of those things happened and in fact, all those things have enhanced education, especially public education.
     In these hard times a call by our Secretary of Education is rallying for more privatization of public schools, voucher systems for parochial and private schools, tougher graduation requirements, charter schools and a host of other options to improve education in America.  President OBama campaigned on just such a platform so his opponents in the next election should oppose them.  Just kidding.
     While I will stipulate many areas of the country have schools that are less than successful my contention is not to paint all public schools with the same brush.  Enacting laws and policies that do not recognize that we are all different and making good schools diminish because their funding is tied to those laws and policies to help poor schools is not very smart. "No Child Left Behind" was such a policy.  My colleagues had many derivative names for it as those of us actually in the classroom knew it wouldn't work.  Testing our children ad nausea has only improved the coffers of testing companies and not improved education.  Blaming teachers and their unions is not working either and in fact caused many competent, enthusiastic college students to stay away from the profession resulting in teachers who may be dedicated but lack the skills to be innovative and creative.  And lastly, yes you heard it here, throwing money at the issues has not worked either.
     So, let me tell you what I think after 40 years of teaching in a public school works.  Typically, no one ever asks the experts in the field, the people actually doing the job what they think.  Instead governments look at Doctoral theses from people hoping to publish a book or move up the administration ladder.  Just an aside, I have friends that have worked for many Phd candidates and they tell me that often data is "adjusted' to assist in proving a thesis"  just a tidbit to ponder.  What will work is a 3 pronged approach.  One, you need children eager and prepared to learn.  That all happens in the primary grades, but by the time those students become teenagers something went wrong and the opposite is true.  We need to find out what happened to asking a Kindergartner if they can dance with an enthusiastic answer; YES to a teenagers muffled "no".  Two, you need parents and a community that values education not in just lip service but in participating in the schools.  Schools should be the cultural centers of every community where they are used 24/7 and everyone wants to be there.  And lastly, you need to have competent teaching staffs that are given the resources and freedom to do their job.  When I hire a plumber to fix my pipes, I don't tell him how to do his job, I trust that he has the training and expertise to do that job.  Why not afford teachers with thousands of hours of educational training to do what you hired them to do?
     All three MUST be in place for the system to work no matter what the area of the country you live in.  In poor communities or rich communities, there are public schools that do just that, work, because of the three pronged approach.
     Let's stop giving our tax dollar to testing companies and those individuals who have never been in the classroom and work together as communities to improve an educational system that put man on the moon, keeps most of the world safe and allows its people to move from place to place with absolute freedom.

Can't We All Just Get Along?

Before I start my usual Sunday morning "Honey-dos"  my day starts with a cup of coffee and listening to Meet The Press on NBC.  For those who don't watch TV, that's a show where talking heads talk about what other talking heads talk about when it comes to politics.  As you can probably guess from previous posts, I enjoy discussions centered around politics and have some extreme views along with some populists views as well.  And that is exactly my point.  I titled this post with the quote with what Rodney King said after the Los Angeles riots many years ago.  His beating by police sparked those riots even though the pressure of unemployment and sagging economy had taken years to reach that boil over point.  I don't think there is an American out there that is not concerned about the state of our economy and even more so about our politics.  Even if some of us are living large and happy where we are on the socio-economic scale we have compassion for those less fortunate.  But how in the name of all that is sacred to us as a civilized society can we not condemn the words coming out of certain Republican canditates' mouths.  Actually, I'm not as upset about the comments of Rick Perry or Ron Paul as I am of the audience response.  It reminds me of the movie Roller Ball where the crowd cheers the death of a competitor.  I see our country being torn apart not by wars, invasions or natural disasters but by the callousness so many people have toward each other.  It seems to me we are more polarized than any time in my memory, certainly than more than the Vietnam Era even without the flag burning and the protest marches.  We have become a mean spirited people. an intolerant people, an uncooperative people and a disrespectful people.  My blood boils when I hear the rhetoric coming out of both sides of the aisle berating each other and large segments of the American people.  What happened to "no negative ads"?  What happened to the "compassionate conservative"?  What happened to "Do unto others as you would have done to you."?  I know in times of national and even regional tragedy we rally to each others aid.  But, we need to extend that mentality throughout the year in our everyday lives or we risk escalating the class war we are now facing.  I had a speech teacher when I was in college tell me "When we don't vote or participate in the political process, we get what we deserve."  I took that to heart as my usual tack, to the extreme sometimes.  I think we need to step back from our frustrations and recognize that we are in danger of losing what makes us Americans, what makes us civilized human beings.  A 30 year old man in a coma can not make informed decisions and executing 232 individuals is not something to brag about.

9/11, It's A Matter Of Respect

     I had thought that I should wait to write this down today as opposed to waiting until tomorrow, the tenth anniversary of the heinous attack on our country by deranged individuals.  But, I didn't want to maybe mar my solemn observance of this event and decided that now would probably be better.
     In pondering the events of September 11, 2001 it seems to me that one of many reasons for the occurrence was a lack of respect.  Here is how I see it.  We as a people seem to be loosing our tolerance of the views and beliefs of others and assume that our way is the only way to do things and believe in.  Don't get me wrong, those who know me know that when it comes to my country I am a jingoist.  Look that one up.  I have been known to remind strangers to remove their hats when our National Anthem is played and request strongly my students stand during The Pledge of Allegiance.  I do this not to enforce my views on them but to have them acknowledge that they need to respect my views even if they themselves don't believe in them.  Just as I need to respect the views of others and stand during the Canadian National Anthem or acknowledge the convictions of someone else's beliefs.
     So, I see the tragic events of that day as those deranged individuals to have killed thousands of innocent people as their inability to respect the beliefs of others.  They got that way, I feel, because they listened to those they respected and extrapolated what they learned and twisted it to mean something the teachings were not.
     Then we as a nation reacted and condemned thousands of peace loving people, many from our own country, as sympathizers of those individuals.  We passed laws and assaulted individuals in the belief that they were all the same.  We behaved without respect for the common beliefs we all share from every philosophy that civilized societies hold.  We spent billions of dollars and put countless lives in harms way to eradicate those that might have a connection to those individuals all in the name of security.  Yet we still can trace all of this to a lack of respect regarding the situation of another.  There are countless cliches that apply, "You don't understand someone else until you walk in their moccasins",  "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." and many more.   In the Orange County Register recently there was an article that said college graduates are ill prepared for the job market as interviewers noted that at the top of the list was "personal interaction skills, including courtesy and respect." 
     It just seems to me that we as parents, adults and teachers of our children some how missed our opportunities to evaluate the actions of a few individuals and teach what they did not learn.  Had we as a worldwide community done so, maybe thousands of people might not have lost their lives.

Labor Day Thoughts

     This weekend is the Labor Day weekend that is dedicated to celebrating the American worker and I thought I would say a few words.
     Labor unions have been given  a lot of attention recently and some misconceptions are floating around in their characterization, purpose and history.  First, labor unions were begun to improve the plight of workers and their working conditions.  In fact it was the "sit in" that the children of the 1960s used it for protest can trace that action to our labor unions.  In factories all across America workers would stop work and sit down to force companies to give in to demands.  In those early 1920s in the beginning of unions, most unions were considered communist and un-American.  Now, many unions such as the Auto Workers unions, Teamsters, Hotel and Food service workers are the blue collar workers emanating from the heartland.  Considered to be the conservative part of our political spectrum, while teachers, air traffic controllers and nurses unions are thought of as socialist and left of center.
     As a musician and teacher I have been a member of a multiple unions and as many as 3 at the same time.  Let me outline why and how I think it works.
     Business is out to make a profit whether it is a widget or a service.  Making car parts or delivering information.  Because of that need to maximise profits few businesses will invest in its workers seeing no connection to happy employees=better productivity(Ben and Jerry's not withstanding for example).  So, in order to make sure more people have basic necessities as humans in the work force, groups of employees banded together to help their plight, requesting the employer provide security in old age, medical benefits and time to rest to come back to work fresher than before.  For example, when I started working, our school district had no optical care, maternity plans, dental care and only if I ended up in a hospital did my employer contribute to my situation.  I got 10 days of sick leave and was forcibly unemployed for 10 weeks when the Summer months arrived.  It was only through the unions that had begun in my field that I now have a decent retirement plan, dental plans, optical plans and a choice of medical plans. The promise from my employer is that "If I work for them, I will not only enjoy my working conditions, but stay for the benefits that are provided and not go somewhere else to greener pastures."  many companies in private industry have followed suit and I applaud them.  For making workers happy. by all the researchshows that it improves productivity and company loyalty.
     So, the next time someone bashes a union, ask them. Do they have medical care, is the company using child labor, is there workplace safe to work in, does their employer care about them or are they treated just like the machinery that makes the products?  All the American worker wants is a secure job. in a safe environment, with a company that treats them humanely. Unions help make sure that situation occurs.  So, on Labor Day we need to acknowledge the American worker(me and you) and the groups of us who banded together to make a better life for our families and our brethren.  Enjoy the day.
 

The Most Wonderful Time Of Year

     For those of you who know me, you know I have been a teacher for the past 40 plus years.  So it is at this time I thought I would say a few words about "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year"  not the song about the winter holidays but the start of the school year.  In some states school has been in session since the beginning of August and in some areas even of my own state has been in session for a few weeks.  Our district starts September 1 this year and the last few days we teachers have been in meetings, prepping our rooms and going through in-services to help us be better at what we do.  Even at my time in my career I learn quit a bit this week.  Too many people think we should get rid of the veteran teacher as they are in a rut and do things in out-dated ways based on when they first started their career.  And, let young, new, energetic, up-to-date skilled teachers mold our childrens' minds. I, as one of those veteran teachers,  have to tell you, every teacher I know, and I know a lot of them, wants not only to teach, but to learn as well.  I do not know a teacher who is doesn't have the philosophy that we all need to be "life long learners".  It is too bad that the teaching profession and its' associations have been the scapegoats for poor fiscal policy, ineffective parenting, socio-economic issues and political rhetoric.  My profession requires a tremendous amount of preparation and schooling with rigorous standards to meet and yet we are blamed for all the ills of society and perceived as money grubbing ogres on the same level as Bernie Madoff.  That somehow Johnny can't read is only our fault. Are there bad teachers?  Just as there are bad stock brokers, bankers, plumbers, and any profession you can name.  Are there excellent teachers?  The answer to that is a resounding yes, most.  So, to my fellow teachers I wish them a happy new year, may the parents of your students participate in the educational process, may your Administrations be supportive and may your new students come to school eager to learn.  May you have an enjoyable, successful year at what you love to do.

Guilt and Jerry Seinfeld

     Ok I'm new at this blog stuff and I don't know the etiquette associated with it.  I have to admit that I feel guilty about not writing something.  Sort of like I don't have anything to say but feel an obligation to say something.  It reminds me of an old Seinfeld episode that Jerry and George Constanza pitch to a producer a show about nothing yet it described the show perfectly.  Now, I'm not really a Seinfeld fan, I have friends who have every episode on video tape(yes for you youngins we had square plastic boxes with plastic tabe that pre-dates DVDs) but it was hard for me to watch a show about nothing and see humor in that.  As I get older I guess I can appreciate that more.  I remember the shows characters that were my favorite, George, Newman and Kramer.  Mostly because they were characters that I knew in real life and maybe that was its' appeal.  So, I hope you enjoy what I have to say and I know that occassionally I will get more serious about politics and the rest of the human condition, but, for now I need to tell you that I will probably not write every day now that school is starting and yes I will feel guilty about that.  Not really.  How's that about a blog about nothing?  Maybe I am areally a Seinfeld fan after all.

Just Random

 Thank you all my loyal followers for input of my last blog.  I enjoyed the helpful comments.  Today was a good day.  Things went really well at work and I am looking forward to tomorrow.  I am lucky that I found a job that I GET go to every day and my thoughts go out to those who get up every morning and have to drag themselves to work or worse yet, have no job to go to.  I wish I could tell you that it will get better under the present political climate but I don't see any progress being made from any corner of the political spectrum.  I surely don't have the answers as some seem to have and I don't really blame anyone in particular as some seem to do because there is plenty of blame to go around.  But I do know one thing, and that is that we as a nation have faced worse problems than we face now(I know that is no consolation to the homeless, sick and out of work) and we have worked as a nation to solve those problems.  Even as we face the petty political infighting, the individuals who blame others for their own short sightedness and those who think they have all the answers, eventually we as Americans will help each other fix whatever is percieved as broken.  Normally I am an eternal pessimist,  but as a student of history and someone who has lived through a good portion of it, in this I am sure.

Getting old ain't for Sissies

My Dad was fond of saying thet getting old wasn't for sissies and that "it beats the alternative".  As I reach my retirement I now realize how true those words are.  I have had back trouble since I was in my 20s and even had back sugery 25 years ago.  Still, my back flares up occassionally and unfortunately it illicits sympathy from friends and colleagues.  Although nice to know how much they care and I really do appreciate it, it makes me feel like the old man I feel when these episodes occur.  I guess I need to be more gracious and accept that getting old is better than not and enjoy the occassional "aww, so sorry" and "I hope you are feeling better" with the compassion in which it is given and go on with it.  That's all I have to say now.

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!

     Seems everyone is complaining about there are no jobs out there.  I actually agree.  Why?  It is really simple.  Many jobs are done by computers and robotics.  We don't need as many factory workers anymore.  Sort of what happened to agriculture 2 centuries ago.  Private companies are out sourcing a large portion of their business over seas(50% of their profit is in the foriegn markets according to the CPO and IMF) where labor is cheaper because consumers want ever lower prices on goods.  The financial markets shelter their profits so they can avoid paying their share of taxes and people THINK that government is too big.  So we vote for those who want smaller government swelling the already large numbers of unemployed looking for work.  If you think the lines at the DMV are long now?  Wait until we make government even smaller.   We, you and me, get what we deserve when we vote for representatives who are disingenous and promise every aspect of society what it wants to hear and we believe them.  And by the way, the President cannot create jobs, he needs private industry to do that and the Congress.  No matter what he does Xerox, Hewlett-Packard, Time-Warner and other companies need to be loyal to America and employ Americans and not those who will work for a dollar a day in other countries.  But, then again do you want your stuff to triple in price?  Who is to blame now?

Spelling and typing

     Those of you  who read my posts will have to excuse my lack of ability to spell.  I will make every attempt to do it correctly.  I learned to type with 2 fingers and a thumb so I am slow and often hit the wrong key.  Sorry in advance.

The Beginning

     I started this blog because I felt the need to express myself other than screaming to no one or writing to no one and in the hopes someone sees the world the way I do.  I can't believe that I am the only one who sees this world as I do.  Someone has to be out there that might agree with me.  Also, I really am interested in finding out why there are others who don't see the world as I do and why.  I am not interested in screaming matches, profanity, name calling(although mild epithets can occassionally crop) and those who just refuse to acknowledge that there are many ways to look at issues.  So, if you are interested in a rational discussion I am willing to acknowledge and respect the ability to agree to disagree in all things expressed.  We can therefore carry on discussions henceforth once the ground rules have been established and we respect each others point of view.