I can't believe it. Whatever it is, it seems to have started with Tim, moved on to Chris, and now I have it. My day started out OK, just a little tired and creaky feeling in the morning. But as the day has progressed, I have been feeling worse and worse, until right now I feel like a truck ran over me.
Time to go home. On the way I'll stop and get whatever looks like it might work for my symptoms. I'm so ticked, as I've really been staying away from all the flus and other stuff that went around all winter. Now I get hammered. Plus, I'm supposed to head back to Chicago right after my morning class tomorrow. Well, we will cross that bridge when we get to it.
I used to wonder which of my sons would be married first, or which was most likely to make me a grandpa first. For a long time, I expected it would be Tim, who has pretty much always had the girls hanging around and never lacked for female companionship.
But now I'm changing my prediction to Nick. But you say that Nick doesn't even have a prospective girlfriend right now? True, but he seems pretty focused (dare I suggest consumed) with finding one. I could be off base, but it seems like Nick's at the stage where he's actively seeking "the one". Tim's nowhere near that mindset. Therefore my prediction - Nick will stumble across his dream girl before 2005 is over, and will marry her shortly after graduation.
Of course, now that I've made the prediction, Nick will probably read my blog and be motivated to prove me wrong, just blowing up the whole thing altogether. Even so, I'll stick with it at least until I find evidence that makes me change my mind.
Trying to have a little fun in the midst of misery helps just a little.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Monday, February 21, 2005
Racial Ramblings
I haven't been able to blog for awhile, between an outrageous schedule and lacking a connection to the net in the evenings for a week. For some reason, probably all the stuff we're getting right now on "Black History Month", it's brought forward lots of thoughts about the whole race issue. If you are sensitive and pc, you might want to stop reading now, because I've decided to be completely honest in the following analysis.
The popular societal trends and attitudes these days say that we western-european-caucasian-whitebread folks should feel guilt about our forefathers' treatment of the black race. Affirmative Action is a racial preference program that noone should dare question lest they be labeled "racists". It has even been suggested that those who don't support the so-called "reparations" movement are also racist bigots. That one suggests that we all should contribute toward today's equivalent of "40 acres and a mule" that was suggested by a Union General after the Civil War to help slaves start their new lives in freedom. Today's equivalent of 40 acres and a mule is actually quite a lot of money; if 40 acres is worth $10k/acre on the low end and today's mule might be a Ford Pickup truck, we're looking at reparations being about $450,000.
What is today's status of this problem of race in our country? Are blacks still discriminated against in the workplace? Yes, there are probably lots of instances you could find if you looked hard enough where a qualified black person was denied a job because of their skin color. However, if you looked harder, you would also find the same denial to Asians, Hispanics, most definitely Middle-Easterners, women, homosexuals, smokers, fat people, people who look just like a hated relative of the hiring manager, I could go on and on.
There's lots of talk about diversity and tolerance, suggesting that all those red-necks who don't agree with giving preferential treatment to blacks and homosexuals are no better than the KKK. Somehow anyone who objects to preferential treatment for any group is full of "intolerance, bigotry, and hatred". Allow me to suggest it is those who use those labels to define people that disagree with them are the only ones guilty of those attitudes.
What forms my opinions on the subject is a mixture of my own education and experience. First of all, I honestly do not hate anybody, and do not expect that I ever will. In my lifetime, when I have found individuals that are unpleasant to be around, I have simply politely separated myself from them. Of the few individuals I can think of who fell into that category, none were black.
Some of the most friendly, outgoing, genuinely likeable people I have known and been friends with have been black. Strictly on a racial factor, I have personally liked far more of the blacks I have met than Asians or Hispanics. In fact, if I were in charge of hiring for a technical position today, I would find it much easier to hire a qualified black than an Asian, because I have found it much more difficult to develop friendly relationships with Asians. But here begins my experiential reasoning for my opinions. In the case of my black friends, I noticed an unmistakeable trend: They were all shunned by their racial peers as "acting white", "uncle Toms", and were social outcasts among those in the closed racial circles.
My first experiences with this phenomenon were when I was a student at Ball State. My black friends were outcasts from the larger group of blacks on campus, who largely kept to themselves, and regarded my friends as some sort of traitors. It's difficult to relate to a group of people who form relationships only with people of their own race and regard everyone else as untrustworthy. On top of that, the campus fraternity members literally branded themselves and their pledges ran around campus at night wearing only shorts and chains.
Living in South Carolina for six years, where black people were in the majority, substantially added to that experience. The schools were dismal failures in academic achievement, so those who could afford it generally sent their children to private and parochial schools. Interestingly, studies were done on this poor performance, which uncovered several contributing factors that the local people had known for some time.
The high schools in particular had ongoing gang issues. Any black student who aspired to do well in school was socially rejected by his/her peers, and might even be at risk of beatings by the school gangs for "acting white". Many black students who took their studies seriously went to elaborate lengths to hide their good grades from others, and would slide into the black slang (called "ebonics" by some) when in the presence of their peers. It was incredibly difficult for a black child to excel in school in South Carolina because of the extremely negative culture.
Other studies on Affirmative Action have found that the preferential spots reserved for blacks almost always go to affluent black students. Again, to cite my own observations when I attended graduate school at the University of South Carolina, government programs simply do not work. Here's what I saw at USC:
People in South Carolina were rather upset that their own students (of all races) were unable to get into the more highly sought degree programs in their own state university. According to USC, high school graduates of the state mostly did not meet the minimum requirements for acceptance into those degree programs. Most of the students in those programs came from out of state or out of the country.
Then there was my own graduate program. I was in the MBA program at USC that was structured for working people. As I recall, approximately 25 percent of our entering class in the program were black. When I graduated, there were only two left (not 2 percent, 2 students!). Understandably, there is a lot of attrition from a program like that. It's intense and very difficult to keep up with studies in a Master's program where you meet in 4-hour evening sessions 2-3 times per week, then all day Saturday every third week. And all sorts of people had to drop out, take some time off, or failed for a variety of reasons. But on a percentage basis, the attrition of the black students in particular was shocking.
I saw a similar situation develop when I went to school for my computer degree. There was a fairly large contingent of black people who began the computer program, but almost none completed it successfully. A particular incident I had direct knowledge of was a black female student who noticed that all the employees in the computer lab were white. So she went to the school administration and demanded she be hired to work in the lab or she would bring a discrimination lawsuit against the school. She was hired, and was terribly unqualified for the job. Whenever I had a shift immediately following hers, it always took me at least the first hour of my shift to clean up her "messes", which ranged from huge backlogs in turnaround of student projects to one time when she actually "crashed" the system. As much as I would like to be able to say that there were black people at that school who would have been qualified to work for that computer lab, there absolutely was not a single one. It was a small school, and I knew pretty much everyone, and helped many with their projects. I knew who was competent and who was not. Sadly, they were not.
One interesting fact, also from my experience in the educational system, was that race alone was not the determining factor of success in technical programs. I knew some black students from Africa and the Caribbean who were extremely successful. It was the American-born black students who were incapable of succeeding in the technical coursework.
On a personal basis, we had a black family next door to us for our last couple of years in South Carolina. The father was in the Army (there's a large base in Columbia), and was a genuinely great guy. His son and mine (Tim) played together almost every day, and were inseparable. However, the mother of the family was standoffish, and we saw her very little.
One day, the two boys apparently had a spat over a toy. According to Claudia, the neighbor boy's mother was terribly upset and accused our son of a racial motive for taking his toys and coming home after the boys had their argument. This floored us, as the boys were only about 4 or 5 years old, and were great friends. Disputes over toys is quite normal at that age, and of course this one was already forgotten and the boys playing together as if nothing had happened. But the whole racial preconceptions seemed to be so deeply ingrained in the mother that her first reaction was that the argument was somehow a racial issue.
There are some, especially Bill Cosby, who are crusading to get black families stronger and more focused on morality and education. I'm in total agreement with him and others like him. Blacks will not escape their plight by forcing the rest of us to give them their 40 acres and a mule, but by keeping their families together and rubbing out the whole culture of alienation.
Given my age, I believe there have been great strides in educational opportunity and achievement. I sincerely hope that black students are succeeding in many technical programs in much better numbers, and that the negative cultural messages are beginning to be overcome.
The popular societal trends and attitudes these days say that we western-european-caucasian-whitebread folks should feel guilt about our forefathers' treatment of the black race. Affirmative Action is a racial preference program that noone should dare question lest they be labeled "racists". It has even been suggested that those who don't support the so-called "reparations" movement are also racist bigots. That one suggests that we all should contribute toward today's equivalent of "40 acres and a mule" that was suggested by a Union General after the Civil War to help slaves start their new lives in freedom. Today's equivalent of 40 acres and a mule is actually quite a lot of money; if 40 acres is worth $10k/acre on the low end and today's mule might be a Ford Pickup truck, we're looking at reparations being about $450,000.
What is today's status of this problem of race in our country? Are blacks still discriminated against in the workplace? Yes, there are probably lots of instances you could find if you looked hard enough where a qualified black person was denied a job because of their skin color. However, if you looked harder, you would also find the same denial to Asians, Hispanics, most definitely Middle-Easterners, women, homosexuals, smokers, fat people, people who look just like a hated relative of the hiring manager, I could go on and on.
There's lots of talk about diversity and tolerance, suggesting that all those red-necks who don't agree with giving preferential treatment to blacks and homosexuals are no better than the KKK. Somehow anyone who objects to preferential treatment for any group is full of "intolerance, bigotry, and hatred". Allow me to suggest it is those who use those labels to define people that disagree with them are the only ones guilty of those attitudes.
What forms my opinions on the subject is a mixture of my own education and experience. First of all, I honestly do not hate anybody, and do not expect that I ever will. In my lifetime, when I have found individuals that are unpleasant to be around, I have simply politely separated myself from them. Of the few individuals I can think of who fell into that category, none were black.
Some of the most friendly, outgoing, genuinely likeable people I have known and been friends with have been black. Strictly on a racial factor, I have personally liked far more of the blacks I have met than Asians or Hispanics. In fact, if I were in charge of hiring for a technical position today, I would find it much easier to hire a qualified black than an Asian, because I have found it much more difficult to develop friendly relationships with Asians. But here begins my experiential reasoning for my opinions. In the case of my black friends, I noticed an unmistakeable trend: They were all shunned by their racial peers as "acting white", "uncle Toms", and were social outcasts among those in the closed racial circles.
My first experiences with this phenomenon were when I was a student at Ball State. My black friends were outcasts from the larger group of blacks on campus, who largely kept to themselves, and regarded my friends as some sort of traitors. It's difficult to relate to a group of people who form relationships only with people of their own race and regard everyone else as untrustworthy. On top of that, the campus fraternity members literally branded themselves and their pledges ran around campus at night wearing only shorts and chains.
Living in South Carolina for six years, where black people were in the majority, substantially added to that experience. The schools were dismal failures in academic achievement, so those who could afford it generally sent their children to private and parochial schools. Interestingly, studies were done on this poor performance, which uncovered several contributing factors that the local people had known for some time.
The high schools in particular had ongoing gang issues. Any black student who aspired to do well in school was socially rejected by his/her peers, and might even be at risk of beatings by the school gangs for "acting white". Many black students who took their studies seriously went to elaborate lengths to hide their good grades from others, and would slide into the black slang (called "ebonics" by some) when in the presence of their peers. It was incredibly difficult for a black child to excel in school in South Carolina because of the extremely negative culture.
Other studies on Affirmative Action have found that the preferential spots reserved for blacks almost always go to affluent black students. Again, to cite my own observations when I attended graduate school at the University of South Carolina, government programs simply do not work. Here's what I saw at USC:
People in South Carolina were rather upset that their own students (of all races) were unable to get into the more highly sought degree programs in their own state university. According to USC, high school graduates of the state mostly did not meet the minimum requirements for acceptance into those degree programs. Most of the students in those programs came from out of state or out of the country.
Then there was my own graduate program. I was in the MBA program at USC that was structured for working people. As I recall, approximately 25 percent of our entering class in the program were black. When I graduated, there were only two left (not 2 percent, 2 students!). Understandably, there is a lot of attrition from a program like that. It's intense and very difficult to keep up with studies in a Master's program where you meet in 4-hour evening sessions 2-3 times per week, then all day Saturday every third week. And all sorts of people had to drop out, take some time off, or failed for a variety of reasons. But on a percentage basis, the attrition of the black students in particular was shocking.
I saw a similar situation develop when I went to school for my computer degree. There was a fairly large contingent of black people who began the computer program, but almost none completed it successfully. A particular incident I had direct knowledge of was a black female student who noticed that all the employees in the computer lab were white. So she went to the school administration and demanded she be hired to work in the lab or she would bring a discrimination lawsuit against the school. She was hired, and was terribly unqualified for the job. Whenever I had a shift immediately following hers, it always took me at least the first hour of my shift to clean up her "messes", which ranged from huge backlogs in turnaround of student projects to one time when she actually "crashed" the system. As much as I would like to be able to say that there were black people at that school who would have been qualified to work for that computer lab, there absolutely was not a single one. It was a small school, and I knew pretty much everyone, and helped many with their projects. I knew who was competent and who was not. Sadly, they were not.
One interesting fact, also from my experience in the educational system, was that race alone was not the determining factor of success in technical programs. I knew some black students from Africa and the Caribbean who were extremely successful. It was the American-born black students who were incapable of succeeding in the technical coursework.
On a personal basis, we had a black family next door to us for our last couple of years in South Carolina. The father was in the Army (there's a large base in Columbia), and was a genuinely great guy. His son and mine (Tim) played together almost every day, and were inseparable. However, the mother of the family was standoffish, and we saw her very little.
One day, the two boys apparently had a spat over a toy. According to Claudia, the neighbor boy's mother was terribly upset and accused our son of a racial motive for taking his toys and coming home after the boys had their argument. This floored us, as the boys were only about 4 or 5 years old, and were great friends. Disputes over toys is quite normal at that age, and of course this one was already forgotten and the boys playing together as if nothing had happened. But the whole racial preconceptions seemed to be so deeply ingrained in the mother that her first reaction was that the argument was somehow a racial issue.
There are some, especially Bill Cosby, who are crusading to get black families stronger and more focused on morality and education. I'm in total agreement with him and others like him. Blacks will not escape their plight by forcing the rest of us to give them their 40 acres and a mule, but by keeping their families together and rubbing out the whole culture of alienation.
Given my age, I believe there have been great strides in educational opportunity and achievement. I sincerely hope that black students are succeeding in many technical programs in much better numbers, and that the negative cultural messages are beginning to be overcome.
Saturday, February 12, 2005
What Weekend?
The weekend is here, but I've got far too much going on to be able to enjoy it.
Got back from Chicago last night, and then got up early to get my proposal ready for the prospective web client that came to visit this morning. Although it was an encouraging meeting, I've been through many like it before. Typical story is, I get through the demos, find out specifically what they want, develop the proposal for just that, then get the standard "we'll get back to you". Hopefully this isn't one of those.
If I could just get a couple of these clients signed up now and then, I wouldn't have to go on the road so much. The attraction of the consulting thing, besides it being very easy for me to do, is that I get paid pretty well, and by the hour. None of that working into the night or getting up at 6AM to prepare and then getting no result. It's a whole lot harder to sign up a new client than to deliver services that have already been sold by somebody else. It's totally shot my confidence in having any ability to sell; I'm not sure I could sell ice water to people in ..., well you get the idea.
Ever try to get health insurance on your own? Turns out it's impossible if anybody in your family has ever had a diagnosis. Tim's the picture of health, and they won't insure him because he was once diagnosed with asthma. Claudia's fine, but had a hip replacement, so she's uninsurable. I'm overweight, also uninsurable. What a messed up system. If only I could hire one or two people in my business, then we could get group insurance, no sweat.
Gotta get started on taxes this weekend as well, since the financial aid info for the boys is due. And I've got to sing tonight on top of it all. Then back to Chicago right after class on Monday.
Here's the only bright side. There isn't any football on this weekend for me to miss, except maybe the Pro Bowl, which isn't all that exciting.
Got back from Chicago last night, and then got up early to get my proposal ready for the prospective web client that came to visit this morning. Although it was an encouraging meeting, I've been through many like it before. Typical story is, I get through the demos, find out specifically what they want, develop the proposal for just that, then get the standard "we'll get back to you". Hopefully this isn't one of those.
If I could just get a couple of these clients signed up now and then, I wouldn't have to go on the road so much. The attraction of the consulting thing, besides it being very easy for me to do, is that I get paid pretty well, and by the hour. None of that working into the night or getting up at 6AM to prepare and then getting no result. It's a whole lot harder to sign up a new client than to deliver services that have already been sold by somebody else. It's totally shot my confidence in having any ability to sell; I'm not sure I could sell ice water to people in ..., well you get the idea.
Ever try to get health insurance on your own? Turns out it's impossible if anybody in your family has ever had a diagnosis. Tim's the picture of health, and they won't insure him because he was once diagnosed with asthma. Claudia's fine, but had a hip replacement, so she's uninsurable. I'm overweight, also uninsurable. What a messed up system. If only I could hire one or two people in my business, then we could get group insurance, no sweat.
Gotta get started on taxes this weekend as well, since the financial aid info for the boys is due. And I've got to sing tonight on top of it all. Then back to Chicago right after class on Monday.
Here's the only bright side. There isn't any football on this weekend for me to miss, except maybe the Pro Bowl, which isn't all that exciting.
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Help Wanted
I'll use the blog today to try out an ad I need to put together. I really need to expand my reach, and this is how I hope to accomplish that.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
If you or someone you know wants to build your own business, with freedom to set your own schedule and earn as much as your motiviation and ability allows, then send your resume for consideration.
The following attributes are required for candidates:
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
If you or someone you know wants to build your own business, with freedom to set your own schedule and earn as much as your motiviation and ability allows, then send your resume for consideration.
The following attributes are required for candidates:
- You must be self-directed, entrepreneurial, and able to work without supervision.
- You must be well versed with the internet and its capabilities. Technical skills are helpful, but not required.
- You must have some background in Sales and Marketing. You must have solid oral and written communication skills, and be able to comfortably interact with business owners and managers.
- You must be customer-service focused, and committed to exceeding customer expectations.
- You must be consulting-oriented, capable of finding creative solutions to business problems.
- You must be willing to work hard, including some evenings and weekends to meet customer needs.
- You must have dependable transportation, and be able to travel within a 100 mile radius of Columbus, Indiana.
- You must have the ability to survive on very little income for the first 6 months.
- You will represent a global company with over 1,100 offices in 87 countries.
- Your product offerings exceed those of any other business in the marketplace.
- Your average income, based on national averages, will be approximately $2,000 for each new client. Your total income potential is nearly unlimited.
- You will receive personalized, hands-on training in the local office at no cost. Additional training is available from the company for a fee plus travel expenses if desired.
- You will receive office space, telephone, and internet access at no cost. You must provide your own laptop computer (made available at cost from the company).
- A list of prospective clients will be provided upon completion of training to help you get started.
- Once you have established a thriving business, you may be offered the opportunity to open your own independent office.
For more information, contact me at the email address provided.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Monday Morning
So, how did I do?
Predictions:
Patriots 31 Eagles 17 Actual: Patriots 24 Eagles 21 (You could say I was only 3 points off on the total score, and I got the winner correct)
T.O. a non-factor Actual: He didn't score, but he did rack up some pretty decent receiving stats.
No Lewd Hip-Hop Halftime Show Actual: Paul McCartney. Very family-friendly show that I thought was also very entertaining. (Tim sneered and refused to watch).
At least one very funny commercial Actual: I laughed pretty hard at the cat & spaghetti sauce commercial, and the commercials with the monkeys were pretty funny.
New record for sports cliches Actual: I suppose that's a hard one to prove one way or the other, but I thought Aikman and Collinsworth were actually pretty good.
So what's the verdict? Am I psychic or a fraud?
If you think I'm psychic, send me your name, address, your question, and $100, and I'll answer your question. (fine print: management is not responsible for inaccurate predictions. For entertainment purposes only.)
Predictions:
Patriots 31 Eagles 17 Actual: Patriots 24 Eagles 21 (You could say I was only 3 points off on the total score, and I got the winner correct)
T.O. a non-factor Actual: He didn't score, but he did rack up some pretty decent receiving stats.
No Lewd Hip-Hop Halftime Show Actual: Paul McCartney. Very family-friendly show that I thought was also very entertaining. (Tim sneered and refused to watch).
At least one very funny commercial Actual: I laughed pretty hard at the cat & spaghetti sauce commercial, and the commercials with the monkeys were pretty funny.
New record for sports cliches Actual: I suppose that's a hard one to prove one way or the other, but I thought Aikman and Collinsworth were actually pretty good.
So what's the verdict? Am I psychic or a fraud?
If you think I'm psychic, send me your name, address, your question, and $100, and I'll answer your question. (fine print: management is not responsible for inaccurate predictions. For entertainment purposes only.)
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Lent Already
Lent seemed to sneak up on me this year. Somehow I thought it was later, but here it comes this week already.
My lenten sacrifice has been chosen, and it will be extremely difficult. But I won't tell anybody what it is. Those who tell everybody they know what they are "giving up for Lent" are kind of missing the point, I think. If nobody ever knows what my sacrifice is, all the better. Otherwise, the awe, pity, or praise you get from others becomes your reward. Ergo, the point of the whole exercise is missed.
Also, I think that people who participate in some token lenten sacrifice just because they feel obligated or just want something to tell others about might as well not do it at all. Some jokingly talk about giving up something they don't do anyway, but I think there are people whose sacrifices aren't much more difficult. Something I think is very clear about the experience is that it should be a personal expression of prayer, study, and growth. If it's anything less, there's no point.
I worked with a guy who drank so much, I often wondered if he was an alcoholic. He always made a big deal out of giving up drinking for Lent every year. It seems to me that, outside of his drinking buddies, it would have been of more spiritual value if nobody else really knew about his sacrifice. On the other hand, I think we all were sort of his support system, encouraging and praising him for being able to control his addiction, even if it was limited to 40 days. So I suppose it worked for him, in a way.
Something I have recently decided, apart from the Lent thing, is essentially this: I am beginning a journey toward meeting some specific short and long-term goals I have set for myself. Those goals are known by nobody, and I will not share them even here in my little obscure blog.
The point of all this is that the attainment of these goals is for personal reasons only. I'm not doing anything to make anybody else proud or happy. Even my family will probably never really know for sure, A) That I even set goals, and B) Whether or which goals I may have attained. Outside of what may be apparent.
By the way, the To-Do list I posted awhile ago in this blog, while it may offer some hints, it isn't going to tell you what I'm ultimately up to. Those are just things I'd like to do before I die; this is about much more than that. (Did you think I'd be that easy to figure out?).
On to more serious matters.
The Super Bowl starts in a couple of hours. Let's see if I have any football psychic powers. Patriots 31, Eagles 17. T.O. is a non-factor. No lewd Hip-Hop or flashing in the halftime show. At least one very funny commercial. The commentators set a new record for football cliches.
Indiana played Illinois in basketball this afternoon. I don't know the final score, because it was headed for a blowout. Illinois may be the best team in the country this year, but that doesn't excuse Indiana's inability to even stay on the court with them. How sad to see such a great basketball program slide so quickly into mediocrity. If there isn't a coaching change after this season, I suspect the alumni will go ballistic.
I'll check against my predictions tomorrow, and find out if I've got superpowers or am a mere mortal.
My lenten sacrifice has been chosen, and it will be extremely difficult. But I won't tell anybody what it is. Those who tell everybody they know what they are "giving up for Lent" are kind of missing the point, I think. If nobody ever knows what my sacrifice is, all the better. Otherwise, the awe, pity, or praise you get from others becomes your reward. Ergo, the point of the whole exercise is missed.
Also, I think that people who participate in some token lenten sacrifice just because they feel obligated or just want something to tell others about might as well not do it at all. Some jokingly talk about giving up something they don't do anyway, but I think there are people whose sacrifices aren't much more difficult. Something I think is very clear about the experience is that it should be a personal expression of prayer, study, and growth. If it's anything less, there's no point.
I worked with a guy who drank so much, I often wondered if he was an alcoholic. He always made a big deal out of giving up drinking for Lent every year. It seems to me that, outside of his drinking buddies, it would have been of more spiritual value if nobody else really knew about his sacrifice. On the other hand, I think we all were sort of his support system, encouraging and praising him for being able to control his addiction, even if it was limited to 40 days. So I suppose it worked for him, in a way.
Something I have recently decided, apart from the Lent thing, is essentially this: I am beginning a journey toward meeting some specific short and long-term goals I have set for myself. Those goals are known by nobody, and I will not share them even here in my little obscure blog.
The point of all this is that the attainment of these goals is for personal reasons only. I'm not doing anything to make anybody else proud or happy. Even my family will probably never really know for sure, A) That I even set goals, and B) Whether or which goals I may have attained. Outside of what may be apparent.
By the way, the To-Do list I posted awhile ago in this blog, while it may offer some hints, it isn't going to tell you what I'm ultimately up to. Those are just things I'd like to do before I die; this is about much more than that. (Did you think I'd be that easy to figure out?).
On to more serious matters.
The Super Bowl starts in a couple of hours. Let's see if I have any football psychic powers. Patriots 31, Eagles 17. T.O. is a non-factor. No lewd Hip-Hop or flashing in the halftime show. At least one very funny commercial. The commentators set a new record for football cliches.
Indiana played Illinois in basketball this afternoon. I don't know the final score, because it was headed for a blowout. Illinois may be the best team in the country this year, but that doesn't excuse Indiana's inability to even stay on the court with them. How sad to see such a great basketball program slide so quickly into mediocrity. If there isn't a coaching change after this season, I suspect the alumni will go ballistic.
I'll check against my predictions tomorrow, and find out if I've got superpowers or am a mere mortal.
Saturday, February 05, 2005
Weekend Lyrics
In honor of Nick, who posts song lyrics on his blog every day, here are some lyrics from a song I knew well, some time ago.
It's kind of syrupy sweet and sappy, and not at all like the cynical, faux-sophisticated, often vulgar songs that seem to be popular now. What I do know is that once upon a time, if a guy had a decent voice and could play a passable guitar, he could capture the girl of his dreams with this song.
It's kind of syrupy sweet and sappy, and not at all like the cynical, faux-sophisticated, often vulgar songs that seem to be popular now. What I do know is that once upon a time, if a guy had a decent voice and could play a passable guitar, he could capture the girl of his dreams with this song.
Jim Croce.
If I could save time in a bottle,
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day till eternity passes away,
Just to spend them with you
If I could make days last forever,
If words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day like a treasure and then,
Again, I would spend them with you
But there never seems to be enough time,
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
I've looked around enough to know,
You're the one I want to go
Through time with.
If I had a box just for wishes,
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty,
Except for the memory
Of how they were answered by you.
But there never seems to be enough time,
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
I've looked around enough to know,
You're the one I want to go
Through time with
Friday, February 04, 2005
Idealism?
Attending the banquet for the Pregnancy Care Center last night got me thinking about their particular brand of idealism and it's contrast with the other (dark) side.
One of their programs is presenting abstinence education programs, which I was somewhat surprised to learn are welcomed by the schools. Oops - maybe I shouldn't let that go public and let the ACLU hear about it.
I wonder, is the idealistic hope that teens who hear the abstinence message from this program will embrace it, even though virtually everything else they see and hear in our secular culture teaches them the exact opposite?
How would anyone begin to try to offset the values of our culture, where a teen is generally ridiculed for being a virgin. Where pregnant girls are told to go ahead and abort, because it's really just some blob of tissue, and abortion is just one of many birth control options. Where sincere people working hard to offer alternatives from a perspective of faith are demonized as bible-thumping hypocrites. Where the outrageous spread of STD's and AIDS are seldom mentioned, or if they are, the only suggested solution is a condom. Where abortion is advocated as both a right and a responsibility, to be performed on-demand, without parental notification even for the youngest mothers, right up to full term.
What I found sobering was the fact that Christian children are having sex just as much as their non-churched peers. What more evidence would we need that the secular values are having a greater impact than those the church is trying to impart.
I'm thinking I would love to meet people over 18 who have chosen to remain virgins and committed to saving it for their spouse. Knowing the incredible pressures anyone in that situation faces to abandon that sort of pledge, I could have nothing but the ultimate respect for that choice. It takes an amazing amount of not only self-control, but courage. To be willing to move on from a relationship with a person one thinks might be "the one" when being rejected for saying "no". After all, what could be better than two people entering a marriage in true purity (I now wince at the myth of the white wedding dress), able to begin their lifelong relationship with no baggage from prior partners.
In the meantime, all anyone can do is offer support and help to try to save as many babies as possible. The investment in ultrasound machines for each center is turning out to be possibly more effective than just about anything else in helping convince women and girls to carry their baby to term.
One of their programs is presenting abstinence education programs, which I was somewhat surprised to learn are welcomed by the schools. Oops - maybe I shouldn't let that go public and let the ACLU hear about it.
I wonder, is the idealistic hope that teens who hear the abstinence message from this program will embrace it, even though virtually everything else they see and hear in our secular culture teaches them the exact opposite?
How would anyone begin to try to offset the values of our culture, where a teen is generally ridiculed for being a virgin. Where pregnant girls are told to go ahead and abort, because it's really just some blob of tissue, and abortion is just one of many birth control options. Where sincere people working hard to offer alternatives from a perspective of faith are demonized as bible-thumping hypocrites. Where the outrageous spread of STD's and AIDS are seldom mentioned, or if they are, the only suggested solution is a condom. Where abortion is advocated as both a right and a responsibility, to be performed on-demand, without parental notification even for the youngest mothers, right up to full term.
What I found sobering was the fact that Christian children are having sex just as much as their non-churched peers. What more evidence would we need that the secular values are having a greater impact than those the church is trying to impart.
I'm thinking I would love to meet people over 18 who have chosen to remain virgins and committed to saving it for their spouse. Knowing the incredible pressures anyone in that situation faces to abandon that sort of pledge, I could have nothing but the ultimate respect for that choice. It takes an amazing amount of not only self-control, but courage. To be willing to move on from a relationship with a person one thinks might be "the one" when being rejected for saying "no". After all, what could be better than two people entering a marriage in true purity (I now wince at the myth of the white wedding dress), able to begin their lifelong relationship with no baggage from prior partners.
In the meantime, all anyone can do is offer support and help to try to save as many babies as possible. The investment in ultrasound machines for each center is turning out to be possibly more effective than just about anything else in helping convince women and girls to carry their baby to term.
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Just call me psychic
Pretty good trick, don't you think? I got it almost exactly right on the Social Security proposal. Am I psychic, or hooked into the White House?
Naw. It's just common sense.
Wasn't that the weakest response by an opposing party to a State of the Union speech we've ever seen? Unbelievable.
Complaining that Bush should be doing all the stuff in Iraq he's already doing. Just isn't doing it fast enough? We're all supposed to jump and yell, "Right On!" ? Duhhh.
And Social Security is just fine. It doesn't need any changes. They'd have you believe that Bush wants to give you gambling money to go to Vegas and try to win your retirement at the roulette wheel. Just amusing. (See my last post on Social Security for why democrats REALLY oppose the plan)
That's entertainment that continues to tickle our funny bone, straight from DC.
Naw. It's just common sense.
Wasn't that the weakest response by an opposing party to a State of the Union speech we've ever seen? Unbelievable.
Complaining that Bush should be doing all the stuff in Iraq he's already doing. Just isn't doing it fast enough? We're all supposed to jump and yell, "Right On!" ? Duhhh.
And Social Security is just fine. It doesn't need any changes. They'd have you believe that Bush wants to give you gambling money to go to Vegas and try to win your retirement at the roulette wheel. Just amusing. (See my last post on Social Security for why democrats REALLY oppose the plan)
That's entertainment that continues to tickle our funny bone, straight from DC.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Social Security Reform for Dummies
I don't know exactly what the president's proposal is for Social Security reform beyond the basic idea of letting people put 2% of their withholding into personal retirement savings accounts. But I do know exactly how the proposal could be designed in a way that nobody could object to it with any credibility.
The program could be very simple, and it should be a long-term plan that eventually leads to the entire payroll tax being funnelled directly to personal accounts, maybe 50 years from now. But let's start with the 2% proposal for now.
A new type of retirement account, similar to the IRA, would be designed, but with some specific differences. For our purposes, we'll call the new account an SRA (Security Retirement Account). To qualify, the investment vehicle must be approved and certified by the Social Security Administration. It would have to have a proven track record, passing audits, showing a solid long-term rate of return, etc. Most of the more popular mutual funds would easily qualify.
Then, the rules of the account would include the following:
1. Funds cannot, under any circumstances, be distributed before legal retirement age or the death of the fund owner.
2. Funds cannot be used as collateral for loans, cannot be attached by creditors, and are otherwise exempt from being attached for any purpose other than retirement or survivor's benefits.
3. Funds would include life insurance that would pay a pre-established death benefit to the survivors of the account owner if death occurs prior to retirement. At retirement, the fund's balance becomes the death benefit.
4. The funds also would include insurance that guarantee principle and/or a minimum growth rate. These insurance plans are available and being sold commercially today.
5. The distribution from the account upon retirement will normally be provided through an annuity, but the retiree can withdraw the entire value if they meet certain conditions.
6. Of course, like any other investment account, the balance of the account will be included in the estate upon the death of the owner, to be distributed to heirs as determined by the owner's will and existing laws.
The only conceivable objections people might have against the program would be that the accounts might be taken by creditors, blown by the owner, put into risky investments, etc. Well, I've laid out ideas above that would address those objections.
So, what possible objection could be left? That's easy. If your congressperson was honest, they would have to admit that the Social Security Trust Fund isn't at all what we've been led to believe. They make payments to existing beneficiaries, then the rest is basically taken by the Congress to pay for everything else. So, the problem isn't the concept, which is terrific. The problem is that these accounts would drain a huge amount of money away from the Federal Government, which is the same as taking the drugs away from an addict. They would be forced to either cut taxes or spending to make up the difference of all those dollars slipping through their grasp.
When you hear opponents talk about the plan "bankrupting" the social security system, what they really mean is it's going to drop billions of dollars from the till that they are used to emptying out every year to fund unrelated programs. The main question a citizen has to ask him or herself is, would we rather have our own social security account that belongs to us, gives us a higher income after retirement, and that we can pass on when we die; or are we content to pay the tax throughout our lifetime and have some go to other retirees and the rest into the government's coffers, while not really believing it's going to be there for us when we retire?
Not much question about my choice.
The program could be very simple, and it should be a long-term plan that eventually leads to the entire payroll tax being funnelled directly to personal accounts, maybe 50 years from now. But let's start with the 2% proposal for now.
A new type of retirement account, similar to the IRA, would be designed, but with some specific differences. For our purposes, we'll call the new account an SRA (Security Retirement Account). To qualify, the investment vehicle must be approved and certified by the Social Security Administration. It would have to have a proven track record, passing audits, showing a solid long-term rate of return, etc. Most of the more popular mutual funds would easily qualify.
Then, the rules of the account would include the following:
1. Funds cannot, under any circumstances, be distributed before legal retirement age or the death of the fund owner.
2. Funds cannot be used as collateral for loans, cannot be attached by creditors, and are otherwise exempt from being attached for any purpose other than retirement or survivor's benefits.
3. Funds would include life insurance that would pay a pre-established death benefit to the survivors of the account owner if death occurs prior to retirement. At retirement, the fund's balance becomes the death benefit.
4. The funds also would include insurance that guarantee principle and/or a minimum growth rate. These insurance plans are available and being sold commercially today.
5. The distribution from the account upon retirement will normally be provided through an annuity, but the retiree can withdraw the entire value if they meet certain conditions.
6. Of course, like any other investment account, the balance of the account will be included in the estate upon the death of the owner, to be distributed to heirs as determined by the owner's will and existing laws.
The only conceivable objections people might have against the program would be that the accounts might be taken by creditors, blown by the owner, put into risky investments, etc. Well, I've laid out ideas above that would address those objections.
So, what possible objection could be left? That's easy. If your congressperson was honest, they would have to admit that the Social Security Trust Fund isn't at all what we've been led to believe. They make payments to existing beneficiaries, then the rest is basically taken by the Congress to pay for everything else. So, the problem isn't the concept, which is terrific. The problem is that these accounts would drain a huge amount of money away from the Federal Government, which is the same as taking the drugs away from an addict. They would be forced to either cut taxes or spending to make up the difference of all those dollars slipping through their grasp.
When you hear opponents talk about the plan "bankrupting" the social security system, what they really mean is it's going to drop billions of dollars from the till that they are used to emptying out every year to fund unrelated programs. The main question a citizen has to ask him or herself is, would we rather have our own social security account that belongs to us, gives us a higher income after retirement, and that we can pass on when we die; or are we content to pay the tax throughout our lifetime and have some go to other retirees and the rest into the government's coffers, while not really believing it's going to be there for us when we retire?
Not much question about my choice.
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Cool Limerick for the Wiz
I stumbled across this and thought it was good enough to share. I'd credit the author if I knew who it was.
The fabulous Wizard of Oz
Retired from his racket because,
What with up-to-date science,
To most of his clients
He wasn’t the Wizard he was
The fabulous Wizard of Oz
Retired from his racket because,
What with up-to-date science,
To most of his clients
He wasn’t the Wizard he was
dem dummies
I've taken a long break from politics, but stuff happening lately is actually getting somewhat humorous. For a bunch of people who want us to believe they're the intelligent ones, they sure have been stupid lately.
Here are great ways to win over the American people:
Barbara Boxer is the poster child for stupid democrats these days. First she raises a challenge to Ohio's electoral votes by alleging fraud, but has no evidence whatsoever to back up her challenge. The best arguments she could come up with was that the lines were long in some minority polling places and some people couldn't or wouldn't wait, and that there was a problem with a machine at one place (which everybody knows was caught and corrected). She then had the distinct honor of being the only Senator to vote against certifying the electoral count for Ohio.
Then good ol' BB proceeded to make a fool of herself by openly calling Condi Rice a liar in her confirmation hearings for Sec State. Condi slapped her down with a masterful retort that got lots of play across the media. So Barbie decided to get even more petty by holding up the confirmation vote just for spite. There might be a couple dozen wackos in her San Fransisco consituency applauding her, but I'm guessing the rest of Californians probably now consider her an embarrassment.
Now we get a great success in the Iraqi election, and here comes John Kerry. Still acting the part of the sore loser, he can't bring himself to say anything positive about the outcome, but still seems to be making the same campaign speeches. Maybe if he says it often enough, people will finally start to believe him when he says that he could get the UN to cooperate and share the burden of helping Iraq rebuild and stamp out the insurgency. Interesting that he still hasn't explained just how he would do that - apparently just the force of his charismatic personality will make guys like Chirac and Schroeder come around; "Sure, we'll be happy to give billions of dollars and thousands of soldiers to the effort in Iraq just because it's you asking, Mr. Kerry". What's that guy smokin?
And Kennedy is still talking like a drunken fool, Pelosi is a nutcase, don't get me started on Byrd, and they just might make Howard Dean the chairman of their party. Wow, I'm no political expert, but even I see clearly that just about everything they are doing right now is incredibly stupid.
How about instead of slamming Bush at every turn, they offer their own alternative plans and ideas? Anybody ever heard them say what they think would work better, in Iraq, for Social Security, balancing the budget, stimulating the economy, etc.? I haven't.
How about instead of obstructing everything Bush is trying to accomplish, they step up and offer to deal. Mr. President, you want us to help pass initiative A? How about you give us our minimum wage increase? Get the concept? (Look up 'compromise', it's in the dictionary)
I've always been suspicious of politicians, but I don't know if I've ever seen them acting so irrational and stupid as the dems right now. At least it's almost entertaining to watch.
Here are great ways to win over the American people:
Barbara Boxer is the poster child for stupid democrats these days. First she raises a challenge to Ohio's electoral votes by alleging fraud, but has no evidence whatsoever to back up her challenge. The best arguments she could come up with was that the lines were long in some minority polling places and some people couldn't or wouldn't wait, and that there was a problem with a machine at one place (which everybody knows was caught and corrected). She then had the distinct honor of being the only Senator to vote against certifying the electoral count for Ohio.
Then good ol' BB proceeded to make a fool of herself by openly calling Condi Rice a liar in her confirmation hearings for Sec State. Condi slapped her down with a masterful retort that got lots of play across the media. So Barbie decided to get even more petty by holding up the confirmation vote just for spite. There might be a couple dozen wackos in her San Fransisco consituency applauding her, but I'm guessing the rest of Californians probably now consider her an embarrassment.
Now we get a great success in the Iraqi election, and here comes John Kerry. Still acting the part of the sore loser, he can't bring himself to say anything positive about the outcome, but still seems to be making the same campaign speeches. Maybe if he says it often enough, people will finally start to believe him when he says that he could get the UN to cooperate and share the burden of helping Iraq rebuild and stamp out the insurgency. Interesting that he still hasn't explained just how he would do that - apparently just the force of his charismatic personality will make guys like Chirac and Schroeder come around; "Sure, we'll be happy to give billions of dollars and thousands of soldiers to the effort in Iraq just because it's you asking, Mr. Kerry". What's that guy smokin?
And Kennedy is still talking like a drunken fool, Pelosi is a nutcase, don't get me started on Byrd, and they just might make Howard Dean the chairman of their party. Wow, I'm no political expert, but even I see clearly that just about everything they are doing right now is incredibly stupid.
How about instead of slamming Bush at every turn, they offer their own alternative plans and ideas? Anybody ever heard them say what they think would work better, in Iraq, for Social Security, balancing the budget, stimulating the economy, etc.? I haven't.
How about instead of obstructing everything Bush is trying to accomplish, they step up and offer to deal. Mr. President, you want us to help pass initiative A? How about you give us our minimum wage increase? Get the concept? (Look up 'compromise', it's in the dictionary)
I've always been suspicious of politicians, but I don't know if I've ever seen them acting so irrational and stupid as the dems right now. At least it's almost entertaining to watch.
Monday, January 31, 2005
Busy week ahead
Got a full plate this week, mostly because I've been out of town nearly every week in the past couple of months.
Went to CASA training this morning, first session. It will be fascinating to see what sort of cases I get. I think I'll enjoy this little volunteer sideline, but it might be painful and difficult. Either way, I'm fascinated to find out. I'll probably miss some of the sessions and will have to make them up in the spring, but we'll see what happens.
Not much happening over the weekend, and we didn't really feel like doing much anyway because the weather stinks. Definitely a weekend that makes me look forward to Spring.
Tax time! W2's are in, and I've got to get busy because the FAFSA is due very soon. A strange system when you think about it. Parental income the key factor in their kids' college financial aid package. I'm not sure I have a great alternative to the system; maybe I should give it some thought. It does concern me the apparently huge numbers of college grads that have to start their working lives under the shadow of big debts for their education.
All for another time. If I don't go get lunch right now, the next chance for a meal is way out sometime tonight.
Went to CASA training this morning, first session. It will be fascinating to see what sort of cases I get. I think I'll enjoy this little volunteer sideline, but it might be painful and difficult. Either way, I'm fascinated to find out. I'll probably miss some of the sessions and will have to make them up in the spring, but we'll see what happens.
Not much happening over the weekend, and we didn't really feel like doing much anyway because the weather stinks. Definitely a weekend that makes me look forward to Spring.
Tax time! W2's are in, and I've got to get busy because the FAFSA is due very soon. A strange system when you think about it. Parental income the key factor in their kids' college financial aid package. I'm not sure I have a great alternative to the system; maybe I should give it some thought. It does concern me the apparently huge numbers of college grads that have to start their working lives under the shadow of big debts for their education.
All for another time. If I don't go get lunch right now, the next chance for a meal is way out sometime tonight.
Saturday, January 29, 2005
To Do List
How many people have a To Do List of things they want to do before they die?
I'll share mine here if you promise not to make fun of me. These are the things I'd like to cross of my list before I'm dead.
1. Trim down and get into shape. Sounds easy, right? For some reason it's the hardest thing in the world for me right now.
2. Play in a basketball league. And play well. (requires prerequisite #1 above)
3. Sing for more weddings. I love to sing at weddings.
4. Sing a duet onstage with Celine Dion. And do better than hold my own next to her.
5. Cut my own CD Album. And have lots of people play it and like it. And not care if it ever earned a dime.
6. Dance like I once did. Un-self-consciously. (also requires prerequisite #1 above)
7. Build my dream rec room. With all the great stuff that it should have.
8. Get out of bed every morning with a "can't wait for today" attitude.
9. Take the Alaskan Cruise.
10. Tour the Holy Land.
11. Other trips (not necessarily all of them): British Isles, Germany/Austria, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Australia/New Zealand.
12. Be at weddings for all 3 boys. Be a best friend to them and their wives. Have a great relationship with my grandchildren. (I'm somewhat sad that I'll never get to walk a daughter down the aisle.)
13. Buy a new car just because I like it, even if it's completely impractical.
14. Have Colts Season Tickets with great seats and somebody to go with who's actually into it.
15. Go to lots of grandchildrens' sports events and concerts. Assuming I have grandchildren someday.
16. Save a life. Or have a major positive influence on one that is acknowledged by that person.
17. Die in my sleep the night after I've checked off the last item on the list. Having been pretty much healthy up to that moment.
There's more, but I'll never tell anyone about them, they are too personal.
I'll share mine here if you promise not to make fun of me. These are the things I'd like to cross of my list before I'm dead.
1. Trim down and get into shape. Sounds easy, right? For some reason it's the hardest thing in the world for me right now.
2. Play in a basketball league. And play well. (requires prerequisite #1 above)
3. Sing for more weddings. I love to sing at weddings.
4. Sing a duet onstage with Celine Dion. And do better than hold my own next to her.
5. Cut my own CD Album. And have lots of people play it and like it. And not care if it ever earned a dime.
6. Dance like I once did. Un-self-consciously. (also requires prerequisite #1 above)
7. Build my dream rec room. With all the great stuff that it should have.
8. Get out of bed every morning with a "can't wait for today" attitude.
9. Take the Alaskan Cruise.
10. Tour the Holy Land.
11. Other trips (not necessarily all of them): British Isles, Germany/Austria, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Australia/New Zealand.
12. Be at weddings for all 3 boys. Be a best friend to them and their wives. Have a great relationship with my grandchildren. (I'm somewhat sad that I'll never get to walk a daughter down the aisle.)
13. Buy a new car just because I like it, even if it's completely impractical.
14. Have Colts Season Tickets with great seats and somebody to go with who's actually into it.
15. Go to lots of grandchildrens' sports events and concerts. Assuming I have grandchildren someday.
16. Save a life. Or have a major positive influence on one that is acknowledged by that person.
17. Die in my sleep the night after I've checked off the last item on the list. Having been pretty much healthy up to that moment.
There's more, but I'll never tell anyone about them, they are too personal.
Friday, January 28, 2005
Education Inspiration
I've never done two blog entries in the same day, but this has been rambling around in my head all week, and maybe I can move on easier if I write it down.
Between hearing about my own kids' views of high school and remembering my own experiences, our current education system at the high school level doesn't make much sense.
True when I was that age, and apparently even more true today is the fact that most kids pretty much are marking time their Junior and Senior years in high school. For me, those years were much more about having fun in my sports and music activities and making money on the side than the education I got between 8 and 3:30 every day.
Sure, I was serious enough about my education to want to get good grades and go to college. But I'd have to say that was well down the list from my sports, playing trombone in the Jazz Ensemble, and the various singing groups and youth trips and just hanging out with friends. Academically, my senior year in particular was of very little value, and I was mostly just marking time and having fun while trying to get a decent SAT score and apply to colleges.
If anybody's really serious about "fixing" education, they should first face reality. By the end of the 10th grade, probably 80 percent of kids have all the education they will need, at least to get entry into college. Juniors and seniors are either taking the AP and college-prep classes, some are marking time in Vo-Tech programs, but most are just taking the easiest classes they can find and getting into trouble.
I think it's really easy. Public schools should be reconfigured to end after the 10th grade. After finishing the 10th grade, students should then be free to choose from a myriad of options. Some form of the good old "vouchers" system would probably be the main source of funding, but imagine the possibilities:
Kids who are headed for the trades could go directly into apprentice programs or Vo-Tech schools. Some might go to work immediately for construction companies, HVAC companies, Plumbers, Electricians, etc.
Others who just want to go to work are free to do so. They can go ahead and get the factory job, fast food job, retail, whatever. But, until they turn, say 19, they can access their "voucher" benefits to finish their education in evening or weekend programs at local schools or community colleges.
College-bound kids can go to college prep schools, community colleges, or the actual colleges and universities, where they would start with the fundamental courses they need before entering the degree programs one or two years later. This could lead to specialized schools and programs that cater to students interested in engineering, math & sciences, medicine, music & arts, or general studies programs for those who aren't sure yet.
Bottom line, give the kids freedom after the 10th grade to start their lives by going directly into their chosen life and career path, rather than have them mark time for two more years in dinosaur high schools. That means they will enter an environment of their own choosing, and be able to pursue their career aspirations through education and training that is relevant to their chosen life path. That would allow kids of similar interests to study together in a safer, smaller environment that's actually productive for them.
If this had happened when I was in school, my main concern would have been losing out on the stuff I really enjoyed, sports and music. Of course, none of that has to go away. For those who are interested in participating, the schools they go to after the 10th grade can still sponsor similar programs, either within their curricula or as extra-curricula programs. It seems to me that this approach would provide much greater opportunity for these types of activities instead of less, as there will be more, smaller, and better schools in the community providing the education they really want. For example, instead of 1 or 2 high schools in the county with basketball, soccer, football, baseball, volleyball, etc., imagine there are 10 or 12 schools fielding teams. More kids get to participate, there's a lot more competition, and a lot more fun.
I know better than to think this idea has much of a prayer of catching the attention of enough people to make it a reality. There are way too many people who would fight this idea to the death even if it started to gain momentum, and too many politicians willing to pander to those entrenched interests.
It's still a good idea.
Between hearing about my own kids' views of high school and remembering my own experiences, our current education system at the high school level doesn't make much sense.
True when I was that age, and apparently even more true today is the fact that most kids pretty much are marking time their Junior and Senior years in high school. For me, those years were much more about having fun in my sports and music activities and making money on the side than the education I got between 8 and 3:30 every day.
Sure, I was serious enough about my education to want to get good grades and go to college. But I'd have to say that was well down the list from my sports, playing trombone in the Jazz Ensemble, and the various singing groups and youth trips and just hanging out with friends. Academically, my senior year in particular was of very little value, and I was mostly just marking time and having fun while trying to get a decent SAT score and apply to colleges.
If anybody's really serious about "fixing" education, they should first face reality. By the end of the 10th grade, probably 80 percent of kids have all the education they will need, at least to get entry into college. Juniors and seniors are either taking the AP and college-prep classes, some are marking time in Vo-Tech programs, but most are just taking the easiest classes they can find and getting into trouble.
I think it's really easy. Public schools should be reconfigured to end after the 10th grade. After finishing the 10th grade, students should then be free to choose from a myriad of options. Some form of the good old "vouchers" system would probably be the main source of funding, but imagine the possibilities:
Kids who are headed for the trades could go directly into apprentice programs or Vo-Tech schools. Some might go to work immediately for construction companies, HVAC companies, Plumbers, Electricians, etc.
Others who just want to go to work are free to do so. They can go ahead and get the factory job, fast food job, retail, whatever. But, until they turn, say 19, they can access their "voucher" benefits to finish their education in evening or weekend programs at local schools or community colleges.
College-bound kids can go to college prep schools, community colleges, or the actual colleges and universities, where they would start with the fundamental courses they need before entering the degree programs one or two years later. This could lead to specialized schools and programs that cater to students interested in engineering, math & sciences, medicine, music & arts, or general studies programs for those who aren't sure yet.
Bottom line, give the kids freedom after the 10th grade to start their lives by going directly into their chosen life and career path, rather than have them mark time for two more years in dinosaur high schools. That means they will enter an environment of their own choosing, and be able to pursue their career aspirations through education and training that is relevant to their chosen life path. That would allow kids of similar interests to study together in a safer, smaller environment that's actually productive for them.
If this had happened when I was in school, my main concern would have been losing out on the stuff I really enjoyed, sports and music. Of course, none of that has to go away. For those who are interested in participating, the schools they go to after the 10th grade can still sponsor similar programs, either within their curricula or as extra-curricula programs. It seems to me that this approach would provide much greater opportunity for these types of activities instead of less, as there will be more, smaller, and better schools in the community providing the education they really want. For example, instead of 1 or 2 high schools in the county with basketball, soccer, football, baseball, volleyball, etc., imagine there are 10 or 12 schools fielding teams. More kids get to participate, there's a lot more competition, and a lot more fun.
I know better than to think this idea has much of a prayer of catching the attention of enough people to make it a reality. There are way too many people who would fight this idea to the death even if it started to gain momentum, and too many politicians willing to pander to those entrenched interests.
It's still a good idea.
Living in the Twilight Zone
What a strange week. But in its own way, it's been sort of fun.
It started off with an eerie sort of vision or dream or intuition about Nick that I emailed him about, and his response seems to indicate I might have been right. Cool.
Then I go for the planning sessions at my new consulting engagement. A casino. Comp'd me on a very nice suite, which was a good start. Then the fun began.
We want you to build us a system for HR and Payroll, and it has to be live by March 15th. But you can only talk to our staff (in HR and Payroll) for 4 hours. And you can't see any employee information. And nobody knows yet what the benefit plans will be.
The good news is that we're giving you this test data. It's got all our favorite cartoon characters, from Mickey Mouse to Sponge Bob. It's just names and addresses, though - no information about the cartoon characters' positions or taxes or voluntary deductions or anything else, really. Except their Direct Deposit accounts....
It started out strange, and quickly progressed to ludicrous. I spent lots of time preparing my explanations about why this just wasn't going to work, and giving them precisely what data I will need to be successful. They're going to aggressively pursue permission to get the information I need - we'll see how that works.
Then I get home and hear a hilarious update from Tim about his girlfriend screening. He broke off his previous relationship because she worked so much that they really couldn't spend much time together. So now, the girls are lined up for his attention - it brings to mind an image of the 'American Idol' auditions. Cracks me up.
In true Tim fashion, he's taking his time to make a choice. I asked him why make one at all - why not just date all of the ones you find interesting? He says it doesn't work that way. Strange generational change, I suppose. He knows it doesn't really matter that much, since everybody's graduating and going their separate ways in a few months anyway.
So what is it about Tim that seems to attract girls like moths to the porchlight?
I'm not totally sure, but it could be his looks (reminiscent of Kirk Douglas), his body (football player/lifeguard buff), his caveman attitude (very masculine, very private about personal feelings), his personality (kind of quiet, but funny and a practical joker).
Or maybe it's just that he doesn't care whether he's got a girl on his arm or not. He's not needy or possessive. He can be rude and direct, and won't put up with feminine nonsense and manipulation. He seems the opposite of what the feminist world advertises about what women want, but maybe he is not what they say they want but what they really want.
It's interesting and amusing at the same time. I hope I get to meet the girl when he finally makes up his mind.
It started off with an eerie sort of vision or dream or intuition about Nick that I emailed him about, and his response seems to indicate I might have been right. Cool.
Then I go for the planning sessions at my new consulting engagement. A casino. Comp'd me on a very nice suite, which was a good start. Then the fun began.
We want you to build us a system for HR and Payroll, and it has to be live by March 15th. But you can only talk to our staff (in HR and Payroll) for 4 hours. And you can't see any employee information. And nobody knows yet what the benefit plans will be.
The good news is that we're giving you this test data. It's got all our favorite cartoon characters, from Mickey Mouse to Sponge Bob. It's just names and addresses, though - no information about the cartoon characters' positions or taxes or voluntary deductions or anything else, really. Except their Direct Deposit accounts....
It started out strange, and quickly progressed to ludicrous. I spent lots of time preparing my explanations about why this just wasn't going to work, and giving them precisely what data I will need to be successful. They're going to aggressively pursue permission to get the information I need - we'll see how that works.
Then I get home and hear a hilarious update from Tim about his girlfriend screening. He broke off his previous relationship because she worked so much that they really couldn't spend much time together. So now, the girls are lined up for his attention - it brings to mind an image of the 'American Idol' auditions. Cracks me up.
In true Tim fashion, he's taking his time to make a choice. I asked him why make one at all - why not just date all of the ones you find interesting? He says it doesn't work that way. Strange generational change, I suppose. He knows it doesn't really matter that much, since everybody's graduating and going their separate ways in a few months anyway.
So what is it about Tim that seems to attract girls like moths to the porchlight?
I'm not totally sure, but it could be his looks (reminiscent of Kirk Douglas), his body (football player/lifeguard buff), his caveman attitude (very masculine, very private about personal feelings), his personality (kind of quiet, but funny and a practical joker).
Or maybe it's just that he doesn't care whether he's got a girl on his arm or not. He's not needy or possessive. He can be rude and direct, and won't put up with feminine nonsense and manipulation. He seems the opposite of what the feminist world advertises about what women want, but maybe he is not what they say they want but what they really want.
It's interesting and amusing at the same time. I hope I get to meet the girl when he finally makes up his mind.
Monday, January 24, 2005
Spring Break Planning
I forgot about the fact that it's hard to redeem miles for travel over Spring Break if you wait until late January. I'll keep trying, because I'd rather fly to Sarasota than drive.
It was an interesting experiment, where I told everyone I was going to Florida for Spring Break, and they could choose to come along or stay home. Chris was the first definitive "Yes". Then Tim did his usual schtick, starting with "I'll go if Nick goes". When I told him Nick couldn't go because his spring break wasn't the same week, he changed to "I'll go if Mom and Chris don't go". So I told him that Chris was definitely going, and it became "I'll go if Mom doesn't go".
Funny, Mom told Tim she was going if he was, but she was staying home if he stayed home. So we've got a standoff. I'm not going to bother trying to talk anybody into anything. If Tim wants to go, it's with the family; if not, he gets to stay home with his mother. I think the strategy actually is working out pretty well; only those who want to go and have a good time will do so, and the rest can stay home.
Now I just have to find a flight that hasn't already handed out all of their FF seats.
Gotta stop messing around with the blog and get my work done so I can get to Chicago at a reasonable hour this evening.
It was an interesting experiment, where I told everyone I was going to Florida for Spring Break, and they could choose to come along or stay home. Chris was the first definitive "Yes". Then Tim did his usual schtick, starting with "I'll go if Nick goes". When I told him Nick couldn't go because his spring break wasn't the same week, he changed to "I'll go if Mom and Chris don't go". So I told him that Chris was definitely going, and it became "I'll go if Mom doesn't go".
Funny, Mom told Tim she was going if he was, but she was staying home if he stayed home. So we've got a standoff. I'm not going to bother trying to talk anybody into anything. If Tim wants to go, it's with the family; if not, he gets to stay home with his mother. I think the strategy actually is working out pretty well; only those who want to go and have a good time will do so, and the rest can stay home.
Now I just have to find a flight that hasn't already handed out all of their FF seats.
Gotta stop messing around with the blog and get my work done so I can get to Chicago at a reasonable hour this evening.
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Short Weekends and Mixed Blessings
Taking a few unavailable minutes out to blog today might be just my way of analyzing where recent events are leading. The number one reason I left my company last spring to start this business was being burned out on constant traveling and missing out on the boys. Well, it looks like I'm going to be forced to get back on the road to get the income the family needs.
My hiatus did succeed as far as being able to spend much more time with Tim & Chris. I met the primary goal of making it to every one of Tim's football games this past fall, for which I am thankful. It was too late for Nick, although while he was still around I did spend lots of time with him on weekends, mostly taking him to soccer games and tournaments.
Building a business is difficult, particularly from the standpoint of getting known in the area and building a reference base. Basically I discovered it takes a huge amount of effort to earn a few bucks when you're just getting started. I don't have the budget to do the kind of advertising and hire help that would help ramp up the business faster, which was probably my main miscalculation. I still believe in the business, but just think it's going to take a lot longer than I expected to build.
So, the old company beckons with consulting opportunities. I went on a little 2-day engagement in Chicago in early December that I was able to expand to about a 30-day project. Even though it meant being out of town a lot and having to basically drop most of my selling activities to local prospects, it allowed me to make a lot more money with much less effort.
Now they've asked me to take on an even bigger project, also in Chicago, that's going to take me through Spring Break. It's great in terms of money, but very tough as far as keeping momentum on the rest of my business. I was for awhile kind of hoping John would join me in incorporating the business, which would have allowed us to double our efforts and infuse a little more capital for marketing activities. But John decided to go with a job that sounded pretty attractive, so that didn't work.
Now I'm seriously considering advertising for an IMC (commission salesperson) to work the internet business while I rent myself out to the old company to keep paying the bills. If I can find somebody who's got good sales and marketing savvy and is a motivated self-starter, it can help keep that side of the business building momentum.
Interestingly enough, I find that when I'm out of town consulting, it's much less stressful than when I'm home. Strangely, it's very relaxing for me to finish the day consulting and return to the hotel room, where I can kick back and relax without being bugged or hassled or nagged about anything. It's kind of escaping life, not having to deal with anything difficult as long as I show up at the client and do consulting work that I can do in my sleep after so many years.
Well, the money I can earn is important, especially considering there will be 2 kids in college very soon, we've got 3 ancient vehicles that are all on the verge of falling apart, there's lots of work that needs to be done on the house, and I'd like to be able to get Nick the car he's been wanting for so many years.
Yeah, I know, if Nick had just been willing to work summers and part-time over the past 3-4 years, he could have earned plenty to invest in a vehicle. But what he did earn in a series of jobs he hated went toward computer stuff and movies and restaurants. On the other hand, he gave up the promised graduation car for a full ride in return for enrolling at Rose-Hulman, which is very expensive. That's a sacrifice you'd have to respect.
Anyway, it'll be at minimum summer or fall before we start to feel the impact of all this, but at least I'm no longer as worried about running out of funds and we're still debt-free outside of the mortgage. Counting blessings is a great perspective adjustment.
Gotta go take the family to a movie. I wanted to go see Phantom of the Opera, but they want to see Racing Stripes. Maybe I can catch Phantom in Chicago next week.
My hiatus did succeed as far as being able to spend much more time with Tim & Chris. I met the primary goal of making it to every one of Tim's football games this past fall, for which I am thankful. It was too late for Nick, although while he was still around I did spend lots of time with him on weekends, mostly taking him to soccer games and tournaments.
Building a business is difficult, particularly from the standpoint of getting known in the area and building a reference base. Basically I discovered it takes a huge amount of effort to earn a few bucks when you're just getting started. I don't have the budget to do the kind of advertising and hire help that would help ramp up the business faster, which was probably my main miscalculation. I still believe in the business, but just think it's going to take a lot longer than I expected to build.
So, the old company beckons with consulting opportunities. I went on a little 2-day engagement in Chicago in early December that I was able to expand to about a 30-day project. Even though it meant being out of town a lot and having to basically drop most of my selling activities to local prospects, it allowed me to make a lot more money with much less effort.
Now they've asked me to take on an even bigger project, also in Chicago, that's going to take me through Spring Break. It's great in terms of money, but very tough as far as keeping momentum on the rest of my business. I was for awhile kind of hoping John would join me in incorporating the business, which would have allowed us to double our efforts and infuse a little more capital for marketing activities. But John decided to go with a job that sounded pretty attractive, so that didn't work.
Now I'm seriously considering advertising for an IMC (commission salesperson) to work the internet business while I rent myself out to the old company to keep paying the bills. If I can find somebody who's got good sales and marketing savvy and is a motivated self-starter, it can help keep that side of the business building momentum.
Interestingly enough, I find that when I'm out of town consulting, it's much less stressful than when I'm home. Strangely, it's very relaxing for me to finish the day consulting and return to the hotel room, where I can kick back and relax without being bugged or hassled or nagged about anything. It's kind of escaping life, not having to deal with anything difficult as long as I show up at the client and do consulting work that I can do in my sleep after so many years.
Well, the money I can earn is important, especially considering there will be 2 kids in college very soon, we've got 3 ancient vehicles that are all on the verge of falling apart, there's lots of work that needs to be done on the house, and I'd like to be able to get Nick the car he's been wanting for so many years.
Yeah, I know, if Nick had just been willing to work summers and part-time over the past 3-4 years, he could have earned plenty to invest in a vehicle. But what he did earn in a series of jobs he hated went toward computer stuff and movies and restaurants. On the other hand, he gave up the promised graduation car for a full ride in return for enrolling at Rose-Hulman, which is very expensive. That's a sacrifice you'd have to respect.
Anyway, it'll be at minimum summer or fall before we start to feel the impact of all this, but at least I'm no longer as worried about running out of funds and we're still debt-free outside of the mortgage. Counting blessings is a great perspective adjustment.
Gotta go take the family to a movie. I wanted to go see Phantom of the Opera, but they want to see Racing Stripes. Maybe I can catch Phantom in Chicago next week.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Sports Drought
Well, the Colts went and blew it again in New England. Too bad, cause following your favorite team through the playoffs is a great release. It's not the end of the world that they lost, but it immediately drops my interest in divisional championship weekend by at least 50%.
My impression of the game wasn't quite the same as most of the sportswriters and commentators. Maybe it was my imagination, but from the Colts' very first 3-and-out, I thought they looked like they were really suffering in the cold. You could almost read the minds of the offensive players, "@#$% it's cold out here. Let's get this game over with and get out of here!".
Given the dropped passes, missed blocks, fumbles, etc., I'm thinking that's probably pretty close to the truth of the situation. Maybe Denver was partially right - the Colts receivers are soft, at least when it comes to playing outside in freezing temperatures and snow.
The defense played very well in the first half, but really let down in the second. Giving up the clock-crushing TD drive right at the beginning of the third quarter, then being unable to make the stops on 3rd-and-long was as much the story of the game as the offense's ineptitude. Early in the 4th, as I recall, the Colts "D" had the Pats in 3rd-and-long. They dropped into pass coverage, didn't get much of a pass rush, then let the back slip out and catch a short one in the flat without a Colt within 20 yards, running to the first down marker. The Pats drive went on to score while using so much of the 4th quarter clock that Peyton and the offense really had no chance.
Normally, this time of year I would just redirect my sports addiction to the Hoosiers basketball team. But they've been so disappointing it's kind of painful to watch them. I haven't been able to see them more than about 2 or 3 games so far, due to a variety of conflicts. But what I have seen is a talented group of players that don't seem to understand how to win.
The kids can be spectacular at times, and show some tremendous hustle play now and then. But they no longer play the traditional motion offense of Bob Knight. It looks more like an NBA offense, which is kind of like the power company. You know, when one guy does all the work and the rest of the guys stand around and watch him. That's my impression of the Indiana offense.
I've gotta believe that if you got that same team constantly moving, picking, and cutting, plus add a little more attitude and tough-mindedness, they'd be unstoppable. They may be a talented bunch, but they sure aren't talented enough to run one-on-one NBA-style offense and expect to win in the Big Ten.
Oh well, I've got so much work to do these days that I shouldn't spend much time and energy on the sports stuff. I will miss the release it gives me, though.
My impression of the game wasn't quite the same as most of the sportswriters and commentators. Maybe it was my imagination, but from the Colts' very first 3-and-out, I thought they looked like they were really suffering in the cold. You could almost read the minds of the offensive players, "@#$% it's cold out here. Let's get this game over with and get out of here!".
Given the dropped passes, missed blocks, fumbles, etc., I'm thinking that's probably pretty close to the truth of the situation. Maybe Denver was partially right - the Colts receivers are soft, at least when it comes to playing outside in freezing temperatures and snow.
The defense played very well in the first half, but really let down in the second. Giving up the clock-crushing TD drive right at the beginning of the third quarter, then being unable to make the stops on 3rd-and-long was as much the story of the game as the offense's ineptitude. Early in the 4th, as I recall, the Colts "D" had the Pats in 3rd-and-long. They dropped into pass coverage, didn't get much of a pass rush, then let the back slip out and catch a short one in the flat without a Colt within 20 yards, running to the first down marker. The Pats drive went on to score while using so much of the 4th quarter clock that Peyton and the offense really had no chance.
Normally, this time of year I would just redirect my sports addiction to the Hoosiers basketball team. But they've been so disappointing it's kind of painful to watch them. I haven't been able to see them more than about 2 or 3 games so far, due to a variety of conflicts. But what I have seen is a talented group of players that don't seem to understand how to win.
The kids can be spectacular at times, and show some tremendous hustle play now and then. But they no longer play the traditional motion offense of Bob Knight. It looks more like an NBA offense, which is kind of like the power company. You know, when one guy does all the work and the rest of the guys stand around and watch him. That's my impression of the Indiana offense.
I've gotta believe that if you got that same team constantly moving, picking, and cutting, plus add a little more attitude and tough-mindedness, they'd be unstoppable. They may be a talented bunch, but they sure aren't talented enough to run one-on-one NBA-style offense and expect to win in the Big Ten.
Oh well, I've got so much work to do these days that I shouldn't spend much time and energy on the sports stuff. I will miss the release it gives me, though.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Random Thoughts
Can't remember the last time I ended the day thinking, "Today was fun!" What will it take to get some fun back into life? Probably just a change in attitude. Now the trick is figuring out how to do that.
People probably think I'm some sort of rabid conservative/republican/right-winger, but I think there can be lots of common ground between my perspectives and those of somebody on the left wing. I find lots of the disagreements between people are based not on problems, but solutions. It's mostly the difference between the belief that government should solve problems and the belief that people should.
I think that:
People probably think I'm some sort of rabid conservative/republican/right-winger, but I think there can be lots of common ground between my perspectives and those of somebody on the left wing. I find lots of the disagreements between people are based not on problems, but solutions. It's mostly the difference between the belief that government should solve problems and the belief that people should.
I think that:
- Government should not treat anyone differently from anyone else. That goes for rich, poor, racial and ethnic majorities and minorities, huge corporations and tiny start-up businesses, etc. There are way too many examples of preferential treatment that should be ended, period.
- Unions and Collective Bargaining are not inherently evil or bad for the country. If they're not corrupt and willing to negotiate in good faith, they can be very positive.
- Globalization is hurting our standard of living. Gigantic trade deficits, offshoring and outsourcing, and illegal immigration are all acting to drive down wages. When billions of dollars go out of the country never to return, that's wealth we no longer control, and that's bad.
- There's not really anything fundamentally wrong with basic worker protection laws setting minimum wage, overtime rules, safety standards, etc. I'd even support new laws like banning the "use it or lose it" vacation policies so popular today, tougher overtime regulations that insure people earning less than, say, $40-$50K get paid for overtime.
- "Separation of Church and State" is not a constitutional principle, but was fabricated by the ACLU. We should get back to the original intent, which was that there cannot be a state-sponsored religion, people have complete freedom to worship as they please (within the law), and nobody can be coerced into joining any religious institution.
- Abortion can't be outlawed until we all agree it's wrong. That takes education and efforts from everyone to offer alternatives, especially adoption and maternal care for unwed and unfit mothers. Sorry, I'll never agree with the whole "women's right to choose" argument.
Was thinking about our life journey. How the decisions I've made over the past 40-something years have put me on the path that's eventually led to where I am today. Different decisions in the past could have completely changed my career path, my wife, my children, my income, where I live, what I drive, even what I look like. Just think about a single decision - if I had simply chosen another college, almost everything I've experienced in my adult life would probably be completely different.
It just makes me realize what an important message I have to share with any young persons just getting started with their own life pathways. Decisions made about college choices, majors, girl/boy friends, and behavior can place us on a path that may or may not be the one we hoped for once we near it's end and look back. We've got to try to pick whatever path looks best for us, and avoid the one that looks easiest; the rocky and steep path may turn out to be the most rewarding in the end.
All this might not make any sense at all, but there it is.
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