Help fight for traditional families and eat chicken at the same time.
You may be asking how and why. Well, here's some background...
Chick-fil-A, a wonderful example of the American entrepreneurial spirit, has been the target of vicious attacks from the liberal left. Started more than four decades ago by Christian Truett Cathy, this restaurant has grown into a $4 billion a year business and a great success story. They are now facing unprecedented attacks because the leadership of this company acts out their faith, a right afforded to all of us in the Constitution.
Since it first opened, Chick-fil-A has closed on Sundays so its employees can attend church services if they wish. And Truett Cathy has remained committed to running a business that reflects his belief in the Bible. That continues now as Americans are discussing the future of marriage and the traditional family.
Dan Cathy, Truett's son and current CEO of Chick-fil-A, has been vilified by the left because of his support of traditional marriage. Militant gay groups are now boycotting the restaurant chain because of this, and they are issuing hate-filled attacks on his family. Boston's mayor has said he won't allow a Chick-fil-A to open in his city.
It is sad that liberal groups call for tolerance, yet they are vicious in their intolerance when someone disagrees with them.
I think Governor Mike Huckabee said it best when he wrote, "Too often, those on the left make corporate statements to show support for same sex marriage, abortion, or profanity, but if Christians affirm traditional values, we're considered homophobic, fundamentalists, hate-mongers, and intolerant."
And that's why I am joining Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum in his effort to fight for traditional values. Please join me and Governor Huckabee on August 1 by eating at Chick-fil-A. No signs and no protests are needed to make your voice heard. Just simply have a meal at Chick-fil-A on August 1 for "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day" and our support for traditional values will be heard loud and clear.
You can help NOW by showing your support on Twitter: I'm joining @GovMikeHuckabee & @RickSantorum to support @ChickFilA on Aug 1. Stand with us! http://ht.ly/cugEU #ChickFilA
I hope to see you at Chick-fil-A on August 1!
Friday, July 27, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Filler
I am at a loss at what to post today, so I thought I would start with that and see if anything would come to me, but nothing has yet. Early yesterday, I went to the doctor's because I had a big spot spot in the middle of a big red spot in the back of my throat. It looked worse than strep throat, but it was just an ulcer, so I just have to deal with the pain for another two weeks. Late yesterday, my two older daughters went to the zoo for a special members' night with my wife, while I took our youngest to my parents, who were supposed to go with us, but cancelled because it was too hot. Today, nothing is planned. For posting purposes, I wish there was a question to answer because I need a prompt...or maybe this is God's way of saying I should get back to my dissertation.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Olympics
I am really enjoying what little of the NBA Finals I get to watch. I got to see much of Game 1 and the end of Game 3. I'm learning about a lot of young players that I didn't know anything about. I'm curious to see who will be playing basketball for Team USA later this summer.
I'm also curious to see some of the other events since my girls have been having fun at gymnastics classes in thier first year. Claire has also done a number of running events at school. It will be nice to have something we both like to watch. They naturally don't watch sports with me, so I end up watching shows like Barbie Fairytopia with them.
I'm also curious to see some of the other events since my girls have been having fun at gymnastics classes in thier first year. Claire has also done a number of running events at school. It will be nice to have something we both like to watch. They naturally don't watch sports with me, so I end up watching shows like Barbie Fairytopia with them.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Weight and Faith
I missed weighing in last week because we were on vacation, so I was glad to weigh in this week, but worried it would be one step back with what was available (or not available) to eat on vacation. Instead, it was three steps forward, as in another 3 pounds lost. That's only 9 pounds total since I started keeping track again this spring.
I restarted when I discovered I had put on 11 pounds over the past year. I had quit keeping track after I was 20 pounds overweight, lost 30 pounds, and seemed to be maintaining it. Before I just worked out less and ate less, so although I wasn't as heavy, I wasn't that much healthier because I probably lost some muscle in the process. This time the weight loss is slower because I'm also putting on muscle. That should mean the pounds of fat that I've lost is greater than the total pounds I've lost, which is a good thing.
So although I only have about 2 pounds to get back to where I was, that's still only 10 pounds below my overweight weight. I could lose another 20 pounds after that and not be underweight. Since there's a 30-pound healthy weight range, I'm going to aim for the lower end. If I get there, that's great. If I don't, that's still good compared to the average person.
The last time I was this weight, my aunt and cousins were worried that I was sick because I looked so thin. That's probably because we were at a restaurant with a bunch of average Americans, whose average weight is not a healthy weight. I'm not competing with anyone besides myself.
The same is true of my faith. It seems the average Catholic or Christian is not always very vigilant. In such an environment, it's easy to let your guard down thinking at least I'm not as bad as so-and-so. However, that's judging others and that's something I can't do. I don't know what gifts God has given them, but I do know what gifts he has given me and the responsibility that comes with. Others may have been given different gifts with different expectations to fulfill. Either way, I will always try to do what is mine to do from God.
I restarted when I discovered I had put on 11 pounds over the past year. I had quit keeping track after I was 20 pounds overweight, lost 30 pounds, and seemed to be maintaining it. Before I just worked out less and ate less, so although I wasn't as heavy, I wasn't that much healthier because I probably lost some muscle in the process. This time the weight loss is slower because I'm also putting on muscle. That should mean the pounds of fat that I've lost is greater than the total pounds I've lost, which is a good thing.
So although I only have about 2 pounds to get back to where I was, that's still only 10 pounds below my overweight weight. I could lose another 20 pounds after that and not be underweight. Since there's a 30-pound healthy weight range, I'm going to aim for the lower end. If I get there, that's great. If I don't, that's still good compared to the average person.
The last time I was this weight, my aunt and cousins were worried that I was sick because I looked so thin. That's probably because we were at a restaurant with a bunch of average Americans, whose average weight is not a healthy weight. I'm not competing with anyone besides myself.
The same is true of my faith. It seems the average Catholic or Christian is not always very vigilant. In such an environment, it's easy to let your guard down thinking at least I'm not as bad as so-and-so. However, that's judging others and that's something I can't do. I don't know what gifts God has given them, but I do know what gifts he has given me and the responsibility that comes with. Others may have been given different gifts with different expectations to fulfill. Either way, I will always try to do what is mine to do from God.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Happy Father's Day
God bless all the dads reading this and the dads of all the readers reading this.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Happy New Year
I just noticed that this post had been saved as a draft. It was started January 5th, but there was nothing more written than the subject heading. So hopefully the first half of this year has gone well for you and that the next half is even better.
Friday, June 15, 2012
9th Anniversary
My family stayed in Columbus two extra days after attending Cousin Lisa's wedding and got back late Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday were busy because my oldest daughter Claire still had school. So my wife Nancy and I didn't plan anything special for our anniversary yesterday because there were too many things to do. However, my sister-in-law Jen called to baby-sit if we wanted to go out. So even though things didn't settle down until after 9 o'clock at night, we got to have dinner alone at the Cheesecake Factory. It was great a night and it's been a great nine years.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Claire's Run
When my daughter Claire came home from first grade with a gym report card this winter, I learned that her class was involved in the President's Challenge. The President's Challenge has national benchmarks for each age group for each event. If you score at the 50th percentile or better you meet the national standard. If you score in the top 15%, you meet the Presidential benchmark for that event. The events include a quarter mile run, a shuttle run, a stretch, sit-ups, and pull-ups.
Claire didn't meet any Presidential standards this winter, but met a lot of national benchmarks. So we replaced our Pittsburgh Plan blast-off exercises with variations of these exercises to see how she'd do at the end of the year. She got the Presidential standard in the quarter-mile run with a time of 1:58!
You can check out the different age group scores at https://www.presidentschallenge.org/challenge/physical/benchmarks.shtml or http://www.adultfitnesstest.org for adult scores. If you take the adult test, be careful how you interpret your results. I am not certain that the percentiles they give you are really for all adults and not just the adults that enter the data into the system. I envision that the kind of person that enters data into the system is more physically fit than the typical person since they are on a fitness site.
Claire didn't meet any Presidential standards this winter, but met a lot of national benchmarks. So we replaced our Pittsburgh Plan blast-off exercises with variations of these exercises to see how she'd do at the end of the year. She got the Presidential standard in the quarter-mile run with a time of 1:58!
You can check out the different age group scores at https://www.presidentschallenge.org/challenge/physical/benchmarks.shtml or http://www.adultfitnesstest.org for adult scores. If you take the adult test, be careful how you interpret your results. I am not certain that the percentiles they give you are really for all adults and not just the adults that enter the data into the system. I envision that the kind of person that enters data into the system is more physically fit than the typical person since they are on a fitness site.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Two down, five or more to go
My doctoral program has a completion checklist to make sure a candidate knows what needs to be done to earn the degree.
1. Pass the first 13 classes with at least a 3.00 (which I did three months ago).
2. Pass the Comprehensive Exam (and 96 pages later, I just did that).
3. Get approval for my Concept Paper (which is like a 35-page pre-proposal).
4. Get approval for my Proposal (which is another 80+ page document).
5. Get approval for my IRB App (to conduct the testing for my study).
6. Get approval for my Dissertation.
7. Pass the Oral Exam
The comprehensive exam was nerve-racking because you may not resubmit your essay like you could for class assignments. If you fail the first time, you have to pay to take it again (over $2000). If you fail the second time, you are dismissed from the program. I know two people who have had to take it again, so it is not an empty threat. The other steps are less nerve-racking.
The other steps need approval from your committee first and then the University. You often go back and forth with your committee until they feel it will pass University requirements. Even though you only get 2-3 chances with the University before you may be dismissed, if you follow your committee's advice, you shouldn't get to that point. Nevertheless, there doesn't appear to be a lull in my studies any time soon.
Last year at this time, there was a lull in my studies where I finished the manuscript of my book on faith. Although that manuscipt is not scheduled to be published yet, I haven't given up on it. I also want to make it as good as it can be. I understand publishers are more willing to take a chance on a first book, than on a second-book of a writer whose first book was a flop. So assuming my disseration takes another year, although I have up to three years before I would face dismissal, that manuscript will be my focus again.
I have a plan, but since my original plans have changed, there's no reason to talk about my current plans because they likely will change as well. It's important to have a plan that can be refined to take advantage of new opportunities or avoid potential disasters that may arise. Therefore, there's no point in boring people about the details of what you plan to do. It's better to just do it and show them afterwards.
1. Pass the first 13 classes with at least a 3.00 (which I did three months ago).
2. Pass the Comprehensive Exam (and 96 pages later, I just did that).
3. Get approval for my Concept Paper (which is like a 35-page pre-proposal).
4. Get approval for my Proposal (which is another 80+ page document).
5. Get approval for my IRB App (to conduct the testing for my study).
6. Get approval for my Dissertation.
7. Pass the Oral Exam
The comprehensive exam was nerve-racking because you may not resubmit your essay like you could for class assignments. If you fail the first time, you have to pay to take it again (over $2000). If you fail the second time, you are dismissed from the program. I know two people who have had to take it again, so it is not an empty threat. The other steps are less nerve-racking.
The other steps need approval from your committee first and then the University. You often go back and forth with your committee until they feel it will pass University requirements. Even though you only get 2-3 chances with the University before you may be dismissed, if you follow your committee's advice, you shouldn't get to that point. Nevertheless, there doesn't appear to be a lull in my studies any time soon.
Last year at this time, there was a lull in my studies where I finished the manuscript of my book on faith. Although that manuscipt is not scheduled to be published yet, I haven't given up on it. I also want to make it as good as it can be. I understand publishers are more willing to take a chance on a first book, than on a second-book of a writer whose first book was a flop. So assuming my disseration takes another year, although I have up to three years before I would face dismissal, that manuscript will be my focus again.
I have a plan, but since my original plans have changed, there's no reason to talk about my current plans because they likely will change as well. It's important to have a plan that can be refined to take advantage of new opportunities or avoid potential disasters that may arise. Therefore, there's no point in boring people about the details of what you plan to do. It's better to just do it and show them afterwards.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Catholic Gasoline
Laughter is good, so this is good for you:
Sister Mary, who worked for a home health agency, was out making her rounds visiting homebound patients when she ran out of gas. As luck would have it, a Texaco Gasoline station was just a block away.
She walked to the station to borrow a gas can and buy some gas. The attendant told her that the only gas can he owned had been loaned out, but she could wait until it was returned. Since Sister Mary Ann was on the way to see a patient, she decided not to wait and walked back to her car.
She looked for something in her car that she could fill with gas and spotted the bedpan she was taking to the patient. Always resourceful, Sister Mary Ann carried the bedpan to the station, filled it with gasoline, and carried the full bedpan back to her car.
As she was pouring the gas into her tank, two Baptists watched from across the street. One of them turned to the other and said, "If that car starts, I'm turning Catholic."
Sister Mary, who worked for a home health agency, was out making her rounds visiting homebound patients when she ran out of gas. As luck would have it, a Texaco Gasoline station was just a block away.
She walked to the station to borrow a gas can and buy some gas. The attendant told her that the only gas can he owned had been loaned out, but she could wait until it was returned. Since Sister Mary Ann was on the way to see a patient, she decided not to wait and walked back to her car.
She looked for something in her car that she could fill with gas and spotted the bedpan she was taking to the patient. Always resourceful, Sister Mary Ann carried the bedpan to the station, filled it with gasoline, and carried the full bedpan back to her car.
As she was pouring the gas into her tank, two Baptists watched from across the street. One of them turned to the other and said, "If that car starts, I'm turning Catholic."
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Family Watchdog
Few people like to talk about sexual abuse, but this is a useful service to sign up for. First of all, I searched where I lived and then I signed up for updates to be notified when an offender has moved close to me, so I don't have to keep going back to the website unnessarily.
http://www.familywatchdog.us
http://www.familywatchdog.us
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Pittsburgh Plan for Preschool+
The Pittsburgh Plan is awesome for kids 2-6 years old. Claire is just about to the finish the Pittsburgh Plan. She's turning seven this summer. She started when she was about two. Children can start as early as 18 months. Both her younger sisters did, but I didn't discover it until after that point.
There are about 191 activities that you do for 15 minutes with your child two to three times a week for about four years. It helps kids read a little earlier, but they're going get that anyway. What's really fascinating is the math kids can learn if they're taught.
First graders aren't adding/subtracting fractions, dividing, or doing double-digit multiplication because no one's teaching them. Claire can do all of that. Sarah, who is four, is adding and subtracting and blending sounds together to make words. She recognizes double digit numbers up to 100, but we don't do anything with them until single-digit adding and subtracting is more automatic. Emily, who just started, is just trying to remember the names of letters. It's a lot of fun for them because it's a lot of fun for me.
It probably isn't for everyone, but it's worth checking out, especially if it might make their school life easier. More is on: http://www.pittsburghplan.com. I'm sure the founder would love to answer any questions you may have, but I would also being willing to elaborate on anything you would like to know more about concerning the program. It just helps kids achieve more than they otherwise would relying on their school alone.
There are about 191 activities that you do for 15 minutes with your child two to three times a week for about four years. It helps kids read a little earlier, but they're going get that anyway. What's really fascinating is the math kids can learn if they're taught.
First graders aren't adding/subtracting fractions, dividing, or doing double-digit multiplication because no one's teaching them. Claire can do all of that. Sarah, who is four, is adding and subtracting and blending sounds together to make words. She recognizes double digit numbers up to 100, but we don't do anything with them until single-digit adding and subtracting is more automatic. Emily, who just started, is just trying to remember the names of letters. It's a lot of fun for them because it's a lot of fun for me.
It probably isn't for everyone, but it's worth checking out, especially if it might make their school life easier. More is on: http://www.pittsburghplan.com. I'm sure the founder would love to answer any questions you may have, but I would also being willing to elaborate on anything you would like to know more about concerning the program. It just helps kids achieve more than they otherwise would relying on their school alone.
Monday, May 28, 2012
AIDS
Again, I don't know if Jesus considers AIDS a penance from God because I typically see God allowing pain versus causing pain, even though he used to cause pain in the Old Testament. Either way, AIDS is bad and people shouldn't do things that would risk contracting AIDS.
http://www.tldm.org/news9/aidsnigerianofficial.htm
http://www.tldm.org/news9/aidsnigerianofficial.htm
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Mary's Requests
Whether these 17 steps are from Mary or not, they are good things to follow, especially praying the Rosary as a family for the rest of the steps.
http://www.tldm.org/news5/17-steps.htm
http://www.tldm.org/news5/17-steps.htm
Saturday, May 26, 2012
How few may get to heaven
This link suggests that most people did not used to go to heaven, so maybe hearing the whole story will change others for the better today.
http://olrl.org/snt_docs/fewness.shtml
http://olrl.org/snt_docs/fewness.shtml
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Green Scapulars
Here's something on Green Scapulars for those unfamiliar with them.
http://olrl.org/sacramental/greenscapular.shtml
http://olrl.org/sacramental/greenscapular.shtml
Monday, May 14, 2012
St. Gertrude
Since I don't use MySpace anymore, the links I had saved there aren't doing much good, so I thought I'd share them here:
http://olrl.org/pray/stgertrude.shtml
http://olrl.org/pray/stgertrude.shtml
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Furloughs
So five of the nine members of the school board seem dead set on furloughing more teachers. They were able to get rid of one two years ago by eliminating some high school English classes. She got a job in another district luckily. They got rid of two last year by eliminating some elementary classes, and at least one of those found a full-time sub placement. I don't know about the other. Nevertheless, two more teachers are going to be out by eliminating the entire junior high family consumer science department. I was sitting next to one of those teachers when they called the vote. It was hard to believe.
The reason it's so hard to believe is that the state cut 3.1 million from our budget. The board agreed to $1 million out to cut it to about $2.1 million. The superintendent proposed $2.1 savings by reducing extracurricular activities by eliminating assistant sponsors and coaches, but not eliminating any programs completely. The board approved $1.7 million of those cuts and asked the superintendent to present academic programs that are not state mandated. Library, Driver's Theory, and extra-curricular budgets were cut, leaving $100,000. Left were eliminating kindergarten, 4-12 band, 4-12 orchestra, K-12 art, K-12 computers, 7-12 shop, and 7-12 home ec (family consumer science).
Again, I think extra-curricular activities should go before academic programs if we didn't have the money, but we have the money. We have an 11% surplus from last year, which is $5-6 million. We're expecting another $600,000 surplus this year. The state recommends having at least 3% and requires less than 8% to raise taxes. So we don't need to raise taxes to find that last $100,000, because we already have more than that above the cushion required by the state.
So that's the plan unless actual money and not projected money is found between now and the next meeting at the end of the month. I'm praying that it works out for the best for everyone involved, whatever that may look like.
The reason it's so hard to believe is that the state cut 3.1 million from our budget. The board agreed to $1 million out to cut it to about $2.1 million. The superintendent proposed $2.1 savings by reducing extracurricular activities by eliminating assistant sponsors and coaches, but not eliminating any programs completely. The board approved $1.7 million of those cuts and asked the superintendent to present academic programs that are not state mandated. Library, Driver's Theory, and extra-curricular budgets were cut, leaving $100,000. Left were eliminating kindergarten, 4-12 band, 4-12 orchestra, K-12 art, K-12 computers, 7-12 shop, and 7-12 home ec (family consumer science).
Again, I think extra-curricular activities should go before academic programs if we didn't have the money, but we have the money. We have an 11% surplus from last year, which is $5-6 million. We're expecting another $600,000 surplus this year. The state recommends having at least 3% and requires less than 8% to raise taxes. So we don't need to raise taxes to find that last $100,000, because we already have more than that above the cushion required by the state.
So that's the plan unless actual money and not projected money is found between now and the next meeting at the end of the month. I'm praying that it works out for the best for everyone involved, whatever that may look like.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Pittsurgh Marathon
I didn't run the Pittsburgh marathon yesterday, but I'm still thinking about doing it someday. My original intent was to train at a nice slow pace of about 12:30 minutes per mile and maybe push it to 11 min./mi. for the actual race. From there, I could train at 11 min./mi. and take another minute and a half off my time for each race until I could run 7 min./mi. However, it takes a long time to run that slow and it was taking away from my sleep since that was the only time I could get away from the family. So after running a half-marathon one night in under 3 hours, my body gave out, and I was sick in bed all weekend.
Therefore, my new idea was to run a 5K at that slow pace and take a minute and a half off my time each race until I could run that at 7:07 min./mi., which would be good enough to qualify for the Boston marathon. I don't intend to run the Boston marathon, I just want the piece of mind of knowing that I could if I wanted to. Training never exceeded 7 miles for the 5K, so even at 12:30 min./mi., training was less than an hour and a half. The actual race was under 35 minutes.
Now I'm training at 8 min./mi., so I should be able to run at 7:07 in less than 6 months. The complete program that I adapted for myself from http://www.halhigdon.com takes up to 6 months, but there are test runs along the way. If I meet my goal on one of the test runs, I start over training at that new time. I've never taken the full 6 months yet because I've always been able to meet my goals at one of those test runs so far. Of course, this is the toughest step, so I won't be disappointed if it takes me longer.
Once I can run a 5K at that pace, I'll try running an 8K, a 10K, a 15K, or a half-marathon, and eventually a marathon at that pace. If I don't hit a ceiling, I'll keep going until I can do an ultra-marthon of 50K, 50 miles, or 100 miles, although I suspect I'll hit a ceiling before then. If I hit a ceiling, my new goals will be pro-rated based on my age because the qualifying times for races like the Boston marathons increase every 5 years after 35, giving runners a few extra minutes to make it. Those increases go up to 80+, so if I'm still kicking after that age, I'll have to set some new 5-year goals for my health.
Therefore, my new idea was to run a 5K at that slow pace and take a minute and a half off my time each race until I could run that at 7:07 min./mi., which would be good enough to qualify for the Boston marathon. I don't intend to run the Boston marathon, I just want the piece of mind of knowing that I could if I wanted to. Training never exceeded 7 miles for the 5K, so even at 12:30 min./mi., training was less than an hour and a half. The actual race was under 35 minutes.
Now I'm training at 8 min./mi., so I should be able to run at 7:07 in less than 6 months. The complete program that I adapted for myself from http://www.halhigdon.com takes up to 6 months, but there are test runs along the way. If I meet my goal on one of the test runs, I start over training at that new time. I've never taken the full 6 months yet because I've always been able to meet my goals at one of those test runs so far. Of course, this is the toughest step, so I won't be disappointed if it takes me longer.
Once I can run a 5K at that pace, I'll try running an 8K, a 10K, a 15K, or a half-marathon, and eventually a marathon at that pace. If I don't hit a ceiling, I'll keep going until I can do an ultra-marthon of 50K, 50 miles, or 100 miles, although I suspect I'll hit a ceiling before then. If I hit a ceiling, my new goals will be pro-rated based on my age because the qualifying times for races like the Boston marathons increase every 5 years after 35, giving runners a few extra minutes to make it. Those increases go up to 80+, so if I'm still kicking after that age, I'll have to set some new 5-year goals for my health.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Painted Dogs
I wanted to talk about everything that happened while proctoring the SAT's yesterday, but I didn't think I could put a good spin on all of it. However, it's easier to put a good spin on it now that I've heard what my day would have been like if I hadn't been needed. I would have been at the zoo.
We wanted to go to the zoo this weekend since both days were supposed to be partly sunny and in the 70's. We always go at 9:00 in the morning when they open because it's less crowded and then come home around nap time to put 2-year-old Emily to sleep. Since I was proctoring yesterday, we went today and it went great. However, yesterday at 9:20 AM the zoo was put on a code-red lock down because the Painted Dogs, which eat animals like deer, got out of where they were supposed to be. That meant that the visitors had to go to the nearest building and remained there for a little over an hour before the Painted Dogs could be caged up.
I suspect that there are usually two or more lines of defense and that the dogs got past one, so hopefully there was no real danger, but I don't know if that was the case or if that was made clear to the visitors in lock-down. We imagined being near the elephant house at that time, which even I, with my severely disabled sense of smell, can sometimes get a whiff of how bad it is, and being locked in there with our three girls for over an hour. As it stands, I'll probably not proctor SAT's again, but I wonder if I would have felt the same way about the zoo if I had been there instead at that time.
We wanted to go to the zoo this weekend since both days were supposed to be partly sunny and in the 70's. We always go at 9:00 in the morning when they open because it's less crowded and then come home around nap time to put 2-year-old Emily to sleep. Since I was proctoring yesterday, we went today and it went great. However, yesterday at 9:20 AM the zoo was put on a code-red lock down because the Painted Dogs, which eat animals like deer, got out of where they were supposed to be. That meant that the visitors had to go to the nearest building and remained there for a little over an hour before the Painted Dogs could be caged up.
I suspect that there are usually two or more lines of defense and that the dogs got past one, so hopefully there was no real danger, but I don't know if that was the case or if that was made clear to the visitors in lock-down. We imagined being near the elephant house at that time, which even I, with my severely disabled sense of smell, can sometimes get a whiff of how bad it is, and being locked in there with our three girls for over an hour. As it stands, I'll probably not proctor SAT's again, but I wonder if I would have felt the same way about the zoo if I had been there instead at that time.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Healthcare changes
I talked about what might happen with my union's contract last time. However, there are sometimes annual changes to healthcare that are of the take-it-or-leave-it nature. Our copays are going up $5 and our deductibles are going up $550. All the districts in the county joined together for this coverage, so we could get better rates. Rates are going up now because over 1,000 families are no longer paying into the system because 1,000 teaching positions have been eliminated this past year. That number doesn't count those teacher laid off with insurance already under their spouse's employment. In any case, we're taking it because there are no other comparable options for us.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Speculation
My union has two years left on our five-year contract. Two years ago saw 25% the instructional aide staff reduced. Last year saw the instructional aide staff reduced another 33%, 5% of the teaching staff reduced, and administration raises limited to 1%. This year, the administration is not getting raises and assistant coaches are being eliminated, which I agree with if that's possible, but I wonder why those positions weren't eliminated before instructional aides and teachers. There's still $400,000 that needs to be taken from our $9 million balance, taxes raised, or instructional programs eliminated. Again, aside from using the money already taken from the taxpayers or taking more from them, why are elective programs like art and music on the chopping block before 9th grade boys basketball, for example, who can try-out for varsity and junior varsity teams, etcetera?
Two years from now, another 5-year contract will need to have been negotiated for teachers. Otherwise, teachers get a pay freeze because law requires us to keep teaching based on the most recent contract. I appreciate that there isn't more money to give teachers since the state cut our district's funding by $3 million like every other district in the state. Therefore, I hope we can get a contract that gives us other perks instead of monetary raises like eliminating some of the 8 clerical/in-service days or just granting additional personal days. To get our 2% raises last contract, we had to work 3% more and contribute 1% more to our health care.
Since inflation averages 3% annually, 3% raises are what is typically considered fair. So reducing the workload 3% should count as the 3% "raise" year 3. Years 1 and 2 should see a 1% raise and then a pay freeze like the administration has seen, which leaves years 4 and 5. Those years should see a combination of raises or granting additional personal days with personal days equivalent to .5% to equal 3% each year. For example, grant two more personal days in the contract from the current 3 days to 5 days to equal 1%. Then give a 2% raise year 4 and a 3% raise year 5.
I suppose this was just a thinking-out-loud exercise to benefit myself, like most of my posts feel like, but hopefully the readers I care about learn something about me in the process.
Two years from now, another 5-year contract will need to have been negotiated for teachers. Otherwise, teachers get a pay freeze because law requires us to keep teaching based on the most recent contract. I appreciate that there isn't more money to give teachers since the state cut our district's funding by $3 million like every other district in the state. Therefore, I hope we can get a contract that gives us other perks instead of monetary raises like eliminating some of the 8 clerical/in-service days or just granting additional personal days. To get our 2% raises last contract, we had to work 3% more and contribute 1% more to our health care.
Since inflation averages 3% annually, 3% raises are what is typically considered fair. So reducing the workload 3% should count as the 3% "raise" year 3. Years 1 and 2 should see a 1% raise and then a pay freeze like the administration has seen, which leaves years 4 and 5. Those years should see a combination of raises or granting additional personal days with personal days equivalent to .5% to equal 3% each year. For example, grant two more personal days in the contract from the current 3 days to 5 days to equal 1%. Then give a 2% raise year 4 and a 3% raise year 5.
I suppose this was just a thinking-out-loud exercise to benefit myself, like most of my posts feel like, but hopefully the readers I care about learn something about me in the process.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Big/Little Things
I have more on my plate than usual right now. The fact that I blogged about the library yesterday may be proof that the multitude of little things are distracting me from the big things temporarily until I consciously take a step back to note that things are indeed very good. I am very blessed. Little can be attributed to my own abilities.
I only get so much time to work on my graduate studies at home. Most of the time I have been able to work on them before school or during other periods like lunch to get it all done, but now I am taking comps and feel like I have to do more than usual so as not to have to retake them. There have been a few assignments that I have had to redo, but I was allowed to redo them without any penalties. Once you submit comps, you either pass wih 80% or better or fail and have to retake them (paying another $2000 and waiting another 3 months). This pressure may be letting little things like the library bother me more than they normally would.
However, if I take time to reflect, I am still putting God and family before all these other things and those relationships remain strong. Friday night, I went out with my family to McDonald's. Then I drove the two older girls to gymnastics. Then I took them to a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. On Saturday, I got up early with the baby. Then I took the two older girls to Saturday daily mass. Then I mowed the lawn. Then I took a nap. Then the family went to Saturday evening mass and my in-laws for dinner. I could have gotten a lot of reading done during that time.
When I have the time, graduate school is the next biggest thing on my plate, but it is so difficult to get a handle on that sometimes that my mind wanders to something else and I fall behind the schedule I set for myself. The reason may be it's nice to be able to check something little off a list rather than work on a 10-15 page paper that may take 2-3 weeks to complete. Whatever the reason, identifying the problem and asking God's help and your prayers may be what I need since I struggle when I try to do it all on my own.
I only get so much time to work on my graduate studies at home. Most of the time I have been able to work on them before school or during other periods like lunch to get it all done, but now I am taking comps and feel like I have to do more than usual so as not to have to retake them. There have been a few assignments that I have had to redo, but I was allowed to redo them without any penalties. Once you submit comps, you either pass wih 80% or better or fail and have to retake them (paying another $2000 and waiting another 3 months). This pressure may be letting little things like the library bother me more than they normally would.
However, if I take time to reflect, I am still putting God and family before all these other things and those relationships remain strong. Friday night, I went out with my family to McDonald's. Then I drove the two older girls to gymnastics. Then I took them to a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. On Saturday, I got up early with the baby. Then I took the two older girls to Saturday daily mass. Then I mowed the lawn. Then I took a nap. Then the family went to Saturday evening mass and my in-laws for dinner. I could have gotten a lot of reading done during that time.
When I have the time, graduate school is the next biggest thing on my plate, but it is so difficult to get a handle on that sometimes that my mind wanders to something else and I fall behind the schedule I set for myself. The reason may be it's nice to be able to check something little off a list rather than work on a 10-15 page paper that may take 2-3 weeks to complete. Whatever the reason, identifying the problem and asking God's help and your prayers may be what I need since I struggle when I try to do it all on my own.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Libraries
I wouldn't say I have a love/hate relationship with my local library, but love/annoyed might be appropriate. I love the library and know that their state funding is being cut just like our local school districts while other areas closer to the Governor are seeing increases. Since we use the library so much, I thought I would make a donation when they asked for one. I gave $100 last week.
Today, my wife got a call that a book we returned three weeks ago had mold on it, so we'll have to pay $18.99. I don't believe it had mold on it when we returned it, so I don't think we should pay. Furthermore, the $18.99 represents $13.99 for the replacement and $5.00 for a shelving fee. The same book is $3.99 new and $0.99 used online. I can't imagine S & H is $10.00. I know times are tough, but I don't think they should take advantage of users that way.
Today, my wife got a call that a book we returned three weeks ago had mold on it, so we'll have to pay $18.99. I don't believe it had mold on it when we returned it, so I don't think we should pay. Furthermore, the $18.99 represents $13.99 for the replacement and $5.00 for a shelving fee. The same book is $3.99 new and $0.99 used online. I can't imagine S & H is $10.00. I know times are tough, but I don't think they should take advantage of users that way.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Committee Man
The Comittee Man and Woman's job is to make sure everything on the ballot is taken care of for thier local area. That way one can be sure that someone is running for every office. Of course, one of the positions not taken locally is the committee man and woman position. I have thought about volunteering for the Committee Man in the past, but I didn't want to register to be on the ballot because I didn't want to upset the person that had the job. So since no one has the job here and no one was appointed from the last time there was an election, I wrote myself in today. I wonder if a person can win with a single vote if no one else gets a vote or if there's a minimum number of votes required to make it official. I guess a committee man should know those kinds of things.
Vote!
Vote!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Wrong Number
First of all, Pennsylvania's primary elections are tomorrow and my wife told me she has already gotten eight recorded political calls today. So when the phone rang and another number we didn't recognize came up on the called ID, we let our four-year-old Sarah answer. This wasn't a pre-recorded call and she told us it sounded like Pap-Pap. I got on and there was some guy on the other line saying "Hello? Hello?"
I said "Hello," but got nothing but more of the same back, so I hung up. Seconds later the phone rang again. It was the same number, of course.
I picked it up and the guy asked, "Who's this?"
So I asked, "Who's this?"
Then he asked me, "Why'd you hang up on me?"
I answered, "I'm going to do it again."
Seconds later the phone rang again. This time my wife let voice mail get it. He left a message. He was still mumbling, asking who this was and there was even a little kid babbling in the background. It guess he was a harmless drunk, but it was still sad that some kid somewhere was trying to her father's attention and he was aimlessly dialing random numbers.
It didn't give me any more faith in the average voter. I try to vote for the person that I think is best overall. I can appreciate how important voting is because of how many teachers in Pennsylvania lost their jobs when $860 million was cut last year and how many more may lost theirs next year when an additional $100 million is being cut this upcoming year by the new Governor, over 100 in Pittsburgh alone. Our union researched the candidates that are pro-education to help. They are mostly Democrats.
I can also appreciate how important it is to vote pro-life when President George W. Bush was able to ban partial-birth abortion. Our church researched candidates that are 100% pro-life to help. They are mostly Republicans.
It's frustrating that more people don't see education and pro-life values go hand-in-hand. Saving lives is more important than saving jobs. On the other hand, lives don't appear to be on the line. This Congress isn't going to reverse Roe v. Wade. However, jobs will come back if funding returns to previous levels.
Since tomorrow is the primaries and I'm only allowed to vote for Republicans, I'm going to vote for candidates not endorsed by our Republican governor where possible. That way there will be two people running that do not agree with the Governor. Hopefully that will mean changes no matter what happens in the November elections.
I said "Hello," but got nothing but more of the same back, so I hung up. Seconds later the phone rang again. It was the same number, of course.
I picked it up and the guy asked, "Who's this?"
So I asked, "Who's this?"
Then he asked me, "Why'd you hang up on me?"
I answered, "I'm going to do it again."
Seconds later the phone rang again. This time my wife let voice mail get it. He left a message. He was still mumbling, asking who this was and there was even a little kid babbling in the background. It guess he was a harmless drunk, but it was still sad that some kid somewhere was trying to her father's attention and he was aimlessly dialing random numbers.
It didn't give me any more faith in the average voter. I try to vote for the person that I think is best overall. I can appreciate how important voting is because of how many teachers in Pennsylvania lost their jobs when $860 million was cut last year and how many more may lost theirs next year when an additional $100 million is being cut this upcoming year by the new Governor, over 100 in Pittsburgh alone. Our union researched the candidates that are pro-education to help. They are mostly Democrats.
I can also appreciate how important it is to vote pro-life when President George W. Bush was able to ban partial-birth abortion. Our church researched candidates that are 100% pro-life to help. They are mostly Republicans.
It's frustrating that more people don't see education and pro-life values go hand-in-hand. Saving lives is more important than saving jobs. On the other hand, lives don't appear to be on the line. This Congress isn't going to reverse Roe v. Wade. However, jobs will come back if funding returns to previous levels.
Since tomorrow is the primaries and I'm only allowed to vote for Republicans, I'm going to vote for candidates not endorsed by our Republican governor where possible. That way there will be two people running that do not agree with the Governor. Hopefully that will mean changes no matter what happens in the November elections.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Repetition can be a good thing
What have I learned recently? Even though I know some things, it's nice to hear it from someone else occasionally. So even though someone else may already know something, it may be worth saying it again occasionally. The best example is saying, "I love you." It's not only good to hear it, but it's also good to say it. Ironically, most people hear it after they say it. So if you want to hear it more, try saying it more.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Education Funding
Next week, my school board is voting to either raise taxes or furlough teachers. We had a $3,000,000 deficit. The board agreed to take $1,000,000 from our $6,000,000 savings to cut it to $2,000,000. Our Superintendent proposed raising $1,000,000 by charging $50/student for extra-curricular activities and raising taxes 1 mill (which is $37/yr. for $100,000 homes). Then he proposed cutting some extra-curricular activities like 9th grade basketball (but keeping Varsity and Junior Varsity sports). One thing that's frustrating is that the board was unable to pass that and wanted to see what $2,000,000 in cuts could be made to the education programs like elementary art and furloughing other teachers to raise class sizes further above 30 students/class. We are in this situation because the Governor also refuses to raise taxes $50/person to keep education funding the same and not give up the raises he has given to his staff over the previous administration. It all made me think of this report.
Report shows education funding equals investment in economy June 2004
A report released on July 8 indicates that investment in quality education programs is an investment in the economy, as well. The report, Smart Money: Education and Economic Development, demonstrates how increased investment in preschool, primary and secondary education, and colleges provides “concrete returns to economic development through increases in productivity, learned skills, technology and workers’ average earnings.” The report was compiled by William Schweke, research director for the Corporation for Enterprise Development, a nonprofit organization.
“If our goal is an economic climate that provides good jobs, decent living standards, entrepreneurial workers and a competitive edge over other countries, then investing in education is the single most important thing we can do,” said Schweke. “Education should be thought of in terms of productivity, innovation and the growing of wealth.”
The report examines nearly 180 studies that show the relationship between education investment and quality and economic development. It shows that schools provide greater knowledge as well as an improvement of the lives of current and future workers.
Some of the books findings:
Individuals with less than a high school diploma saw their mean family income decline by 14 percent between 1979 and 1995, but college graduates’ mean income rose 14 percent.
The public saves $7.16 for every original dollar invested in high-quality child care.
A state’s economic performance correlates to past investments in such areas as education. Eight out of 11 states with the highest grades for local investment received an A or B in overall economic performance.
Community colleges help to increase salaries. People with an associate’s degree earn 18 to 24 percent more than high school graduates.
Investing $4,800 per child in preschool education can reduce teenage arrests by 40 percent.
Report shows education funding equals investment in economy June 2004
A report released on July 8 indicates that investment in quality education programs is an investment in the economy, as well. The report, Smart Money: Education and Economic Development, demonstrates how increased investment in preschool, primary and secondary education, and colleges provides “concrete returns to economic development through increases in productivity, learned skills, technology and workers’ average earnings.” The report was compiled by William Schweke, research director for the Corporation for Enterprise Development, a nonprofit organization.
“If our goal is an economic climate that provides good jobs, decent living standards, entrepreneurial workers and a competitive edge over other countries, then investing in education is the single most important thing we can do,” said Schweke. “Education should be thought of in terms of productivity, innovation and the growing of wealth.”
The report examines nearly 180 studies that show the relationship between education investment and quality and economic development. It shows that schools provide greater knowledge as well as an improvement of the lives of current and future workers.
Some of the books findings:
Individuals with less than a high school diploma saw their mean family income decline by 14 percent between 1979 and 1995, but college graduates’ mean income rose 14 percent.
The public saves $7.16 for every original dollar invested in high-quality child care.
A state’s economic performance correlates to past investments in such areas as education. Eight out of 11 states with the highest grades for local investment received an A or B in overall economic performance.
Community colleges help to increase salaries. People with an associate’s degree earn 18 to 24 percent more than high school graduates.
Investing $4,800 per child in preschool education can reduce teenage arrests by 40 percent.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Sheriff Joe
An email from a friend:
Do you know Sheriff Joe?
Maricopa County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on stray animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over, and the County Supervisors said okay.
The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows.
The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million. Teresa and I adopted a Weimaraner from a Maricopa County shelter two years ago. He was neutered, and current on all shots, in great health, and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him. It cost us $78.
The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals.
I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs the jail system, and copy some of his ideas. He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand.
He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6 - $8 for the Holidays, and plant it later. We have six trees in our yard from the Prison.
Yup, he was reelected last year with 83% of the vote.
Now he's in trouble with the ACLU again. He painted all his buses and vehicles with a mural, that has a special hotline phone number painted on it, where you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement wasn't doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40 deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up his hotline, and bought 4 new buses just for hauling folks back to the border. He's kind of a 'Git-R Dun' kind of Sheriff.
TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO:
Sheriff Joe Arpaio (In Arizona ) who created the 'Tent City Jail':
He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.
He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails, took away their weights, only allows 'G' movies.
He started chain gangs, so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects.
Then He Started Chain Gangs For Women So He Wouldn't Get
Sued For Discrimination. [Despite the savings mentioned earlier, he has also lost a lot of expensive lawsuits.]
He took away cable TV until he found out there was a federal court order that required cable TV for jails, so he hooked up the cable TV again, but only let in the Disney Channel and the Weather Channel.
When asked why the Weather Channel, he replied, "So They Will Know How Hot It's Gonna Be While They Are Working On My Chain Gangs."
He Cut Off Coffee Since It Has Zero Nutritional Value.
When the inmates complained, he told them, 'This Isn't The Ritz/Carlton. If You Don't Like It, Don't Come Back.'
More On The Arizona Sheriff:
With Temperatures Being Even Hotter Than Usual In Phoenix (116 Degrees Just Set A New Record), the Associated Press Reports:
About 2,000 Inmates Living In A Barbed-Wire-Surrounded Tent Encampment At The Maricopa County Jail Have Been Given Permission To Strip Down To Their Government-Issued Pink Boxer Shorts.
On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached
138 Degrees Inside The Week Before..
Many Were Also Swathed In Wet, Pink Towels As Sweat Collected On Their Chests And Dripped Down To Their PINK SOCKS.
'It Feels Like We Are In A Furnace,' Said James Zanzot, An Inmate Who Has Lived In The Tents for 1 year. 'It's Inhumane.'
Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic. He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates: 'It's 120 Degrees In Iraq And Our Soldiers Are Living In Tents Too, And They Have To Wear Full Battle Gear, But They Didn't Commit Any Crimes, So Shut Your Mouths!'
Criminals should be punished for their crimes - not live on taxpayers money and enjoy things taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves. [It's this last part that I agree with most since I don't get cable for free, for example, so I don't get cable.]
Do you know Sheriff Joe?
Maricopa County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on stray animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over, and the County Supervisors said okay.
The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows.
The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million. Teresa and I adopted a Weimaraner from a Maricopa County shelter two years ago. He was neutered, and current on all shots, in great health, and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him. It cost us $78.
The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals.
I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs the jail system, and copy some of his ideas. He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand.
He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6 - $8 for the Holidays, and plant it later. We have six trees in our yard from the Prison.
Yup, he was reelected last year with 83% of the vote.
Now he's in trouble with the ACLU again. He painted all his buses and vehicles with a mural, that has a special hotline phone number painted on it, where you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement wasn't doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40 deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up his hotline, and bought 4 new buses just for hauling folks back to the border. He's kind of a 'Git-R Dun' kind of Sheriff.
TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO:
Sheriff Joe Arpaio (In Arizona ) who created the 'Tent City Jail':
He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.
He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails, took away their weights, only allows 'G' movies.
He started chain gangs, so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects.
Then He Started Chain Gangs For Women So He Wouldn't Get
Sued For Discrimination. [Despite the savings mentioned earlier, he has also lost a lot of expensive lawsuits.]
He took away cable TV until he found out there was a federal court order that required cable TV for jails, so he hooked up the cable TV again, but only let in the Disney Channel and the Weather Channel.
When asked why the Weather Channel, he replied, "So They Will Know How Hot It's Gonna Be While They Are Working On My Chain Gangs."
He Cut Off Coffee Since It Has Zero Nutritional Value.
When the inmates complained, he told them, 'This Isn't The Ritz/Carlton. If You Don't Like It, Don't Come Back.'
More On The Arizona Sheriff:
With Temperatures Being Even Hotter Than Usual In Phoenix (116 Degrees Just Set A New Record), the Associated Press Reports:
About 2,000 Inmates Living In A Barbed-Wire-Surrounded Tent Encampment At The Maricopa County Jail Have Been Given Permission To Strip Down To Their Government-Issued Pink Boxer Shorts.
On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached
138 Degrees Inside The Week Before..
Many Were Also Swathed In Wet, Pink Towels As Sweat Collected On Their Chests And Dripped Down To Their PINK SOCKS.
'It Feels Like We Are In A Furnace,' Said James Zanzot, An Inmate Who Has Lived In The Tents for 1 year. 'It's Inhumane.'
Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic. He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates: 'It's 120 Degrees In Iraq And Our Soldiers Are Living In Tents Too, And They Have To Wear Full Battle Gear, But They Didn't Commit Any Crimes, So Shut Your Mouths!'
Criminals should be punished for their crimes - not live on taxpayers money and enjoy things taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves. [It's this last part that I agree with most since I don't get cable for free, for example, so I don't get cable.]
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Make a Difference
This is a good story to share with others that have made a difference to you, so I'm sharing it with you. It's nice for me to know that somebody read this blog and shared it with somebody else. Hopefully, it's nice for you to know that somebody wanted to share it with you.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Mailmen
This is a good story to illustrate doing good deeds behind closed doors. Your reward in heaven will certainly be more than your reward in this present life, much more than the reward in this story:
There was a man who worked for the Post Office whose job was to process all the mail that had illegible addresses.
One day, a letter came addressed in a shaky handwriting to God with no actual address. He thought he should open it to see what it was about.
The letter read:
Dear God,
I am an 83 year old widow, living on a very small pension.
Yesterday someone stole my purse. It had $100 in it, which was all the money I had until my next pension payment.
Next Sunday is Christmas, and I had invited two of my friends over for dinner. Without that money, I have nothing to buy food with, have no family to turn to, and you are my only hope. Can you please help me?
Sincerely, Edna
The postal worker was touched. He showed the letter to all the other workers. Each one dug into his or her wallet and came up with a few dollars.
By the time he made the rounds, he had collected $96, which they put into an envelope and sent to the woman.
The rest of the day, all the workers felt a warm glow thinking of Edna and the dinner she would be able to share with her friends.
Christmas came and went.
A few days later, another letter came from the same old lady to God.
All the workers gathered around while the letter was opened.
It read:
Dear God,
How can I ever thank you enough for what you did for me?
Because of your gift of love, I was able to fix a glorious dinner for my friends. We had a very nice day and I told my friends of your wonderful gift.
By the way, there was $4 missing.
I think it might have been those bums at the post office.
Sincerely, Edna
There was a man who worked for the Post Office whose job was to process all the mail that had illegible addresses.
One day, a letter came addressed in a shaky handwriting to God with no actual address. He thought he should open it to see what it was about.
The letter read:
Dear God,
I am an 83 year old widow, living on a very small pension.
Yesterday someone stole my purse. It had $100 in it, which was all the money I had until my next pension payment.
Next Sunday is Christmas, and I had invited two of my friends over for dinner. Without that money, I have nothing to buy food with, have no family to turn to, and you are my only hope. Can you please help me?
Sincerely, Edna
The postal worker was touched. He showed the letter to all the other workers. Each one dug into his or her wallet and came up with a few dollars.
By the time he made the rounds, he had collected $96, which they put into an envelope and sent to the woman.
The rest of the day, all the workers felt a warm glow thinking of Edna and the dinner she would be able to share with her friends.
Christmas came and went.
A few days later, another letter came from the same old lady to God.
All the workers gathered around while the letter was opened.
It read:
Dear God,
How can I ever thank you enough for what you did for me?
Because of your gift of love, I was able to fix a glorious dinner for my friends. We had a very nice day and I told my friends of your wonderful gift.
By the way, there was $4 missing.
I think it might have been those bums at the post office.
Sincerely, Edna
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Obamacare
This argument is from the 2010 election when groups were trying to unseat the Democratic incumbents that voted for Obamacare. Although my representative is Democratic, Jason Altmire, he didn't vote for that nor did he get unseated...
Having spent three weeks in a hospital in Naples, Florida with my wife, I couldn’t help noticing what was going on in the hospital and I had a lot of time to talk to the doctors and nurses about what I had observed. Below is a commentary from an ER Doctor. Do you think this might be a big reason our health care system and our social security system are so screwed up? Do you think this might be a big reason our taxes keep going up?
From a Florida ER doctor:
"I live and work in a state overrun with illegal immigrants. They make more money having kids than we earn working full-time. Today I had a 25-year old with 8 kids; all illegal anchor babies and she had the nicest nails, cell phone, hand bag, clothing, etc. She makes about $1,500 monthly for each. I used to say, “We are the dumbest nation on earth.” Now I must say and sadly admit: WE are the dumbest people on earth (that includes ME) for we elected the politicians who have passed the bills that allow for this."
If the immigrant is over 65, they can apply for SSI and Medicaid and get more than a woman on Social Security, who worked from 1944 until 2004. She is only getting $791 per month because she was born in 1924 and there's a 'catch 22.'
It is interesting that the federal government provides a single refugee with a monthly allowance of $1,890. Each can also obtain an additional $580 in social assistance, for a total of $2,470 a month.
This compares to a single pensioner, who can only receive a monthly maximum of $1,012 in old age pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement.
Maybe if more people knew about this, we can get the refugees cut back to $1,012 and help save Social Security. I don't want to persecute refugees because that would be unjust. They are my brothers and sisters in Christ. It's not their fault for accepting the money. That's the smart thing to do. It's the politicians fault for offering it and the voters being dumb for voting for those politicians in the first place. So I'm not asking to be unmerciful to people in need. If our retirees are in need of $1,012/month, then they should get it. If refugees are in need too, they should get $1,012/month too. They shouldn't get nothing like people on one side may say, and they shouldn't get $2470 like they are now. This way Social Security will be around a little longer to help out more people in need, retirees and refugees alike.
Maybe if more people knew what the majority of our elected politicians had been doing for years to over-taxed Americans, things would be better.
Having spent three weeks in a hospital in Naples, Florida with my wife, I couldn’t help noticing what was going on in the hospital and I had a lot of time to talk to the doctors and nurses about what I had observed. Below is a commentary from an ER Doctor. Do you think this might be a big reason our health care system and our social security system are so screwed up? Do you think this might be a big reason our taxes keep going up?
From a Florida ER doctor:
"I live and work in a state overrun with illegal immigrants. They make more money having kids than we earn working full-time. Today I had a 25-year old with 8 kids; all illegal anchor babies and she had the nicest nails, cell phone, hand bag, clothing, etc. She makes about $1,500 monthly for each. I used to say, “We are the dumbest nation on earth.” Now I must say and sadly admit: WE are the dumbest people on earth (that includes ME) for we elected the politicians who have passed the bills that allow for this."
If the immigrant is over 65, they can apply for SSI and Medicaid and get more than a woman on Social Security, who worked from 1944 until 2004. She is only getting $791 per month because she was born in 1924 and there's a 'catch 22.'
It is interesting that the federal government provides a single refugee with a monthly allowance of $1,890. Each can also obtain an additional $580 in social assistance, for a total of $2,470 a month.
This compares to a single pensioner, who can only receive a monthly maximum of $1,012 in old age pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement.
Maybe if more people knew about this, we can get the refugees cut back to $1,012 and help save Social Security. I don't want to persecute refugees because that would be unjust. They are my brothers and sisters in Christ. It's not their fault for accepting the money. That's the smart thing to do. It's the politicians fault for offering it and the voters being dumb for voting for those politicians in the first place. So I'm not asking to be unmerciful to people in need. If our retirees are in need of $1,012/month, then they should get it. If refugees are in need too, they should get $1,012/month too. They shouldn't get nothing like people on one side may say, and they shouldn't get $2470 like they are now. This way Social Security will be around a little longer to help out more people in need, retirees and refugees alike.
Maybe if more people knew what the majority of our elected politicians had been doing for years to over-taxed Americans, things would be better.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Marriage
Married or not…this is a story I found worth reading:
“When I got home that night as ...my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, "I’ve got something to tell you." She sat down and ate quietly. Again, I observed the hurt in her eyes.
Suddenly, I didn’t know how to open my mouth, but I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words. Instead, she asked me softly, "Why?"
I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, "You are not a man!" That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage, but I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer. She had lost my heart to Jane. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!
With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy, but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally, she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce, which had obsessed me for several weeks, seemed to be firmer and clearer now.
The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper, but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care, so I turned over and was asleep again.
In the morning, she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.
This was agreeable to me, but she had something more. She asked me to recall how I had carried her into our bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that every day for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door every morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable, I accepted her odd request.
I told Jane about my wife’s divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. "No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce," she said scornfully.
My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed, so when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, "Daddy is holding mommy in his arms." His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms.
She closed her eyes and said softly, "Don’t tell our son about the divorce." I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.
On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face. Her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.
On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.
She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses, but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, "All my dresses have grown bigger." I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin. That was the reason I could carry her more easily.
Suddenly, it hit me…she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously, I reached out and touched her head.
Our son came in at the moment and said, "Dad, it’s time to carry mom out." To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly. It was just like our wedding day.
But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, "I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy." I drove to office…jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind. I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, "Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore."
She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. "Do you have a fever?" she said. I moved her hand off my head.
"Sorry, Jane," I said, "I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other anymore." Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart. Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, "I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us part."
That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead. My wife had been fighting cancer for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the negative reaction from our son, in case we push through with the divorce—- at least, in the eyes of our son—- I’m a loving husband…
The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, or the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness, but cannot give happiness in themselves.
So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!
If you don’t share this, nothing will happen to you.
If you do, you just might save a marriage. Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
“When I got home that night as ...my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, "I’ve got something to tell you." She sat down and ate quietly. Again, I observed the hurt in her eyes.
Suddenly, I didn’t know how to open my mouth, but I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words. Instead, she asked me softly, "Why?"
I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, "You are not a man!" That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage, but I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer. She had lost my heart to Jane. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!
With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy, but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally, she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce, which had obsessed me for several weeks, seemed to be firmer and clearer now.
The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper, but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care, so I turned over and was asleep again.
In the morning, she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.
This was agreeable to me, but she had something more. She asked me to recall how I had carried her into our bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that every day for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door every morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable, I accepted her odd request.
I told Jane about my wife’s divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. "No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce," she said scornfully.
My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed, so when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, "Daddy is holding mommy in his arms." His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms.
She closed her eyes and said softly, "Don’t tell our son about the divorce." I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.
On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face. Her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.
On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.
She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses, but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, "All my dresses have grown bigger." I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin. That was the reason I could carry her more easily.
Suddenly, it hit me…she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously, I reached out and touched her head.
Our son came in at the moment and said, "Dad, it’s time to carry mom out." To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly. It was just like our wedding day.
But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, "I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy." I drove to office…jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind. I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, "Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore."
She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. "Do you have a fever?" she said. I moved her hand off my head.
"Sorry, Jane," I said, "I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other anymore." Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart. Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, "I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us part."
That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead. My wife had been fighting cancer for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the negative reaction from our son, in case we push through with the divorce—- at least, in the eyes of our son—- I’m a loving husband…
The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, or the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness, but cannot give happiness in themselves.
So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!
If you don’t share this, nothing will happen to you.
If you do, you just might save a marriage. Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Spin
Here's a copy of an e-mail I recieved:
Brian,
Knowing that their candidate lacks a consistent conservative message, Romney's spin machine is once again working overtime.
That's why, even though Rick is busy campaigning in Louisiana today he wanted me to rush this email out to you regarding his comments yesterday about Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.
Rick's response is here:
"I would never vote for Barack Obama over any Republican and to suggest otherwise is preposterous. This is just another attempt by the Romney Campaign to distort and distract the media and voters from the unshakeable fact that many of Romney's policies mirror Barack Obama's.
I was simply making the point that there is a huge enthusiasm gap around Mitt Romney and it's easy to see why - Romney has sided with Obama on healthcare mandates, cap-and-trade, and the Wall Street bailouts.
Voters have to be excited enough to actually go vote, and my campaign's movement to restore freedom is exciting this nation. If this election is about Obama versus the Obama-Lite candidate, we have a tough time rallying this nation. It's time for bold vision, bold reforms and bold contrasts. This election is about more than Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, or Rick Santorum - this campaign is about freedom and I will fight to restore your freedoms."
Please forward this email to your friends and family. Let them hear the truth from Rick, not what Mitt Romney wants them to hear.
Thanks for all you are doing.
Proud to stand with Rick,
Mike Biundo
Campaign Manager
Brian,
Knowing that their candidate lacks a consistent conservative message, Romney's spin machine is once again working overtime.
That's why, even though Rick is busy campaigning in Louisiana today he wanted me to rush this email out to you regarding his comments yesterday about Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.
Rick's response is here:
"I would never vote for Barack Obama over any Republican and to suggest otherwise is preposterous. This is just another attempt by the Romney Campaign to distort and distract the media and voters from the unshakeable fact that many of Romney's policies mirror Barack Obama's.
I was simply making the point that there is a huge enthusiasm gap around Mitt Romney and it's easy to see why - Romney has sided with Obama on healthcare mandates, cap-and-trade, and the Wall Street bailouts.
Voters have to be excited enough to actually go vote, and my campaign's movement to restore freedom is exciting this nation. If this election is about Obama versus the Obama-Lite candidate, we have a tough time rallying this nation. It's time for bold vision, bold reforms and bold contrasts. This election is about more than Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, or Rick Santorum - this campaign is about freedom and I will fight to restore your freedoms."
Please forward this email to your friends and family. Let them hear the truth from Rick, not what Mitt Romney wants them to hear.
Thanks for all you are doing.
Proud to stand with Rick,
Mike Biundo
Campaign Manager
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
PA GOP
I realize that not every reader is from PA, but this problem is reflective of the problem nationally.
www.reformPAGOP.com
The problem nationally is that the parties are not united. The social conservative party was generally the Republican Party because the Democratic leaders were pro-choice. A few Democrats were pro-life. Those Democrats won in swing states like Pennsylvania because Pennsylvania is not so liberal that the majority feel that a baby's life is less important than a voter's convenience. The majority of Pennsylvanian's believe in protecting those that cannot protect themselves.
That problem is not as apparent nationally as the divide in the Republican's party is. The obvious differences between Romney and Santorum highlight that the leaders of the Republican Party value money more than family values. However, a significant number of disenfranchised Republicans, who may not have money, but still have family values, support candidates like Santorum. This is quietly coming to a head in the upcoming Senate race where the Republican endorsed candidate, Welch, is a rich, Democratic convert instead of the more conservative Morris, who doesn't have much money. The reason seems to be because Welch can self-finance his campaign and the state Republican committee can devote money towards other races like the Auditor General or Attorney General that could cause problems for the sitting Republican Governor.
The Governor is going to have a difficult time running for reelection as it is . That's because he's cut so much from education that teachers and programs are being cut from K-12 schools and college students aren't getting the money they used to for college. To pay for the raises he gave to himself and staff above the previous Democratic administration, and keep education funding the same, taxes would have to be raised $225 a person. That doesn't seem like a lot to most people, especially if that amount was reduced by his administration's raises and if students got to continue in the programs they love.
It's more difficult to be an informed voter because the side with the money can get the message out more than the side that I support once I learn about them. Nevertheless, I'm going to keep doing what I can as a voter that's in my family's best interest. I imagine if you are the kind of person that reads this, you'll be doing the same if you aren't already.
www.reformPAGOP.com
The problem nationally is that the parties are not united. The social conservative party was generally the Republican Party because the Democratic leaders were pro-choice. A few Democrats were pro-life. Those Democrats won in swing states like Pennsylvania because Pennsylvania is not so liberal that the majority feel that a baby's life is less important than a voter's convenience. The majority of Pennsylvanian's believe in protecting those that cannot protect themselves.
That problem is not as apparent nationally as the divide in the Republican's party is. The obvious differences between Romney and Santorum highlight that the leaders of the Republican Party value money more than family values. However, a significant number of disenfranchised Republicans, who may not have money, but still have family values, support candidates like Santorum. This is quietly coming to a head in the upcoming Senate race where the Republican endorsed candidate, Welch, is a rich, Democratic convert instead of the more conservative Morris, who doesn't have much money. The reason seems to be because Welch can self-finance his campaign and the state Republican committee can devote money towards other races like the Auditor General or Attorney General that could cause problems for the sitting Republican Governor.
The Governor is going to have a difficult time running for reelection as it is . That's because he's cut so much from education that teachers and programs are being cut from K-12 schools and college students aren't getting the money they used to for college. To pay for the raises he gave to himself and staff above the previous Democratic administration, and keep education funding the same, taxes would have to be raised $225 a person. That doesn't seem like a lot to most people, especially if that amount was reduced by his administration's raises and if students got to continue in the programs they love.
It's more difficult to be an informed voter because the side with the money can get the message out more than the side that I support once I learn about them. Nevertheless, I'm going to keep doing what I can as a voter that's in my family's best interest. I imagine if you are the kind of person that reads this, you'll be doing the same if you aren't already.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Attention 7th and 8th grade teachers!
In regards to my school work, I must not talk or write about it much because one of my friends from work was surprised to hear that I expected to take 12 credits next year. I've taken 12 credits the last four years. I suppose regular readers of this blog may have been equally surprised. It's something that just doesn't up in conversation much. However, I bring it up now because I'm doing a study on whether 7th and 8th graders read better from print books or e-readers and need volunteer 7th and 8th grade teachers. It will take one 40-minute period next school on the day of the teacher's choice as long as they have Accelerated Reader and enough computers for half the class. I'll supply the e-books and books and explain the nitty gritty details once they are finalized. Two schools have already agreed to participate because each school gets the results and could use the results in applying for grants, etc.
Friday, March 9, 2012
The Mayonnaise Jar
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and started to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
'The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the things that matter - like your job, house, and car.
The sand is everything else -- The small stuff.
'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
So...
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.
'Take care of the golf balls first -- The things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked'.
'It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'
Please share this with other "Golf Balls"
I just did..
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and started to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
'The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the things that matter - like your job, house, and car.
The sand is everything else -- The small stuff.
'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
So...
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.
'Take care of the golf balls first -- The things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked'.
'It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'
Please share this with other "Golf Balls"
I just did..
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Karen Santorum
Karen Santorum reminds me of my wife without going through any of the phases Mrs. Santorum went through.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Neighbors
Here's a site that could hold a lot of uses for some people. You provide an address and they provide the addresses and phone numbers of all the residential neighbors.
http://neighbors.whitepages.com/
Of course, this post doesn't directly support anyone in particular, but anything to help to build community is worth sharing.
http://neighbors.whitepages.com/
Of course, this post doesn't directly support anyone in particular, but anything to help to build community is worth sharing.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Priests
Since I let a priest make my argument against President Obama, here's a pro-priest clip from one of the few YouTube subscriptions I have:
Sunday, March 4, 2012
General Election
Here's a good argument for why to not vote for President Obama this year compared to any of the Republican candidates, especially Santorum.
http://youtu.be/ltTd81XpDnc
http://youtu.be/ltTd81XpDnc
Saturday, March 3, 2012
GOP Race
My wife is no longer interested in hearing about any of this. She knows I supported Santorum when he was under 1% of the national vote and not even being invited to some debates. Now she knows I still support him even though she "knows" he doesn't have enough money to win. However, I don't think he needs as much money to win. He tied Romney in the Michigan primary by spending 1/6 of what Romney spent. That's because he has more donations to his campaign, even though those donations aren't as large amounts as Romney supporters can afford to give. What Santorum's supporters can do is vote and their votes are worth just as much, even though there isn't as much money behind those votes. Santorum has more people supporting him because he's the better person. That's why I want Santorum to win from among the candidates running. I actually would have liked Romney to have won over McCain in 2008, so I don't think Romney is bad. I just think Santorum is a little better than Romney. Either is better option than retaining Obama.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/03/exclusive-in-02-romney-touted-d-c-connections-federal-funds/?tr=y&auid=10384409
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/03/exclusive-in-02-romney-touted-d-c-connections-federal-funds/?tr=y&auid=10384409
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Blog Award
My friend's blog is up for an award and there is a link on her site for you to vote from: http://silversolara.blogspot.com
You can vote as often as you like between now and February 3rd at 5 PM EST.
You can vote as often as you like between now and February 3rd at 5 PM EST.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Hiatus
The MacBeth and Miss America campaigns are complete. I am ready to return to blogging. I mentioned how reflecting on my previous posts has helped me grow. Recently, I have downloaded everything I had saved on floppy disks to my cloud when I realized we don't have a floppy drive on our new laptop that we got in August. Obviously, I don't use those files a lot since I just realized it now. Fortunately, I had one at work that made it convenient for me do it. Going those all those file names again brought back a lot of memories, especially those whose names I didn't recognize. I had to open them up to see what it was before it came back to me. I was most surprised by how presumptious I was for such a young professional, so focused on the facts and not as sensitive to people's feelings as I am now. I didn't think that at the time, which made me wonder how I may be perceived now in ways that I am not aware of. I wonder how common an experience that is for other people.
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