Is it just me, or does it seem as though it's getting more and more difficult to get hurt these days? Not that I'm in favor of getting hurt, mind you, but I'm not totally opposed to a little "Darwinism" kicking in every now and again to ensure better choices from the gene pool, so to speak.
Maybe it's just me, but it seems that the opportunity to use one's own intelligence or wherewithal to avoid injury is a thing of the past. You can TRY to get hurt and not be successful!!!
The examples are numerous! On an errand this afternoon, we passed a construction site where there were numerous rods of re-bar sticking straight up in the air. I asked MDB if she knew why these rods had those little "mushroom caps" on them, but she didn't know. I told her that, once upon a time, a kid decided to sit on just such a rod and wound up impailing himself, so such rods now must be protected with the little mushroom caps to prevent some other genius from sitting on them.
Huh?
What about the clown who burned himself with coffee at McDonald's, filed a lawsuit, and went home a millionarie? Uhhh....did you not KNOW that coffee is hot?
If not, WHY NOT??????
I told MDB that I have a "get rich quick" plan; take a blind guy into McDonald's and have him spill hot coffee on himself, then sue because the warning isn't in Braille!
Foolproof!!!
The examples are all around us! Those pesky "kick out if you sneeze" ground-fault circuit interrupter plugs in bathrooms; air bags in cars; pressure sensors on garage door openers; caps on medicine bottles that require a PhD to open them, etc.
I'll grant you; a lot of what I've mentioned are improvements to keep helpless children from injuring themselves and that's a good thing, for sure!
Of course, a better thing would be for parents to watch their children so all the "fool-proof" stuff to protect them wouldn't be necessary, but that would be inconvenient, wouldn't it?
I mareveled earlier today about the disappearance of "the backhand."
You know what I'm talking about; you'd say something smart-Alec as a kid and Dad would give it to you; THE BACKHAND! Oh, it didn't hurt too long and it was usually pretty long-lasting, meaning that Dad didn't have to break it out very often, but my oh MY was it effective!!!
It seems as though "the BH" has been supplanted by "time out;"
No wonder kids are such smart-Alecs these days!
I say it's time for CPS to take a coffee break and for The BH to make a comeback!
Please, God, before it's too late!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
2nd Amendment, idiots behind the wheel, and "the grass NAZI"
Hello again, blogfans!
I've been watching amusedly as the mayor of DC (among others) whine about the recent SC decision upholding the Founders intent with regard to the 2nd Amendment. According to them, many will die because of the overturning of their gun-control statutes.
When guns are outlawed, only Outlaws will carry guns!
Frankly, I think that saying about says it all. If only criminals have guns, who's going to protect us from the criminals? The Police? When they're outnumbered literally hundreds to one, a well-armed citizenry may be the only disincentive criminals have from taking over.
That doesn't address the issue though, does it?
Amendment II: Right to bear arms
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
Do the words "shall not be infinged" mean something else to someone else? "But Dan!" you say, "the right to keep and bear arms only applies to a militia!"
Oh, okay. So, WHO, pray-tell, IS the militia if it's not you and I? In the founders day, the "militia" was John Q. Public bearing his hunting rifle to defend the nation against invasion. Is a well-armed militia less important today than it was then?
I think not!
After all, what keeps the military from taking over the country? Or the police? Or the gangs?
It's the "well-regulated militia" of all the John Qs out there who, in their entirety, make quite a formidable foe!
That doesn't really matter though, does it? The fact is, it's our constitutional RIGHT to have firearms for our own protection and that right, under the constitution, SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED!!!! Nuff said!
I think if someone wanted to stop a lot of senseless killing, who and who does not have the right to operate a motor vehicle ought to be more closely scrutinized! When the mayor of DC was on earlier whining about all the gun deaths in this country, my first thought was "Hmmm....cars kill a lot more people than THAT and I don't hear anyone clamoring for outlawing CARS!!!!"
Maybe it's time we did something about that!
I think we should administer intelligence tests to go along with driving tests. Are you able to think quickly enough to avoid an accident? Are you likely to get outsmarted by a traffic light? Does a cell phone have a larger intellectual capacity than you have, preventing you from operating both at the same time? If that's true, PUT DOWN THE FREAKIN' CELL PHONE AND CHOOSE TO OPERATE THE CAR FIRST, BEFORE YOU KILL BOTH OF US!!!!
So, for those of you who choose to endanger our right to operate motor vehicles with your impertinent lunacy and penchant for vehicular destruction, do us all a favor - BACK AWAY from the vehicle and learn how to use the public transportation system!
There....I feel better now!
About a week ago I told you about the lady across the street ("Nosy Neighbors") and her penchant for telling me what to do with my freshly mown grass. I told MDB about this encounter, naturally, and she started referring to the lady as "the grass NAZI."
Hilarious!!!
Based on TGN's stature and disposition, I had begun to call her "Fiona," or "Mrs Shrek," but I like the Grass NAZI much better.
It just fits, that's all!
I've been watching amusedly as the mayor of DC (among others) whine about the recent SC decision upholding the Founders intent with regard to the 2nd Amendment. According to them, many will die because of the overturning of their gun-control statutes.
When guns are outlawed, only Outlaws will carry guns!
Frankly, I think that saying about says it all. If only criminals have guns, who's going to protect us from the criminals? The Police? When they're outnumbered literally hundreds to one, a well-armed citizenry may be the only disincentive criminals have from taking over.
That doesn't address the issue though, does it?
Amendment II: Right to bear arms
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
Do the words "shall not be infinged" mean something else to someone else? "But Dan!" you say, "the right to keep and bear arms only applies to a militia!"
Oh, okay. So, WHO, pray-tell, IS the militia if it's not you and I? In the founders day, the "militia" was John Q. Public bearing his hunting rifle to defend the nation against invasion. Is a well-armed militia less important today than it was then?
I think not!
After all, what keeps the military from taking over the country? Or the police? Or the gangs?
It's the "well-regulated militia" of all the John Qs out there who, in their entirety, make quite a formidable foe!
That doesn't really matter though, does it? The fact is, it's our constitutional RIGHT to have firearms for our own protection and that right, under the constitution, SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED!!!! Nuff said!
I think if someone wanted to stop a lot of senseless killing, who and who does not have the right to operate a motor vehicle ought to be more closely scrutinized! When the mayor of DC was on earlier whining about all the gun deaths in this country, my first thought was "Hmmm....cars kill a lot more people than THAT and I don't hear anyone clamoring for outlawing CARS!!!!"
Maybe it's time we did something about that!
I think we should administer intelligence tests to go along with driving tests. Are you able to think quickly enough to avoid an accident? Are you likely to get outsmarted by a traffic light? Does a cell phone have a larger intellectual capacity than you have, preventing you from operating both at the same time? If that's true, PUT DOWN THE FREAKIN' CELL PHONE AND CHOOSE TO OPERATE THE CAR FIRST, BEFORE YOU KILL BOTH OF US!!!!
So, for those of you who choose to endanger our right to operate motor vehicles with your impertinent lunacy and penchant for vehicular destruction, do us all a favor - BACK AWAY from the vehicle and learn how to use the public transportation system!
There....I feel better now!
About a week ago I told you about the lady across the street ("Nosy Neighbors") and her penchant for telling me what to do with my freshly mown grass. I told MDB about this encounter, naturally, and she started referring to the lady as "the grass NAZI."
Hilarious!!!
Based on TGN's stature and disposition, I had begun to call her "Fiona," or "Mrs Shrek," but I like the Grass NAZI much better.
It just fits, that's all!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Gangland
MDB and I like to watch the History Channel series "Gangland." It's very informative, but it gets a little comical at times. Oh, I don't mean that the gang problem is funny, but the attitude that's communicated at times can make you go "Hmmmm?"....
To wit:
A member of the Bloods raised his shirt and bragged, "I got shot right here (pointing to his side) thirteen times; I got stabbed right here. I got shot in the head point blank; right here I got opened up like a pig at the slaughter (pointing to a hideous scar in his midline)."
Uhhhh.....what part of "shot" and "stabbed" didn't you understand? Are you stupid, or what?
I'm not the smartest guy on the globe, but it wouldn't take but one time getting shot or stabbed to make me reconsider my gang affiliation, that's for sure!
Then again, I guess the smart guys don't need to be in a gang....but then.....I don't know, you know?
To wit:
A member of the Bloods raised his shirt and bragged, "I got shot right here (pointing to his side) thirteen times; I got stabbed right here. I got shot in the head point blank; right here I got opened up like a pig at the slaughter (pointing to a hideous scar in his midline)."
Uhhhh.....what part of "shot" and "stabbed" didn't you understand? Are you stupid, or what?
I'm not the smartest guy on the globe, but it wouldn't take but one time getting shot or stabbed to make me reconsider my gang affiliation, that's for sure!
Then again, I guess the smart guys don't need to be in a gang....but then.....I don't know, you know?
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Be careful!
Matt 12:31 - And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
I was watching "Last Comic Standing" on television when a comedy duo calling itself "God's Pottery" came on. At first, I thought that it may be a performance in the Mark Lowry vein; godly, but very VERY funny, but then I realized that their entire purpose was to mock people of faith, ESPECIALLY people who are overtly Christian and don't mind showing it!
Hebrews 10:28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Folks, it's not my place to judge and I certainly don't intend to come off that way, but it IS the place of a Christian brother (if these fellows consider themselves to be Christian) to let them know that their schtick is offensive to Christian believers and that Christians don't think that a wholesome lifestyle, good, gospel-based lifestyle choices, or showing the joy of Jesus is something to be ashamed of and certainly not something to make fun of in others!
I was watching "Last Comic Standing" on television when a comedy duo calling itself "God's Pottery" came on. At first, I thought that it may be a performance in the Mark Lowry vein; godly, but very VERY funny, but then I realized that their entire purpose was to mock people of faith, ESPECIALLY people who are overtly Christian and don't mind showing it!
Hebrews 10:28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Folks, it's not my place to judge and I certainly don't intend to come off that way, but it IS the place of a Christian brother (if these fellows consider themselves to be Christian) to let them know that their schtick is offensive to Christian believers and that Christians don't think that a wholesome lifestyle, good, gospel-based lifestyle choices, or showing the joy of Jesus is something to be ashamed of and certainly not something to make fun of in others!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Well...summer's almost here!
Okay, I know what a lot of you are thinking; Summer's BEEN here, you idiot! It's H-O-T outside and the kids have been out of school for nearly a month!
That's the key, right there; the KIDS have been gone for nearly a month, but I'm finishing up with the school year TOMORROW, and I can't wait to get started with the summer break!
MDB and I have a really nice vacation planned and I can't wait to get it started! We're basically staying close (who can afford to drive very far THESE days?) and re-creating our honeymoon from last year, which was AWESOME, BTW!!!
I've got several projects to complete as well. First, I have to rebuild our back fence. That's going to be a two-day job because I'm sinking a new post and putting in a gate back there. Our back fence backs up to a pipeline easement, so it'll be nice to be able to keep the grass trimmed behind the fence and keep the critters at bay!
After the fence, I need to build a storage building back there so we can clear some of the yard and garden stuff out of the garage. That will take about a week altogether. Fortunately, I've built two similar buildings before this one, so it should go fairly quickly, not to mention that this one is only going to be 64 sq ft, so it's not as ambitious as previous undertakings.
After the building is built, I'm adding a patio cover onto the back of the house. MDB wants it to look like the existing roof from outside, so it's going to have a standard wooden deck and composite shingles just like the rest of the house; should be interesting! That one's going to take several days because I have to sink posts in concrete and give that time to set up before we can begin installing rafters for the roof decking, roof decking itself, or shingles. Once the framing is up, the actual shingles ought to go up pretty quickly. When I built the last storage building I built, I ordered a pneumatic roofing nailer (which didn't arrive until I was finished, naturally!), so the job of putting up the roof ought to be MUCH easier with the nailer than it was by hand! Roofing work, this time of year ESPECIALLY, is BRUTALLY HOT!!!! I really feel for those poor souls who have to do that kind of work this time of year!
Anyway, it ought to be relaxing! Woo-hoo!
That's the key, right there; the KIDS have been gone for nearly a month, but I'm finishing up with the school year TOMORROW, and I can't wait to get started with the summer break!
MDB and I have a really nice vacation planned and I can't wait to get it started! We're basically staying close (who can afford to drive very far THESE days?) and re-creating our honeymoon from last year, which was AWESOME, BTW!!!
I've got several projects to complete as well. First, I have to rebuild our back fence. That's going to be a two-day job because I'm sinking a new post and putting in a gate back there. Our back fence backs up to a pipeline easement, so it'll be nice to be able to keep the grass trimmed behind the fence and keep the critters at bay!
After the fence, I need to build a storage building back there so we can clear some of the yard and garden stuff out of the garage. That will take about a week altogether. Fortunately, I've built two similar buildings before this one, so it should go fairly quickly, not to mention that this one is only going to be 64 sq ft, so it's not as ambitious as previous undertakings.
After the building is built, I'm adding a patio cover onto the back of the house. MDB wants it to look like the existing roof from outside, so it's going to have a standard wooden deck and composite shingles just like the rest of the house; should be interesting! That one's going to take several days because I have to sink posts in concrete and give that time to set up before we can begin installing rafters for the roof decking, roof decking itself, or shingles. Once the framing is up, the actual shingles ought to go up pretty quickly. When I built the last storage building I built, I ordered a pneumatic roofing nailer (which didn't arrive until I was finished, naturally!), so the job of putting up the roof ought to be MUCH easier with the nailer than it was by hand! Roofing work, this time of year ESPECIALLY, is BRUTALLY HOT!!!! I really feel for those poor souls who have to do that kind of work this time of year!
Anyway, it ought to be relaxing! Woo-hoo!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Here's a link...
http://www.click2houston.com/family/16696684/detail.html
...for the survey on religion in America that I referenced in my last post.
Pretty scary stuff, if you ask me!
A couple of things were NOT a surprise. For example, more liberals don't believe there's a God than conservatives.
Duh....really?!
First, liberals, by and large, have a humanistic viewpoint (government and/or "the human spirit" will solve our problems) and don't have much need for God. Second, liberals cannot possibly rectify their social beliefs with the existence of God (I have a feeling that God isn't too happy about "abortion on demand" as it stands in this country now!).
Although it was certainly not ALL of them, 21% (that's over 1 in 5 for those counting at home!) of self-described atheists said they believe in God or a universal spirit, with 8 percent "absolutely certain" of it.
I've been trying to tell you! Atheists are idiots!
The part that IS a little disturbing is that so-called "Christians" have no idea what's in the Bible and have no clue regarding the claims of Jesus or His teachings.
Romans 1:28 - Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
Thanks for playing, bible study lady!
...for the survey on religion in America that I referenced in my last post.
Pretty scary stuff, if you ask me!
A couple of things were NOT a surprise. For example, more liberals don't believe there's a God than conservatives.
Duh....really?!
First, liberals, by and large, have a humanistic viewpoint (government and/or "the human spirit" will solve our problems) and don't have much need for God. Second, liberals cannot possibly rectify their social beliefs with the existence of God (I have a feeling that God isn't too happy about "abortion on demand" as it stands in this country now!).
Although it was certainly not ALL of them, 21% (that's over 1 in 5 for those counting at home!) of self-described atheists said they believe in God or a universal spirit, with 8 percent "absolutely certain" of it.
I've been trying to tell you! Atheists are idiots!
The part that IS a little disturbing is that so-called "Christians" have no idea what's in the Bible and have no clue regarding the claims of Jesus or His teachings.
Romans 1:28 - Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
Thanks for playing, bible study lady!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Worried for this generation
Several of recent developments have disturbed me and left me wondering, "What is this generation coming to?"
The first thing that bothered me was this so-called pregnancy pact in New England. Uhhhh.....WHAT??? A pregnancy pact? How many of you airhead sluts actually think that ANY of your pact sisters will be there to help you raise your kid for 18 years? How many think that they'll be around for 18 MINUTES?!?! This is the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a long time and it just points once again to the complete and total breakdown of any sort of moral compass in this country!
Is it just me, or is anyone else as sick of hearing about Ellen Degenerate and her "fiance" as I am? Look, I don't have any problem with confused people being happy, I really don't. If you want to ignore your role in nature and chase after others who share your gender, that's fine. I mean, you're certainly not the first and I doubt you'll be the last. However, GET OUT OF MY FACE WITH IT AND STOP TRYING TO CONVINCE ME THAT IT'S NORMAL!!!!!! It's NOT normal and all of your prancing in front of your cameras isn't going to convince me that it is....SO STOP IT!!!!
Katey Couric reported this evening that a new survey on American religion was just complete and that, according to the survey, most Americans believe in God but hardly any of them believe that their faith represents the only way to heaven. They interviewed a woman while she attended a bible study associated with her Episcopal church. The lady expressed how she simply could not believe that God would limit heaven to only Christian believers and how she did NOT believe it.
I'm sorry; I didn't catch much of what she said after that because I was far too busy screaming at my TV, "KEEP STUDYING, LADY!!!!!"
If you don't believe that your faith has any benefit, why believe anything at all?
Let me help you with your study, lady!
Matthew 7:13,14 - 13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
Getting into heaven is NOT an easy thing to do! Simply being nice, or a "good person," or an agreeable person, is not enough!
John 14:6 "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Did you catch that last one, lady? If you think that anyone can get to heaven by whatever means out there, you just called Jesus a liar.
Probably not a wise move there, bible study lady!
A wise man once said, someone who stands for nothing will fall for anything.
So it seems!
The first thing that bothered me was this so-called pregnancy pact in New England. Uhhhh.....WHAT??? A pregnancy pact? How many of you airhead sluts actually think that ANY of your pact sisters will be there to help you raise your kid for 18 years? How many think that they'll be around for 18 MINUTES?!?! This is the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a long time and it just points once again to the complete and total breakdown of any sort of moral compass in this country!
Is it just me, or is anyone else as sick of hearing about Ellen Degenerate and her "fiance" as I am? Look, I don't have any problem with confused people being happy, I really don't. If you want to ignore your role in nature and chase after others who share your gender, that's fine. I mean, you're certainly not the first and I doubt you'll be the last. However, GET OUT OF MY FACE WITH IT AND STOP TRYING TO CONVINCE ME THAT IT'S NORMAL!!!!!! It's NOT normal and all of your prancing in front of your cameras isn't going to convince me that it is....SO STOP IT!!!!
Katey Couric reported this evening that a new survey on American religion was just complete and that, according to the survey, most Americans believe in God but hardly any of them believe that their faith represents the only way to heaven. They interviewed a woman while she attended a bible study associated with her Episcopal church. The lady expressed how she simply could not believe that God would limit heaven to only Christian believers and how she did NOT believe it.
I'm sorry; I didn't catch much of what she said after that because I was far too busy screaming at my TV, "KEEP STUDYING, LADY!!!!!"
If you don't believe that your faith has any benefit, why believe anything at all?
Let me help you with your study, lady!
Matthew 7:13,14 - 13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
Getting into heaven is NOT an easy thing to do! Simply being nice, or a "good person," or an agreeable person, is not enough!
John 14:6 "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Did you catch that last one, lady? If you think that anyone can get to heaven by whatever means out there, you just called Jesus a liar.
Probably not a wise move there, bible study lady!
A wise man once said, someone who stands for nothing will fall for anything.
So it seems!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Happy with what you have!
Surprise! 2 posts in one day!
Actually, I should post this as a response on MDB's blog since she's the one who sparked the thought, but it's hard to say who reads responses and who does not, so I thought I'd better write an original post with it!
In her post "So annoying - but not really" of June 20th, MDB bemoans the whining of a friend who's seldom happy with what she has even though what she has is A LOT!!! Apparently this friend has a husband who supports her well enough that she does not need to work; well enough that they have a spacious and beautiful home; well enough that they have RVs; well enough that they have nice cars, etc. Apparently, this person lives in the veritable lap of luxury but is too stupid or spoiled to realize it.
She should have been at our house this afternoon!
A powerful lightning storm came through our area and knocked out the power for nearly four hours. Thank GOD the sun had not gone down yet, because we were never without light, but the ventilation system went out, naturally, and all of our refrigerators and other electrically-operated equipment was useless for the period of the outage.
Welcome to the past, lady who complains a lot!
I don't know why grandma and grandpa ever lived here without air, but I don't think we're suited for it any longer. I mean....we're spoiled! We've grown so accustomed to our creature comforts that any period without them is just pure torture!
In any case, it just occured to me that we seldom if ever thank God for what we have! We have a single day every year that's ostensibly dedicated to thanking God for our blessings, but we're really not much into it, are we? Well, four hours without electricity is enough to make ME give thanks, that's for sure! Thank You, Jesus, for all of our blessings!
Thanks for the food on the table;
Thanks for a good job!
Thanks for a wonderful and adoring wife!
Thanks for a great home in a great neighborhood!
Thanks for our health!
Thanks for everything that we have that we just take for granted; air conditioning, automobiles, indoor plumbing, public water systems, television, internet, computers, cell phones, electric light, the grocery store, refrigerators, and every other modern convenience that we just accept without really thinking about any of it!
We're about 10 seconds from going right back to the stone age in any given moment; thank You, Jesus, for watching over us and protecting us!
Actually, I should post this as a response on MDB's blog since she's the one who sparked the thought, but it's hard to say who reads responses and who does not, so I thought I'd better write an original post with it!
In her post "So annoying - but not really" of June 20th, MDB bemoans the whining of a friend who's seldom happy with what she has even though what she has is A LOT!!! Apparently this friend has a husband who supports her well enough that she does not need to work; well enough that they have a spacious and beautiful home; well enough that they have RVs; well enough that they have nice cars, etc. Apparently, this person lives in the veritable lap of luxury but is too stupid or spoiled to realize it.
She should have been at our house this afternoon!
A powerful lightning storm came through our area and knocked out the power for nearly four hours. Thank GOD the sun had not gone down yet, because we were never without light, but the ventilation system went out, naturally, and all of our refrigerators and other electrically-operated equipment was useless for the period of the outage.
Welcome to the past, lady who complains a lot!
I don't know why grandma and grandpa ever lived here without air, but I don't think we're suited for it any longer. I mean....we're spoiled! We've grown so accustomed to our creature comforts that any period without them is just pure torture!
In any case, it just occured to me that we seldom if ever thank God for what we have! We have a single day every year that's ostensibly dedicated to thanking God for our blessings, but we're really not much into it, are we? Well, four hours without electricity is enough to make ME give thanks, that's for sure! Thank You, Jesus, for all of our blessings!
Thanks for the food on the table;
Thanks for a good job!
Thanks for a wonderful and adoring wife!
Thanks for a great home in a great neighborhood!
Thanks for our health!
Thanks for everything that we have that we just take for granted; air conditioning, automobiles, indoor plumbing, public water systems, television, internet, computers, cell phones, electric light, the grocery store, refrigerators, and every other modern convenience that we just accept without really thinking about any of it!
We're about 10 seconds from going right back to the stone age in any given moment; thank You, Jesus, for watching over us and protecting us!
Why science teachers don't hang around
Hello, blogfans!
Believe it or not, I just completed a survey conducted by Texas A&M university, the main thrust of which was "why don't math and science teachers in Texas stay in the profession very long?"
You're kidding, right?
I think you'd be better served asking why on earth anyone WOULD want to be a math or a science teacher in Texas! I've never taught math, but here's why teaching science in Texas is frustrating (And it's NOT all about money, if that's what you're thinking!):
1. Only Social Studies and Science teachers have to deal with "full inclusion" classrooms. Every other discipline enjoys classloads that do not necessarily include special education or students with learning disabilities. Most such students work to the best of their ability, but they do necessarily go at a slower pace, which drags the pace of instruction and limits the type of activity that can be done (we have a state-mandated curriculum to get through, after all), all to the detriment of "regular ed" or GT students in the same class.
2. The Science TAKS at the intermediate level covers ~35% 7th-grade material and ~15% 6th grade material. The test is administered toward the end of the 8th grade year! In no other discipline is this done! So, when you see low intermediate science test scores, look no farther than the nature of the test that is being administered! It's set up for failure from the get-go!
3. Speaking of the TAKS, it's taken all of the fun out of science! When I was in school, I looked forward to Science because I knew it was going to be fun! We were going to build something, or tear into something, or set up a lab and observe something, etc. Now, it's all about the test.....24/7! If you want to keep science teachers in Texas and elsewhere, make science fun to teach again and don't worry so much about the test all the time!!!!
4. Money (well, you knew it would come down to that sooner or later, didn't you!?). Although I personally don't care that much about the money, I know other teachers who've left the profession because they can take their science education degree and make 6 figures with it in the private sector instead of struggling along making $40,000 per anum. Personally, I think that many more would stay for less if the frustrations listed above were reduced or eliminated, but that's just me.
5. On a related note....experience. My "experience" is only good at the district I currently teach in. The longer I'm there, the harder it is to leave that district. In other words, it costs me THOUSANDS to move to another school district because my "district experience" starts all over when I move! So you wonder why we're losing so many qualified teachers? Why start all over someplace else when you can move to the private sector, make WAY more money, and not worry about it anymore?
While we're at it....I'm sick and tired of hearing about how "easy" teaching is and how it's just a "fall-back" profession. I've been a meat-cutter, a route salesman for a beer company, a safety man in a chemical plant, and now a teacher. Out of all of those, teaching is by FAR the hardest I've ever worked! Oh, don't get me wrong; it's not physically as demanding as those other positions, but in terms of total hours and hours where you're actually WORKING, there's no comparison! I get to my campus at 7:00 in the morning on most days and, on an average day, leave at about 6:00 or so in the evening.
That's an 11 hour day for those of you keeping score at home!
In that time, there's a conference period that's generally spent grading, or lesson planning or doing something else that's related to the job, there's a 1/2 hour break for lunch, and....well....that's it! No other breaks or time off! Now, I'll grant you, the last period of my day is the athletic period and the time from 3:45 until 6:00 is athletic practice, but that's the busiest time of the day!!!!
Well, sorry to go off on a tangent like that, but it just rubs me wrong that so many people think that teaching is something that just anyone can do.
So, you want to keep science and math teachers in the classroom? Here's the formula:
1. Put only interested and self-motivated students in the classroom. The ones who don't want to be there or who are more interested in causing a disruption than in learning...put them someplace else learning "fried potato management" or some other career-oriented instruction.
2. Bring back the "Board of Education." I'm sorry if little Johnny's self-esteem will be damaged if we bust one across his backside, but he doesn't fear detention or time out or any of the other little "feel-good" disciplines you've invented to disuade him from misbehaving. He DOES fear the "Board of Education," so I say let's bring it back and use it liberally for a couple of years until Johnny figures out that he's going to experience some actual physical pain if he doesn't get his stuff together.
3. Pay them what they're worth and let them bank "state experience" instead of experience at the district level. What's a really good science teacher worth? What's a good engineer worth? What's a talented lab director worth? I'd say it's a lot closer to $75 or $80,000 per year than it is to the $40,000 that we're making on average, but that's just me. Maybe a figure somewhere in the middle, but, let's face it; when all of those other frustrations come home to roost and you start trying to figure out why you're doing it, the extra cash would be a powerful incentive to keep going, wouldn't it?
Believe it or not, I just completed a survey conducted by Texas A&M university, the main thrust of which was "why don't math and science teachers in Texas stay in the profession very long?"
You're kidding, right?
I think you'd be better served asking why on earth anyone WOULD want to be a math or a science teacher in Texas! I've never taught math, but here's why teaching science in Texas is frustrating (And it's NOT all about money, if that's what you're thinking!):
1. Only Social Studies and Science teachers have to deal with "full inclusion" classrooms. Every other discipline enjoys classloads that do not necessarily include special education or students with learning disabilities. Most such students work to the best of their ability, but they do necessarily go at a slower pace, which drags the pace of instruction and limits the type of activity that can be done (we have a state-mandated curriculum to get through, after all), all to the detriment of "regular ed" or GT students in the same class.
2. The Science TAKS at the intermediate level covers ~35% 7th-grade material and ~15% 6th grade material. The test is administered toward the end of the 8th grade year! In no other discipline is this done! So, when you see low intermediate science test scores, look no farther than the nature of the test that is being administered! It's set up for failure from the get-go!
3. Speaking of the TAKS, it's taken all of the fun out of science! When I was in school, I looked forward to Science because I knew it was going to be fun! We were going to build something, or tear into something, or set up a lab and observe something, etc. Now, it's all about the test.....24/7! If you want to keep science teachers in Texas and elsewhere, make science fun to teach again and don't worry so much about the test all the time!!!!
4. Money (well, you knew it would come down to that sooner or later, didn't you!?). Although I personally don't care that much about the money, I know other teachers who've left the profession because they can take their science education degree and make 6 figures with it in the private sector instead of struggling along making $40,000 per anum. Personally, I think that many more would stay for less if the frustrations listed above were reduced or eliminated, but that's just me.
5. On a related note....experience. My "experience" is only good at the district I currently teach in. The longer I'm there, the harder it is to leave that district. In other words, it costs me THOUSANDS to move to another school district because my "district experience" starts all over when I move! So you wonder why we're losing so many qualified teachers? Why start all over someplace else when you can move to the private sector, make WAY more money, and not worry about it anymore?
While we're at it....I'm sick and tired of hearing about how "easy" teaching is and how it's just a "fall-back" profession. I've been a meat-cutter, a route salesman for a beer company, a safety man in a chemical plant, and now a teacher. Out of all of those, teaching is by FAR the hardest I've ever worked! Oh, don't get me wrong; it's not physically as demanding as those other positions, but in terms of total hours and hours where you're actually WORKING, there's no comparison! I get to my campus at 7:00 in the morning on most days and, on an average day, leave at about 6:00 or so in the evening.
That's an 11 hour day for those of you keeping score at home!
In that time, there's a conference period that's generally spent grading, or lesson planning or doing something else that's related to the job, there's a 1/2 hour break for lunch, and....well....that's it! No other breaks or time off! Now, I'll grant you, the last period of my day is the athletic period and the time from 3:45 until 6:00 is athletic practice, but that's the busiest time of the day!!!!
Well, sorry to go off on a tangent like that, but it just rubs me wrong that so many people think that teaching is something that just anyone can do.
So, you want to keep science and math teachers in the classroom? Here's the formula:
1. Put only interested and self-motivated students in the classroom. The ones who don't want to be there or who are more interested in causing a disruption than in learning...put them someplace else learning "fried potato management" or some other career-oriented instruction.
2. Bring back the "Board of Education." I'm sorry if little Johnny's self-esteem will be damaged if we bust one across his backside, but he doesn't fear detention or time out or any of the other little "feel-good" disciplines you've invented to disuade him from misbehaving. He DOES fear the "Board of Education," so I say let's bring it back and use it liberally for a couple of years until Johnny figures out that he's going to experience some actual physical pain if he doesn't get his stuff together.
3. Pay them what they're worth and let them bank "state experience" instead of experience at the district level. What's a really good science teacher worth? What's a good engineer worth? What's a talented lab director worth? I'd say it's a lot closer to $75 or $80,000 per year than it is to the $40,000 that we're making on average, but that's just me. Maybe a figure somewhere in the middle, but, let's face it; when all of those other frustrations come home to roost and you start trying to figure out why you're doing it, the extra cash would be a powerful incentive to keep going, wouldn't it?
Friday, June 20, 2008
Why Obama scares me
Last night MDB and I were talking when she mentioned a comment that her mother had made to her; "Obama scares me." She asked me for my opinion regarding the comment, so I told her that I could not begin to know why her mother felt that way, but I could explain why I have similar feelings. Here's why Obama scares ME:
1. On the riot front, it's a "no-win" scenario, or at least that has historically been the outcome when the black community (BC) has been involved. If Obama wins, there will be riots in celebration; if he loses, there will be riots in protest.
2. Obama's candidacy represents the loss of reason in society. His is not a candidacy of ideas; it's all about race. Now, before I get mischaracterized, let me explain. It's not that way because of Obama, or at least I don't believe that it is, but it has become that way because of his supporters. People who traditionally do NOT support liberal ideals ARE supporting Obama simply because he's black. People who traditionally DO support liberal ideals are NOT supporting Obama because he's black. I'd like to think that we've gone past this sort of discourse in this country, but I see that it's not so and THAT makes me very sad.
3. If Obama is elected, he'll be ineffective as a leader in much of the world. Unfortunately, he'll be ineffective in a segment of the world where we desperately need effective leadership right now; the Middle East. What makes me think he'll be ineffective? He's a FORMER Muslim, which makes him worse than an infidel to any believer in Islam. He'll be marked for murder by who knows how many Islamic extremists. It will be four years of "the invisible president," and that not by his choice! In a time of energy transition for the US and much of the rest of the world, we'll be unable to negotiate with the Arab world because our leader is not to be trusted in their eyes.
4. Assuming for a moment that the first three things I mention are merely a blip: Riots either do not happen or they're minor; Everyone kisses and makes up after the election and agrees that support or non-support based solely on race was stupid and has no place in public discourse here in the 21st century; World leaders ignore the extremist viewpoint and Obama is treated like any other American president. Let's say that the first three things just don't transpire and my fears are unfounded. There's always what he SAYS that makes me shiver! Obama's policies as he expresses them are frightening in and of themselves, never mind the baggage that comes with HIM!
Anyway, that's some of why Obama's candidacy concerns me. I pray that America wakes up before it's too late!
1. On the riot front, it's a "no-win" scenario, or at least that has historically been the outcome when the black community (BC) has been involved. If Obama wins, there will be riots in celebration; if he loses, there will be riots in protest.
2. Obama's candidacy represents the loss of reason in society. His is not a candidacy of ideas; it's all about race. Now, before I get mischaracterized, let me explain. It's not that way because of Obama, or at least I don't believe that it is, but it has become that way because of his supporters. People who traditionally do NOT support liberal ideals ARE supporting Obama simply because he's black. People who traditionally DO support liberal ideals are NOT supporting Obama because he's black. I'd like to think that we've gone past this sort of discourse in this country, but I see that it's not so and THAT makes me very sad.
3. If Obama is elected, he'll be ineffective as a leader in much of the world. Unfortunately, he'll be ineffective in a segment of the world where we desperately need effective leadership right now; the Middle East. What makes me think he'll be ineffective? He's a FORMER Muslim, which makes him worse than an infidel to any believer in Islam. He'll be marked for murder by who knows how many Islamic extremists. It will be four years of "the invisible president," and that not by his choice! In a time of energy transition for the US and much of the rest of the world, we'll be unable to negotiate with the Arab world because our leader is not to be trusted in their eyes.
4. Assuming for a moment that the first three things I mention are merely a blip: Riots either do not happen or they're minor; Everyone kisses and makes up after the election and agrees that support or non-support based solely on race was stupid and has no place in public discourse here in the 21st century; World leaders ignore the extremist viewpoint and Obama is treated like any other American president. Let's say that the first three things just don't transpire and my fears are unfounded. There's always what he SAYS that makes me shiver! Obama's policies as he expresses them are frightening in and of themselves, never mind the baggage that comes with HIM!
Anyway, that's some of why Obama's candidacy concerns me. I pray that America wakes up before it's too late!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Well, I never thought I'd quote THIS guy!
But, according to the article I just read, he agrees with what I've been saying all along; the price of oil is being kept artificially high to soothe the fears of the EnviroNazis!
Well, it doesn't say THAT exactly, but it DOES say that the price trend we've seen lately is "fake and imposed" and that there's absolutely no reason, given current market forces, for the price to be where it is.
Anyone seen Al Gore lately?
Look, what's going on with the reduction of consumption is normal and natural and should have happened a long time ago. The world, particularly the United States, has guzzled down oil like there's no tomorrow and, as supplies dwindled, it was only normal for prices to creep higher and higher.
What we've seen lately is no "creep," though. It's been an "explosion," and it's causing a huge amount of suffering here and elsewhere.
I don't know where all the extra money is going, but I doubt that it's being funneled into carbon reclamation plants!
Well, it doesn't say THAT exactly, but it DOES say that the price trend we've seen lately is "fake and imposed" and that there's absolutely no reason, given current market forces, for the price to be where it is.
Anyone seen Al Gore lately?
Look, what's going on with the reduction of consumption is normal and natural and should have happened a long time ago. The world, particularly the United States, has guzzled down oil like there's no tomorrow and, as supplies dwindled, it was only normal for prices to creep higher and higher.
What we've seen lately is no "creep," though. It's been an "explosion," and it's causing a huge amount of suffering here and elsewhere.
I don't know where all the extra money is going, but I doubt that it's being funneled into carbon reclamation plants!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Made-up holidays, nosey neighbors, and loser acquaintances
Hello again, blogfans!
As you can tell from the title, I'm venting today!
#1 Those of you who read here often know I can't STAND made-up holidays! The very word, "holiday" was derived from the two separate words "Holy" and "Day," which means that they were intended to be celebrations of a religious nature. You know - Christmas, Easter, Ash Wednesday, etc. Naturally, we took the "holy" out of it and turned it into any excuse for a day off, or, even more prevalent, an excuse to go out and buy gifts for people. Retailers LOVE holidays of any description, which is why more and more of them keep popping up!
I can't STAND made up holidays!
It's not that I don't like holidays. I really do. What I DON'T like is the ulterior commercial motive behind them. Why should we need an excuse to go out and be nice to people we supposedly love? Oh, I get it all right; we'd all be broke continually if we went out and bought stuff for people every day as we do on holidays, but that's not the point. The point is, it shouldn't take a holiday for the people you love to know how you feel, that's all.
That said, MDB went out and did several things for me for Father's Day. She's so SWEET to me! She got my silver chain fixed, so it's back around my neck again and then, she went to Academy and bought me 3 new shirts and a new pair of shorts! They all FIT, too! She's awesome, but she didn't have to do it. She's the embodiment of what I was talking about above. I know EVERY DAY that she loves me just by the way she talks to me and the things she does for me!
#2 Yesterday I was out in the front yard mowing, edging, and blowing away the chaff just as I do every weekend this time of year. As I was blowing, a lady came at me from across the street. It was the first time I'd ever seen her, so my first impression was that she was one of those magazine salesmen, or a senior citizen trying to win a trip to Hawaii, or a Jehovah's Witness, so I shut off the blower to see what she had to say. "I've been watching you!" she said, and every time you mow, you blow all of your grass into your neighbor's yard! Why don't you blow it the other direction or, better yet, why don't you sweep it up and not blow it anywhere?! Your next-door-neighbor is trying to sell his house! Do you think it helps to show it with all of your grass in the street in front of it?" So I said (holding my moistened finger in the air as if I didn't already know where the wind was coming from), "Uh...it wouldn't do any good to blow it that way, the wind is coming from that direction. Secondly, I'm blowing it out into the street, not into anyone else's yard in particular. I'm sorry you don't approve," and then I cranked it back up and continued to blow the grass into the street. As is usually the case, this was a missed opportunity. Oh, I wasn't ugly to her; just matter of fact. Here are a few things I SHOULD have said:
1. "Ma'am, I don't know you and I've never seen you before. Perhaps you'd like to start over. 'Hi! My name's Dan. I've lived across the street for over a year and I suppose it would have been neighborly of you to come over here and introduce yourself, but I guess you were too busy watching and waiting for an opportunity to come over here and introduce yourself THIS way. Practice what you preach, lady!"
2. "Ma'am, my neighbor is a big boy. If he had a problem with how I do my yard, I would think he could come to me himself and tell me, man to man. I wouldn't have any problem helping him out if he asked me nicely."
3. "Ma'am, if you'd like to see my grass swept up, be my guest. There's a broom, a dust-pan, and a can to put it in."
4. "Ma'am, if you've been 'watching me' perhaps it's time to look into getting yourself a life! Have you watched any of the professional lawn services do yards around here? Did you happen to notice what THEY do with their loose grass then they finished? They blow it into the street, just as I'm doing!"
Oh well. I guess some people just have to be stirring things up for their own happiness. Stir away, lady! If it's not illegal, immoral, or unethical, I don't see that you have any grounds for whining!
#3 Loser acquaintances. I guess we all know someone who has essentially sold their soul to the devil in the name of their children. They claw, and scratch, and burn bridges, and cajole and harass, all to get their children a leg up (supposedly). What they fail to realize, it seems, is that they're doing their children a grave disservice, for a couple of reasons. First, their kids never learn to fight any of their own battles. Mom is always there to fight them in their stead. So, when the kids DO need to stand up for themselves, they don't have the skill OR the backbone, so they fail. Second, these kids may need some of those people who've been stepped on during their ascension. Who's going to give them a recommendation? Who's going to offer them after-school employment? Who's going to sponsor them for scholarships?
Exactly.
Moms, let your kids try what they want to try, but let them fail if that's their destiny. Help them with their skills, teach them how to do things that they need to know and be their advocate if someone's trying to take unfair advantage of them. Other than that, stay OUT of it! If your kids aren't gifted in this thing or that, they SHOULDN'T succeed in that thing! Let them find what they ARE gifted in and let them pursue those things that THEY enjoy. If they enjoy something, they'll probably excel in that thing. They'll have to sink or swim on their own eventually; give them the experience sooner than later!
As you can tell from the title, I'm venting today!
#1 Those of you who read here often know I can't STAND made-up holidays! The very word, "holiday" was derived from the two separate words "Holy" and "Day," which means that they were intended to be celebrations of a religious nature. You know - Christmas, Easter, Ash Wednesday, etc. Naturally, we took the "holy" out of it and turned it into any excuse for a day off, or, even more prevalent, an excuse to go out and buy gifts for people. Retailers LOVE holidays of any description, which is why more and more of them keep popping up!
I can't STAND made up holidays!
It's not that I don't like holidays. I really do. What I DON'T like is the ulterior commercial motive behind them. Why should we need an excuse to go out and be nice to people we supposedly love? Oh, I get it all right; we'd all be broke continually if we went out and bought stuff for people every day as we do on holidays, but that's not the point. The point is, it shouldn't take a holiday for the people you love to know how you feel, that's all.
That said, MDB went out and did several things for me for Father's Day. She's so SWEET to me! She got my silver chain fixed, so it's back around my neck again and then, she went to Academy and bought me 3 new shirts and a new pair of shorts! They all FIT, too! She's awesome, but she didn't have to do it. She's the embodiment of what I was talking about above. I know EVERY DAY that she loves me just by the way she talks to me and the things she does for me!
#2 Yesterday I was out in the front yard mowing, edging, and blowing away the chaff just as I do every weekend this time of year. As I was blowing, a lady came at me from across the street. It was the first time I'd ever seen her, so my first impression was that she was one of those magazine salesmen, or a senior citizen trying to win a trip to Hawaii, or a Jehovah's Witness, so I shut off the blower to see what she had to say. "I've been watching you!" she said, and every time you mow, you blow all of your grass into your neighbor's yard! Why don't you blow it the other direction or, better yet, why don't you sweep it up and not blow it anywhere?! Your next-door-neighbor is trying to sell his house! Do you think it helps to show it with all of your grass in the street in front of it?" So I said (holding my moistened finger in the air as if I didn't already know where the wind was coming from), "Uh...it wouldn't do any good to blow it that way, the wind is coming from that direction. Secondly, I'm blowing it out into the street, not into anyone else's yard in particular. I'm sorry you don't approve," and then I cranked it back up and continued to blow the grass into the street. As is usually the case, this was a missed opportunity. Oh, I wasn't ugly to her; just matter of fact. Here are a few things I SHOULD have said:
1. "Ma'am, I don't know you and I've never seen you before. Perhaps you'd like to start over. 'Hi! My name's Dan. I've lived across the street for over a year and I suppose it would have been neighborly of you to come over here and introduce yourself, but I guess you were too busy watching and waiting for an opportunity to come over here and introduce yourself THIS way. Practice what you preach, lady!"
2. "Ma'am, my neighbor is a big boy. If he had a problem with how I do my yard, I would think he could come to me himself and tell me, man to man. I wouldn't have any problem helping him out if he asked me nicely."
3. "Ma'am, if you'd like to see my grass swept up, be my guest. There's a broom, a dust-pan, and a can to put it in."
4. "Ma'am, if you've been 'watching me' perhaps it's time to look into getting yourself a life! Have you watched any of the professional lawn services do yards around here? Did you happen to notice what THEY do with their loose grass then they finished? They blow it into the street, just as I'm doing!"
Oh well. I guess some people just have to be stirring things up for their own happiness. Stir away, lady! If it's not illegal, immoral, or unethical, I don't see that you have any grounds for whining!
#3 Loser acquaintances. I guess we all know someone who has essentially sold their soul to the devil in the name of their children. They claw, and scratch, and burn bridges, and cajole and harass, all to get their children a leg up (supposedly). What they fail to realize, it seems, is that they're doing their children a grave disservice, for a couple of reasons. First, their kids never learn to fight any of their own battles. Mom is always there to fight them in their stead. So, when the kids DO need to stand up for themselves, they don't have the skill OR the backbone, so they fail. Second, these kids may need some of those people who've been stepped on during their ascension. Who's going to give them a recommendation? Who's going to offer them after-school employment? Who's going to sponsor them for scholarships?
Exactly.
Moms, let your kids try what they want to try, but let them fail if that's their destiny. Help them with their skills, teach them how to do things that they need to know and be their advocate if someone's trying to take unfair advantage of them. Other than that, stay OUT of it! If your kids aren't gifted in this thing or that, they SHOULDN'T succeed in that thing! Let them find what they ARE gifted in and let them pursue those things that THEY enjoy. If they enjoy something, they'll probably excel in that thing. They'll have to sink or swim on their own eventually; give them the experience sooner than later!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Life is not without problems!
For those who think that life is just trouble-free, think again!
Even though I've been blessed beyond measure and my problems are minor in the grand scheme, troubles DO occur!
I STILL have not sold my house! The other day I went over to check on it and the front door was sticking (settling) and the A/C unit quit working! The lady who put in an offer and then backed out has STILL not released the earnest money check, so I haven't received that as of yet, either! Since we're spending the equivalent of an extra car payment for gasoline, money is rather tight right about now and, last Sunday, the Pastor of our church announced that he has accepted a position in a church to the south of Fort Worth.
Then, I've been a little scatter-brained lately. I locked my keys in the truck the other day and we had to get CDM2 to bail us out. Then, I was supposed to be at work for a prep day yesterday and I got confused and thought that it was actually today and tomorrow that I was supposed to go in. Well, they called, wondering about my whereabouts, so I walked out with the wrong key ring and locked myself out of the house! I hope it's just a phase! I may have to go back to nicotene if this is how it's going to be!
Like I said, all of that is minor stuff in the grand scheme! MDB and I couldn't be happier! Even with all of my cerebral flatulence, she's so patient and understanding! All of these little annoyances will pass eventually and they'll all be a distant and humorous memory soon enough! We're blessed with great jobs, good health for the most part, wonderful friends and families, and a Godly and loving relationship with each other; the greatest blessing of all!
Even though I've been blessed beyond measure and my problems are minor in the grand scheme, troubles DO occur!
I STILL have not sold my house! The other day I went over to check on it and the front door was sticking (settling) and the A/C unit quit working! The lady who put in an offer and then backed out has STILL not released the earnest money check, so I haven't received that as of yet, either! Since we're spending the equivalent of an extra car payment for gasoline, money is rather tight right about now and, last Sunday, the Pastor of our church announced that he has accepted a position in a church to the south of Fort Worth.
Then, I've been a little scatter-brained lately. I locked my keys in the truck the other day and we had to get CDM2 to bail us out. Then, I was supposed to be at work for a prep day yesterday and I got confused and thought that it was actually today and tomorrow that I was supposed to go in. Well, they called, wondering about my whereabouts, so I walked out with the wrong key ring and locked myself out of the house! I hope it's just a phase! I may have to go back to nicotene if this is how it's going to be!
Like I said, all of that is minor stuff in the grand scheme! MDB and I couldn't be happier! Even with all of my cerebral flatulence, she's so patient and understanding! All of these little annoyances will pass eventually and they'll all be a distant and humorous memory soon enough! We're blessed with great jobs, good health for the most part, wonderful friends and families, and a Godly and loving relationship with each other; the greatest blessing of all!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
MP3 players are really cool!
Hello again, blogfans!
MDB bought me a "Zen" for our anniversary. A Zen is the "Creative" version of an IPod. I've never had an IPod, but if it's half as cool as this Zen, they're really cool!
We spent most of yesterday "ripping" all of my CDs to the computer and then spent a while longer "Syncing" them to the Zen.
So far, there's about 9,000,000 songs on it and every one sounds like the artist is in the living room! It's incredible!
I hope you get the idea; I REALLY LIKE this Zen deal!!!!
Meanwhile, I bought her 2 dozen roses and a double box of See's chocolates for her anniversary. She likes roses and she LOVES See's chocolate, so I think she liked what I got her;
If she liked it half as much as I like this Zen, she liked it a LOT!!!!
Dude! I can plug this thing into the dashboard of my truck and stop worrying about carrying 450 CDs...AWESOME!!!
The bad news - MDB thinks she's lost me forever (I'll be back when I get caught up, believe me!)
MDB can't run me off that easily! LOL!
MDB bought me a "Zen" for our anniversary. A Zen is the "Creative" version of an IPod. I've never had an IPod, but if it's half as cool as this Zen, they're really cool!
We spent most of yesterday "ripping" all of my CDs to the computer and then spent a while longer "Syncing" them to the Zen.
So far, there's about 9,000,000 songs on it and every one sounds like the artist is in the living room! It's incredible!
I hope you get the idea; I REALLY LIKE this Zen deal!!!!
Meanwhile, I bought her 2 dozen roses and a double box of See's chocolates for her anniversary. She likes roses and she LOVES See's chocolate, so I think she liked what I got her;
If she liked it half as much as I like this Zen, she liked it a LOT!!!!
Dude! I can plug this thing into the dashboard of my truck and stop worrying about carrying 450 CDs...AWESOME!!!
The bad news - MDB thinks she's lost me forever (I'll be back when I get caught up, believe me!)
MDB can't run me off that easily! LOL!
Monday, June 09, 2008
In case I forgot to mention it...
...MDB is the most wonderful woman in the UNIVERSE!!!!!
We had the most wonderful anniversary ever! Well....it WAS unusual; but it was awesome none-the-less! MDB had to work the hurricane conference on Saturday as I started in on Day 2 of MDGD watch! MDGD is AWESOME!!! She's grown SO much, but she hasn't changed; she's still the happiest baby in the history of the universe! She loves Dora the Explorer, so she watches her non-stop! She DOESN'T like one of the characters on the show, though. There's this fox on the show named "Swiper." Whenever Swiper shows up, Dora and "Boots" (her monkey friend) must say "Swiper! No Swiping!" three times to make him go away. If they get that job done, Swiper says "Oh, m-a-a-a-a-a-n-n-n-n-n!!!!!" and goes away! If they do NOT, Swiper gets what he came for and then Dora and Boots have to retrieve it. In any case, whenever Swiper shows up, MDGD runs and hides! She's scared to death of Swiper! It's a hoot!
Anyway, MDB got me a brand-new MP3 player for my anniversary! I've got this plug-in thing on my new Ranger, so this is going to be AWESOME!!! So far, we've "ripped" around 7500 songs, which we are now "syncing" to the MP3 players. I don't know what any of that means, but it sounds really cool, huh? All I know is that these little credit card-sized boxes hold like a million songs or something and I've put every song I've got into the computer! It's going to be incredible, but not nearly as incredible as MDB! She's Awesome!
When MDB got back from work on Saturday, we went to eat in Galveston. MDB has a restaurant down there that she likes in particular, so we went there to eat. It was really good! We planned to do the beach thing afterward, but we were too tired, so we just went home! We finished the day with a piece of our wedding cake from last year! It was really good and RICH!
This was the best year of my life! I can't WAIT for the rest of it! It's going to be AWESOME!!!!
We had the most wonderful anniversary ever! Well....it WAS unusual; but it was awesome none-the-less! MDB had to work the hurricane conference on Saturday as I started in on Day 2 of MDGD watch! MDGD is AWESOME!!! She's grown SO much, but she hasn't changed; she's still the happiest baby in the history of the universe! She loves Dora the Explorer, so she watches her non-stop! She DOESN'T like one of the characters on the show, though. There's this fox on the show named "Swiper." Whenever Swiper shows up, Dora and "Boots" (her monkey friend) must say "Swiper! No Swiping!" three times to make him go away. If they get that job done, Swiper says "Oh, m-a-a-a-a-a-n-n-n-n-n!!!!!" and goes away! If they do NOT, Swiper gets what he came for and then Dora and Boots have to retrieve it. In any case, whenever Swiper shows up, MDGD runs and hides! She's scared to death of Swiper! It's a hoot!
Anyway, MDB got me a brand-new MP3 player for my anniversary! I've got this plug-in thing on my new Ranger, so this is going to be AWESOME!!! So far, we've "ripped" around 7500 songs, which we are now "syncing" to the MP3 players. I don't know what any of that means, but it sounds really cool, huh? All I know is that these little credit card-sized boxes hold like a million songs or something and I've put every song I've got into the computer! It's going to be incredible, but not nearly as incredible as MDB! She's Awesome!
When MDB got back from work on Saturday, we went to eat in Galveston. MDB has a restaurant down there that she likes in particular, so we went there to eat. It was really good! We planned to do the beach thing afterward, but we were too tired, so we just went home! We finished the day with a piece of our wedding cake from last year! It was really good and RICH!
This was the best year of my life! I can't WAIT for the rest of it! It's going to be AWESOME!!!!
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Well, I tried to tell you!
According to an article I just read, you may be a black American, but you're not a GOOD black American unless you pull the lever for Obama in November!
This race for President that was supposed to be about ideas has broken down around racial lines, just as I suspected it would! In fact, I even blogged about it before ("And Then there's this." March 29, 2008), wondering aloud if support for Obama (or lack thereof) would become a racial issue and the same could be said of Clinton from a gender-bias point of view.
So, how are those good, thinking, and patriotic African-Americans supposed to feel when they DON'T vote for Obama? Will they lie to their black friends and claim to have voted for him or will they tell the truth and say that they, in good conscience, could NOT vote for Obama against their own conservative principals?
Why should they have to make such a choice? Who you choose to vote for, or NOT vote for, is a very personal choice and it always has been; and SHOULD be!
Here's the scary part: If Obama is NOT elected, blacks will probably riot and tear things up and a black American who did NOT vote for him will be seen as a traitor!
Why are white Americans not considered traitors to THEIR race if they DO support Obama?
The answer is simple. To whites (well...MOST whites), Obama's candidacy isn't about race, it's about ideas. To blacks, it's ALL about race! As long as blacks collectively refuse to let it go and talk ideas instead of race, we'll ALWAYS be in this same boat every time this Obama or that Obama comes along!
MLK said it best - (paraphrased) "I dream of a day when we'll be judged NOT by the color of our skin but by the content of our character." When blacks figure out how to forget race and judge others by THEIR ideas and character, a black candidate WILL be on equal footing and the question of race won't even come up!
Then, and only then, will a black candidate have a chance!
This race for President that was supposed to be about ideas has broken down around racial lines, just as I suspected it would! In fact, I even blogged about it before ("And Then there's this." March 29, 2008), wondering aloud if support for Obama (or lack thereof) would become a racial issue and the same could be said of Clinton from a gender-bias point of view.
So, how are those good, thinking, and patriotic African-Americans supposed to feel when they DON'T vote for Obama? Will they lie to their black friends and claim to have voted for him or will they tell the truth and say that they, in good conscience, could NOT vote for Obama against their own conservative principals?
Why should they have to make such a choice? Who you choose to vote for, or NOT vote for, is a very personal choice and it always has been; and SHOULD be!
Here's the scary part: If Obama is NOT elected, blacks will probably riot and tear things up and a black American who did NOT vote for him will be seen as a traitor!
Why are white Americans not considered traitors to THEIR race if they DO support Obama?
The answer is simple. To whites (well...MOST whites), Obama's candidacy isn't about race, it's about ideas. To blacks, it's ALL about race! As long as blacks collectively refuse to let it go and talk ideas instead of race, we'll ALWAYS be in this same boat every time this Obama or that Obama comes along!
MLK said it best - (paraphrased) "I dream of a day when we'll be judged NOT by the color of our skin but by the content of our character." When blacks figure out how to forget race and judge others by THEIR ideas and character, a black candidate WILL be on equal footing and the question of race won't even come up!
Then, and only then, will a black candidate have a chance!
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Well....the "enviro-nazis" finally won!
According to an MSNBC article, GM is closing four plants that produce full-sized trucks, SUVs, and Hummers, and are expected to do a complete makeover on the Hummer brand, sell it, or simply stop making it.
Really?
One article I read said that, under "normal" use, a Hummer gets 10 mpg or less.
I'm surprised it's that high!
I'm not generally one to question the intelligence of other people, but who ON EARTH would buy a Hummer just for the "sex appeal?" I mean, where's the "utility" in "sport utility" in this case?
That's what I thought!
I know everyone is different, but the next time I have to scale a 33 degree incline will be the first! I guess someone who lives in Colorado might have use for that feature, but we sure see a lot of these gas-hogs down here on the Gulf coast of Texas....
Not too many 33 degree inclines around here, last time I looked!
Of course, there's always the ability to ford 36" streams without getting wet; we get a few of those from time to time!
About once every 10 years or so.
The silver lining is that people who NEED a full sized truck for a particular task can get one REALLY CHEAP right now!
It's the third horseman of the apocalypse, I'm telling you!!!
Really?
One article I read said that, under "normal" use, a Hummer gets 10 mpg or less.
I'm surprised it's that high!
I'm not generally one to question the intelligence of other people, but who ON EARTH would buy a Hummer just for the "sex appeal?" I mean, where's the "utility" in "sport utility" in this case?
That's what I thought!
I know everyone is different, but the next time I have to scale a 33 degree incline will be the first! I guess someone who lives in Colorado might have use for that feature, but we sure see a lot of these gas-hogs down here on the Gulf coast of Texas....
Not too many 33 degree inclines around here, last time I looked!
Of course, there's always the ability to ford 36" streams without getting wet; we get a few of those from time to time!
About once every 10 years or so.
The silver lining is that people who NEED a full sized truck for a particular task can get one REALLY CHEAP right now!
It's the third horseman of the apocalypse, I'm telling you!!!
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Obama's Running Mate
I had a student ask me today who it is I intend to vote for. I told him that I hadn't made up my mind yet, but I would never commit until the candidates had declared a running mate. I told him that the decision-making ability of the candidate through that process is often telling and a candidate who makes a poor choice or a politically stupid choice is often unworthy of a vote for an office where the decisions are much more important than a potential successor!
Which leads me to Obama's choice for VP. Who will he choose? A lot of people in the party elite seems to think that Obama/Clinton is their "dream" ticket, but those are the ones with selective memories! You know, the ones who don't remember the Clinton legacy of "disappearing" opposition; certainly the ones who think that Vince Foster really did commit suicide in Fort Marcy Park. Believe me, the LAST thing Obama wants to do is put Clinton one heartbeat from the Presidency! The last guy to fall for that trick died in 1963! No, I think what the ticket needs is a good, old-fashioned white guy to assuage the fears of many whites that Obama is some sort of black power extremist who will try to exclude white America from the dialogue of public discourse. We'll see, won't we?
Which leads me to Obama's choice for VP. Who will he choose? A lot of people in the party elite seems to think that Obama/Clinton is their "dream" ticket, but those are the ones with selective memories! You know, the ones who don't remember the Clinton legacy of "disappearing" opposition; certainly the ones who think that Vince Foster really did commit suicide in Fort Marcy Park. Believe me, the LAST thing Obama wants to do is put Clinton one heartbeat from the Presidency! The last guy to fall for that trick died in 1963! No, I think what the ticket needs is a good, old-fashioned white guy to assuage the fears of many whites that Obama is some sort of black power extremist who will try to exclude white America from the dialogue of public discourse. We'll see, won't we?
Monday, June 02, 2008
Things that drive me crazy! Well...one thing anyway...
I guess I'm like a lot of people these days; the ridicuously high price of gasoline is effecting my lifestyle. MDB and I traded in our Highlander, which was getting around 18 mpg, for a Ranger pick-up that gets better than 26 mpg. We're thinking of parking the F-150 (have to keep it to tow our trailers!) and getting another vehicle that will do as well or better on gas than the Ranger. All that was precitable; it goes in line with the whole global warming greenhouse gas reduction conspiracy that I wrote about before. What DOESN'T make sense is the way some folks DON'T seem to be affected!
My Ranger has a 4 cylinder engine that, quite frankly, doesn't "get up and go" like a larger engine; that's one of the trade-offs for better fuel economy. So, why does it seem as though I've got some Yehu in a Hummer breathing hot on my back bumper every time I take off from a red light who, when convinced that I'm just not going to burn rubber to get out of his way, takes off around me like a winged mammal from across the River Styx! Is gas cheaper a couple of miles away? Perhaps someone else is buying Mr. Hummer's fuel? I guess that's okay if Mr. Gas-hog can afford it, but who on earth can afford to run a Hummer, or one of those "Hemi" Dodges, or almost any full-sized SUV? More power to them, I suppose, if they CAN afford it, but I'd really appreciate it, Mr. Hummer, if you'd stop riding my bumper as I try to do my part for global warming!
We're looking at getting a Corolla. They get 35 mpg and they last FOREVER!!! In a previous life, I had a Geo Prism which was essentially nothing more than a Corolla. Like most GM products, everything else fell off long before the engine was ready to give up, but the engine had about 140,000 miles on it when I sold it. Anyway, I think a lot of people are doing the same thing (just as the global warming alarmist conspirators wish!), which means that demand for gasoline will drop significantly for the next couple of years and the price will go down. Can't happen too soon, as far as I'm concerned!
My Ranger has a 4 cylinder engine that, quite frankly, doesn't "get up and go" like a larger engine; that's one of the trade-offs for better fuel economy. So, why does it seem as though I've got some Yehu in a Hummer breathing hot on my back bumper every time I take off from a red light who, when convinced that I'm just not going to burn rubber to get out of his way, takes off around me like a winged mammal from across the River Styx! Is gas cheaper a couple of miles away? Perhaps someone else is buying Mr. Hummer's fuel? I guess that's okay if Mr. Gas-hog can afford it, but who on earth can afford to run a Hummer, or one of those "Hemi" Dodges, or almost any full-sized SUV? More power to them, I suppose, if they CAN afford it, but I'd really appreciate it, Mr. Hummer, if you'd stop riding my bumper as I try to do my part for global warming!
We're looking at getting a Corolla. They get 35 mpg and they last FOREVER!!! In a previous life, I had a Geo Prism which was essentially nothing more than a Corolla. Like most GM products, everything else fell off long before the engine was ready to give up, but the engine had about 140,000 miles on it when I sold it. Anyway, I think a lot of people are doing the same thing (just as the global warming alarmist conspirators wish!), which means that demand for gasoline will drop significantly for the next couple of years and the price will go down. Can't happen too soon, as far as I'm concerned!
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