My Random thoughts

Politics

2012-01-12T20:42:00.000-08:00

"We must defeat Obama, that is the priority", "I am pro-life", "I want smaller government and lower taxes", "vote for me becasue the other guy is evil and a socialist", etc, etc

Where is the economy in all this? What about jobs? What about the american dream? Politicians, please shut the fuck up you make too much unecessary noise!

Accomplishment

2012-01-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

There is something fundamentally satisfying about achieving a goal, especially one with so many obstacles thrown in front of you.

Set the goal, set a Target, see the finish line, and the your biggest detractors will not be able to do anything!

Haters, incompetents, doubters, and there were some majot supporters:

Doctorate of Education baby!

Death of common sense

2011-06-15T21:01:00.000-07:00

An Obituary printed in the London Times - Interesting and sadly true:

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has
been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was,
since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will
be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair;
- and Maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more
than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in
charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but
overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy
charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from
school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for
reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job
that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly
children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent
to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could
not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an
abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and
criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar
in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to
realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in
her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his
wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son,
Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;
I Know My Rights
I Want It Now
Someone Else Is To Blame
I'm A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

Why teachers are sick

2011-02-13T16:26:00.000-08:00

Note: Dr. Mindy Sloan, who wrote this piece, is Director of Accreditation and Associate Professor of Special Education, Brandman Univeristy, part of the Chapman University System. She has authored “Say It Now: Thank You to a Teacher”, a book that recognizes teachers who effectively meet the needs of students and provides a program to begin teachers on a path of self-care. You may contact her at msloan@brandman.edu

I have been teaching teachers for over 10 years. During that time I’ve seen some who should have never gone into the profession, and others who are gifted. That hasn’t changed. What has changed in recent years is the number of teachers who are describing sleepless nights, migraines, upset stomachs, backaches, chronic illness, and even cancer. The personal cost of teaching may be becoming too high. As someone who cares about children, and sees the necessity of having healthy teachers to support them – I can’t help but feel compelled to understand why teachers are getting sick. Here are the reasons I have identified thus far.
Why is teaching making teachers sick?
1. Unrealistic Expectations: One reason may be that we place unrealistic expectations on teachers. Classrooms are a place in which every societal challenge presents itself. If a community is impoverished, violent, or drug infested, it is expressed through the children in the classroom. If a family is going through illness or divorce, it appears in the classroom. If there is trouble outside the classroom, in the streets or in our homes – the problem will surface in the classroom. It is society’s expectation that the teacher in the classroom must be prepared to remediate any societal problem we present, and teach each child to read at the same time. It seems unlikely that any individual can be prepared to address all the challenges that society as a whole seems unable to fix.

2. Changing Requirements: The requirements to keep a teaching credential keep changing. The requirements to keep your teaching credential may change at anytime, even if you have been teaching 20 years of more. As the needs of California’s children change, the training required to teach changes as well. For example, you may be a special education teacher who has been effectively teaching children with autism for 20 years, but unless you go back to school and earn the new Added Authorization, Autism Spectrum Disorders, you will not be able to continue. While the motivation for refining and revising the requirements to be teacher is noble, the impact is ultimately a sense of instability and lack of security for teachers.

3. Debt: California is one of the few states that will not allow you to earn a bachelor’s degree in education. To earn a preliminary teaching credential, you will need a bachelor’s degree and at least 1-2 more years of college. Following that you will have 5 years to complete more college coursework and/or professional development to keep your credential. The expectation for most teachers is that one should eventually earn a masters or higher degree as well. By the time you have “finished” your education you will have student loans equal to those of many attorneys, physicians, and other professionals. However, your income is not going to be as high as that of most attorneys and physicians. Paying off your student loan debt will take a large chunk of your paycheck over many years.

4. Teaching Bashing: Teacher bashing has become politically correct. In an instant, knowing that teachers may be our greatest hope to improve student learning and ultimately prepare our nation to become more competitive on the global market, changed to blaming teachers for the current economic condition. “If only teachers did a better job, businesses would have better prepared U.S. employees to hire and fewer jobs would go overseas.” “If only teachers did a better job, our prisons would not be over crowded.” “If only teachers didn’t want more money, our schools would be financial sound.” Teacher failures can’t explain the Wall Street bailout, mortgage foreclosures, violence in our streets, child abuse, homelessness, or drug wars. We as a society must take responsibility for those conditions.

5. Teacher Evaluation: Teacher evaluation has become personal. Many of you may be aware of the LA Times articles last summer, Grading the Teachers: Valued-Added Analysis. New York City Schools has followed suit, releasing rating of 12,000 teachers. In both cases, each individual teacher is ranked based on the performance of the students in his/her classroom. While some ineffective teachers may be identified using this approach – there is no distinction between ineffectiveness and those competent teachers who are willing to take on the most challenging learners. Indeed, the message of the approach is clear. If you care about all learners, even those who have the most challenges – you will be identified as a bad teacher. For those who choose the profession because they love children and teaching, such a label is devastating.

6. Lack of Support Systems. There is no argument that the focus of our educational system should be on children, first and foremost. Caring for our children however means we must do what we can to give them the kind of adults they need to succeed. Some of these adults must be teachers, teachers who are not only academically prepared, but teachers who are emotionally and physically healthy as well. Thus far teacher preparation programs focus on academic knowledge and skills. There is little to no mention of self-care or preparing for the emotional realities of working in today’s schools. Likewise, district funding does not include teacher support groups or systems to facilitate emotional health in current teachers. It should stand to reason that teachers who struggle with their own emotional and physical health cannot provide the kinds of environments students need to succeed. Indeed, one may consider that it is the emotionally unhealthy teacher who can be the most damaging to children.

In my experience, teachers are internalizers. They do not tend to complain, and are not particularly good at advocating for themselves. They tend to put their own needs on the back burner, considering others first. The importance of healthy and effective teachers cannot be overly stated. As a group, they see every child. They impact every child. If we want to support our children, we must support their teachers.

Wisdom from a 6 year old

2010-12-11T21:37:00.000-08:00

Watching a scene in Karate kid II, Mr. Miyagi and his old girlfriend are “falling in love again”. My wife says to my son, “isn’t it great that they can fall in love again at that age?” He replies: “anyone can fall in love at any age”. “Even 6 year old?” asks my wife. My son answers: “well I am in love with all of you”.
There is wisdom about love to be found everywhere…especially in our children.

They drank the kool aid

2010-10-02T17:32:00.000-07:00

There is a peculiar phenomenon that happens sometimes, and I have yet to find a credible explanation for it.

This one company I used to work for has a lot of people I thought were my friends, and some them even acted that way for a while. However, no sooner did I leave most of them became unavailable, like they were CEOs or something. Not that they were consciously trying to avoid me, because occasionally I would see them around town, but it was more like I became invisible. I have been lucky enough to climb up the ladder with every job change, and I find myself with more time to try and see these friends now, but when I try they never reply.

I realized something important, I used to drink the same kool-aid they did, and when I left the company I no longer had access to drink it, but that is good because it was dangerously addictive. They are junkies drinking the kool-aid and I am free.

Funny though, I always here from them after their access to the drug gets cut off, usually they are looking for a friend to help them get them a job:))

Someone told me this was a good thing...

2010-10-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

I am finishing up my comp exams for my doctorate today, and as I reflect back on this process I realize how much you suffer through it.

There is time, energy, mean professors, hard professors, egos, and not to mention money! I know in the end this will only do me good.. or do?

Why am I doing this again? I think someone told me it was a good thing to do.

Prop 8 and those who hate

2010-08-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

The beauty of America is that you are free to think, feel, and believe what you want. These are rights that are not afforded a lot of people in the world.

America is not perfect, it has made a lot of mistakes and continues to do so, but show me a better place to live a better place where anyone can make it by doing there best.

Those who support prop 8 are not supporting traditional marriage, you are supporting hate, ignorance, and discrimination. My marriage is considered "traditional", however, 43 years ago my marriage was against the law and looked upon as "immoral and against God's law". That was ignorance, those who support prop 8 are showing the same ignorance.

Don't you think there is enough hate being espoused? Aren't sick of the vitriol and hate that comes out of TV everyday? Does Shirley Sherrod ring a bell?

Let go of your hate, open your heart to love. It is not about "gay marriage", there is no "gay agenda", and God certainly does not care who you love, as long as you do love. There is nothing about homosexuality in the 10 commandments, and the constitution states that "all men are created equal". This is about equal rights pure and simple. You either believe in the constitution or you like to make up things as you go along.

In the end, you will be left with your hate, bitter and alone while love passes you by.

Manifesting what you want

2010-07-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how often when you see the goal quite clearly in mind, you reach it. Never fail to believe that you can manifest what you truly want in life. This has nothing to do with gods, and everything to do with focus. You cannot be greedy, but you can certainly be specific.

This is not "the secret" or some other Hollywood mumbo-jumbo. This is simply knowing never to give up, ignoring detractors, and to always aim high.

I am a believer right now!

More to come soon, promise!

2010-07-18T19:22:00.001-07:00

Political spending

2010-05-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

I live in California, so I will use it as an example of the national trend:

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0406/Meg-Whitman-fuels-big-spending-California-governor-s-race

"Meg Whitman, the billionaire former eBay CEO who is vying for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, announced Tuesday that she is contributing another $20 million to her campaign. That brings the total amount she has given to $59 million.
She has reportedly committed to spending $150 million on her bid to replace Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R).

California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, Ms. Whitman's competition in the June Republican primary, has spent $19 million of his own money.

With the numbers added together, California seems well on its way to besting New York’s $148 million 2002 gubernatorial race – the current record holder in the United States".

The Governor's job pays $206,500 per year, so this raises an interesting question and I think Richard Pryor in Brewster's Millions said it best: why would someone spend so much money to get elected for a job that pays so little unless they meant to steal it back with interest?

This is not a Republican thing, not a Democratic thing, or an anything; it is a common sense thing. Why do people need to spend so much money to get elected? How is it that they are allowed to spend so much money to get elected? Also, they are spending the money on crap! Have you seen some of the political ads recently? They are simple attempts at character assassination! I am sorry, but if you say that sort of thing to me I will whup your ass and so will most people! And we vote for people like this?

We are laying off teachers, people's houses are getting foreclosed, jobs are being lost: can you imagine what could be done with this money being spent on political campaigns? What I would love to see is a candidate give that money away to good causes, I would vote for them.

Ass clowns, stop the spending!

I know where the crack went

2010-03-23T23:46:00.001-07:00

During the 90s and early 2000s, there was an extraordinary crack epidemic which swept a lot of urban areas of the U.S. My former home town of DC was especially hard hit, culminating with the Mayor smoking it on national TV (still cannot believe that happened).

Recently however, we have heard more about crystal meth and oxi, than crack. So the question is: what happened to all the crack? Ladies and gentlemen, I know where it went: the republican party stole it and is smoking it! I say this because that is only explanation for the madness coming out of their house.

People, they have government health care, why can't they use it to get well? Stand up up and say no to crack! Help the republicans, direct them to narcotics anonymous, church, someplace! Because a mind is a terrible thing to waste, and I do not want crackheads robbing me!

Devin Nunes ass clown

2010-03-21T17:28:00.001-07:00

My letter to this ass clown: https://nunes.house.gov/index.cfm

I am a registered independent, always have been. As a student of history, I was very surprised, shocked, and disappointed by why an educated man, as you are, would bandy about words like: communism, socialism, totalitarianism, etc, in one sentence and in the wrong context. Fear does not work, action and good results do. Do not presume to speak for the American people when you have government run healthcare, do not presume that we are so stupid as to believe your garbage. Good luck to you in your career because I think if you do not shape up, you will be shipped out.

Are you happy?

2010-01-08T23:27:00.000-08:00

Are you truly happy? Are you doing what you love professionally or personally? Do you have friends you can call on at any given time? Do you have friends you can count on to be there for you during rough times? Do you make other people unhappy with your demeanor or personality? Are you wondering why I am asking these things?
There are a lot of people who go through life as fair-weather friends, always on the fringes and never fully committed. They are the ones who are happy to see you when they do, but are not thinking about you when they don’t. There are a lot of people who are just plain mean, and whose mission in life is to bring everyone else down to their level.
What do you choose? How do you choose to live and love? Choose wisely my friends, because the choices are not many, and life is too short for regrets.

Why all this hate?

2009-09-09T16:36:00.000-07:00

I feel the need to say something that needs to be said, and I hope people will truly hear me.
There is a lot of hate in America right now, a lot of partisan politics, and a lot of ignorance. Civil discourse has been reduced to who can shout the loudest, constructive criticism has come to the point of who can make up the most lies, and politicians have forgotten who they work for (and that is the people not parties).
Whether or not you voted for Obama, whether or not you agree with him, listen up: HE IS OUR PRESIDENT! That means you treat him and the office he holds with some respect! We are becoming the laughing stock of the world with the amount of ignorance being displayed. Recent examples;
• Birthers (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/19450.html)
• The amount of outrage over the President asking kids to do well in school
(http://news.aol.com/article/obama-school-speech-text/658197)
• Sarah Palin (need I say more?)
There are people, since the initial campaign who have called him everything from: Terrorist, Muslim (nothing wrong with being Muslim by the way), Hitler (yes they did), communist, socialist, Stalin, Chairman Mao, “not an American”, “not a real American”, Kenyan citizen (nothing wrong with being Kenyan either), death panelist, I could go on.
It used to be unheard of to say these things about a country’s president on national TV, with such hate and not have the secret service at your door!
Let’s think for a moment: what is different about this President that he is inspiring such hatred? Let’s call this what this is; and unsubtle form of racism. One cannot use the N word, or Negro (although Ronald Reagan did in a speech to kids http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/09/07/reagan.1988.speech.pdf p.10), so all these other terms are being used as a substitute. Play around for a moment and substitute the N word every time an Obama hater says communist, socialist, etc. See how it fits?
This is not a rant supporting anyone; this is me just telling it like I see it and saying, STOP THE MADNESS! There is only one side on this issue, and that is the side of the United States of America. If the only thing we can do is make problems not solutions, spread hate not help, and if we cannot support our first democratically elected President since Clinton (Bush did not win, and Obama’s skin color does not matter by the way), then we can never be a United States Of America.

Poison pen authors

2009-08-05T19:51:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have posted; life happens to all of us. I thought I would post a little tale about poison pen letters past and present.

I have had them sent to my now Wife in the past, and ex or jealous person spreading a lie an innuendo, etc. Just recently, my Wife received one from someone else, the culprits are two people who quit before they could be fired.

A word of caution to those who do this kind of thing, it is so easy to be found. 8 years ago when it happened, I found the person then and they got a visit from the US Postal inspectors (federal agents). Today, with the advent of the internet, it makes it easier; I will find you as well, and I am a vindictive SOB.

Get a life, play with your dog, toys, children, or even yourself; do not play with me.

See you soon.

Conservative or Liberal?

2009-06-06T00:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some web definitions of what seems to be the two main political trains of thought:

Definitions of conservative on the Web:

* resistant to change
* having social or political views favoring conservatism
* cautious: avoiding excess; "a conservative estimate"
* a person who is reluctant to accept changes and new ideas
* button-down: unimaginatively conventional; "a colorful character in the buttoned-down, dull-grey world of business"- Newsweek
* a member of a Conservative Party
* bourgeois: conforming to the standards and conventions of the middle class; "a bourgeois mentality"
Definitions of liberal on the Web:

* broad: showing or characterized by broad-mindedness; "a broad political stance"; "generous and broad sympathies"; "a liberal newspaper"; "tolerant ...
* having political or social views favoring reform and progress
* tolerant of change; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition
* a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties
* big: given or giving freely; "was a big tipper"; "the bounteous goodness of God"; "bountiful compliments"; "a freehanded host"; "a handsome allowance"; "Saturday's child is loving and giving"; "a liberal backer of the arts"; "a munificent gift"; "her fond and openhanded grandfather"
* a person who favors an economic theory of laissez-faire and self-regulating markets
* free: not literal; "a loose interpretation of what she had been told"; "a free translation of the poem"

What happens if you fit into both? Are you conliberal, Libercon, conservalib, etc? The truth is no one fits perfectly into anyone category becasue the definitions are crap. I refuse to believe that the republic party has the only conservative values and that liberals are the only progressives.

Why then to politicians spend so much time, energy, and money, trying to label each other? Sounds like smoke and mirrors to me. Do not let someone dictate what you are; you do not have to choose.

If someone asks you what you are say you are human and that their breath stinks. As a human being, I cannot be painted into a corner unless I let someone.

Say no to labels; they only divide us.

Gun control

2009-06-02T20:34:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying I am not trying to take on the NRA. I do need to ask: what is the obsession with guns?! The second amendment really has no relevance now, we have a national military, and we all know the stats about gun deaths.

I have in the past had to carry a gun on the job, I was trained to use and shoot them in another life, I occasionally still like to go to a range and shoot them. Will I miss them if they are gone and do I need them to protect my family? No!

This week, the credit card reform act passed, time will tell how useful it is; however, buried in it was a provision that allows guns to be carried in public parks!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/22/obama-signs-law-curbing-s_n_206944.html
I am listening to the Colbert report make fun of the whole thing, but it is actually very scary. I cannot remember the last time I needed a handgun to go camping, I can just see the shooting accidents in those dark remote areas. Dick (penis) Cheney set the precedent with that one though http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/12/cheney/.

Chris Rock said it best http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdJGcrUk2eE, even though he might not have realized it: "we do not need gun control, we need bullet control. All bullets should cost $5000). Hit these particular nuts where it hurts; their wallets.

Mundane, inane, and insane political rhetoric.

2009-06-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

I am probably stepping into a quagmire here, but what the hell. Pro-life versus pro-choice; kind of an insane topic considering that it is none of anybody's business but the woman. Oh oh! I can already hear the crazies spouting their hate messages, god forbid I have an opinion other than theirs!

I keep hearing about the pro-abortion movement; that is kind of like Dick (as in penis) Cheney's argument about Al Quaeda and Iraq, pure bullshit. Show me one woman who is cheering about getting an abortion, name me one person who says they are actually "pro-abortion". Nobody is pro-abortion, the dumb asses (men and women) who use that term, drag their babies to the rallies to spout stuff they do not understand, and scare children with bloody pictures at family events, are a prime example of DE-evolution.

Do not get me wrong, both sides have some work to do, they both spend too much time, energy, and money (we could use that money elsewhere right now)on arguing, fighting, and hating each other.

At some point everyone needs to sit down and talk, the pissing contest is done, and while each side is busy congratulating themselves on their latest victory people are getting killed in the name of cause they did not ask to join.

There is a separation of church and state for a reason, do you want to go back to the dark ages of the inquisition?

This world is full of too many inane and insane arguments, but the really scary parts of have become mundane. Squash it!

Old Friends

2009-05-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been catching up with people I like and love and it has been great. One can never have too many friends in this world. A friend is someone who is there for you not just in the big ways, but also the little. We all know the good feeling when that old friend out of the blue picks up the phone or drops over for a drink. I do not think we do that sort of thing enough, too much planning for a purpose, not enough spontaneity.

I was reminded recently of the importance of keeping up with friends when I found out that an old friend, someone I have always really liked, was killed in a car crash and she was a passenger no the driver. She was 39 years old.

As you celebrate this Memorial Day weekend, try and celebrate it with friends and not because anyone is going to die, but just because you enjoy their company.

Have a great weekend.

Hallmark Holidays

2009-05-10T17:11:00.000-07:00

One definition of holiday is : "any day of exemption from work (distinguished from working day)", and of course there are others. I am going to get a little cynical here and remind people that something created and promoted by Hallmark is not a holiday.

It starts the day after Christmas with valentines day, probably the most contrived con game run on men (and some women), to make them spend unseen amounts of money because someone told the to. I love my wife, she is fine, and I love her everyday equally (that has grown over the years), but I do not need a company whose sole purpose of existence is to make profit (yes, that is what companies do) tell me that I love my wife less if I do not buy their, chocolate, flowers, diamonds, cards, etc.

Kay jewelers, De beers; stop pretending that you really care. I have seen first hand the wars diamonds have created and continue to sustain, and guess what? Diamonds are not rare, just controlled. Let's talk chocolate; I have seen whole farms of cocoa trees rotting where they stand because the country refused to sell at the price that was dictated to them, and tried to make a modest profit instead. Let's not forget the trees we kill making the cards themselves (no I am not getting all environmental on you, just making a point).

The day after valentine's day is over they are advertising the Easter bunny (not sure what that has to do with religion but oh well), not Easter, just the bunny and more candy. Talk about a dentist's nightmare.

After Easter, comes mother's day. Probably one of the saddest days because so many people ignore their mothers the other 364 days of the year. If you do not call your parents daily just to say hello or feel guilty if you do not send a mother's day card, you are already lost. The cliche that "mother's day is everyday" is true, you would not exist without her so honor her daily, not just on one day. honor dad as well, he is part of the equation.

Father's day, big joke, enough said. Oh I forgot the really funny days I call amateur nights, you know what days I mean, St.Patrick's day and Cinqo de Mayo. If I remember correctly one is a religious holiday and people go to church, the other is a minor historical day that had nothing to do with margaritas.

Halloween, do we really need to remind people that it is a pagan tradition (nothing wrong with being a pagan) that had nothing to do with costume parties and yes, more drinking.

I think I am done now, and I hope you get the point. I am not saying do not observe these days, just observe them when you truly feel like it and in a way that is appropriate. On that note, I am going to cook my wife dinner; not because it is mother's day, but because I love cooking for her.

Turning 40

2009-04-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

Today I benched pressed 300 LBS, I am very proud of myself. However, I often wonder why I continue exercising at this pace. My kids are young could be a reason, in 13 years or so, some little boy will attempt to ask my daughter on a date (that will be worth another post)and I am going to have to be able to toss him out head first; I suppose that is a good reason.

I am turning 40 this week, nothing to fear, not a big deal; but things do change. I become part of another demographic, society looks upon you differently, etc, etc; and so what!

I am going to party like it's 1999, woohoo! Of course I will pay for it the next day becasue after all, I am not 25 anymore.

Always keep your "A" game

2009-04-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

It is so easy to allow something to distract you, divert you, depress, and disappoint you. We are human, these things will and must occur in order for us to progress as mature individuals.

Just remember that although life is full of tests, these tests have a time limit, and we should not still be taking the test long after our allotted time.

Let it go, move on, get back to your A game.

Things take care of themselves

2009-04-10T22:09:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we get consumed with ideas, good or bad. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by things in life, things in work, and by people who suck.

Sometimes we just have to have faith that things take care of themselves. Those with venom in their hearts carry that wherever they go, and eventually will poison themselves. Those who feel destructive will eventually destroy the foundations of their own lives because they have broken everything else around them.

Karma is an interesting thing, we should probably pay more attention to it. So good luck evil doer, may you live in interesting times.

Free speech

2009-03-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

It seems I have some followers of this blog. Some genuinely interested, some have ulterior motives. Either way, Internet is a wonderful thing but you must be prepared to embrace all that you put out there: I do.

Do not assume to know what something means unless you truly know, do not take something written in artistic prose to be something other than it is. Mostly, if you do not like it, I remind you of a fundamental right we have:

Freedom of speech can be defined as “Liberty to express opinions and ideas without hindrance, and especially without fear of punishment” (http://www.answers.com/topic/freedom-of-speech). It is a Right, as stated in the 1st and 14Th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, “to express information, ideas, and opinions free of government restrictions based on content” (Britannica Concise Encyclopedia). The modern American conception of freedom of speech derives from the principles of “freedom of the press in the context of political criticism and freedom of religion” as they developed in England, starting in the seventeenth century (US History Companion: Freedom of Speech).

If you enjoy reading my random thoughts I thank you, if you do don't I thank you anyway because you are still reading my post and my thoughts must way heavy on your mind. Wow, I my writing must really get you stirred up!

The Seer

2009-03-25T23:26:00.000-07:00

You meet them sometimes, often in the most unlikely places, and you probably do not pay much attention to them at the time.

I arrived in San Diego in 2000, it was not the best of times; a bad break up, unknown job market, and not knowing anybody at all. I had certain routines that kept me sane, and one of those was going to the gym. I tend to be anti-social at the gym, I always have been. However, there are a lot of very social people at the gym in San Diego and some of them are very nice but I rarely remember their names or much else.

I was in the middle of a workout when this strange older man introduced himself to me. I always try to be polite to be people, but I do get annoyed when my workouts get disturbed. Anyway, he does not give me a chance to get annoyed and he tells me what I realize now was a prediction.

“The woman you marry will have to be beautiful, workout with you, and do not worry you will meet her soon’; and then he left. I did not think much of the conversation at the time, but nine months later I met a beautiful woman whose company I enjoyed more than anyone, she was my best friend, my workout partner, and incidentally now my wife and mother of my children. Did I mention she is beautiful?

You never know who you will meet, you never know what they might have to share, you never know.

There are Seers in this world, real ones; open your eyes and listen every so often.

Working out in the gym?

2009-03-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

I put a question mark in the title because I have a question. Since when did exercise become such a chore? When did we as human beings get to the point that we actually have to make time for physical activity? And why do we seem to be suffering when we do exercise?

Do not get me wrong, I like modern society and all its conveniences, I am not ready for the rural life anytime soon.

I like to observe people at the gym, not for vanity's sake or to check out nice bodies, but to watch the expressions or listen to the conversations; they are quite fascinating. There are those who grumble about being there the whole time they are there; literally. There are those who spend more time chatting with people then actually exercising (I use headphones for those people). Then there are those who are hardcore, they make loud noises, they smell like a goat's posterior, they work out for what seems like hours and they are ripped (Modern talk for in shape. Makes a strange sort of sense).

The staff are quite interesting as well because very few of them like their job because unless you are a trainer it does not pay very well, and if you are a trainer in this economy you have to hustle to get clients. Plus, you probably get tired by watching people workout all day!

But please go to the gym, work out, it is good for you, and keep in mind these are just my observations and opinions. However, spend a little time observing people; before you know it, your work out will be done.

Stepping on a snail

2009-03-01T19:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I stepped on a snail. I did not mean to, it was on the path I was walking so therefore in my way. I did not realize it was there until I heard a distinctive "crunch"! For some reason it bothered me, I started thinking about "Dr.Seuss' Horton hears a who". Did I just destroy a whole civilization? Did they see their doom approaching and pray for a miracle? Was I their version of asteroid?

Today I stepped on a snail again, same situation, same area, but different snail. Is this some sort of metaphor for life? If so; what does it mean?

If it means anything, perhaps it is that we should be a little more careful in life. Our actions may have far reaching consequences, even if we never see them or know them.

Of course it could simply be that I just stepped on a snail.

Was it always like this?

2009-02-09T20:09:00.000-08:00

I am busy; busy to the point that I often wonder where time went. I work a full time job, go to grad school full time, and try and be a dedicated father full time; merciful lords!

My Wife is busy as well, although she is not in school, she works full time and is also a dedicated mother.

Not that my parents did not work hard, but since when should my wife and I have to schedule going out on a date? When did sleeping until 8am on the weekends become a luxury?

In this day in age of multiple modes of communication, lack of social contract and therefore lack of money; we are busy. We dress bad, eat worse, do not exercise, and when we do exercise it is a chore. Our movies do not last longer than 1.5 hours becasue we have lost our attention span and it costs too much to make them longer. Commercials are designed to get you on the run, resumes are designed to be read in haste, buzz words, sound bites, samples, TV on demand, where will it end?!

We are too busy, and we need to slow down.

Reality TV

2009-01-27T21:05:00.000-08:00

I cannot stand reality TV, I have trouble watching it. I remember when Survivor was first released on to the public and I tried to watch it, thinking it was really about survival. That was it, I never went back again, it sucked.

Today, it seems we have more reality TV then we do regular network TV, and it drives me nuts. Survivor is still on, Big Brother, American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, etc. Then you have the truly atrocious ones like: Flavor of love, I love New York, The Bachelor, Top Chef, etc.

It seems like any idiot can put themselves on TV and call themselves a star.

Right now I am offending some people, and I do not care, I am entitled to my opinion, and it is correct. Why would would you expose your horrendous singing voice to the general public? Not only do you stink but you are damaging people's hearing! Or who wants to see an fiendishly ugly man try and score with good looking women? It is against the natural order of things (yes I said it!) and it makes me want to puke!

Go away, Top Model, Go away Hell's kitchen (who wants to dine in hell?), go away, all you offshoots of bad British and American putrid gaseous society. Do not ask me "did you watch ...?, or ...?" because the answer is NO!

Reality TV, I would like to say that it was fun while it lasted but I truly wish you had never started, so please go away!

We are immortal

2009-01-16T19:06:00.000-08:00

This morning my daughter kept telling me how much she loved me. She kept saying "my Daddy!"; she is almost three. What a way to start the day!

I think about when I tuck my Son in bed at night (he is 4); and he tells me "I love you the biggest best time". That will give you sweet dreams.

I am often told how much my children resemble me, my Wife, and my folks. Based upon all these things and more, I have come to a realization: I have discovered immortality. It cannot be found in a vitamin, in a food, or in a product; it cannot be found in a diet, money, or materials. It exists in the next generation and how we nurture them. And you know what? You do not necessarily have to be related!

Take care of your kids, love them, make them happy, and do not let them get caught up in your own dramas. If you do it right, you will live forever; through them.

Good things happen

2009-01-09T19:37:00.000-08:00

People do not leave jobs because of a company, they leave because of a boss. I worked for a good company but had a really bad boss. She was very negative, condescending, controlling, and just downright nasty. She did everything she could to make my life miserable, and she always lied about it! Bold face lies, cowardly lies, the kind of lies that can ruin your reputation: or so I thought.

Fortunately for me I was doing a good job, I was liked, and my reputation was not bad; but I still had to leave. That boss eventually got promoted as most slime does (temporarily because it always catches up), and I was out of work for a while.

I took stock, asked questions, and realized; I had a lot to offer, I had a great education and experience, and that boss was no longer in my life.

I just recently landed a job that is a major promotion, not necessarily financially, but definitely in responsibility and potential. They courted me and I was happy to accept.

Never let another individual dictate what your life is worth, never let a job bring you down. There is something out their for you, keep the faith.

A new year

2009-01-04T17:55:00.000-08:00

A new year is always an exciting time, it holds the promise of better things to come. Better job, better finances, better love life, more fun, etc. These are all admirable and achievable goals, lord knows we could all use something!

What we forget is that January first does not automatically bring these things, that in fact the new year began the year before when you made that resolution you never fulfilled, or promise you never kept.

The saying "history repeats itself" is quite accurate in the sense that; if we enter the new year with the same faults, false promises, and expectations without effort, we are doomed to fail.

If you mean to quit smoking, than quit now, if you mean to save money than start now, if you mean to be a better spouse than act now; waiting until later just makes more work for you later.

New year's resolutions can be a great psychological booster, but they can also be depressing if you allow the negative aspects of history repeat themselves.

Friends

2008-12-24T14:15:00.000-08:00

It is very easy to mean to call that old friend that you have not spoken with in years. There was no falling out, no fight, no argument; just it is not uncommon in today's society for people not to keep in touch like they should. You like this friend, you always have fun and good times, what happened? Why don't you call?

Nobody writes and mails letters, email is a cop-out and can sometime seem like code with all the modern abbreviations (people are in a hurry, I guess spelling "for" is more complicated than using "4").LOL, LMAO, BFF, ADN, Muah, etc http://www.web-friend.com/help/lingo/chatslang.html, this is not how you are supposed to write letters!

Anyway, I digress; call your friend, do not wait. In this day and age, and with fate having a funny sense of humor, you never know when it will be too late. Call your friend and let them know you miss them; get together share a laugh, and then; do it again!

Missing A Friend
By Dana Hanon 2004

We were close friends
I believed you were sent from above
I knew I could count on you
For anything I needed
And when I needed you most
you were always there
till the day you found love
And had to move away
But I knew you still cared
For we still can be friends
Only from a distance
Through phones lines we'd talk
Did not make the difference
We were still friends
Even though long distance
I do miss our sleepovers
And the pranks you'd pull
And our long talks and
Our laughs we used to share
And how you made me feel better
Just by being there
I miss you my friend
And I know you still care
We are friends forever
You and I
Friends till the end
The day I die

Getting older and gaining weight

2008-12-18T10:42:00.000-08:00

There are two big things a lot of people fear here in the United States:
• Gaining weight
• Getting older
The two kind of go hand in hand. Look at our TV shows, Gossip Girl, 90210, Big Brother, and a whole list of shows targeting that coveted demographic 18-35. I remember asking myself when I turned 36 “am I no longer wanted?” I still smile every time I think of that because quite frankly I have never feared getting older, in my Parent’s cultures it is sign wisdom and you gain more respect; same thing with gaining weight too.
There is big business with nursing homes and assisted living homes, but in the meantime CA has no law mandating background checks for people working in these places. San Diego has an elder abuse unit of the police department. We have put some of our most vulnerable members of society in potential harms way, we would not do that for our children, so do we truly value our elders? http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/ncearoot/Main_Site/index.aspx, http://www.preventelderabuse.org/elderabuse/elderabuse.html, http://www.sandiego.gov/police/about/elderdependent.shtml

Let’s look at gaining weight: when was the last time you went a day without seeing some sort of weight loss commercial or looking better plan? Google “weight loss in America”, http://www.google.com/search?q=weight+loss+in+america&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a, you will get more than 15 million hits! It is big business this playing on our psyches and everyone seems to be playing along. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with being healthy, eating right is good, and we do tend to treat our bodies as toxic waste dumps. But do you remember the snake oil salesmen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_oil ? There are a lot of them floating around and we are all reaching into our wallets like our lives depend on it.

Stop the madness folks! We are all going to get older, and if your body is not perfect it’s ok! Are you an active member of your community? Do you love your family and friends? Do you make an effort to stay healthy? Are your elders and active part of your extended family (mother’s day and Christmas is not enough)? Men do you truly appreciate the stick insect like figure in a woman http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/14/thin-models-fashion-week_n_125919.html ? Women, do you truly appreciate some other entity determining how you should look http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-09-25-thin-models_x.htm ?

I am going to be 40 in less than 6 months, and I am looking forward to it; just as I look forward to every year afterward I get to be with my wonderful immediate and extended family.

The Holiday season

2008-12-13T23:23:00.001-08:00

It is OK to say Merry Christmas to someone, even if they do not celebrate Christmas; after all, who could not use some positive vibes at this point in the year, tax season is up next.

The point of the season I believe is to give us glimpse of what could be: kids smiling and happy, people giving charity, actually conversing with your neighbors and co-workers (even though eggnog might be fueling that).

Let us take what could be a step further and imagine what should be. Imagine if we could take the spirit of the season, bottle it up, and spray all year around? Imagine what we could accomplish as human beings; imagine feeling this almost universal joyful feeling all year round.

Stop imagining and do it! Forget about the New Year’s resolution to lose weight, or get married, or some other forgettable resolution. Make your goal simply to extend Christmas all year long.

I have borrowed some of the words from Babylon 5 here, and made them my own:

The world speaks in many languages, but only one voice. The language is not English, or Spanish, or French, or Japanese or Swahili. It speaks in the language of hope, trust, strength, and compassion. It is the language of the heart and soul. It is the voice of our, past speaking through us, and the voice of our future, waiting to be born.

Here, gathered together in a common cause, that being to build a better world, we pledge to recognize this singular truth, and this singular rule: that we must be kind to one another, and learn from one another, because each voice enriches us and ennobles us, and each voice lost diminishes us. We are the voice of the world and the fire that will light the way to a better future.

Our diversity is the foundation upon which we can build a strong house, and in turn we will be build a strong city, and a stronger nation

Merry Christmas!

Feeling sorry for yourself

2008-12-10T17:54:00.000-08:00

It is very easy to feel self-pity in tough times, in times of potential despair. Nothing is going as we planned; we got given a raw deal, a bum rap, etc. There are evil forces plotting against us (sometimes it is true).

We start to develop bad habits, snap at our love ones for perceived wrongs true or otherwise; isolate ourselves emotionally and literally. Maybe we start to develop bad habits, unhealthy ones, habits which if we were not so self absorbed we would look at ourselves in disgust.

“Self-pity is the psychological state of mind of an individual in perceived adverse situations who has not accepted the situation and does not have the confidence nor ability to cope with it. It is characterized by a person's belief that he or she is the victim of events and is therefore deserving of condolence. Self-pity is generally regarded as a negative emotion in that it does not generally help deal with adverse situations. However, in a social context it may result in either the offering of sympathy or advice. Self-pity may be considered normal, and in certain circumstances healthy, so long as it is transitory and leads to either acceptance or a determination to change the situation” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-pity).

At times like this, take a look around you, look at the car you are driving, the fancy phone you have, the flat screen TV you watch, the steak you are eating or roasted chicken. Then take a look at other images such as these:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601100&sid=aGgQrD5EwniQ&refer=germany
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/12/10/zimbabwe.crisis/
Remember here in the US even a homeless person can get at least one full meal a day, remember that you will not have your arm cut off for being a different race, or if you have any loved one ones who are female they probably will not be gang raped (as opposed to expect to be).

Check yourself, belt up, suck it up, and move on.

The social Contract

2008-12-07T15:20:00.000-08:00

Social contract between employer and employee: “Employment contracts are written agreements between an employer and an employee that detail the workplace duties and responsibilities of the employee and the compensation that the employer provides in return. Employment contracts typically lay out the wages, bonuses, vacations, medical leaves (including maternity/paternity), stock options, and other benefits and compensation that the worker receives for fulfilling his/her obligations to the employer. These obligations are also specified in the contract, as is the duration of the worker-employee arrangement, the authority of the employee, ownership of intellectual property, and dispute resolution mechanisms. These agreements also include termination provisions, and they may also include post-employment confidentiality, non-compete, and non-solicitation clauses.” (http://www.answers.com/topic/employment-contract-1)

At will employment: “the right of employers to fire employees for any reason or for no reason at all. It also gives employees the legal right to quit their jobs at any time for any reason. Despite this legal doctrine, employers may not fire employees in a way that discriminates, violates public policy or conflicts with written or implied promises they make concerning the length of employment or grounds for termination.” (http://www.nolo.com/definition.cfm/Term/321F71C9-D7DF-4360-970E4C86EE934A5A/alpha/A/)

It used to be that you would find a job and keep a job. That you were guaranteed employment at the same job until you retire (provided you were doing the job), and then you would have a pension. The social contract between employers and employees is dead, there are no guarantees, and with the advent of 401 Ks, there certainly is no traditional pension plan for the most part.

Having multiple entries on your resume is no longer frowned upon, as long as you have no employment gaps. Going where the money or opportunity is common place, and sort expected nowadays.

Company cultures today have a very “work hard play hard” attitude; with the work part taking the forefront. It is not uncommon for people in the corporate world to work 7 days a week, 60 hours plus, take minimal days off, and neglect their families. That is considered a model employee. But where is the loyalty for the employee when personal issues affect work performance? The loyalty is out the door; you are valuable as long as you are producing at a high level. Failure to produce at a high level means you will be replaced with someone who is even hungrier than you; that is who the HR department are looking for.

It works both ways; employees are always looking for greener pastures at another company, chasing that dollar. Why stay when I could have more?

Is the social contract a lost cause? My last subject dealt with civility, and I think this is directly tied to that subject. Do we think how lay offs or firings affect families?
• You lose income
• You can lose your house
• You lose the school that your kids attend
• The kids lose their friends because they have to move
• You lose possessions because there is no place to put them in the smaller space
• You lose money on moving
• You cannot attend your church as often because of distance
• You are embarrassed
• You feel despair
• You start to question your self worth
• Etc

How many corporate employers know their employees birthdays, spouses’ names, pets’ names, and kids’ names? How many know their hobbies, likes, and dislikes?

Do you think about these things often, or at all?

Is civility lost in our “civilized” society?

2008-12-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

Is civility lost in our “civilized” society?

Civility can be defined as “civilized conduct; especially: courtesy, politeness: a polite act or expression” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civility).

Are we as a society still capable of truly recognizing this and defining it? Have we ever been capable? You often hear older generations talk about “the good ole days”, but even in those days we had slavery, bigotry, sexism, oppression, labor exploitation, racism; the list could go on. Nowadays we are enlightened, and much of those problems do not exist, we have grown as human beings; or have we?
• http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/russia.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darfur_conflict
• http://www.un.org/peace/africa/Diamond.html
• http://www.globalissues.org/article/87/the-democratic-republic-of-congo
• http://articles.latimes.com/2004/aug/10/local/me-notarios10
• http://ezinearticles.com/?Pedophilia-Among-Americas-Leaders&id=473013
I could go on, but let me get to things that we encounter everyday.

I seem to remember that in the past, when you applied for a job, you filled out an application, attached your resume, were interviewed, and then given a polite yes or no answer; fast forward to 2008. Your resume, if it does not have “pizzazz”, it will not be looked at; never mind that degree from Harvard University, or the Doctorate you are earning.
• http://www.google.com/search?q=resume+help&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
There are hundreds of thousands of people out there willing to help you, with fees ranging from $99 to $799, and this has nothing to do with your qualifications. All claim to be better than the other, so think of the impact this could have on your wallet, and you have not even gotten the job! Let us say you are one of the lucky ones graced with an interview, and I do mean graced. A lot of HR department today are staffed with people who have no expertise in the job they are hiring for, and they feel that they are doing you a favor by giving you the interview; the whole procedure is entirely non-objective. You have the interview, and then you would expect to hear yes or no in a timely manner correct? Not today! It is quite possible you will never hear from the company ever again! Is this civilized behavior?

How many times have you tried to call a company, or your bank, with a simple question, and have to punch in a million, numbers, account numbers, say yes or no, go through a survey, and when you finally get to a live person they ask for the same information again? Or what is worse is when you mange to get a live person, but you do not know your account number, they will not talk to you! Is this civilized? Is this progress! There are some banks that charge you money when you do talk with a live person, read the fine print!
• http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3937/is_/ai_62197035

My final thoughts are on the things we let go in life, the things we are told to ignore because “it is not worth it”.
• http://hubpages.com/hub/cellphones, http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2007/12/in-talk-to-the.html
Attack ads in politics, does not matter what party:
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkiz1_d1GsA, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiftboating, http://www.acandidworld.net/dispatches/
People in cutting in grocery lines, mugging little old ladies and immigrants (because they carry cash), curse words as a normal part of a conversation, kids screaming and cussing out adults (even ones they do not know), bullying that goes on in middle schools causing suicides, mocking someone because they do not have the latest fashion or phone, calling the police about a noisy neighbor instead of talking to the neighbor, saying you are going to call someone and you never do, saying you are going to show up and you never do, cyber bullying, racial profiling, telling a black man from England that he “sounds white” or is not “black enough”, making fun of someone in another language because you think they don’t understand; I could go on for a long time.

Ladies and gentlemen do not let it go, do not let it pass by. If you see rudeness say something, if you know someone is wrong call them on it, if see wrong being done do your best to help make it right. We are all guilty of something, that is human nature, but make a conscious effort to truly be “civilized”.