Today I subbed in a second grade classroom. When I entered the school, I was buzzed in by someone who knew me. As I looked up at the camera I thought, " What an important job the person buzzing me in has". So many thoughts ran through my head the rest of the day as I worked with those little children. Their parents sent them to school & intrusted their safety in others. It IS a big deal!
Earlier this year, I was in a first grade classroom teaching the 6 and 7 year olds about 'Needs & Wants". You NEED air, water, food, shelter, certain medicines, etc. You may WANT chocolate milk, candy, an I-Phone, a bike, etc.
I read this morning, that the shooter had enough ammunition to kill every child and adult in that school three times over. I guess he felt he needed an assault rifle.
However we , as a nation, address this problem, it must include a way to keep these types of weapons out of the hands of people who might do this. There are billions of people in our world. How do we know who will do something like this? Putting armed weapons in everyone's hands will create a potentially explosive situation everywhere.Putting armed guards in all our schools, malls, sporting facilities, etc is a maybe. I just don't know. The solution can't be a debate about rights because the Right To Life supercedes it all. We can't waste time arguing who is right & who is wrong. While we do, Kids are being killed. Ask the questions: Why are Assault Weapons made? And Who really needs one? Again I don't know the solution but I do know Something Needs doing & after it's done, we all need to work together as a Nation to see that it works because if we don't....More Kids will be killed. So please don't get defensive.....instead find a way to keep our kids safe.
I don't Want our Kids to be Safe......I NEED them to be. Actually I both Want & Need that.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Let's Talk About It....
Tell me you didn't shed tears this weekend. Tell me you didn't think about 26 innocent victims....20 children ages 6 or 7 RIDDLED with bullets. (the ME found 3 to 11 bullets in each child) Tell me you're not angry. We say over and over that keeping our children safe is our #1 priority. Polititions say that the Nation's security and our people's safety is MOST important. Well, it is time to put our money and their vote where their mouths are. They need to stand up to lobbiests and those who would threaten to pull their support and just do what is right. These forces have held our country and it's people hostage for long enough. At What Cost? Are Twenty innocent babies enough? Yes I am talking about Gun Control and the NRA. I'm talking about creating Laws that will really safeguard our children. If this past Friday's Massacre isn't enough....then what is?
The second ammendment gives Americans the Right to Bear Arms. It was wriiten at a time when all Americans hunted for their food. A time when their was no law enforcement. A time when guns shot off single shots and you needed time to reload. There were no police. There were no super markets where you could buy meat. There were no automatic or semi -automatic guns that could shoot literally hundreds of bullets a minute.
It's time that laws caught up with the times before anymore children are massacred. I'm sure our forefathers didn't have in mind for this law to be so abbused as it is today. It is way too easy for anyone to secure a gun. Ask yourself this: Why would anyone need a semi -automatic or an automatic weapon? You don't use them to hunt. Picture this: I have a gun shop located near me advertising a semi-automatic rifle for Home Security. Have we gone mad? The statistics show that over 10,000 americans were killed by guns this past year. More then in the next 10 countries combined. In Japan, all guns are banned. Automatic guns were banned up until 2004 when a George W. Bush led congress failed to renew the ban inorder to apease the NRA & the anti-gun control lobbiests who supported their elections & reelections. Appeasing them & getting reelected was more important then the safety of our children. What does that say of the most civilized country in the world?
Any type of automatic weapon needs to be banned. If it was, some of those children might be alive. The ability to own a gun needs to be made so only people who can act responsibly should own one or two, not 10 or 15 or more. We need control. Arming everyone is NOT the answer as many anti-gun control people are saying. Can you imagine a country where everyone is packing a gun? I don't know all the answers, but our law makers need to act and act seriously for the safety of all. Help to create a safer America.
Enough of the back room bargaining for votes. We Elected You To Do What is RIGHT. We Elected You To Help Keep Us SAFE. So....What are you waiting for? Replace all our tears with actions. Let those Twenty Angels and 5 Heroes know that they MATTERED.
The second ammendment gives Americans the Right to Bear Arms. It was wriiten at a time when all Americans hunted for their food. A time when their was no law enforcement. A time when guns shot off single shots and you needed time to reload. There were no police. There were no super markets where you could buy meat. There were no automatic or semi -automatic guns that could shoot literally hundreds of bullets a minute.
It's time that laws caught up with the times before anymore children are massacred. I'm sure our forefathers didn't have in mind for this law to be so abbused as it is today. It is way too easy for anyone to secure a gun. Ask yourself this: Why would anyone need a semi -automatic or an automatic weapon? You don't use them to hunt. Picture this: I have a gun shop located near me advertising a semi-automatic rifle for Home Security. Have we gone mad? The statistics show that over 10,000 americans were killed by guns this past year. More then in the next 10 countries combined. In Japan, all guns are banned. Automatic guns were banned up until 2004 when a George W. Bush led congress failed to renew the ban inorder to apease the NRA & the anti-gun control lobbiests who supported their elections & reelections. Appeasing them & getting reelected was more important then the safety of our children. What does that say of the most civilized country in the world?
Any type of automatic weapon needs to be banned. If it was, some of those children might be alive. The ability to own a gun needs to be made so only people who can act responsibly should own one or two, not 10 or 15 or more. We need control. Arming everyone is NOT the answer as many anti-gun control people are saying. Can you imagine a country where everyone is packing a gun? I don't know all the answers, but our law makers need to act and act seriously for the safety of all. Help to create a safer America.
Enough of the back room bargaining for votes. We Elected You To Do What is RIGHT. We Elected You To Help Keep Us SAFE. So....What are you waiting for? Replace all our tears with actions. Let those Twenty Angels and 5 Heroes know that they MATTERED.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Home Needs to Hold Up Their End
I taught first grade in 1975. My first graders played, took naps, had snacks, learned songs. I taught them their numbers and letters and they began to learn to read using basil readers where Jack, Janet, Tip, and Mitten roamed. I have subbed in first grade a number of times this year. Today's first graders read and write complete sentences, add and subtract, learn about solid geometry, and are tested on a regular basis. No more naps & not much time to play. They do get a snack but during snack time, they have a worksheet to work on. Yes they are little sponges & Yes much more is expected of them.
In a first grade class you'll find children who can draw well enough that their people have fingers and toes & all kinds of details. These same kids can write a complete sentence, filling a page with their complete thoughts. You'll also have children in the same room who draw stick figures or circles with eyes as their people and who still can't write their names. Each night, the children take their folders home with all the day's work completed. The first group comes in every morning with their folders empty making room for the day's work. The second group's folder gets thicker every day as the day's work goes unchecked.
The message is clear. Those children who come from homes where education is valued, where their learning is nurtured, where they are read to and spent quality time with, will grow and blossom. But those that are left to fend for themselves, who come from a home where education is left to the schools, where learning means being able to dress themselves and fix their own lunches, will continue drawing stick figures while trying to figure out how to spell their names.
Values are taught in the home. All schools can affectively do is reinforce the good values. A child who becomes an ethical person, who has a good work ethic, who learns to love his/her fellow man, and learns to be kind, learns all that in his home environment. Those that learn to be mean, lazy, and have poor ethics, have gotten their early training in their home environment. It is reinforced by the friends they choose. Schools are fighting the good fight to try and instil good work ethics and values but are fighting a losing battle when these children go home each night.
The best way to fix societies ills are to turn the children over to schools at a earlier age. To mandate pre- school and affective parenting classes. Children who live in a house where good parenting is lacking & have poor role models, many times make the same mistakes with their children.
Schools are only a part of the solution. Putting them under a microscope and holding them to higher standards then we hold parents and society to is not going to cut it. For Home & School to work together means holding home to the same standards we hold schools to. Finally Values & Character matter. We can't sacrifice them for higher scores.
I think we did a better job of that back in 1975.
In a first grade class you'll find children who can draw well enough that their people have fingers and toes & all kinds of details. These same kids can write a complete sentence, filling a page with their complete thoughts. You'll also have children in the same room who draw stick figures or circles with eyes as their people and who still can't write their names. Each night, the children take their folders home with all the day's work completed. The first group comes in every morning with their folders empty making room for the day's work. The second group's folder gets thicker every day as the day's work goes unchecked.
The message is clear. Those children who come from homes where education is valued, where their learning is nurtured, where they are read to and spent quality time with, will grow and blossom. But those that are left to fend for themselves, who come from a home where education is left to the schools, where learning means being able to dress themselves and fix their own lunches, will continue drawing stick figures while trying to figure out how to spell their names.
Values are taught in the home. All schools can affectively do is reinforce the good values. A child who becomes an ethical person, who has a good work ethic, who learns to love his/her fellow man, and learns to be kind, learns all that in his home environment. Those that learn to be mean, lazy, and have poor ethics, have gotten their early training in their home environment. It is reinforced by the friends they choose. Schools are fighting the good fight to try and instil good work ethics and values but are fighting a losing battle when these children go home each night.
The best way to fix societies ills are to turn the children over to schools at a earlier age. To mandate pre- school and affective parenting classes. Children who live in a house where good parenting is lacking & have poor role models, many times make the same mistakes with their children.
Schools are only a part of the solution. Putting them under a microscope and holding them to higher standards then we hold parents and society to is not going to cut it. For Home & School to work together means holding home to the same standards we hold schools to. Finally Values & Character matter. We can't sacrifice them for higher scores.
I think we did a better job of that back in 1975.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
Let the "King" be.
I as much as anyone, I wanted the Heat to lose in the NBA championships. To me they embody everything that is bad in professional sports. They are about stars & not team or team play. The "Decision" and the promise of 7 NBA championships showed such arrogance. It's all about me. Lebron's behavior in this regard is anything but as a good role model.
But, is it arrogance or is it immaturity? Afterall, since he was a young teen, he has been touted as the next Michael Jordan. Today he is called the Greatest Basketball Player in the World & maybe ever. Millions of dollars and media attention were thrown at him. What "Kid" wouldn't be engulfed by all of it! How much of what we saw was really him or what the media painted him out to be. Who is the real Lebron James?
What if any counseling was he or any of the young athletes out there given. Will Bryce Harper of the Nationals fall under the same kind of money & attention King Jamnes received? How will they or any future young star deal? Do the professional sports gurus owe it to these Kids to counsel them in how to deal with all the attention. Should these Kids be protected in some way so that they continue to grow up before they are put under such scrutiny?
The NBA says that they do give their draftees counseling. But why do we continue to hear of the kind of behaviors we are hearing? If we want our stars to really be good role models & if they are allowed to live some type of normal life, then we owe them help in doing this.
Funny, we offer young professionals in many lines of work a mentor to help them learn & deal. But we think money will be all these young professional athletes need? Many of them come from almost nothing. I suggest we give them a mentor and counseling so that maybe future Lebron James can avoid the kind of first 9 years King James has had to deal with. I sincerely hope that winning his first title is the beginning of better times ahead for this young man. Maybe now we will get to see the real Lebron James. Afterall, he's still only 26.
But, is it arrogance or is it immaturity? Afterall, since he was a young teen, he has been touted as the next Michael Jordan. Today he is called the Greatest Basketball Player in the World & maybe ever. Millions of dollars and media attention were thrown at him. What "Kid" wouldn't be engulfed by all of it! How much of what we saw was really him or what the media painted him out to be. Who is the real Lebron James?
What if any counseling was he or any of the young athletes out there given. Will Bryce Harper of the Nationals fall under the same kind of money & attention King Jamnes received? How will they or any future young star deal? Do the professional sports gurus owe it to these Kids to counsel them in how to deal with all the attention. Should these Kids be protected in some way so that they continue to grow up before they are put under such scrutiny?
The NBA says that they do give their draftees counseling. But why do we continue to hear of the kind of behaviors we are hearing? If we want our stars to really be good role models & if they are allowed to live some type of normal life, then we owe them help in doing this.
Funny, we offer young professionals in many lines of work a mentor to help them learn & deal. But we think money will be all these young professional athletes need? Many of them come from almost nothing. I suggest we give them a mentor and counseling so that maybe future Lebron James can avoid the kind of first 9 years King James has had to deal with. I sincerely hope that winning his first title is the beginning of better times ahead for this young man. Maybe now we will get to see the real Lebron James. Afterall, he's still only 26.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Character & the Hall of Fame
The government has spent millions of dollars trying to connect pro athletes & drugs. The recently concluded Roger Clemen's Purgery trial was yet another failed attempt by the government, following in the footsteps of the Bobby Bonds & Lance Armstrong cases. We can argue the merits of these trials & the money spent but I would like to discuss just baseball & it's Hall of Fame entrance guidelines as they pertain here, especially the "Character" piece.
The "Character" piece has been used to keep Raphial Palmiero and Mark McQuire out of the Hall of Fame thus far and I'm sure will be the topic of discussion this December when Bobby Bonds, Sammy Sosa, & Roger Clemens are eligible for entry.
Roger Clemen's "Not Guilty" verdict may help him a bit but many feel he's guilty of something & his lawyers just did a great job of creating reasonable doubt. The question for the voters just seems to be....Do these men belong in the Hall? Do their accomplishments on the field warrant their entry?
Will the voters use the "Character" piece to keep these men out? Many might argue that there are those in the Hall with questionable character so why keep these men out? Ty Cobb supposedly is guilty of man slaughter & Babe Ruth of excessive drinking. Are all of the Hall of Famers Perfect people? Cheating has been going on ever since sports began. Athletes looking for ways to improve their performance. Are steroids just another way to do this? Should we put astericks or have a separate category for the "Steroid Era"?
I don't know? And I don't have any answers for the voters come December. All I know is that a Hall of Fame without the leading home run hitter & one of the games best pitchers doesn't seem right. Maybe they need to take out the "Character" Piece. I do believe that Character matters but maybe sometimes it's just All about the Numbers!!!!!!
The "Character" piece has been used to keep Raphial Palmiero and Mark McQuire out of the Hall of Fame thus far and I'm sure will be the topic of discussion this December when Bobby Bonds, Sammy Sosa, & Roger Clemens are eligible for entry.
Roger Clemen's "Not Guilty" verdict may help him a bit but many feel he's guilty of something & his lawyers just did a great job of creating reasonable doubt. The question for the voters just seems to be....Do these men belong in the Hall? Do their accomplishments on the field warrant their entry?
Will the voters use the "Character" piece to keep these men out? Many might argue that there are those in the Hall with questionable character so why keep these men out? Ty Cobb supposedly is guilty of man slaughter & Babe Ruth of excessive drinking. Are all of the Hall of Famers Perfect people? Cheating has been going on ever since sports began. Athletes looking for ways to improve their performance. Are steroids just another way to do this? Should we put astericks or have a separate category for the "Steroid Era"?
I don't know? And I don't have any answers for the voters come December. All I know is that a Hall of Fame without the leading home run hitter & one of the games best pitchers doesn't seem right. Maybe they need to take out the "Character" Piece. I do believe that Character matters but maybe sometimes it's just All about the Numbers!!!!!!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
What's up with Public Pensions?
I see where they are after public pensions. How dare those public employees keep getting paid after they retire!!!! Funny how for years no one cared. You see many of us public employees, with similar experience & skills as those in the private sector, took positions that paid less then in the private sector. Why? Because of benefits like our pensions. My family of four qualified for federal assistance back in the 1980's. No one cared for years because for years the money set aside for these pensions was invested and did so well, that up until 4 years ago, the public paid less then a half a percent annually through taxes into those pension funds. But with the downfall of Wall street due to the greedy actions of the rich, those pension funds have needed a greater input from public taxes putting us in the mess we are currently in. A case of Money goes where Money is. The Rich getting Richer & the gap between the Haves & the Have Nots getting greater basically eliminating the middle class.
Therefore the need to go after Public Pensions. I say...go ahead but be sure you compensate public employees well to make up for this loss. They shouldn't have to work 30 years to finally make what most private sector workers with similar experience & skills make after 5 years. Then, they could start their own 401 K's & whatever so that they will be secure after retirement instead of needing federal assistance.
Public Employees are Not the enemy. Try & survive without them. Let's find a fair and equitable way to dig ourselves out of the financial mess we are in. We have a definite problem when 90% of the money in this country is in the hands of 10% of the people!!!!!! When we pay ball players & entertainers 100's of millions of dollars and CEO's get billion dollar bonuses while their companies are going bankrupt. The little guy gets sacraficed for the benefit of the guy with all the money.
So, what do you think. Are Public Pensions a problem? If so, tweek em...fix the issues.......just be fair & make sure that EVERYONE pays their Fair Share!!!!!! Maybe my 5 cents worth!!!!!
Therefore the need to go after Public Pensions. I say...go ahead but be sure you compensate public employees well to make up for this loss. They shouldn't have to work 30 years to finally make what most private sector workers with similar experience & skills make after 5 years. Then, they could start their own 401 K's & whatever so that they will be secure after retirement instead of needing federal assistance.
Public Employees are Not the enemy. Try & survive without them. Let's find a fair and equitable way to dig ourselves out of the financial mess we are in. We have a definite problem when 90% of the money in this country is in the hands of 10% of the people!!!!!! When we pay ball players & entertainers 100's of millions of dollars and CEO's get billion dollar bonuses while their companies are going bankrupt. The little guy gets sacraficed for the benefit of the guy with all the money.
So, what do you think. Are Public Pensions a problem? If so, tweek em...fix the issues.......just be fair & make sure that EVERYONE pays their Fair Share!!!!!! Maybe my 5 cents worth!!!!!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Team Chemistry...WHY it's important
Today, all the "talking heads" are pointing the finger at Miami Heat coach Eric Spoelstra for their game 5 loss to the Celtics. Why didn't he play Chris Bosh in the 4th quarter? Tearing apart his post game comments. These so-called experts know basically nothing about a coach's role. I coached for over 30 years and can tell you that I saw my role as two fold: 1.) Giving all my players opportunities to succeed and 2.) Creating an atmosphere where that can happen. Just having the best players doesn't guarantee that success will follow. In 1970-71 Bishop Gibbons High School had arguably the 4 best player's in Schenenectady County on it's roster yet managed to only win 4 games.
The Heat have arguably 3 of the top 10 players in the league on their team including NBA MVP Lebron James and are on the brink of elimination by the Team Oriented Boston Celtics. What the Celtics have and the Heat don't have is Good Team Chemistry. Team Chemistry can not be overlooked. The ability for the players to play together, sacrificing personal gain for the team. The Celtics care about each other. Watching them play, that is obvious. There is only one ball & the Celtics know how to share it for the good of the team. The Heat don't. Just watch the 4th quarter of game 5 and you see it.
Blaming the coach is easy. Afterall one of his job is to build Team Chemistry. I agree that it is. However, you just can't put all that talent on a team and expect Team Chemistry to happen. It's only been two years. These aren't high school kids who really know each other. Team Chemistry may happen for the Heat and then again it might not.
As far a playing Chris Bosh in the 4th quarter? Did anyone notice that with Bosh on the floor the Heat were a Minus 11? His defense was awful. He's not in game shape. So stop blaming the coach & put the blame where it belongs. A lack of Good Team Chemistry. Players & coach are both to blame for that.
The Heat have arguably 3 of the top 10 players in the league on their team including NBA MVP Lebron James and are on the brink of elimination by the Team Oriented Boston Celtics. What the Celtics have and the Heat don't have is Good Team Chemistry. Team Chemistry can not be overlooked. The ability for the players to play together, sacrificing personal gain for the team. The Celtics care about each other. Watching them play, that is obvious. There is only one ball & the Celtics know how to share it for the good of the team. The Heat don't. Just watch the 4th quarter of game 5 and you see it.
Blaming the coach is easy. Afterall one of his job is to build Team Chemistry. I agree that it is. However, you just can't put all that talent on a team and expect Team Chemistry to happen. It's only been two years. These aren't high school kids who really know each other. Team Chemistry may happen for the Heat and then again it might not.
As far a playing Chris Bosh in the 4th quarter? Did anyone notice that with Bosh on the floor the Heat were a Minus 11? His defense was awful. He's not in game shape. So stop blaming the coach & put the blame where it belongs. A lack of Good Team Chemistry. Players & coach are both to blame for that.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Why Vote Yes?
School Budget Votes are an interesting thing. They affect your taxes. Why would anyone vote to raise their taxes? You don't get to vote on your income tax, property tax, sales tax, or any other tax for that matter. Yes, you do get to vote for people who will represent you & create these other taxes but the School Tax is the only tax you get to directly vote on. So why vote YES?
The school tax is dependent on the school budget, the cost to run an affective school. Much of that cost is mandated by the state & federal governments. The biggest piece of the budget pie is "people". Salaraies of all the people it takes to run your school & all it's programs. Included in their are salaries, insurance costs, retirement costs, and pssibly some other incidentals involving your employees. Then there are costs for supplies and programs. There are mandated programs & unmandated programs. Programs like Sports, Music, the Arts, & even kindergarten are NOT mandadated. Imagine kids entering school for the first time at age 6? Imagine trying to create a well rounded individual without music, sports, and the arts? Then the state adds all this mandated testing & doesn't pay for it. Add to all the issues & costs escalating the fact that the governor got the legeslature to put into place a 2% tax cap. School Districts throughout the state struggled to put together budgets that fall within the cap.
Was there Fat? 3 or 4 years ago, there was Fat. But over the past 3 years that fat which, by the way made for a better educational experience for our kids, was cut. Cuts have occured over the past 4 years which are hurting our children's educational experiences and challenging our schools to do More with Less. So, why should you vote Yes? I think it's obvious. The alternative is even more disastrous.
For years the state has said it should look for better ways to fund education. What happened to the hundred of Millions spent on the Lottery? The state can not continue to mandate more & more & fund less & less. It's time they found a Better Way.
The school tax is dependent on the school budget, the cost to run an affective school. Much of that cost is mandated by the state & federal governments. The biggest piece of the budget pie is "people". Salaraies of all the people it takes to run your school & all it's programs. Included in their are salaries, insurance costs, retirement costs, and pssibly some other incidentals involving your employees. Then there are costs for supplies and programs. There are mandated programs & unmandated programs. Programs like Sports, Music, the Arts, & even kindergarten are NOT mandadated. Imagine kids entering school for the first time at age 6? Imagine trying to create a well rounded individual without music, sports, and the arts? Then the state adds all this mandated testing & doesn't pay for it. Add to all the issues & costs escalating the fact that the governor got the legeslature to put into place a 2% tax cap. School Districts throughout the state struggled to put together budgets that fall within the cap.
Was there Fat? 3 or 4 years ago, there was Fat. But over the past 3 years that fat which, by the way made for a better educational experience for our kids, was cut. Cuts have occured over the past 4 years which are hurting our children's educational experiences and challenging our schools to do More with Less. So, why should you vote Yes? I think it's obvious. The alternative is even more disastrous.
For years the state has said it should look for better ways to fund education. What happened to the hundred of Millions spent on the Lottery? The state can not continue to mandate more & more & fund less & less. It's time they found a Better Way.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
The Church & Christianity....One in the Same?
I spent the day today visiting the Aurieesville Shrine of Martyrs with my mom & brother for Mother's Day. We used to spend Sundays there as a kid with my family going to church & then picnic. It holds many fond memories. It is also a historical site. In walking the grounds, museum, gift shop, & Collesium, I got to wondering " What is it to be a good Christian?" Is it going to mass every weekend? Is it believing in ALL the policies of the church? Our new pastor has made the weekly mass a bit unbearable. Mass has gone from about an hour to anywhere from 75 to 90 minutes. Do the extra minutes make me more holy...more Christian? He loves to PUSH the church's policies. Did you know that my church is against: Gays; Birth Control, Priest's Marrying, & Nuns thinking too much? How Christian is that? I thought God Loved Everyone. That being a Good Christian meant just that. I thought to live a Good Christian Life was what God wanted out of all his flock...his people. My father-in-law was one of the most Christian Like people I ever have known & yet he never stepped foot in a church. Our new pastor is discouraging non regular church goers from taking part on our annual Festa Committee. Does going to church regularly make you a better Christian & therefore a better committee person?
In a time when the church is losing members hands over fists and the sight of anyone under 50 in church, a minor miricle, it's a wonder the church doesn't recognize their need to "Change" some of their ways of thinkiing & embrace ALL Good Christians & maybe even change the way they look at what a Good Christian looks like.
I'm thinking the martyrs at Aureesville would love to see the church open up their eyes & hearts to all people. They died trying to convert the native Americans without reservations. Christianity & the Church need to look more alike.
What do you think?
In a time when the church is losing members hands over fists and the sight of anyone under 50 in church, a minor miricle, it's a wonder the church doesn't recognize their need to "Change" some of their ways of thinkiing & embrace ALL Good Christians & maybe even change the way they look at what a Good Christian looks like.
I'm thinking the martyrs at Aureesville would love to see the church open up their eyes & hearts to all people. They died trying to convert the native Americans without reservations. Christianity & the Church need to look more alike.
What do you think?
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Sports Does produce Character..Le Grande Jesture!
In a time when the sports world is deluged with stories about "bounties" on players, players punching lockers after losses, players head hunting, college coaches molesting young children and such awful stories like these and more, it is a 'breath of fresh sir" when we hear a story involving a sports figure who just Does the "Right" Thing. Actually in this case this person was a coach. Greg Schiano used to be the head football coach at Rutgers University where he coached Eric LaGrand.On October 16,2010 Eric broke his back in a game against Army. They thought he'd be a quadriplegic living on a ventilator for the rest of his life. Eric has gained movement & can stand with assistance.
His college coach hasn't forgotten him. Greg Schaino in his roll as the new head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers recently signed Eric to a pro contract. Yes it was symbolic & he won't be paid a penny but remember.....It's the Thought that counts.
Eric resumed his college classes & graduated. He had always wanted to sign a pro football contract & this being his draft year, his old coach decided to do a nice thing....The Right Thing. Proving that Character can & does exist in the Pro Sports World.
His college coach hasn't forgotten him. Greg Schaino in his roll as the new head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers recently signed Eric to a pro contract. Yes it was symbolic & he won't be paid a penny but remember.....It's the Thought that counts.
Eric resumed his college classes & graduated. He had always wanted to sign a pro football contract & this being his draft year, his old coach decided to do a nice thing....The Right Thing. Proving that Character can & does exist in the Pro Sports World.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
A New York State Ed Way of Life
You have to wonder who exactly is running the NYS Education Department & what they are thinking or if they are thinking at all?
Recently they have enacted, with the help of the State's own "Boss Tweed" aka Gov. Cuomo the state's new APPRs to evaluate the state's teachers. Sounds good on paper but the problem is it will involve so much paper that you wonder how teachers and administrators will have the time to do what is necessary to teach. Teachers used to have the freedom, within guidelines called the state curriculum, to explore and give kids creative oportunities to learn and expand ther minds. Afterall, the human brain is a wonderful gift given the opportunity to be used to it's full potential. However the restraints imposed by the state and it's emphasis on testing and test preparation and on evaluating teachers will severely hamper any attempts by the teachers of the state to allow students to really "Use Their Heads". We will be pigeon holing them instead of allowing maximum growth and allowing students to follow the paths which best fit their needs and interests by making them all follow the same paths.
Speaking of testing, recent information regarding this year's 4th grade State Mandated Math Test, shows that their are two questions on the test with "questions." One apparently has NO correct response among its 4 choices while another has two possible correct answers among the 4 choices. Add to that, the student's aren't to be informed of this unless they ask specifiacally about either question.
Imagine that! How can a state education department, which is putting all this pressure on schools, teachers, administrators, and students to perform with perfection dare to present an assessment with faults???? Don't they check it over and over and over and over before putting it to print? If I create a question, it must have an answer and shouldn't I include such answer in the multiple choice responses? And why would I include two correct responses to a multiple choice question? How can we expect an honest, professional, and #4 type of effort from my schools, teachers, administrators, and students when I don't deliver one myself? Or is a 2 or 3 good enough? What message is our State Education Department really sending here? A.) We must be perfect; B.) We must settle;
C.) Mediocrety is OK or D.) Only perfection is acceptable. Is there a Right answer or are there No correct responses? Guess in the state's eyes it really doesn't matter. JUST PRINT IT
Recently they have enacted, with the help of the State's own "Boss Tweed" aka Gov. Cuomo the state's new APPRs to evaluate the state's teachers. Sounds good on paper but the problem is it will involve so much paper that you wonder how teachers and administrators will have the time to do what is necessary to teach. Teachers used to have the freedom, within guidelines called the state curriculum, to explore and give kids creative oportunities to learn and expand ther minds. Afterall, the human brain is a wonderful gift given the opportunity to be used to it's full potential. However the restraints imposed by the state and it's emphasis on testing and test preparation and on evaluating teachers will severely hamper any attempts by the teachers of the state to allow students to really "Use Their Heads". We will be pigeon holing them instead of allowing maximum growth and allowing students to follow the paths which best fit their needs and interests by making them all follow the same paths.
Speaking of testing, recent information regarding this year's 4th grade State Mandated Math Test, shows that their are two questions on the test with "questions." One apparently has NO correct response among its 4 choices while another has two possible correct answers among the 4 choices. Add to that, the student's aren't to be informed of this unless they ask specifiacally about either question.
Imagine that! How can a state education department, which is putting all this pressure on schools, teachers, administrators, and students to perform with perfection dare to present an assessment with faults???? Don't they check it over and over and over and over before putting it to print? If I create a question, it must have an answer and shouldn't I include such answer in the multiple choice responses? And why would I include two correct responses to a multiple choice question? How can we expect an honest, professional, and #4 type of effort from my schools, teachers, administrators, and students when I don't deliver one myself? Or is a 2 or 3 good enough? What message is our State Education Department really sending here? A.) We must be perfect; B.) We must settle;
C.) Mediocrety is OK or D.) Only perfection is acceptable. Is there a Right answer or are there No correct responses? Guess in the state's eyes it really doesn't matter. JUST PRINT IT
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Making a Difference...The Story of Two Giants
Today we got news regarding two people who I see as Giants who have Made a Difference. First Pat Head Summitt stepped down as Head Coach of the Tennessee Women's Basketball program after 38 years and 1098 victories including 8 National Championships. Then I just heard that Dick Clark who greets us every New Years has passed at 82 of a heart attack. Dick had recovered from a stroke to return to his spot only a few years ago.
Pat Summitt is a mentor among coaches. She not only raised Tenneseee to the top but raised the bar so more colleges would give women the same opportunities men have gotten over the years. She has written books regarding motivation & inspiration. When she was diagnosed with Dementia & Alzheimers she immediately developed a foundation to help educate & raise money for research. She will leave a legasy of compassion, knowledge, & understanding.
Dick Clark of American Bandstand Fame introduced us babyboomers to Rock N Roll. It's got a beat & I like to dance to it. Give it an 8. Then he hosted Rock N New Year's Eve for Years ringing in the New Year. Even after his stroke, he battled back to get back to his spot. He Showed courage & determination and was an inspiration for us all. I am really sad to hear of his passing but he will be remembered for years to come. Dick Clark & Rock N Roll go hand in hand.
Two Giants....Who Made a Difference. Have You?
Pat Summitt is a mentor among coaches. She not only raised Tenneseee to the top but raised the bar so more colleges would give women the same opportunities men have gotten over the years. She has written books regarding motivation & inspiration. When she was diagnosed with Dementia & Alzheimers she immediately developed a foundation to help educate & raise money for research. She will leave a legasy of compassion, knowledge, & understanding.
Dick Clark of American Bandstand Fame introduced us babyboomers to Rock N Roll. It's got a beat & I like to dance to it. Give it an 8. Then he hosted Rock N New Year's Eve for Years ringing in the New Year. Even after his stroke, he battled back to get back to his spot. He Showed courage & determination and was an inspiration for us all. I am really sad to hear of his passing but he will be remembered for years to come. Dick Clark & Rock N Roll go hand in hand.
Two Giants....Who Made a Difference. Have You?
Monday, April 16, 2012
What is the Truth?
Lately we've been hearing a lot about the amount of taxes our presidential candidates are paying. You hear the President Obama earned $800,000 in 2011 & donated $200,000 of it to charities & paid 20% in taxes. Meanwhile Mit Rowney made $21 Million in 2011 & is paying only 14% in taxes. Of course the way our tax laws are written much of what Mr Rowney earned was in capital gains which I guess can't be taxed any higher then 15%. Add to that the amount he may donate & who knows what the truth is. Election years bring out so many half truths & out right lies. Then you have our illustrious governor who is running New York the way Boss Tweed ran NYC. Talk about a Bully. Oh yes, he is keeping his promises by arm twisting & screwing our kids. At the top of his attack list are our schools & teachers. His tax cap sounded oh so nice but when you don't provide enough state aid to support the programs you mandate and then don't allow the schools to raise enough in taxes to keep programs & staff, who suffers....Our Future.....The Kids. He is touting his bi-partisinship when instead he has forced their hands at the cost of hurting the poor, the sick, the old, & the young. wow...So What is the truth. The truth is that as long as political gain is more important then to do what is right for the common Good, lieing & half-truths will continue to fill our papers & drive the car called our Country and that gap between the haves & have nots will continue to grow eliminating the real drive in this country, The Middle Class.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
How Long After High School is Enough?
One of the questions out there since Kentucky's NCAA Championship run is: How long should these Future Pros stay in College? Itr's a good one. Baseball allows kids to sign right outa high school . however if they chose to enter college, they must stay 3 years. Football maintains your high school class must be out three years. Basketball says one year after their high school class graduates, eliminating the Lebron James & Kobe Bryant straight outa high school. Hockey is different because most of these "kids" enter & play in semi-pro leagues while still in high school. Other pro sports take em whenever. Aka the 13 year old pro soccer player.
Like anything in education, it's a matter of readiness. Not necessarily a readiness to play the pro game but a readiness for the Pro Life? Jim Boeheim said, when asked about Carmelo Anthony's One & Done, heck college is where you go to find a career /job. He found a job in one year.
I want to concentrate on the issue of a readiness for the Pro Life. Do these kids know what to expect.....really? All the MONEY.....FAME........& what comes with it? The Reality & Rigger of the daily schedule? The Temptations that go with the Pro Life? Is it a wonder of the stories of a woman in every city, children by a multitude of mothers, drug problems, gun problems, & in some cases money problems. Read the papers or internet. The stories of their behaviors. The things they say? What would you say if you had a camera or microphone stuck in your face 24/7? The news is filled daily with stories about some pro athlete doing or saying something wrong. Is it a wonder?
Have they had time to really grow up? Have they been taught how to deal & manage a pro life? The successes? The failures? I hear that some counseling is available when they sign their pro deal. But wouldn't it be better if they were allowed to GROW UP. I suggest a minumum of 3 years removed from high school before they can sign a pro contract. Let them grow up. Whether it be three years in college or in a developmental league of some sort . Where there is some teaching going on. There is so much to be learned in college. Many of us grew up while going to college. We learned how to manage & budget & live. Let these kids do the same. The pros & colleges need to get together to make this work. More of these pro athletes will have more normal & successful lives, not just careers. In the end....Everybody Wins.
Like anything in education, it's a matter of readiness. Not necessarily a readiness to play the pro game but a readiness for the Pro Life? Jim Boeheim said, when asked about Carmelo Anthony's One & Done, heck college is where you go to find a career /job. He found a job in one year.
I want to concentrate on the issue of a readiness for the Pro Life. Do these kids know what to expect.....really? All the MONEY.....FAME........& what comes with it? The Reality & Rigger of the daily schedule? The Temptations that go with the Pro Life? Is it a wonder of the stories of a woman in every city, children by a multitude of mothers, drug problems, gun problems, & in some cases money problems. Read the papers or internet. The stories of their behaviors. The things they say? What would you say if you had a camera or microphone stuck in your face 24/7? The news is filled daily with stories about some pro athlete doing or saying something wrong. Is it a wonder?
Have they had time to really grow up? Have they been taught how to deal & manage a pro life? The successes? The failures? I hear that some counseling is available when they sign their pro deal. But wouldn't it be better if they were allowed to GROW UP. I suggest a minumum of 3 years removed from high school before they can sign a pro contract. Let them grow up. Whether it be three years in college or in a developmental league of some sort . Where there is some teaching going on. There is so much to be learned in college. Many of us grew up while going to college. We learned how to manage & budget & live. Let these kids do the same. The pros & colleges need to get together to make this work. More of these pro athletes will have more normal & successful lives, not just careers. In the end....Everybody Wins.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
When "Mind Your Own Business" changed it's meaning
Is anything anymore Only your own business? In a day of High Tech Communications, you have a split second to decide what is & what isn't your business. Why? Because somebody somewhere has it on film or has read a blog or a police report or heard a scanner & within seconds Your Business has just become EVERYONE'S Business. And the Ramifications can be disastrous. You no longer have time to try & explain. Everyone now has their version of what happened & has made their own opinion on what you did. Case in point.
The 51 year old married football coach at Arkansas was riding his motorcycle with a 28 year old female college worker. He slid his cycle off the road which necessitated help from the local police. Oh, the 28 year old was not his wife. Within minutes, his story was all over the internet with all kinds of twists & inuendos. Before he had a chance to tell his wife or explain what happened, millions of opinions were formed & it looks like his life is in a big turmoil, which might included the loss of his job & of course problems with his marriage.
You may say, He should have known better & he was wrong with what he was "doing". But does OUR right to know , supercede a person's right to their privacy or private life of any kind? Is ANYTHING fair game for the Media?
The current Bountygate situation in New Orleans took on a new meaning with the release of audio/video of a coach using pretty damning language asking his players to hurt the opponents. Now, anyone who has played football knows that coaches & players sometimes use that kind of language as motivation. Do they realy want players to hurt other players?
It used to be it was the " Need to Know" that we used when giving out info. According to today's world... EVERYTHING is Needed to know. I think that's sad. I think this hurts people more then it helps. It makes us ALL "Nosey" So next time someone says to you, "Mind your own business"...You can say..."I Am."
The 51 year old married football coach at Arkansas was riding his motorcycle with a 28 year old female college worker. He slid his cycle off the road which necessitated help from the local police. Oh, the 28 year old was not his wife. Within minutes, his story was all over the internet with all kinds of twists & inuendos. Before he had a chance to tell his wife or explain what happened, millions of opinions were formed & it looks like his life is in a big turmoil, which might included the loss of his job & of course problems with his marriage.
You may say, He should have known better & he was wrong with what he was "doing". But does OUR right to know , supercede a person's right to their privacy or private life of any kind? Is ANYTHING fair game for the Media?
The current Bountygate situation in New Orleans took on a new meaning with the release of audio/video of a coach using pretty damning language asking his players to hurt the opponents. Now, anyone who has played football knows that coaches & players sometimes use that kind of language as motivation. Do they realy want players to hurt other players?
It used to be it was the " Need to Know" that we used when giving out info. According to today's world... EVERYTHING is Needed to know. I think that's sad. I think this hurts people more then it helps. It makes us ALL "Nosey" So next time someone says to you, "Mind your own business"...You can say..."I Am."
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Who needs a Flack Jacket & Combat Pay?
I worked for 34 years in education. The first 7 in a blue collar neighborhood, a year in a rural neighborhood, & the final 26 years in a suburban/rural/urban neighborhood. The stories you'd here about what it must be like teaching in the cities of Troy, Albany, & Schenectady. How you'd need combat pay & flack jackets if you taught there. Then I retired & have done most of my subbing primarily in the city of Schenectady & have had student teachers in the city of Albany. I can only say how impressed I have been in the quality of their programs, the staff I have worked with, and the kids. If anything these kids come from so much less and are appreciative of whatever you can give them. The other day I witnessed a 7th gradeboy who had borrowed a pencil return to class to return the pencil. Sounds small but he could easily have kept it or just thrown it away. Today I had a 6th grade boy remind my class of third graders that they needed to help me pronounce their names rather then ridicule me for my efforts. He didn't have to say anything. You should have seen their reaction. I had a great day with them. I can honestly say, that I have enjoyed every day that I have subbed & have walked away impressed with the efforts of the staffs and children. KUDOS to all those involved in educating the kids in these schools. No Flack Jacket or Combat Pay needed. I'll be back.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
College Hoop at it's "Best" & "Worst"
Let's take a closer look at College Hoops. Jim Boeheim, when asked about Carmelo Anthony's One & Done approach to attending Syracuse University, responded that since kids go to college to find a career , what's wrong with Melo leaving after one year for his career? John Calapari has profected the "One & Done" at the University of Kentucky. A few years back with Johnny Wall, his whole starting five spent just one year in college before leaving for the NBA draft. This year, he starts 3 freshmen & 2 sophomores with the likelyhood that all five will leave for the draft. Calapari also has the distinction, along with other NCAA finalist Rick Pitino, of having a Final Four Season stripped after recruiting violations were found. Then you have BYU's Jimmer Fredette who spent four years in college, had a stellar career culmninating in his being named College Basketball Player of the year, and got his degree before entering in the NBA draft. He's earning more splinters then playing time in his first year, but earning millions of dollars. But not to fear Jimmer, there's the case of the Knick's Jeremy Lin, who graduated from Harvard and was never drafted . He was cut by a few teams before the Knicks gave him a shot. The rest is Linsanity.
So, What is the Right Way? Is Boeheim correct? Will the NBA revisit their at least one year between high school & pros? I remember when freshman couldn't play varsity in college. Remember Lou Alcinder? I'm not sure what the answer is but I do know that College Hoop is still the best Hoop game in town. A game where coaches & strategies still make a difference & where the players still play hard every night. March Madness & the Final Four are still a highlight of most people's sport's year. With my Bracket Busted, I'm rooting for a Great Final Game.......How Bout You?
So, What is the Right Way? Is Boeheim correct? Will the NBA revisit their at least one year between high school & pros? I remember when freshman couldn't play varsity in college. Remember Lou Alcinder? I'm not sure what the answer is but I do know that College Hoop is still the best Hoop game in town. A game where coaches & strategies still make a difference & where the players still play hard every night. March Madness & the Final Four are still a highlight of most people's sport's year. With my Bracket Busted, I'm rooting for a Great Final Game.......How Bout You?
Saturday, March 31, 2012
R E S P E C T
RESPECT? What exactly is it? How do we show it? Is it earned? Is it expected? How do you earn it? Is it missing all to often? All good questions and deserve answers. Some respects are just expected. Respect for Life. Respect for Right. Respect for your Parents. Respect for the Law. These are respects I feel should be expected. Respect for your elders should be included but all to often it is lost because of what some adults do. I think Respect is best when it is earned .It is earned by the way you treat people. In short Earned Respect is given right back. You get it when you give it. Sometimes you give it without saying, just by the way you act. Respect can be lost when you disrespect and then hard to get back. We need to show Respect for others until they give us a good reason not to. We need to be patient & allow for some mistakes but not so much that we are crushed under all the disrespect.
As you can see Respect is needed for us to grow & live in a country where All Men Are Created Equal. Respect is missing. Simple signs show me this every day. People not letting someone into traffic, People not returning their shopping carts. People talking during a movie. Kids NOT doing their homework. People judging others by their look instead of their actions. So much disrespect. Predjidice is a big example of disrespect. Our world will be a better place when we all respect each other, pitch in, & look out for the other guy.
As you can see Respect is needed for us to grow & live in a country where All Men Are Created Equal. Respect is missing. Simple signs show me this every day. People not letting someone into traffic, People not returning their shopping carts. People talking during a movie. Kids NOT doing their homework. People judging others by their look instead of their actions. So much disrespect. Predjidice is a big example of disrespect. Our world will be a better place when we all respect each other, pitch in, & look out for the other guy.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Social Media Turning Up the Heat
The recent story of the young man who was shot in Florida by a Neighborhood Watch guy has spread like wild fire due to social media like Twitter & Facebook. Each time people's extra opinions & "facts" have turned up the heat on the story. It is to the point where I don't know what is fact & what is fiction. A young 17 year old african american man is dead at the hands of a 28 year old hispanic -american man. This is a fact. Since the story broke the following "things" have been added to the story. The young man had just come from a convenient store where he bought skittles & an ice tea. The neighborhood watch man had made a 911 call to the police, something he had done many times before, & had been told to drop the surveillance on the young man. Both men involved had a police record. The young man was unarmed while the shooter had a registered hand gun. The young man was wearing a hoodie which now has made it a case of profiling by the neighborhood watch man. I guess there was an eye witness who reports to have seen the young man on top of the neighborhood watch man beating him before he was shot & killed, making it possibly a case of "self defense".
So why did this happen? Why didn't the neighborhood watch man back off when told by the Police to? What caused the young man to attack the neighborhood watch man? In the end, a young man is dead. That's all that should matter. A life is lost & another life is ruined.
But the Bigger story may be how the Social media has taken an awful story & made it a national story & may have caused an uprising. Some are making it a story about racial profiling. Some are asking for the head of the neighborhood watch man. Some are using this unfortunate story & loss of life for their own cause. Do we all really need to know what & why this happened? If we do, why can't we wait untill ALL the facts are known? Let's not make it something it isn't to further someone's cause. Let's remember a young man's life was lost. Nothing will bring him back . I hope to live in a world where we can all respect each other for who we are & not what we are. A world where we aren't judged by the clothes we wear, by the way we chose to live our lives, or the color of our skin but by the way we treat others. So wear that smile more often & let people ...all people, know you care.
And....think before you Post, Twitter, or join any cause.
So why did this happen? Why didn't the neighborhood watch man back off when told by the Police to? What caused the young man to attack the neighborhood watch man? In the end, a young man is dead. That's all that should matter. A life is lost & another life is ruined.
But the Bigger story may be how the Social media has taken an awful story & made it a national story & may have caused an uprising. Some are making it a story about racial profiling. Some are asking for the head of the neighborhood watch man. Some are using this unfortunate story & loss of life for their own cause. Do we all really need to know what & why this happened? If we do, why can't we wait untill ALL the facts are known? Let's not make it something it isn't to further someone's cause. Let's remember a young man's life was lost. Nothing will bring him back . I hope to live in a world where we can all respect each other for who we are & not what we are. A world where we aren't judged by the clothes we wear, by the way we chose to live our lives, or the color of our skin but by the way we treat others. So wear that smile more often & let people ...all people, know you care.
And....think before you Post, Twitter, or join any cause.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Does a Two Party System Really work?
I used to think so. I mean, one party keeping the other party in check seems reasonable. Democrats & Republicans, each with it's own basic beliefs, policies, & platforms is a healthy thing....Right? But somewhere along the way they became so adversarial that they both forgot who it is they are really working for. They think they are working for themselves & what is best for themselves. They don't allow free thinking amongst themselves. You have to hold & vote for & on the Party Line no matter what. Look where That's gotten us.
Let's just look at the head office of the President. In order for a president to be effective & that means getting things done that impacts the majority of Americans in a Positive way, he or she needs the support of the legislature. They have to agree to disagree at times or just see things the same way. But wait......If the president gets things done that pleases people & looks good doing it, then he might just get re-elected or it might make his party look good which would result in the other party Not getting control of the White House which is their ultimate goal. So instead they chose to make life difficult for the president by Not working with him to do what is best for Americans so that he looks bad so that their party can be the ones controlling the White House. Then it starts all over again. Heaven forbid, the American People should come first .
So what's the answer? Unless both parties can agree to work together for the common good, I suggest a 6 year one term only President. It won't solve all the issues our two party system has developed but at least the president won't be looking to be re-elected. Sad that we even have to discuss a solution like this. But if Politics has taught us anything it is that it is most certainly a Very Dirty Game.
Let's just look at the head office of the President. In order for a president to be effective & that means getting things done that impacts the majority of Americans in a Positive way, he or she needs the support of the legislature. They have to agree to disagree at times or just see things the same way. But wait......If the president gets things done that pleases people & looks good doing it, then he might just get re-elected or it might make his party look good which would result in the other party Not getting control of the White House which is their ultimate goal. So instead they chose to make life difficult for the president by Not working with him to do what is best for Americans so that he looks bad so that their party can be the ones controlling the White House. Then it starts all over again. Heaven forbid, the American People should come first .
So what's the answer? Unless both parties can agree to work together for the common good, I suggest a 6 year one term only President. It won't solve all the issues our two party system has developed but at least the president won't be looking to be re-elected. Sad that we even have to discuss a solution like this. But if Politics has taught us anything it is that it is most certainly a Very Dirty Game.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
What's up with the NFL? Peyton, Payton, & Tebow!!!!!!
Coaches, GM's, & players suspened for putting out "bounties" on opposing players. As we approach the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, is this just the tip of the iceberg? An in depth study has found that the New Orleans defensive players from the years 2009 to 2011 were involved in receiving bounties for taking out certain players from the opposing teams. As a result Coach Sean Payton has received a one year suspension, the GM an 8 game suspension, the defensive coach an indefinite suspension , and players' suspensions yet to be named. It's all about the League's efforts to make the game even safer. So while Peyton Manning gets richer playing for the Denver Broncos, Sean Payton loses his $7.5 Million Dollar salary for this year. The Rest of the NFL beware. This is one STRONG message. Can you say..." Zero Tollerance"?
I wouldn't be surprised if the NHL & MLB start looking closer at their games to see if that exists in their game. We know Hockey has it's enforcers looking to take out certain players. The next time you see a hard check will you wonder if it was intended to take that player out? Or how bout a pitch that brushes back a batter or hits that batter. Was THAT intentional & intended to take that player out? Are today's finding just the tip of an iceberg which could change the way all professional sports are played?
On another note: What is going on with Tim Tebow? Talk about a Media Mess. They have created a Monster. Yes, he won 7 out of 8 games with some dramatic comebacks and a playoff win against the might Steelers. And yes he has done it from the Quarterback position in a very unconventional manner. And Yes he seems to be very religious & wholesome. But the Media has made him a Wonder Boy & in the process helped to create animosity toward him from some factions jealous of his success & ATTENTION. Now after the Peyton Manning Frenzy, we now have the Tim Tebow Frenzy with him landing in New York with the Jets. The Jets just signed their QB Mark Sanchez to a 3 year extention. Why sign Tebow? As a Back Up? To put pressure on Sanchez? All it's done is create more controversy where you already have enough with Rex Ryan the coach.
Whatever you think....The NFL has given the Media Food for Fodder during a time when Football usually isn't the Head Line.........My Two...or rather Five Cents....
I wouldn't be surprised if the NHL & MLB start looking closer at their games to see if that exists in their game. We know Hockey has it's enforcers looking to take out certain players. The next time you see a hard check will you wonder if it was intended to take that player out? Or how bout a pitch that brushes back a batter or hits that batter. Was THAT intentional & intended to take that player out? Are today's finding just the tip of an iceberg which could change the way all professional sports are played?
On another note: What is going on with Tim Tebow? Talk about a Media Mess. They have created a Monster. Yes, he won 7 out of 8 games with some dramatic comebacks and a playoff win against the might Steelers. And yes he has done it from the Quarterback position in a very unconventional manner. And Yes he seems to be very religious & wholesome. But the Media has made him a Wonder Boy & in the process helped to create animosity toward him from some factions jealous of his success & ATTENTION. Now after the Peyton Manning Frenzy, we now have the Tim Tebow Frenzy with him landing in New York with the Jets. The Jets just signed their QB Mark Sanchez to a 3 year extention. Why sign Tebow? As a Back Up? To put pressure on Sanchez? All it's done is create more controversy where you already have enough with Rex Ryan the coach.
Whatever you think....The NFL has given the Media Food for Fodder during a time when Football usually isn't the Head Line.........My Two...or rather Five Cents....
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
What Winter?
I guess today is the first day of spring. It is March 20 and according to the calendar, spring starts today. What exactly does that mean? Well usually it's just a day. Usually there's still snow on the ground with temps maybe in the low 40's. Usually we are thinking about things we'll be doing in mid April when spring usually really gets here. Heck in 1983 we had a huge snow storm in mid April. The Winter of 2011-2012 was anything but a winter. We had less then 24 inches of snow with the bulk of that coming in late October & the last day of February. Temps were unseasonably warm. Heck last week they were in the 60's and this week in the 70's and 80's.
Yesterday my wife & granddaughter raked. I plan on getting the raking done in the next week or so & possibly roto-tilling my gardens in early April. Maybe I'll be able to plant in April instead of the Memorial Day my Nonno ALWAYS said to wait till. I just don't know. Can we trust the weather? It sure would be nice to be able to plant a full month earlier & extend our growing season. Imagine fresh tomatoes and squash in early June . I'm thinking of all the projects I can get started earlier. Do I dare? Painting, cleaning, reorganizing, & all those things you wait til really warm days to do.
But wait, those aren't the only things you can do in warm weather! I could go fishing. I could go out golfing!!!!!! How bout picnics & hiking & other such outings? Let's not forget all the places that are seasonal like Ice Cream at Curry Freeze & Grilled Burgers and such at Jumping Jacks in Scotia. You all must have places like that, that open in the spring.
With spring comes all these choices & decisions to make daily. It's just happening earlier. Are you ready to get into all this stuff? Or do you need another month? Wait a minute. Is this for real? Is it all in our imaginations? Is it a dream? Will we wake up one day to see Snow & Cold? I guess we'll have to take a chance & see.
On a side note, maybe this was God's way of giving all those adversely affected by last fall's rains & storms, a break. They certainly deserved one. Good luck to all those rebuilding their lives.
The BIG question for me is: Is this just this year or is this the way it's going to be? Will our kids never see another winter like we lived through? Maybe Global Warming is for real. I guess we'll have to wait & see. For now, I'm not going to worry about winter and weather it will make a comeback. I'm just going to enjoy SPRING. I suggest you do too. So see you out on the Golf Course.....in a park.....my a river or stream.........or in your house or yard "working".
Yesterday my wife & granddaughter raked. I plan on getting the raking done in the next week or so & possibly roto-tilling my gardens in early April. Maybe I'll be able to plant in April instead of the Memorial Day my Nonno ALWAYS said to wait till. I just don't know. Can we trust the weather? It sure would be nice to be able to plant a full month earlier & extend our growing season. Imagine fresh tomatoes and squash in early June . I'm thinking of all the projects I can get started earlier. Do I dare? Painting, cleaning, reorganizing, & all those things you wait til really warm days to do.
But wait, those aren't the only things you can do in warm weather! I could go fishing. I could go out golfing!!!!!! How bout picnics & hiking & other such outings? Let's not forget all the places that are seasonal like Ice Cream at Curry Freeze & Grilled Burgers and such at Jumping Jacks in Scotia. You all must have places like that, that open in the spring.
With spring comes all these choices & decisions to make daily. It's just happening earlier. Are you ready to get into all this stuff? Or do you need another month? Wait a minute. Is this for real? Is it all in our imaginations? Is it a dream? Will we wake up one day to see Snow & Cold? I guess we'll have to take a chance & see.
On a side note, maybe this was God's way of giving all those adversely affected by last fall's rains & storms, a break. They certainly deserved one. Good luck to all those rebuilding their lives.
The BIG question for me is: Is this just this year or is this the way it's going to be? Will our kids never see another winter like we lived through? Maybe Global Warming is for real. I guess we'll have to wait & see. For now, I'm not going to worry about winter and weather it will make a comeback. I'm just going to enjoy SPRING. I suggest you do too. So see you out on the Golf Course.....in a park.....my a river or stream.........or in your house or yard "working".
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Who Really Runs the Team
Playing in New York is like the "Truman Story". Your every move is put under a microscope. Only certain players & coaches can survive that much scrutiny. I guess The New York Knicks are seeing that first hand. Four years ago they were a rock bottom. So enter Coach Mike D'Antoni coming off some very successful years in Phoenix. Next, after losing for two years inorder to make cap space for "The King" and then failing to land the Big Fish, they settled for Amare Stoudemire formally of the same successful Phoenix teams. With some success but still lacking the guns, the Knicks unloaded half their future including my favorite "Italian", to land a Big Ego named "Melo". Things improved enough for the Knicks to make the playoffs after a lengthy absense but they quickly exited versus the Celtics. But there seemed hope. Then came this year & the Knicks got off to an awful start until the arrival of twice canned & Harvard Grad, Jeremy Lin. The Knicks seemed reseurected. They won like 7 out of 8 including victories over the Lakers & the defending champ Mavs. And noticeably absent for those wins was that Big Ego , Melo. Unfortunately, he returned & the Knicks stopped jelling. They stopped moving the ball. He returned to his style of posting up even though in the coach's offense, he was to play outside creating room for movement. With this inability to run offense came a serious lack of defensive effort & rebounding which spread to the whole team. Baron Davis at age 34 can't defend & has also become a detriment complaining of playing time. These Knicks with Melo's return have taken on his aura of " Me First" and consequently have lost 8 out of 10 games. What to do?
Well, A coach's job is to create an atmosphere where his team can be successful. To give them an offense & defense they feel comfy playing. Unfortunately, Mike D'Antoni couldn't find either that ALL the Knicks could play. Trading the problem wasn't going to happen. New York is ALL about making the Big Splash. They did that when they brough Melo in. They knew what his game was. Now they can't admit they are wrong. So, Out goes the coach. His contract was up soon anyway. The question becomes what kind of coach do they need who can Get it Done with What is There? Mike Woodson will get his shot but who they really want is 11 time champ & former Knick, Phil Jackson. But is this what Phil wants? I'm betting he does. When you've been to the mountain, you want to get back & what better way them in the Premier City in the world....New York. Just my 2.5 Cents.......
Well, A coach's job is to create an atmosphere where his team can be successful. To give them an offense & defense they feel comfy playing. Unfortunately, Mike D'Antoni couldn't find either that ALL the Knicks could play. Trading the problem wasn't going to happen. New York is ALL about making the Big Splash. They did that when they brough Melo in. They knew what his game was. Now they can't admit they are wrong. So, Out goes the coach. His contract was up soon anyway. The question becomes what kind of coach do they need who can Get it Done with What is There? Mike Woodson will get his shot but who they really want is 11 time champ & former Knick, Phil Jackson. But is this what Phil wants? I'm betting he does. When you've been to the mountain, you want to get back & what better way them in the Premier City in the world....New York. Just my 2.5 Cents.......
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Taking a Closer Look
The recent actions in Afghanistan have made me take a closer look at the US involvement there. We send 10's of thousands of young men and women to a foreign land with the goal of creating a better life for the people there. Many of these young men and women have no idea what they are doing there. Remember Viet Nam? Remember all the awful things that our soldiers did back then? Are you surprised by the actions of some of our soldiers this time around? I'm not sure if I am or not. But it sure does bother the Hell out of me. Urinating on dead Afghans? Burning their khorans? and the worst yet, a US soldier killing 16 Afghan civilians including 9 children. What do these actions of a few say about the character of our military ? Can we use War is Hell and war as an excuse?
For our involvement to work, for it to mean anything, the young men and women we are sending there have to believe in what we are doing there. And we need to do a better job of screening the men & women we are sending there. We need to learn from these actions and do our best to assure things like this don't happen. Afterall, without the trust of those we are trying to help, we can not be effective in our efforts. I can only hope & pray that the Afghan people can forgive these actions and continue to accept our help as we help them create a country they will feel safe living in and prosper. If not and they find ways to retaliate. The question becomes: What Are we doing over there?
For our involvement to work, for it to mean anything, the young men and women we are sending there have to believe in what we are doing there. And we need to do a better job of screening the men & women we are sending there. We need to learn from these actions and do our best to assure things like this don't happen. Afterall, without the trust of those we are trying to help, we can not be effective in our efforts. I can only hope & pray that the Afghan people can forgive these actions and continue to accept our help as we help them create a country they will feel safe living in and prosper. If not and they find ways to retaliate. The question becomes: What Are we doing over there?
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Mish Mash Day
Thought I'd hit on a bunch of things today:
Are hardcopy newspapers going to be a thing of the past? I always have loved having my paper to read every morning. I used to actually like seeing my carrier every week come to get paid. Automation has eliminated the carrier's weekly visit , missed deliveries aren't made up, accounts are credited, & renewals are done online. You never even see your carrier. Some people are canceling their papers & reading them online. The papers themselves aren't always very appealing & full of the ads needed to keep them in print. Carriers have to have a drivers license these days. Most carriers are people desperate for a job where in the past it was a kid looking to save some money for a new bike. The way things are going.......the daily newspaper may soon join the dinosaur.
Cutting some of brightest & best teachers is going to hurt kids & kill our schools. Seniority is used to determine cuts in schools. Last in ...First out. Being a former educator & facing this a few times in my career I totally understand it. If not, schools could save money by replacing the salaries of veteran teachers with that of new teachers. It doesn't seem fair. Many of our younger teachers are the ones running clubs, coaching, & doing many of the extras. So what is the answer? You tell me. Government needs to decide just how important education is & find a way to fund it that doesn't put the burden on the tax payers. Class sizes will be going up & please don't tell me,"When I was in school I was in a class of 30" Because today's kids with all their issues & disabilities need to be in smaller classes inorder to get the attention they need to learn. Also let's forget about all this stupid testing & paperwork & get back to educating kids. And, let's forget the "one size fits all" mentality in government & reinstitute our BOCES & Tech programs where kids can learn to fix cars, weld, do hair, & other useful skills. Not every kid needs to go to college. Wake up our 2012 version of "Boss Tweed" in Albany.
March Madness!!!!!!!!! North Carolina, Kentucky, Syracuse, Kansas, Duke, Missouri? Will one of these teams be crowned NCAA Men's Hoop Champ for 2012? Will it be a dark horse: Ohio State, Michigan, Michican State, Connecticut. How will Murray State, Butler, or Georgetown do? Winning 6 straight games in this tourney is tough. The team that does...deserves to be the top dog. But watch the game these days....Rough Stuff, unnecessary fouls, traveling, isolation plays, & bad attitudes are taking over where Team play, finese, skill, & positive attitudes used to be the rule. It's still the best time of year for the true basketball fan. So fill out your brackets & see who can guess right.
Friends are neat to have. There are many kinds of friends. Your brothers or sisters fit this category if you are lucky. They knew you when. You grew up in the same house hopefully & have so much to share. Stay Close! Kids you went to school with are friends too. They walked the halls with you, shared secrets, played sports, & laughed with you. Then on to college where you made some new friends & maybe you stay in touch. The work place is the next place to make some friends. You share the same grind & can complain or laugh & understand. Neighbors & your kids friend's parents are friends you make during the times you're kids are growing up. You share the same daily stuff. You make friends many different ways & it takes work. But when you get to the point when you can retire, you realize just who really matters & who is a real friend & who are acquaintances. Facebook and other social networks give us opportunities to reconnect & make new "friends" some you actually will never meet or be in the same room with. But it gives you peace of mind to have those connections. So the moral of this story? " Enjoy making friends" ?" A man is deemed successful by the number & kinds of friends he acquires" And .......Stay in Touch...... sign me, " Fran's Two Cents"....
Are hardcopy newspapers going to be a thing of the past? I always have loved having my paper to read every morning. I used to actually like seeing my carrier every week come to get paid. Automation has eliminated the carrier's weekly visit , missed deliveries aren't made up, accounts are credited, & renewals are done online. You never even see your carrier. Some people are canceling their papers & reading them online. The papers themselves aren't always very appealing & full of the ads needed to keep them in print. Carriers have to have a drivers license these days. Most carriers are people desperate for a job where in the past it was a kid looking to save some money for a new bike. The way things are going.......the daily newspaper may soon join the dinosaur.
Cutting some of brightest & best teachers is going to hurt kids & kill our schools. Seniority is used to determine cuts in schools. Last in ...First out. Being a former educator & facing this a few times in my career I totally understand it. If not, schools could save money by replacing the salaries of veteran teachers with that of new teachers. It doesn't seem fair. Many of our younger teachers are the ones running clubs, coaching, & doing many of the extras. So what is the answer? You tell me. Government needs to decide just how important education is & find a way to fund it that doesn't put the burden on the tax payers. Class sizes will be going up & please don't tell me,"When I was in school I was in a class of 30" Because today's kids with all their issues & disabilities need to be in smaller classes inorder to get the attention they need to learn. Also let's forget about all this stupid testing & paperwork & get back to educating kids. And, let's forget the "one size fits all" mentality in government & reinstitute our BOCES & Tech programs where kids can learn to fix cars, weld, do hair, & other useful skills. Not every kid needs to go to college. Wake up our 2012 version of "Boss Tweed" in Albany.
March Madness!!!!!!!!! North Carolina, Kentucky, Syracuse, Kansas, Duke, Missouri? Will one of these teams be crowned NCAA Men's Hoop Champ for 2012? Will it be a dark horse: Ohio State, Michigan, Michican State, Connecticut. How will Murray State, Butler, or Georgetown do? Winning 6 straight games in this tourney is tough. The team that does...deserves to be the top dog. But watch the game these days....Rough Stuff, unnecessary fouls, traveling, isolation plays, & bad attitudes are taking over where Team play, finese, skill, & positive attitudes used to be the rule. It's still the best time of year for the true basketball fan. So fill out your brackets & see who can guess right.
Friends are neat to have. There are many kinds of friends. Your brothers or sisters fit this category if you are lucky. They knew you when. You grew up in the same house hopefully & have so much to share. Stay Close! Kids you went to school with are friends too. They walked the halls with you, shared secrets, played sports, & laughed with you. Then on to college where you made some new friends & maybe you stay in touch. The work place is the next place to make some friends. You share the same grind & can complain or laugh & understand. Neighbors & your kids friend's parents are friends you make during the times you're kids are growing up. You share the same daily stuff. You make friends many different ways & it takes work. But when you get to the point when you can retire, you realize just who really matters & who is a real friend & who are acquaintances. Facebook and other social networks give us opportunities to reconnect & make new "friends" some you actually will never meet or be in the same room with. But it gives you peace of mind to have those connections. So the moral of this story? " Enjoy making friends" ?" A man is deemed successful by the number & kinds of friends he acquires" And .......Stay in Touch...... sign me, " Fran's Two Cents"....
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Here's a Real Role Model
Guys like Peyton Manning are so rare in the world of professional sports these days. We look to professional athletes as Role Models for our kids and end up disappointed so many times. Story after story appear with pro athletes being arrested or charged or involved in some illegle or immoral activity. Yes there's always a story on the back page of some volunteer work being done but it's always the bad stuff that shows up on the front page. I've heard professional athletes like Charles Barkley state that "We are not nor should not be considered role models". I guess we could argue that point. But take a look at the millions being made by the sales of pro athlete clothing & equipment. Look at the jerseys warn by kids.
Then take a look at the way Peyton Manning handled his release today by the Colts after 14 years. He demonstrated the class he brings to the Professional Sports. He talked about how fortunate he has been to play for the Colts & all the people he has come to know,respect, & love. He thanked everyone from the equipment guys to the owner. It has never been about money with Peyton. He loves the game & loves playing... quarterback. The Colts decision to move forward without him is all about the team rebuilding around a young quarterback and allowing Peyton to go elsewhere to resume & end his career. I loved watching the way Peyton handled himself. He is a real gentleman with character. He demonstrates that character on & off the field. I wish him all the luck in moving forward but more importantly that he stay healthy & safe. I've been a Colts fan for years but for the last 14 years, it's been all about him.
The Perfect Role Model for Kids does exist. Yes Pro Atheletes...You Are Role Models.....Just follow Peyton Manning's Lead.
Then take a look at the way Peyton Manning handled his release today by the Colts after 14 years. He demonstrated the class he brings to the Professional Sports. He talked about how fortunate he has been to play for the Colts & all the people he has come to know,respect, & love. He thanked everyone from the equipment guys to the owner. It has never been about money with Peyton. He loves the game & loves playing... quarterback. The Colts decision to move forward without him is all about the team rebuilding around a young quarterback and allowing Peyton to go elsewhere to resume & end his career. I loved watching the way Peyton handled himself. He is a real gentleman with character. He demonstrates that character on & off the field. I wish him all the luck in moving forward but more importantly that he stay healthy & safe. I've been a Colts fan for years but for the last 14 years, it's been all about him.
The Perfect Role Model for Kids does exist. Yes Pro Atheletes...You Are Role Models.....Just follow Peyton Manning's Lead.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Why Shop Wal-Mart?
The recent burgluries in Rotterdam, "A Nice Place to Live", has brought up the question , " Why?" One response to this question is the Wal-Mart located in the east end of town. People say that due to Wal-Mart's cheap prices, the kinds of people that do most of their shopping their might be the kinds that wouldn't think twice about breaking the law to get what they want.
About 6 years ago, we in the west end of the town fought to keep Wal-Mart out knowing full well the issues a Wal-Mart brings with it. Neighbor Scotia-Glenville has see its crime go up by 4 times since Wal-Mart came to town with most of the increase directly involving the store.
My biggest objection to Wal-Mart comes from the fact that most of their cheaper pricing is due to their items being manufactured outside of the USA. When Wal-Mart first came to this country I believe they sold us on the idea that they would sell mostly USA produced goods. Instead they have slowly but surely helped cause many USA produced goods to be made overseas cheaper so they could sell them in their stores. They have helped to shut down many Made in USA products.
So everytime those, who are complaining about the kinds of people that move into an area where a Wal-Mart exists, shop in that Wal-Mart they are promoting the exact kinds of behaviors they object to. I'm not saying everyone who shops at or lives near a Wal-Mart is someone who might break the law. But it does give us something to think about the next time we go shopping. We do need to bring those manufacturing jobs back to the US & one way of doing that is to try hard not to support products made elsewhere. Just My TwoCents on it.
About 6 years ago, we in the west end of the town fought to keep Wal-Mart out knowing full well the issues a Wal-Mart brings with it. Neighbor Scotia-Glenville has see its crime go up by 4 times since Wal-Mart came to town with most of the increase directly involving the store.
My biggest objection to Wal-Mart comes from the fact that most of their cheaper pricing is due to their items being manufactured outside of the USA. When Wal-Mart first came to this country I believe they sold us on the idea that they would sell mostly USA produced goods. Instead they have slowly but surely helped cause many USA produced goods to be made overseas cheaper so they could sell them in their stores. They have helped to shut down many Made in USA products.
So everytime those, who are complaining about the kinds of people that move into an area where a Wal-Mart exists, shop in that Wal-Mart they are promoting the exact kinds of behaviors they object to. I'm not saying everyone who shops at or lives near a Wal-Mart is someone who might break the law. But it does give us something to think about the next time we go shopping. We do need to bring those manufacturing jobs back to the US & one way of doing that is to try hard not to support products made elsewhere. Just My TwoCents on it.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
A Nose for a Nose?
Will someone tell the so-called Sports Writers that today's Laker/Heat Game is about Two teams playing basketball and Not about Andrew Bynum getting back at Dwane Wade for Kobe Bryant's broken nose in the all-star game. I sware they sometimes create a situation where there isn't one. LOL Dwane was doing something you don't see in any all-star game. Playing Defense. As they say...." Shit Happens'.
Let's Watch them beat another dead horse with the newly named "Bountygate" story they've created. Did they forget that Football is a Contact Sport? Of course I'm not saying I'm in favor of one player deliberately trying to hurt another player but defensive players jobs are to make hits & tackle & sometimes players get hurt. Sorry I digress. This is a whole other blog.
When a sports reporter used to write about an upcoming game they used to write about how each team was playing or how individuals were playing. Nowadays they have to find an angle to write about. Someone's personal life issue or words that were spoken or specualations made about a trade or someone's job security, or as in the Kobe/Dwane situation, a possible retaliation for a hit.
I do understand the need to create interest in a game or a story. Also they are all competing with each other for top line. They should be allowed some creative space to write. I'm just saying that they need to be more cognicent of their writing and where it may go. Their writing will affect public opinion and may lead to certain conclusions being made. In the Kobe/Dwane situation, Dwane accidently broke Kobe's nose while reaching on defense. For reporters to speculate whether Andrew Bynum would retaliate against Dwane as a sign of his support of his team mate is irresponsible writing. These are two great players and two great teams. There has to be more to write about.
Let's Watch them beat another dead horse with the newly named "Bountygate" story they've created. Did they forget that Football is a Contact Sport? Of course I'm not saying I'm in favor of one player deliberately trying to hurt another player but defensive players jobs are to make hits & tackle & sometimes players get hurt. Sorry I digress. This is a whole other blog.
When a sports reporter used to write about an upcoming game they used to write about how each team was playing or how individuals were playing. Nowadays they have to find an angle to write about. Someone's personal life issue or words that were spoken or specualations made about a trade or someone's job security, or as in the Kobe/Dwane situation, a possible retaliation for a hit.
I do understand the need to create interest in a game or a story. Also they are all competing with each other for top line. They should be allowed some creative space to write. I'm just saying that they need to be more cognicent of their writing and where it may go. Their writing will affect public opinion and may lead to certain conclusions being made. In the Kobe/Dwane situation, Dwane accidently broke Kobe's nose while reaching on defense. For reporters to speculate whether Andrew Bynum would retaliate against Dwane as a sign of his support of his team mate is irresponsible writing. These are two great players and two great teams. There has to be more to write about.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Sells Tickets I Guess
It's all about selling tickets I Guess. New Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine decided it was quiet enough & thought he'd stir the pot. Like the Yankees & Red Sox needed it. The Bronx Bombers & BoSox have a storied history & rivalry so it doesn't take much. The Yankees had their 27 flags while the Sox after winning the first World Series in 1903 & five of the first fifteen World Series went 86 years before their next Championship in 2004 & again in 2007. The 2004 Championship is especially tasty to Sox fans after their 7 game come from behind victory over those rival Yankees in the division chamionships. Over the past 4 years the two teams have both been in the hunt with the Yankees winning their 27th championship in 2009 and the Sox collapse in 2011 highliting those years.
But their rivalry & anything connected to it will continue to be fodder for any sports reporter. So when new Sox Manager Bobby Valentine commented on Jason Varitek's retirement by mentioning how he "beat up" A-Rod in a 2004 confrontation or how the famous"flip"to home relay that Derek Jeter made in the 2001 playoffs was unnecessary its going to give those sports reporters something to run with & run they did. Those comments were then followed by comments by A-Rod & Jeter with A-Rod totally downplaying it & Jeter c0mmenting that Bobby must be bored & why did he have to say that. It made front page sports news.
It was nothing, but it proves my point that today's "Sports" reporting is more about things happening off the field & comments & behaviors of athletes & others involved with the sport then the actual Games themselves. It's what sells tickets. How else can you explain people paying exhorbitant prices to attend these sporting events when we are cutting in our schools and people are starving all over. This kind of stuff sells tickets & fills the sport's pages & sport's casts.
Then again, you know it's spring training time when you start hearing about the Yankees & the Red Sox. What about my Mets? Just My Two Cents. About what the Mets spent on Free Agents this winter.
But their rivalry & anything connected to it will continue to be fodder for any sports reporter. So when new Sox Manager Bobby Valentine commented on Jason Varitek's retirement by mentioning how he "beat up" A-Rod in a 2004 confrontation or how the famous"flip"to home relay that Derek Jeter made in the 2001 playoffs was unnecessary its going to give those sports reporters something to run with & run they did. Those comments were then followed by comments by A-Rod & Jeter with A-Rod totally downplaying it & Jeter c0mmenting that Bobby must be bored & why did he have to say that. It made front page sports news.
It was nothing, but it proves my point that today's "Sports" reporting is more about things happening off the field & comments & behaviors of athletes & others involved with the sport then the actual Games themselves. It's what sells tickets. How else can you explain people paying exhorbitant prices to attend these sporting events when we are cutting in our schools and people are starving all over. This kind of stuff sells tickets & fills the sport's pages & sport's casts.
Then again, you know it's spring training time when you start hearing about the Yankees & the Red Sox. What about my Mets? Just My Two Cents. About what the Mets spent on Free Agents this winter.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
What Ever Happened to Sportsmanship?
How do we stop this? In Section 2 & the NYSPSAA we have instituted a Sportsmanship Policy which is posted in every gym in the state and is read many times prior to a game.The next step is in enforce it. School administration needs to step up & demand that their students and fans display good sportsmanship.
Now to get what has gotten me on this topic. Tonight I attended a girls basketball game. read belo
Saturday, February 25, 2012
British Show Hits Home
The BBC show, "Downtown Abbey" is hitting home here in the Good Old USA. Just finishing it's second season. it has become favorite of especially many middle & lower class Americans. What grabs us is the "Compassion that the Rich have for the Poor" in the series. The fictional Lord Grantham reminds us alot of our 32nd president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Mr Roosevelt , like Lord Grantham, is from an Aristocratic family but always shows compassion for those with less, lots less. He gives a job to his current butler whom he fought side by side with in WWI. He gives his staff a ball where he & his family wait on them. He treats them like equals in many ways even going the extra mile & looking out for them. The Gap between the Haves & Have Nots in his world is very small. FDR was that kind of leader. He looked out for Have Nots. Many of his programs were designed to shrink the gap & take care of the less fortunate.
Americans are loving "Downtown Abbey". They would love to see an America built on it's principals. If we could shrink that gap, I believe many of the issues we are struggling with would shrink as well. We need politicians & leaders that embrace those kinds of thoughts & are more like FDR. They need to encourage the Rich...the Haves to reach out their hands & make them "Helping Hands". To develope laws & policies which close that HUGE Gap. Which puts all Americans on equal footing when it comes to most of life's opportunities. There will always be a Gap but The Gap shouldn't be getting bigger. So Americans, maybe the British have the right idea. Maybe it's time for us to Learn from our Former Mother Country once again. Let's find Leaders that "Get It".
Americans are loving "Downtown Abbey". They would love to see an America built on it's principals. If we could shrink that gap, I believe many of the issues we are struggling with would shrink as well. We need politicians & leaders that embrace those kinds of thoughts & are more like FDR. They need to encourage the Rich...the Haves to reach out their hands & make them "Helping Hands". To develope laws & policies which close that HUGE Gap. Which puts all Americans on equal footing when it comes to most of life's opportunities. There will always be a Gap but The Gap shouldn't be getting bigger. So Americans, maybe the British have the right idea. Maybe it's time for us to Learn from our Former Mother Country once again. Let's find Leaders that "Get It".
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Tale of Three NBA'ers
Jimmer Fredette graduated from College at BYU & was drafted #10 by the Sacremento Kings. Jeremy Lin graduated from College at Harvard and was un-drafted by the NBA. DeMarcus Cousins went to the Univ. of Kentucky for a year before getting drafted in the top 10 by the Sacremento Kings. He was always in & out of trouble in both High School & College & there are those of us who believe he was a major reason for former Coach Paul Westphaul of the Kings to be fired & Kieth Smart to be hired.
Lin's story is well documented. He went undrafted out of Harvard before his hometown GS Warriors signed him. He was cut by the Warriors & hooked up with the Houston Rockets who also cut him before getting his big chance with the New York Knicks & making the Huge Splash he has made. Good for Him.
Jimmer's story was a fairy tale career at BYU ending in his being named College Player of the Year after his Senior Year. He was drafted #10 by the Sacremento Kings, the youngest team in the NBA. We all figured he had things to learn to adjust his team oriented style of play to the typical run & gun, Me first style of most NBA teams. But once Mr Smart took over the Kings it was obvious he thought Jimmer had much to learn & didn't fit in his style. The Kings play a run & gun style with emphasis on taking the paul hard to the hoop. Once the ball is over half court not many passes are made. Jimmer is seeing less & less time. Knowing Jimmer he will work harder & harder to prove himself & get more playing time.
Meanwhile Demarcus Cousins plays the me first style I was refering to while he hangs under the basket. His reputation for a bad attitude is well documented. He plays 40 or more minutes most games unless he gets into foul trouble.
It sure is nice to see Jeremy Lin get rewarded for all his hard work. I sure hope it happens for Jimmer, if not with the Kings, then with a team that appreciates his hard work ethic, good manners, great attitude, & skills. We can hope that he rubs off on Demarcus Cousins. The NBA needs more Jeremy Lins & Jimmer Fredettes.
Lin's story is well documented. He went undrafted out of Harvard before his hometown GS Warriors signed him. He was cut by the Warriors & hooked up with the Houston Rockets who also cut him before getting his big chance with the New York Knicks & making the Huge Splash he has made. Good for Him.
Jimmer's story was a fairy tale career at BYU ending in his being named College Player of the Year after his Senior Year. He was drafted #10 by the Sacremento Kings, the youngest team in the NBA. We all figured he had things to learn to adjust his team oriented style of play to the typical run & gun, Me first style of most NBA teams. But once Mr Smart took over the Kings it was obvious he thought Jimmer had much to learn & didn't fit in his style. The Kings play a run & gun style with emphasis on taking the paul hard to the hoop. Once the ball is over half court not many passes are made. Jimmer is seeing less & less time. Knowing Jimmer he will work harder & harder to prove himself & get more playing time.
Meanwhile Demarcus Cousins plays the me first style I was refering to while he hangs under the basket. His reputation for a bad attitude is well documented. He plays 40 or more minutes most games unless he gets into foul trouble.
It sure is nice to see Jeremy Lin get rewarded for all his hard work. I sure hope it happens for Jimmer, if not with the Kings, then with a team that appreciates his hard work ethic, good manners, great attitude, & skills. We can hope that he rubs off on Demarcus Cousins. The NBA needs more Jeremy Lins & Jimmer Fredettes.
A Time to Share
To Blog or Not to Blog? What to Blog About?
The Price of Oil & Gas skyrocketing due to issues in Iran. The Knicks, Melo & Linsanity? Is this Mo's last year? The Mets & why be a Met's fan?This Crazy Snowless winter & how it will affect our Year? Schools & how the 2% tax cap is going to affect them? What are Schools going to look like next year & in years to come? How Teachers have become the "Whipping Boys & Girls" of all our country's failures? Does the President really matter? Wanted: A Fair & Honest Politician/cCndidate who will truly make a difference & who truly cares about all the right things. Why will be spend millions on Entertainment & Entertainers while we have hundreds of thousands living in poverty? Why doesn't it pay to grow old?
I'd like to share a story I heard recently. All of a sudden an elderly person had their prescription costs skyrocket. Trying to get answers from their Medicare Part D Drug provider was like "pulling" teeth. Cigna had no answers but something had changed. This person tried talking to the Pharmacy where their drugs were purchased & their doctor. All they got was the possibilities of trying generic drugs. But not all this person's drugs had a generic. So what to do? This person couldn't afford to stay alive basically.
The problem of Medical Insurance is hurting the citizens of this country. What to do? We need answers. We need congress to get off thier high horses & stop worrying about being re-elected , stop paying back favors, stop bashing one another, and start taking care of business. We all need affordable Health Insurance & especially for our Elderly & Children.
The Price of Oil & Gas skyrocketing due to issues in Iran. The Knicks, Melo & Linsanity? Is this Mo's last year? The Mets & why be a Met's fan?This Crazy Snowless winter & how it will affect our Year? Schools & how the 2% tax cap is going to affect them? What are Schools going to look like next year & in years to come? How Teachers have become the "Whipping Boys & Girls" of all our country's failures? Does the President really matter? Wanted: A Fair & Honest Politician/cCndidate who will truly make a difference & who truly cares about all the right things. Why will be spend millions on Entertainment & Entertainers while we have hundreds of thousands living in poverty? Why doesn't it pay to grow old?
I'd like to share a story I heard recently. All of a sudden an elderly person had their prescription costs skyrocket. Trying to get answers from their Medicare Part D Drug provider was like "pulling" teeth. Cigna had no answers but something had changed. This person tried talking to the Pharmacy where their drugs were purchased & their doctor. All they got was the possibilities of trying generic drugs. But not all this person's drugs had a generic. So what to do? This person couldn't afford to stay alive basically.
The problem of Medical Insurance is hurting the citizens of this country. What to do? We need answers. We need congress to get off thier high horses & stop worrying about being re-elected , stop paying back favors, stop bashing one another, and start taking care of business. We all need affordable Health Insurance & especially for our Elderly & Children.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Do Fans Fan the Flames
So what is a fan? To me it's someone who supports a team by rooting them on, by cheering for them, and by following their every move. Fan's can get nasty they can do some unthinkable things, and they can be very negative. Unfortunately that's the side of fans we seem to see more often now a days. Watch or go to any sporting event and you'll see this. But since when does cheering your team on have to be shown by being disrespectful to their opponents?
A few years ago I was working the Girls' State Tournament and had to deal with a group of fans from a local high school yelling disrespectful comments to the opponents. There were even "cheers' directing at specific players. When trying to tone them down, I heard comments like....Let them cheer....They're only being kids.........It's not that bad. I was surprised that their school's officials didn't try & control them. I did have some of their parents apologize for their behavior though. Recently I was at a college hockey game where the student section directed dorogitory comments at the players from the other team. These comments included words like "You suck'...." Asshole" ...& others. They even created t-shirts which "Implied" sware words on them directed against the opponents.
I'm just wondering why? Why do fans feel it is their right to belittle & disrespect the opposing team & players? Why can't they just cheer on their team without disrespecting the other team?
Let's carry it a bit further. How many times in the past year have you read about or seen footage of fans fighting or beating up fans of the opposing team? There was a fan in San Francisco beaten so much, he was paralyzed. How about the youth league parents that berate the other team or their own child's coach because their child isn't playing enough? They even did a Law N Order where a parent murdered his son's coach. How far will they take it? What are we teaching our children? Has SPORTS gone to far? Is it just sports? Do Fans Fan the Flames?
A few years ago I was working the Girls' State Tournament and had to deal with a group of fans from a local high school yelling disrespectful comments to the opponents. There were even "cheers' directing at specific players. When trying to tone them down, I heard comments like....Let them cheer....They're only being kids.........It's not that bad. I was surprised that their school's officials didn't try & control them. I did have some of their parents apologize for their behavior though. Recently I was at a college hockey game where the student section directed dorogitory comments at the players from the other team. These comments included words like "You suck'...." Asshole" ...& others. They even created t-shirts which "Implied" sware words on them directed against the opponents.
I'm just wondering why? Why do fans feel it is their right to belittle & disrespect the opposing team & players? Why can't they just cheer on their team without disrespecting the other team?
Let's carry it a bit further. How many times in the past year have you read about or seen footage of fans fighting or beating up fans of the opposing team? There was a fan in San Francisco beaten so much, he was paralyzed. How about the youth league parents that berate the other team or their own child's coach because their child isn't playing enough? They even did a Law N Order where a parent murdered his son's coach. How far will they take it? What are we teaching our children? Has SPORTS gone to far? Is it just sports? Do Fans Fan the Flames?
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Coaches vs Parents
Being a former coach, I am a bit touchy when I hear parents bashing a coach. I understand that coaches can be wrong at times but until you've had the pleasure of coaching, you really will never understand the responsibility that a coach has. No matter what level, your biggest responsibility is to teach the game and to do it fairly. That's s where the rub comes in with parents. What exactly is fairly? I used to tell my parents," When you come to a game, your eyes are focused on " # 12 ". Meanwhile my eyes are focused on all 12 of my players. Where I am concerned about each player, my main concern is the team. I have to balance the well being of the team to the well being of each player. Depending on the level, the well being of the individual, may take a back seat to that of the team. Meaning that at the early levels, we need to develope all of our players & that may mean sacrificing winning.
Parents need to support their child & their child's team. They can do it best by: Making sure their child stays healthy, getting them to & from practice & games, helping the team fundraise, encouraging their child to always work hard & do their best, and by not bashing their child's coach or teammates. A coach works very hard to help his team create good team chemistry and a trust between he or she & their players. Nothing destroys team chemistry more then parents using the dinner time conversation to question & bash their child's coach or teammates. If your child is unhappy with his or her spot on their team, as a parent, you need to encourage them to discuss the situation with their coach.
A parent's attitude can be the deciding factor as to whether their child has an enjoyable experience or not. A parent's bad attitude can create a "cancer" on their child's team. Or their attitude can help propell them to a successful & enjoyable experience. It needs to be Coaches AND Parents , not Coaches vs Parents.
Parents need to support their child & their child's team. They can do it best by: Making sure their child stays healthy, getting them to & from practice & games, helping the team fundraise, encouraging their child to always work hard & do their best, and by not bashing their child's coach or teammates. A coach works very hard to help his team create good team chemistry and a trust between he or she & their players. Nothing destroys team chemistry more then parents using the dinner time conversation to question & bash their child's coach or teammates. If your child is unhappy with his or her spot on their team, as a parent, you need to encourage them to discuss the situation with their coach.
A parent's attitude can be the deciding factor as to whether their child has an enjoyable experience or not. A parent's bad attitude can create a "cancer" on their child's team. Or their attitude can help propell them to a successful & enjoyable experience. It needs to be Coaches AND Parents , not Coaches vs Parents.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
What Makes us Who We Are?
I'm debating what to talk about today & have decided to give a little ...like one cent to two topics.
Yesterday I was walking to CVS when I passed a person loading their car with things they had purchased at CVS. On my way out I noticed that they had left their cart right where they had been parked, about 50 feet from the store entrance. I preceded to bring the cart back.
So: What made that person leave the cart there & what made me bring it back to the store? In other words, Why did they feel it was ok to just leave the cart in the middle of the parking lot & Why did I feel I should bring it back to the store? I'm not saying they were wrong & I was right . I'm not saying " Hooray for ME". Just posing that question, What makes us who we are?
Did I come from a household where there were people who did these kinds of things? Is it a case of Right & Wrong and knowing the difference? Did I conciously think of that when I returned the cart? Did the other person just feel it was the right thing to do to leave the cart there? Is it an employees job to return the cart? Was he/she in a hurry? Did they forget? I'm really not sure what is the answer here. I will tell you this: I will pick up trash or bottles that I walk by & deposit them in a trash can. I will return extra carts when I return mine.I will not block a side road & will let others out of a side road.
Again, O'm not saying this to say "HooRay for Me". But it does speak to who we are & what makes us who we are. I gotta believe being around certain kinds of Role Models does influence us some how. All that we are exposed to makes us who we are. It can't help but. So as you go about doing whatever you are doing think of how you are influencing what others around you are becoming because whether we like it or not, Our Influence is out there & in the end it's what we leave behind. Finish this sentence: Boy, he/she or that reminds me of.............................
As a devote & sufferring Knick fan yearning for the days of Clyde , Willis, Dick, Bill, & Dave days....it sure is refeshing to see what the young Jeremy Lin has done for the Knicks. They are fun to watch & they are winning. The question remains, what will happen when the mega-stars Melo & Amare return? Will they be happy with sharing the limelight with the humble Mr Lin? Will they beable to play in the fast paced ball movement game? Or Will they succumb to their one on one isolation game which had us losing & losing? Is it All about them or all about the team? I sure hope The Team wins out.
That's about two cents worth for today.
Yesterday I was walking to CVS when I passed a person loading their car with things they had purchased at CVS. On my way out I noticed that they had left their cart right where they had been parked, about 50 feet from the store entrance. I preceded to bring the cart back.
So: What made that person leave the cart there & what made me bring it back to the store? In other words, Why did they feel it was ok to just leave the cart in the middle of the parking lot & Why did I feel I should bring it back to the store? I'm not saying they were wrong & I was right . I'm not saying " Hooray for ME". Just posing that question, What makes us who we are?
Did I come from a household where there were people who did these kinds of things? Is it a case of Right & Wrong and knowing the difference? Did I conciously think of that when I returned the cart? Did the other person just feel it was the right thing to do to leave the cart there? Is it an employees job to return the cart? Was he/she in a hurry? Did they forget? I'm really not sure what is the answer here. I will tell you this: I will pick up trash or bottles that I walk by & deposit them in a trash can. I will return extra carts when I return mine.I will not block a side road & will let others out of a side road.
Again, O'm not saying this to say "HooRay for Me". But it does speak to who we are & what makes us who we are. I gotta believe being around certain kinds of Role Models does influence us some how. All that we are exposed to makes us who we are. It can't help but. So as you go about doing whatever you are doing think of how you are influencing what others around you are becoming because whether we like it or not, Our Influence is out there & in the end it's what we leave behind. Finish this sentence: Boy, he/she or that reminds me of.............................
As a devote & sufferring Knick fan yearning for the days of Clyde , Willis, Dick, Bill, & Dave days....it sure is refeshing to see what the young Jeremy Lin has done for the Knicks. They are fun to watch & they are winning. The question remains, what will happen when the mega-stars Melo & Amare return? Will they be happy with sharing the limelight with the humble Mr Lin? Will they beable to play in the fast paced ball movement game? Or Will they succumb to their one on one isolation game which had us losing & losing? Is it All about them or all about the team? I sure hope The Team wins out.
That's about two cents worth for today.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Does a Test Tell it all?
As I stated when I started this Blog, It will be my opinion mostly but sometimes, many times, my opinion is shared by others. And sometimes I will read something that inspires my Blog. Today is just one of those times. There appeared a Great Letter from former Schenectady Teacher , Richard Terry, in today's Schenectady Gazette, on State Testing being used in a teacher's evaluation. He points out what should be obvious flaws. I'd like to make a point myself. I observed the following in a Kindergarten classroom. There was a discussion regarding what a Leap Year was. There were a few 5 year olds who were able to relate the sun & solar system, some that knew that the earth revolved around the sun, while some didn't know what the earth and sun were. Obviously some came from a home environment where much time was taken reading, being read to, & discussions were had while some had little or none of this, with little constructive attention paid. Circumstances are different in homes which allow for some things to occur or not to occur. Twelve years later most of these children will graduate after spending those twelve years in their home circumstance. The point is : These children will have similar educational programs given by their schools. But can that make up for the vast differences in their home circumstances? How can we expect all students to fit the "same" mold when tested? Given the same Recipe but different Ingredients....will the cake be the same? Something to think about.
Friday, February 10, 2012
To stand or Not to stand
Recently I got involved in a discussion on Standing for the Pledge of Alligiance. The discussion took me places I hadn't given much thought about. When my generation stands is it because we truly know why we are standing or was it just ingrained that we should? In recent years people's right to stand or not stand has come into play. Heck in school we couldn't force a student to say the pledge but he/she had to stand. Most students said the pledge but was it out of fear, following the crowd, or because they really understood what they were saying & why? A recent cartoon showing a student sitting with his feet up on his desk during the pledge and his teacher standing next to a wounded vet sitting in a wheel chair led to the discussion I mentioned earlier. The teacher pointed out to the student that the vet couldn't stand because of wounds he inflicted protecting the student's right to not stand.
Very Interesting. Do students today really understand where their rights were earned? Do they understand why George Washington led an army of colonists fighting for their freedom to be a new nation "under God" and not under British Rule? Do they understand the Declaration of Independence & what it says & means? Do they understand the Constitution & Bill of Rights, where those rights came from, & what was lost to gain those rights? Do they understand that all the wars & fights our country has been in since has been fought to protect those rights . Not only our rights but the rights of all people to be free?
So Why stand during the pledge? Why recite the pledge? Why stand during the Star Spangled Banner? Why sing it?
I believe it all started out of Respect for the Flag and what it stood for. Under that flag, many men & women fought for those rights & to protect & keep those rights we hold so true. Over the years many have given their lives to keep us free & protect our rights.
Now there are some that say that one of those rights we fought for is the right we have to not stand. Well I suppose they are right. We don't have to stand during the pledge or our country's national anthem or when our flag goes by. But so many of the morals that made our country the greatest country in the world are gone. Gone due to apathy or the lack of good foundation for our children due to so many "advances". Ah..there's my wit & sarcasm shining through. Advances in many areas have allowed us to forget to raise respectable and moral children to carry on the respect and honor we should afford our country, it's flag, & all those who have given to protect our right to stand or not. Sad but true.
So for what it's worth, No one should stand because they are just following the leader or out of fear. But Hopefully after they've been taught where those rights they hold dear came from, they will WANT to stand up for America & for all those who died to give us our freedom,to keep us free, & who gave us our rights.
It's the least we can do.
Very Interesting. Do students today really understand where their rights were earned? Do they understand why George Washington led an army of colonists fighting for their freedom to be a new nation "under God" and not under British Rule? Do they understand the Declaration of Independence & what it says & means? Do they understand the Constitution & Bill of Rights, where those rights came from, & what was lost to gain those rights? Do they understand that all the wars & fights our country has been in since has been fought to protect those rights . Not only our rights but the rights of all people to be free?
So Why stand during the pledge? Why recite the pledge? Why stand during the Star Spangled Banner? Why sing it?
I believe it all started out of Respect for the Flag and what it stood for. Under that flag, many men & women fought for those rights & to protect & keep those rights we hold so true. Over the years many have given their lives to keep us free & protect our rights.
Now there are some that say that one of those rights we fought for is the right we have to not stand. Well I suppose they are right. We don't have to stand during the pledge or our country's national anthem or when our flag goes by. But so many of the morals that made our country the greatest country in the world are gone. Gone due to apathy or the lack of good foundation for our children due to so many "advances". Ah..there's my wit & sarcasm shining through. Advances in many areas have allowed us to forget to raise respectable and moral children to carry on the respect and honor we should afford our country, it's flag, & all those who have given to protect our right to stand or not. Sad but true.
So for what it's worth, No one should stand because they are just following the leader or out of fear. But Hopefully after they've been taught where those rights they hold dear came from, they will WANT to stand up for America & for all those who died to give us our freedom,to keep us free, & who gave us our rights.
It's the least we can do.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Getting Started
I can't believe it. I'm finally taking some advice and starting my own blog. Fran's Two Cents will exclusively be only my opinion on things. Oh I may steal an idea or thought because as we all know our thoughts are a collection of things we have heard somewhere and given thought about. But as those of you who know me giving my opinion on things is something I do pretty regularly. I feel that my opinions are mostly what most regular people are thinking and just aren't always saying. So where to start? Well my opinions come from over 30 years in education and 36 years of marriage and 33 years as a father. Oh and over 30 years as a coach and 58 years as a person or a good facsimile of one.
I will try and update this regularly as long as I can find this site again. Thanks to my cousin Nina's daughter Stefanie who helped me find this site and nice words of encouragement from Roland and Chrissy and you too Michelle. I may just ramble from time to time or throw in a joke or riddle to get you all thinking. Because thinking is something we don't do enough of. so ready....set...here goes:
Our Education System is in Need of Big Help. I know that throwing more money at it isn't the answer but it can't hurt. Teachers need to be evaluated but so do administrators and yes so do parents. But how can we do it without pissing everyone off. How bout we all just do our jobs to the best of our abilities. Oh and maybe just maybe the kids can try and do their bests. Next let's forget about all these stupid tests because all they do is tell us how stupid we all are and take up so much valuable time that could be used to LEARN. Then let us stop comparing ourselves to the rest of the world. We're never going to measure up. They all learn English but we all don't learn spanish or whatever. Also only the smart kids in all those countries get tested. They are smarter then we are. We test even the dummies. If we just tested the smarties and actually taught our kids good English we just might measure up to the rest of the world.
Lets face it, we can't keep cutting and cutting. If we do our schools will be like a barber shop with most of our brains all over the floor. We need to offer our kids a well rounded education and cut the testing and other unfunded mandates. Bottom line....Throw Money at it but make sure it gets caught and used well. Give all schools good Gloves.
I will try and update this regularly as long as I can find this site again. Thanks to my cousin Nina's daughter Stefanie who helped me find this site and nice words of encouragement from Roland and Chrissy and you too Michelle. I may just ramble from time to time or throw in a joke or riddle to get you all thinking. Because thinking is something we don't do enough of. so ready....set...here goes:
Our Education System is in Need of Big Help. I know that throwing more money at it isn't the answer but it can't hurt. Teachers need to be evaluated but so do administrators and yes so do parents. But how can we do it without pissing everyone off. How bout we all just do our jobs to the best of our abilities. Oh and maybe just maybe the kids can try and do their bests. Next let's forget about all these stupid tests because all they do is tell us how stupid we all are and take up so much valuable time that could be used to LEARN. Then let us stop comparing ourselves to the rest of the world. We're never going to measure up. They all learn English but we all don't learn spanish or whatever. Also only the smart kids in all those countries get tested. They are smarter then we are. We test even the dummies. If we just tested the smarties and actually taught our kids good English we just might measure up to the rest of the world.
Lets face it, we can't keep cutting and cutting. If we do our schools will be like a barber shop with most of our brains all over the floor. We need to offer our kids a well rounded education and cut the testing and other unfunded mandates. Bottom line....Throw Money at it but make sure it gets caught and used well. Give all schools good Gloves.
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