Posts with the tag education

"Call for Papers": Requesting Assistance Creating "Introduction Section" for Document "Calling 'the better angels of our nature...'"

Stefan from Leesburg, VA — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 12:23:58 EST

(Outreach Post; Abridged Version)

About This Message

This message is a sincere request for assistance with creating an “introduction section” (more than 1 introduction) for a document titled “Calling ‘the better angels of our nature’: How Community Visioning Initiatives and Spiritual Wisdom Can Increase the Likelihood of Solution Oriented Activity in a Time of Great Challenges”.

About the document “Calling ‘the better angels….’”

The document “Calling ‘the better angels…” has been formed by combining two recently completed documents together:

1) “The Twilight of One Era, and the Dawning of Another” (35 pages)—a paper by this writer which identifies seven critical challenges, and provides both an introduction to the potential of Community Visioning Initiatives, and an introduction to the potential of The Interfaith Peacebuilding and Community Revitalization (IPCR) Initiative. These two approaches can inspire, support, and integrate many different initiatives at the same time, and thus create “constellations” of initiatives. The “constellations” of initiatives can then bring many of the “things people can do in the everyday circumstances of their lives” which will contribute to peacebuilding and ecological sustainability “through the mist” and into the light.

2) “Divine Intervention: A Collection of Quotations from ‘Sathya Sai Speaks’ (Vol. 1-15)” (42 pages)—which includes the following sections (of quotes from Sri Sathya Sai Baba): The Avathara of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, The Critical Need for the Wisdom of the Ages, How Sages, Elders, Teachers, Parents, and Students Can Contribute, and Responding to Personal Difficulties. (Compilation of quotations, and arrangement of quotations, by this writer.) (Note: Sri Sathya Sai Baba is 83 years old, with a main residence in Puttaparthi, India.)

[Special Note on Accessing the Documents: “The Twilight of One Era…” document can be accessed as a pdf file from the homepage of The IPCR Initiative website, at www.ipcri.net (See the “Keynote Documents” section). The “Divine Intervention…” document can be accessed as a pdf file attached to a post at my worldpulse.com journal (see post titled “New Document titled ‘Divine Intervention: A Collection of Quotations from ‘Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. 1-15’” at http://www.worldpulse.com/node/11326 )]

On November 22, 2009, these two documents were sent (by e-mail, confirmation received) to the Sri Sathya Sai Sadhana Trust Publications Division in Puttaparthi, India. The documents were sent there because the SSSSTPD website states that “We welcome your comments, suggestions, and Literary Contributions in the form of Articles, Compilations, etc”—because this writer felt that it was appropriate procedure to do so—and because this writer was not sure how to go about sharing the documents. In his letter to the SSSSTPD, this writer also suggested that it might be beneficial to combine the two documents into one document, but he could only offer an incomplete introduction to such a document.

The Assistance This Writer is Now Seeking

Now, at this particular point in time, this writer feels that it will be helpful to sincere efforts towards resolving the challenges of our times if he requests assistance with the writing of an “introduction section” to the above mentioned “Calling ‘the better angels…’” document .

In particular, this writer is seeking at least 10 different introductions, with the idea being that the whole publication will benefit from having the two documents described above introduced by people from many different backgrounds—i.e. people who have been raised in different cultural environments, people who have had different learning experiences in life, and people who are speaking from different religious, spiritual, or moral viewpoints.

This writer feels that the act of contemplating writing such an introduction has the potential to be a catalyst for unique discussions and significant outcomes, and thus provide both practical and profound insight into how people—from diverse backgrounds, in communities in every part of the world—can apply the wisdom of deliberately focusing the way they spend their time, energy, and money towards overcoming the challenges of our times. In short, this writer is therefore issuing a “Call for Papers”—with the topic being Help Create an “Introduction Section” to the Document “Calling ‘the better angels of our nature’: How Community Visioning Initiatives and Spiritual Wisdom can Increase the Likelihood of Solution Oriented Activity in a Time of Great Challenges”.

How This “Call for Papers” Will Proceed From Here

1) Readers who would like to

a) ask questions—or offer comments, suggestions, recommendations, etc.
b) volunteer to be a part of the Committee of 30 volunteers who will evaluate submitted introductions
c) discuss the two documents mentioned above without participating in any “Call for Papers” process
d) submit an “introduction” for consideration and possible selection

can direct their correspondence to this writer, Stefan Pasti, at stefanpasti@ipcri.net

(Note: Stefan Pasti is the founder and outreach coordinator for The Interfaith Peacebuilding and Community Revitalization (IPCR) Initiative.)….

This message is an abridged version of the complete “Call for Papers” document

This message is an abridged version of the complete “Call for Papers” document. The complete “Call for Papers” document can be accessed from the homepage of The IPCR Initiative, at www.ipcri.net , in the “Keynote Documents” section (see http://ipcri.net/images/Call-for-Papers-complete-text.pdf )

The complete “Call for Papers” document includes more details in the section “How This ‘Call for Papers’ Will Proceed From Here”, and a seven page section titled “Some Possible Themes to Explore”.

About the Writer of This Message

The writer of this message, Stefan Pasti, is the founder and outreach coordinator of The Interfaith Peacebuilding and Community Revitalization (IPCR) Initiative (at www.ipcri.net ). I, Stefan Pasti, hereby attribute the inspiration for the two documents mentioned above (“The Twilight of One Era…”, and “Divine Intervention…”) , inspiration for the approach and substance of The IPCR Initiative, my personal capacity to see good in the efforts of people from many different faith communities and cultural traditions, and my personal faith in a positive outcome regarding the challenges of our times to close contact, over many years, with the wisdom and compassion in the teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Here is a brief autobiographical sketch:

Stefan Pasti has been actively involved in peacebuilding and community revitalization work for over 20 years—as a writer (project-related correspondence, short novel, short story); an editor (newsletters, quotation collections); an advocate of ecologically sustainable communities; a practitioner of voluntary simplicity; and, more recently, as founder and outreach coordinator for The Interfaith Peacebuilding and Community Revitalization (IPCR) Initiative (www.ipcri.net ). Mr. Pasti has been employed in many different settings—door-to-door canvasser for citizen action groups; field worker on organic farms; activity director, companion, and transportation provider for elders with special needs; etc. The most important influence in Mr. Pasti’s life has been, and continues to be, the teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba (age 83, with a main residence in Puttaparthi, India). In 1997, Mr. Pasti completed a 301 page arrangement of selected quotations from “Sathya Sai Speaks” (Vol. 1-11, first U.S. editions) (discourses by Sri Sathya Sai Baba from the years 1953-1982).

Here also is a special notice, posted in the “Contact” section of The IPCR Initiative website at www.ipcri.net, which provides additional sources of information about me:

“Special Note (dated August 16, 2009): As a way of providing more information about myself (Stefan Pasti, Founder and Outreach Coordinator for The IPCR Initiative), I have made series of posts on my Facebook page. These posts include excerpts from earlier writings, reflections on rare family keepsakes, a more detailed autobiographical sketch, etc.) A journal entry listing the titles in that series of posts is accessible at my worldpulse.com journal (see "Sharing of a More Personal Nature...." at http://www.worldpulse.com/node/12372 ).”

[Additional Note: My worldpulse.com journal also includes many pieces which are part of my current work-in-progress (which was going to be titled “Calling ‘the better angels of our nature’….”, but which is now going to be titled as an updated “IPCR Workshop Primer”). My worldpulse.com journal is at http://www.worldpulse.com/user/1111 ]

Concluding Comments

“Many people can realize the wisdom of deliberately focusing the way they spend their time, energy, and money. The result can be a deliberate increase in the ‘ways of earning a living’ which are directly related to overcoming the challenges identified by residents as priority challenges.” [From the IPCR document “The ‘1000Communities2’ Proposal: Creating a Multiplier Effect of a Positive Nature” (see http://ipcri.net/images/1000Communities2-for-Outreach-Package-B.pdf )]

“Have the picture of the happy, united, love filled human community in your heart. That will give you enough encouragement in your mission.” (“Divine Intervention…” document, p. 27) (“Sathya Sai Speaks” 15.12 p.70)

This writer gladly and willingly contributes time, energy, and money to make the resources and documents of The IPCR Initiative accessible to those people who might benefit from them.

Stefan Pasti, Founder and Outreach Coordinator
The IPCR Initiative
Leesburg, Virginia (USA)
December 19, 2009

listen to your teachers

pissedoff — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:27:09 EDT

I just watched the "Obama at school" video that everybody was raving about a few weeks ago. It's really hard to believe that there were parents out there actively preaching against it.

What? He said, basically, "study, do your homework".

Wow. What a concept. It isn't as though almost every president (and his wife for that matter) has done this.

And, even that I'm writing this makes no sense; it's so damned basic.

you've got assholes and kids that try. You've got people that pick on people and those that get picked on, etc., etc. There are those that weak and need our strength to go forward.

That's my key to survival. I try everyday to empower people, mostly young people. I've had many failures, and at times, it deeply disheartened me. But for each person I was able to reach, I found a bit of myself in them, and thus, empowered myself to go on. I'm a social worker, have been for nearly two decades. It's a low-paying, difficult, sometimes harshly challenging career. When I was a high school student I excelled at just about every subject (except sports). I made decision in college and later in grad school that made my family quite irate, because they knew I would never drive a nice car or own the best home. At times, I must admit, it hit me hard as a brick when I realized those things would not come to me. Never-the-less, I continued to try to help people, just folks, your everyday man, woman or child.

Like Obama alluded to his his speech, I was not only challenging myself or my future, I was challenging the future.

So, with mostly democratic and liberal readers of these blogs, I accept that all of you understand where I'm coming from. But for a few, you may rave on about the "president brainwashing our kids".

Well, I know my son watch the address and, believe me, not being a fan of brainwashing, I dearly pray for an exception in the case.

It has been a very long time since I was really touched by a speech given by a politico. I have grown older and much more jaded. The last 30 years of my life have been, arguably, the most difficult period in this country's history. Excuse me to those who survived the Great Depression and WWII, but at least, in my estimate, people seemed united. The last thirty years have seen a division among our citizens, unmatched. So, this atmosphere, this zeitgeist, if you will, has formed my social and political ideologies.

When the President of the United States gives a speech (in my life-time), I have expected to be angry, ashamed, demoralized, and the list goes on. But this time, it was different. No, he did not outline the plans for a New World Order (thank God), but he was genuine, remarkable in his integrity and passionate, not about over-throwing Castro or making the stock-market soar, but about children, a class of kids like millions of others around the world. And, I hope some of it sunk in. The United States, sadly, is behind many nations that the UN rightly calls "third-world" in the quality of education our children receive.

Rightly, I think, then, I expect this president to do anything and everything to further our success in education. He stated to those children that he expected them to "do their homework and listen to their teachers". I expect, as all likely would, that he, too, do his homework and listen to the the very learned men and women who have given up their lives to join the ranks of his advisors.

__t__

The Twilight of One Era, and the Dawning of Another

Stefan from Leesburg, VA — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:44:54 EDT

Here is some information about a 35 page paper I just recently completed.

The paper is titled "The Twilight of One Era, and the Dawning of Another", and it is accessible as a pdf file from the homepage of the IPCR Initiative, at www.ipcri.net (see “Keynote Documents” section or http://ipcri.net/images/The-Twilight-of-One-Era-and-the-Dawning-of-Another.pdf ). The paper has 23 pages of text, and a 12 page “Notes and Source References” section.

In this post, I have included the “preface” and the Table of Contents of that paper (see below).

With Kind Regards,

Stefan Pasti, Founder and Outreach Coordinator

The Interfaith Peacebuilding and Community Revitalization (IPCR) Initiative

[Below is the “preface” and Table of Contents of the paper “The Twilight of One Era, and the Dawning of Another”.]

Brief Description ("Preface")

There are countless number of “things people can do in the everyday circumstances of their lives” which will contribute to peacebuilding, community revitalization, and ecological sustainability in their own communities and regions—and in other parts of the world. Unfortunately, many of these “things”—in the forms of actions and initiatives (solution-oriented activity)—are not quite “coming through the mist as much as they should be”. This paper—“The Twilight of One Era, and the Dawning of Another”—provides both an introduction to the potential of Community Visioning Initiatives, and an introduction to the potential of The Interfaith Peacebuilding and Community Revitalization (IPCR) Initiative. These two approaches can inspire, support, and integrate many different initiatives at the same time, and thus create “constellations” of initiatives which can bring many of the countless numbers of “things” mentioned above “through the mist” and into the light.

This paper has been written, and is being shared, at a time when more and more people are coming to the conclusion that there is a need for problem solving on a scale most of us have never known before. Even if much disagreement remains about the nature of the challenges ahead, the potential described in this paper—associated with Community Visioning Initiatives, and The IPCR Initiative—can be actualized to such a degree that significant gains can be made in many fields of activity. Thus, while we—collectively—may not know for sure what era is coming to an end, and what era is dawning, for some time yet to come, this writer believes that there are ideas and resources enough for such a dawning to occur—and this paper is an effort to provide evidence in support of that belief.

Stefan Pasti
Leesburg, Virginia (USA)
October 25, 2009

Table of Contents

Introduction
Needed: Problem Solving on a Scale Most of Us Have Never Known Before
The “1000Communities2” Proposal
Community Visioning Initiatives—maximizing “citizen participation in identifying challenges, and in solution-oriented activity”
“Community Teaching and Learning Centers”—A Special Form of Community Education
“Sister Community” Relationships—“… common ground associated with increasing compassion for our fellow human beings….”
Education Systems in Times of Crises
Community Visioning Initiatives, Job Fairs, and the “Just Transition” to More Solution-Oriented Employment
Problems That May Arise (in preparing for, and implementing, Community Visioning Initiatives)
On the Importance of Preliminary Surveys
The Treasured Wisdom of Religious, Spiritual, and Moral Traditions—is it in the “tool box”?
The IPCR Initiative—Creating a Multiplier Effect of a Positive Nature
Opportunities for Local Newspapers to Contribute Valuable Community Services
Concluding Comments Notes and Source References

[End of Post]

Calling all teachers

teachergirl — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:20:53 EDT

I am very concerned about the continuing decline of the public education system in America. I see it as a serious threat to both our economic and political stabiity - as real a threat as anything else out there, including the bank collapses. Yet I don't see much coming out of our state or national government, or in the public conversation that addresses the real issues and problems. Here are three things happening in my district that illustrate the problems we face.

First, we are being pressured to pass students. While this is couched in terms of "making all students proficient," teachers who fail too many students are punished. We all know this, and teachers then have the choice of either bending to the pressure, compromising their own integrity; or resisiting and risking the consequent results.

While the district would deny the existence of this pressure or the reasons for it, it seems fairly clear that the recent improvements in tracking actual drop-out rates in California have given rise to pressure from the state to graduate more students - and since we know students who fall behind in credits are also most likely to drop out, the district's simplistic solution has been to fail fewer students, deserving or not. (Never mind that this is probably false cause and effect. Students who are failing are those who are disaffected in the first place, have attendance problems, have gang or family issues, etc., that are keeping them from doing well in the first place, and lowering the standards for passing more and more will do little to keep them in school.)

Meanwhile, we are also being pushed to ensure "proficiency" for all students through student interventions for those who are failing. The district began this by bringing in a consultant from a school near Chicago which has had good success with a very structured, school-wide intervention program. However, they also have almost twice the ADA money that our district has, so of course we couldn't implement the kind of intervention programs they have. (For instance, they have intervention teams that include social workers and psychologists, an intervention that is completely beyond our means.) In addition, instead of following the consultant's bottom-up development model, based on small professional learning communities given the autonomy and schedule compatabilty needed to experiment with new approaches to improving teaching and learning, the administration and district imposed a top-down model. Of course it is failing with much resulting distrust and a poisoning of the waters.

At the national level, Arnie Duncan, is pushing merit pay. Under these circumstances, what meaning does merit pay have? Moreover, I don't think he is considering the unintended consequences. Even without the added incentive of money, just the pressure to produce good scores that arises from the "hockey stick" of NCLB, I am getting students with very suspect scores. That is, I have at least four students out of my 125 whose work in class does not in any way match their supposed proficiency level on the state tests. I am hearing from the counselors that this is an increasing problem.

These are three huge and interconnected problems in our district. I want to know if they are problems in other districts in California or across the nation. What big issues do you see? What insights do you have as to the underlying causes and possible solutions for the ills of our educational system?

Yes we can be inspired!

Unknown user — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:07:56 EDT

About The new Quebec ethic and religious culture issue.

Going against the will of the people and parents concerned, the government of Quebec requires all children in Quebec to follow a new religious and moral state curriculum! This is called the new compulsory " Ethics and religious culture curriculum"

We believe this violates the law and international agreements. Parents are currently before the courts to enforce their rights. Thousands of parents are demanding respect for their rights, universal rights!

«Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.» (art. 26.3 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

«The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to have respect for the liberty of parents and, when applicable, legal guardians to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions.» (art 18.4 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights)

Things must change here too!

We can help parents by donation through the Canadian Constitution Foundation Make sure to select the cause: Religious Freedom/Liberté religieuse - challenging Quebec's mandatory ERC/ÉCR course

Quebecers must be inspired by the will and the hope represented by Barack Obama to change things about the tyranny of the Quebec government to impose this new religion state course.

Generation Wipe Out? By Cristina Hamilton

BudnCris09 — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:01:52 EDT

After reading up on murders of children that happened in the past two weeks alone, I am wondering how can we change this. I got several Tweets and updates from Kandi former member of the female singing group Escape. Her family has been hit with a tragedy that may have been intentional not to mention she is also remembering her brother who she lost in high school.

I got a call this morning from Phillip O'Barry Academy just as I was leaving to take my son to school and the other end the recording said "hi parents we are calling to inform you of a death of one our students" this young man died Friday 10/2/2009 due to complications from an enlarged heart, he was on the wrestling team and an honor student. My, I send his parents my condolences.

What can we do? Just recently a man was charged right here in North Carolina for kidnapping and molesting his two adopted daughters one of which was pregnant. What can we do people? Our community needs attention, our children are crying out for our affection. Then almost two weeks ago a pregnant fifteen year old was shot and killed at the bus stop waiting to go to school. Now she is gone her child left with no mother. People we got to make some major adjustments.

I think about the mother of the Chicago honor student, Kevin Miller, who was beaten and killed by four other teens and we still don't know or understand the motive. Why are our children so angry? Then just yesterday a 13 year old was shot and killed at a car wash in Queens, NY. He was also a honor student, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and now he is gone, another statistic that won't make to see 25. What can we do people? As parents, friends, teachers, mentors. We have to find a solution. We are losing our children at alarming rates, and the world just continues to move as if there is nothing wrong. Our current condition needs serious recognition.

In God We Trust! Bring him back into our schools. Allow our children to pray. Teach our children to befriend one another, teach our children to look out for one another. Change starts from within our children micmic what they see on TV, hear on the radio and what they learn at home and in school. We have the power to change this people. I challenge you all to promote positive change! Starting today!!

Click the links below to follow some of the stories on the killings I mentioned;

http://globalgrind.com/content/1041313/UPDATE-Kevins-Family-Needs-Our-Support-For-His-Funeral/

http://hellobeautiful.com/your-world/exclusive-kandi-speaks-on-death-of-fiance-aj/

http://globalgrind.com/content/1034001/Minister-Farrakhan-On-Derrion-quotA-Special-Young-Manquot/

http://globalgrind.com/content/1022209/LITTLEMISSDIVASWORLD-Chicago-Teen-Derrion-Albert/

http://globalgrind.com/content/1035225/He-Has-A-Name-KevinMiller-13-Year-Old-Shot-In-Head/

Mayor to Officially Open Thrift Store Assisting College Students

Iduka Microloans — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:06:24 EDT

PORT ST. LUCIE – The Iduka Corporation Board of Directors invites the public to come out to meet the mayor and enjoy a cup of coffee at the Grand Opening of Iduka’s Thrift Store on Thursday, September 24. Mayor Patricia Christensen is scheduled to cut the ribbon to officially open the store at 10:00 a.m. Several Chamber of Commerce representatives will also attend the event. The Iduka Thrift Store is located in the Town Centre Plaza, 10073 S. Federal Highway (US 1) in Port St. Lucie. Proceeds from thrift store sales will help provide microloans for needy students.

Iduka, a non-profit organization headquartered on the Treasure Coast, is dedicated to helping college students attain higher education through micro-lending. The Iduka Thrift Store will help bridge the financial gap of needed money sources to fund the organization’s microloan program.

Shoppers are encouraged to check out the affordable, gently used clothing, furniture, appliances, and electronics and more available at the Iduka Thrift Store, 10073 Federal Highway, in the Town Centre Plaza where Aegis Workforce, Bealls, Staples, China Garden Buffet, and Liberty Medical are located.

The store provides an important retail service to the Port St. Lucie Community and other outlying neighborhoods on the Treasure Coast. Donors and volunteers are actively being recruited. Anyone interested in donating items or volunteering at the Iduka Thrift Store should call 772-335-9030 or send an email to iduka.thriftstore@gmail.com. Visit Iduka’s Web site atwww.iduka.org to learn more about the organization and how to get involved with their mission.

Iduka Corporation is a non-profit organization with a 501©(3) tax-exempt status. Its mission is to promote college affordability by connecting students with lenders, schools, and community service organizations through an Internet based micro loan program. The goal is to provide students and their family one more financial tool to help them in their pursuit of higher education. Iduka makes this possible by offering an innovative plan secured in a Web-based micro-lending system that connects students with lenders, and incorporates, whenever possible, student volunteerism as a mean for students to pay back their loans.

iduka.info@gmail.com

www.iduka.org

www.facebook.com/iduka.microloans

772-335-9030

Now That I've Heard President Obama's Speech to Schoolchildren...

Steve Sulkin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:26:05 EDT

Now that I've heard President Obama's speech to schoolchildren,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iqsxCWjCvI

I'm even more disappointed in the furor that caused school districts (including my own) to not air it live. Why? Because it was more inspiring than I thought it would be. Interestingly enough, it was a speech any conservative, any Republican president, would have been proud to give. It was about personal responsibility. It gave compelling reasons why school is relevant. And it was clearly effective. How much more could one ask from a speech?

In my quest to continue to understand why my school district did not air this speech on September 8th, I've researched precedent and spoke to those in my school district who were willing to speak about this, a total of one person. All of the letters I wrote, the inquiries I made, only one person from the school called me and it wasn't even the individual who wrote the letter to the parents announcing the banning of the speech.

Because I don't want to publicly express who that person was who did call me, because I did not indicate to them that I would be publicizing their comments, I will use that shadowy press term I've always wanted to use: It was "a very highly placed source." Oooooohhhhhhh.

My source indicated that they could not yet give an official response to my letter I sent to the superintendent, because apparently, there is going to be some official more general reiteration of the district's stance down the road. This confused me a bit in that I thought they already had a stance iterated.

My source did want to assure me that "the District's decision to not air the President's speech live was not politically motivated", though their own letter explaining why they would not air the speech said, "the airing of this speech has already become a very politically charged topic in the press and a significant concern for many of our parents."

I explained that I never made a claim that the board itself was casting a political statement by not airing the speech, but instead, bowing to pressure from constituents who had a political or personal agenda against the President of the United States. Furthermore, I explained, as I explained in my letter, that there were a whole host of other reasons this was poor judgement to not air the speech. Not the least of which is that it would be good for children to hear and not airing it broke with precedent as many other presidents made similar speeches in the past to much less resistance.

While there was some typical partisan dissent in the past, it never elevated itself to the wackyness of the current fervor (child indoctrination claims, brainwashing) nor the wholesale deletion of the event from school agendas. Though to that point, I challenge my board: I cannot definitively find record of my school district airing the Reagan and the George H.W. speeches, but I find no record they didn't either. I would be interested in a public statement from the board indicating what did happen on October 1, 1991 when George H.W. Bush gave the speech and in the 1980's when Ronald Reagan gave his speech. It might prove enlightening, it could even make their case that this is precedent for this school district to not air such speeches (precedent I would still disagree with).

My source also interestingly said that the superintendent had final power re this decision and that the board supported it. Really? The superintendent has final say? Now, I'm no expert here, but I thought in most municipalities that the board is elected and the board had hiring and firing power over the superintendent. Doesn't that give the board final say? How could the person being hired have final say over the person hiring them?

So I looked up some past cases. Here's an excerpt from a legal case in Harrisburg, PA concerning a curricula decision regarding "intelligent design."

HARRISBURG, Pa. - The school board, not teachers, should decide what belongs in the public-school curriculum, said the assistant superintendent of a school district being sued over whether "intelligent design" belongs in science classes.

The Dover Area School Board decided in October 2004 to require students to hear a statement about intelligent design before ninth-grade biology lessons on evolution. Teachers were opposed to the statement, which says Charles Darwin's theory is "not a fact" and has inexplicable "gaps," and which refers students to the textbook "Of Pandas and People" for more information.

The board has final say on such curriculum decisions, Michael Baksa, the assistant superintendent, testified Thursday during the landmark federal trial. "Once the board makes a decision, whether you agree with the decision or not, it's your responsibility to implement it," he said.

Well, that's interesting. If Illinois law re school boards is like Pennsylvania law, then the board should have made the decision about whether to air this speech, not the superintendent.

My source also indicated that the "grade level" of this speech (apparently graded by Microsoft according to my source, who I wasn't aware was in the grading of speeches business) was at "7th grade" and therefore inappropriate (or not understandable) for other grades (below I assume). I tried to wrap my head around this and carry it to it's logical conclusion. One would have to either have the sitting president create 12 different speeches to accommodate each of the grades and in addition, due to curricula concerns my source had, also coordinate with the board (or the superintendent) to correlate the speech to existing curricula mapping of our school district or not give the speech.

Clearly, when one tries to carry this to it's logical conclusion, it simply isn't logical. This speech cannot be measured as though it's part of standard curricula. It's not meant to be and it cannot be judged in that way. It's an historic event. It's an inspirational speech given by our President to help our children and our society. It's simply much ado about nothing to be against airing it live or otherwise. To somehow say that down the road the board (or the superintendent?) will review the speech and then they might air pieces of it "not live"is simply missing the point, besides smacking of censorship. Airing the speech preferentially later would be like airing the moon landing only after review. Yes, I hear the criticism already, "this is not the moon landing." But the speech was historic (first black president, remember?). It's also helpful for our educational system. The point, quite simply, is that it should not have been "banned" because t was meant to inspire kids and who could argue with that?

And there was another issue the source had with my argument. They said the speech wasn't "banned" but they didn't offer an alternative adjective. Then what was it? Temporarily banned? Forbidden but not really? Ban means to forbid something. If you later then allow it, you lift the ban. This is simply semantics to say it wasn't banned. It was clearly forbidden to be aired live. So the live broadcast was banned. Simple as that. This argument over minutia is one of the issues, as it's trying to create rationale through loophole. When things are wrong, we tend to use fine print to make them seem right and that is wrong.

So what did I do with my six-year old that evening of the speech? We watched the speech in bed as his bedtime story. Contrary to concerns about this being above my son's ability to comprehend, he understood quite a bit of the speech thank you. My son, to be fair, wandered at points, he asked questions, he did all of the things we all do when listening to speeches (or reading long blogs). But he got a lot out of it. Though not as much as he would have, had he been with the entire school sitting together in an auditorium. There's a reason we have movie theaters. There's simply something more important about an event when it's shared.

I would hope that the world sees that sharing, tolerance and togetherness, is what we need more of, and divisiveness, hatred and prejudice, is what we need less of.

Recent speech of the President on Education

Roger — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:41:22 EDT

Ibelieved in the words of the President on education. It is the basic role of every student to do the best in their education. The advice of the president is an excellent and basic advice of not only as president but as a parent to every child in school. The american students are so lucky that the government is pushing the students to pursue their education with their (governmant) assistance. Being educated is not only for government's future but for every students' future. It's the only treasure that a parent could give to their sons and daughters. Keep it up Mr. President. God Bless us all. God Bless America.

Forget the Kool-Aid, Smell the Coffee!!

SingleParent — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:27:34 EDT

Can someone explain why we are using words like brainwashing & indoctrination when the President wants to give a speech encouraging students to do well in school?? I mean ENOUGH ALREADY! It is clear that his critics don’t like him but are they so blinded by their hate that they can no longer see straight? First of all, COME ON! Seriously? Even the good he does no longer matters?

Second of all, surely we all agree that this is a positive message and one that our students desperately need to hear. Is anyone suggesting our kids should not do well in school or that they should drop out?

I think his critics need to get a grip on themselves quickly because it is now becoming a question of either intelligence or hatred. At this point, it is hard to tell if they are ignorant when it comes to the facts or if their hatred has simply blinded them to the truth. It has been said that ignorance is bliss but that is not the case. Ignorance is simply ignorance. Bliss requires knowledge of and appreciation for your circumstances thereby ruling out ignorance. FYI, ignorance is not a good look.

According to a news article, the President’s critics seem to have a problem with the questions on the study guide that has been provided to assist in a discussion session to follow his speech. Questions such as “What do you think the President is trying to say to you?” Where is the offense? If the President is the one who gave the speech, isn't it legitimate to ask, “What is the President trying to say”? This is simply getting ridiculous. Instead of making intelligent points, they are grasping at straws and making themselves look less than intelligent. Much less.

Our country is falling behind other countries and our children need encouragement from every quarter and President Obama’s critics want to play politics! You know what? President Obama is not perfect. If he makes a mistake, he should be called on it but this petty straw grasping does not reflect well on his critics at all.

I do, however, have to give our President credit for his incredible ability to stay above the mess. I hope in a similar situation I could react the same but as agitated as I feel now on the sidelines, I don’t think I would handle it as brilliantly as he does.

I should not continue to be surprised at the low level tactics of his critics, yet I am. I am disappointed as well. See, having been born post slavery, it has always baffled my mind that this great country I live in could have such a period of shame in its history. Yet, as each day passes and the hatred becomes more blatant, my mind becomes less baffled.

A speech on the importance of education is now a BAD thing? The President is being criticized for sending out questions to get students thinking about the speech he just made? Not comments, mind you, but questions? So, the students should listen to his speech and then what? Not discuss, not think about it ever again? Not question the message they just heard? I think it is a sign of strength that President Obama didn't just expect to give a speech and have students mindlessly swallow it whole. Instead he chose to spark discussion with the students about the value of education and the wisdom of staying in school. He chose to get them thinking and talking.

Show me the downside! It’s wrong? Really?

I’ll tell you what’s wrong. What's wrong is that it is 2009 and this conversation is historic in that it has never been done quite this way.

When graduation rates dropped, this should have been done!

When the achievement gap widened, this should have been done!

When other countries began to surpass us, this should have been done!

If you want to point fingers, let’s at least point them in the right direction!

I am more than ready for people to stop politicking, roll up their sleeves and get to work! Let’s get to the hard work of getting us back on track! Our situation is entirely too serious for us to still be playing politics! Let’s get to the hard work of getting our kids to see the value of education, what it means for their future and for the future of our country.

It’s time for some people to wake up! Instead of worrying about us drinking the Kool-Aid, I sincerely wish they would start smelling the coffee!!

Obama's speech to children

Georgi — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:38:32 EDT

Below is a message that I sent to my child's school addressing the fact that they won't be showing Obama's speech on Tuesday. The stated reason was that they would have to shift their schedule.

I am disappointed that my child won’t be hearing President Obama’s address to students with her fellow students on Tuesday AM. I would think that any President, Republican or Democrat , taking his time to address American students with a positive message about the value of education merits a change in schedule and routine. President Obama is a shining example of what you can achieve when you work hard in school. What a missed educational opportunity for teachers and administrators to discuss not only his message, but the American political process and what it means to be a citizen in a Democracy. By speaking directly to students, any public leader, regardless of political affiliation, contributes to their self esteem, since such an address sends the message that our children are important and valued members of our society.

I know we can view the message at our home – but it would reinforce his message about the value of education if the school took the time to broadcast the President’s address and discuss it.>

Thank you ,

I received a thoughtful reply from the school administrator who agreed with me but said that they were so inundated by parents protesting that they would have had to get signed permission slips for kids to view the speech - is this happening only in Red States? I think that the protestors are just so much more vocal then those who support and want their children to hear his speech in schools. So if you have a child and your district is in the uproar mine is, let your principal no that you want your child to hear the speech!

School District 103 Bans President Obama's School Speech

Steve Sulkin — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:59:18 EDT

This was received from my local school district. See next post for my response.

Lincolnshire-Prairie View School District 103

Administration Offices

1370 Riverwoods Road • Lincolnshire, Il 60069

847/295-4030 • FAX 847/295-9196

http://www.district103.k12.il.us

September 4, 2009

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As you may know, President Obama plans to present a White House address

directly to children on September 8, 2009, at 11:00 a.m. Central Standard Time, which

is during our regular school day. The airing of this speech has already become a very

politically charged topic in the press and a significant concern for many of our parents.

The U.S. Department of Education has sent out suggested classroom activities and

promoted a student video contest with $1,000 prizes.

We have a responsibility as educators to determine what information will be

included in our curriculum. Since we have not had an opportunity to review the text of

President Obama’s speech to determine age appropriateness, ties to our curriculum,

and usefulness as an instructional tool, we will not be showing President Obama’s

speech in classrooms on September 8. We will record the speech for teachers so

that they have an opportunity to review the content to determine potential usefulness of

the speech, or portions of it, as an educational tool.

This approach will also give you, as a parent, the opportunity to make the

decision on whether or not to have your child view the speech with you at home.

Sincerely,

Larry Fleming, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Larry K. Fleming, Ed.D.

Superintendent

The President's address to the Youth of our future!

MALA RAJ — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:43:45 EDT

The President of United States Mr.Obama, will be speaking to the children of America on Sep 8th, to tune in and listen is your right, to hear to what he has to say is our privilege, his advise on the importance of Education ....Yes, He cares! His request to the youth across the country to stay in school is his Vision for the future of this country. To improve our education system is his responsibility.

If our Children remain in Schools and are educated, why do we have to out source Brain?

If there is a cost for our tuition today, there's a price for our Brain tomorrow!

There is a reason why the brain wave comes from India today, its because they stayed in school when they had to. They saw the value and need for Education. Their President Dr.Abdul kalam spoke to them about the need for Education and the impact is deep and intense. They are thankful for his advise.

Ignorance is Bliss, but let that not dieter you, from listening to what our President has to say.

Education is the life line to the future of this country. Lets not forget "Today's Youth", are "Tomorrows Dream", of this nation.

Change is Powerful...Change for the Better!

MALA RAJ — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:32:34 EDT

An out cry for change and only this govt can make a difference. bec we have a smart and sensible president. We need a smart & intelligible leader to change this course, who but you Mr.President Obama?

Social security: I often wondered in the two decades I have worked & contributed to this plan called "Social Security", If we call our selves capitalist why are we in a govt prog to save for our future. I can understand a 401k, pension, provident fund etc. but why Social Security, sounds so Russian. The govt is in no better position than any other investor who has lost money in the stock market, bonds etc. Like any other citizen who is in deep waters with their investments, so is the govt today. The trouble has been brewing for quite some years. Perhaps Social Security money has been used for war... Well the glitter of the up market is done with, the invested money ....gone. The Social Security system was truly created for one to invest and to realize its benefits in ones retirement. As time went by Social Security money was being paid by one and was being realized by senior retires, bec their money was spent by the govt. Today my question is why should we invest Social Security money knowing for sure we are not going to see any in another 10yrs. not 2037, I feel this money will be depleted by 2016, at the rate at which we are spending. It wasn't in Economic Times but Vanity Fair had published awareness figures like $14 billion per month spent on Iraq war & $5 Trillion was our deficit in the year 2007. That was an alarm we should have woken up to.Today our deficit is growing $9.6 trillion and ticking.

The govt is making small changes with hope the economy will turn around. It may well turn around, but not too long and too strong. We have to stop the unemployment rate from increasing and work towards creating long term permanent employment. This is only the result of what actions we took for an easy way out to make money, by shipping out our manufacturing to China & other countries, 20 yrs back. Then slowly many sectors were being totally outsourced: Petroleum, steel, technical services, our admin call centers, research, development, technology, production of agriculture,storage of vital information,even our pay roll, automobile we drive, furniture we sit on, clothes we wear, to the souvenirs of this country we treasure and the food we eat. 20 years later,today the result a whole generation is hurt, financially and educationally, A rich country, today much depleted of everything only because of our unwise decisions & reckless spending.20 yrs back no one realized the impact all that would have on a generation of American kids & us today.

The recession we are facing is only the preliminary impact we are experiencing today. How did one think we can have employment & education here and it will survive, if we are paying overseas for all our goods and services. We were for the past decade, surviving on other countries excess dollar invested in this country & merely trading foreign goods, strengthening others economy. The inevitable happened, no circulation of healthy dollar with in the country which led for the longest time to the weakest dollar and the greed artificially elevated inflation. The result economic and fiscal implosion. I am reminded & forced to compare of the first Krakatau's Prelude the largest eruptions in historic times. A mere warning, the real stupendous paroxysmal eruption, a series of cataclysmic explosions happened few months later, it collapsed the island beneath the sea.Just the same the biggest economic explosion is yet to come if we do not change our course or ways, if not it will spell devastation.

Suggestions :

1)Social Security: Effective 2010 Jan 1st, discontinue the prog of Social Security, if you have the interest of the future American generation at heart.a)People who have paid into the prog so far see if it can be paid in some small way, with the premium put away, a plan similar to pension.b)The govt should not touch the money for war or any other govt purpose.c)The prog should be discontinued if the govt can not find a way to do justice to serve the people. Why have a prog which is going to be a failure.

2) Cut budgets on war: If the federal is spending 60cents to a $1, we need to wake up. This country is spending beyond its limits. Osama Bin Laden is one man, has he drained the treasury of this huge and the most powerful country on earth. Is he successful or are we not doing the right thing? The republicans sold Ice cubes to the Eskimos, made Americans believe there was weapons of mass destruction in Iraq for 2 terms. At what cost did we terminate Saddam? I thought the target was Osama. Are the Democrats unable to sell a Ulu to the Eskimos?History does repeat itself, In 1960, did France not demand for payment of its debt in gold rather than its dollar.( when America had unwisely printed money for the Vietnam war & to fund its social prog's) 40yrs later we have not learned our lesson a wrong war in Iraq and a drained economy with weak dollar. Lets not drag it to Afghanistan. Send a special force to finish him(Osama). No need for a war , we do not have the resources, that's a fact.

3)Employment: We have to bring our jobs back to this country. Until then there is no moksha for USA. The CARS for clunkers is a great prog. but a very short term plan. Let us have effective 5years & 10 years plans.a) Bring back manufacturing to this country (composition by sector-Industries GDP is 19.6% 2008est), give incentives for manufactures in this country.We are aware dept. of commerce is putting tariff on smaller industries on various products, not sufficient lets focus on the largest Industry a $500Billion Automobile Industry.Lets reestablish & revive the American automobile brand & production Industry.b)Foreign car companies can export parts and raw materials to USA- but not fully completed cars. Why should we have a Japanese made cars "Toyota" leading in car sales in this country, whose economy are we pampering? why are we proud of it? It's time we begin assembly lines not only for American made cars but also foreign brand cars. Cost of foreign cars will also rise due to domestic productions, The money is in circulation within the country, creation of jobs which will reduce the unemployment growth and this will increase the purchase of power of individuals. c)America has to wake up to support local industries and manufacturing units so any automobile imported in finished product form, the tax imposed is heavy and costly-make it 380% now people will have to buy local cars & the money will be in circulation with in the country.

4)Vital Jobs: Bring back research & development & call centers back, that's our only salvation. Our countries unemployment rate is 9.7% and the fact is 17.8% are below poverty level (54.2million people)(Source:US bureau of labor statistics), Creation of jobs, a way to stabilize & retain a well balanced & sound economy. It will take time to grow but the next generation will be thankful for the change of our actions.

5)Technology:

a)Minimum wage is not an issue here esp in IT industry, because an average employee in an information technology industry makes $50k to $60k if employed in this country, be it an American resident or an individual from another country with work permit and when outsourced from other countries its about $20k to $30k.

b)The next question arises, what %age of computer lit people are available in this country. Well my question is what %age of computer lit are unemployed in this country. Well We got to give first preference to Citizens & Permanent Residents, this will certainly reduce in the incoming employees on work permit.

c)Tax, out sourcing of IT Industry after all IT is a great %age of the service industry which is 79.2% (2008est GDP). The treasury department could find a huge gold mine considering IT industry represents a higher %age of the service industry segment.

6)Money: Track American money invested in other tax heaven countries & bust them, Good job on the UBS Zurich based, Swiss bank. Well that was possible because they made the mistake of opening their banks on the US soil(UBS Bank USA) . Way to go Mr.President. I think its time to put sanctions on tax haven countries, who are helping people launder money & avoid taxes, countries such as Switzerland.

7)Education:Shutting schools & reducing budget on education, Increasing school tuition is not the way to go. we are just making our next mistake which is going to reflect 20yrs from now. In October 2000, some 3.8 million young adults were not enrolled in a high school program and had not completed high school. These youths accounted for 10.9 percent of the 34.6 million, 16- through 24-year-olds in the United States in 2000. This is the status drop out rates over the last decade, between 347,000 and 544,000 10th- through 12th-grade students left school each year without successfully completing a high school program. In the year 2008 it was 1.2 million.

If the United States‘s likely dropouts from the Class of 2006 had graduated, the nation could have saved more than $17 billion in Medicaid and expenditures for uninsured health care over the course of those young people‘s lifetimes.

Increasing the graduation rate and college matriculation of male students in the United States by just 5 percent could lead to combined savings and revenue of almost $8 billion each year by reducing crime-related costs.(Source:National Center for Education Statistics (NCES))

The country has not seen a straight forward, honest & sincere President as you, since Abraham Lincoln. Mr.Clinton was a true gift to this country, We need more than one good President.Time for some real action, Change is powerful, more so if its for the better.The real solid growth in any economy is manufacturing, it is the life line of any country. Let us not worry about high cost of labor in this country, when you make the other alternative of import difficult by raising taxes then automatically our cost is of no issue. It is time to be self sufficient and reliable on our selves. I would love to see good ole "Made in USA"!

Socialist agenda, my a--!

Steven — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:17:49 EDT

Have you seen the latest inanity of the GOP rightists and their pet mainstream media puppets? here is the link:

http://news.aol.com/article/the-point-obama-school-speech/654754?icid=main|htmlws-main|dl1|link5|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fthe-point-obama-school-speech%2F654754

According to this it is a "socialist agenda" to tell school kids that they should exercise responsibility and work hard for the good of themselves and of the country. Apparently, GOPers are incensed about the idea of kids being asked to help President Obama, sensing some fascist/authoritarian dictatorship no doubt on the lines of Hitler's Fuehrerprinzip. How come they never felt the same when they were demanding total loyalty to our heroic Commander-in-Chief, George W. Bush, after 9/11, and attacking any criticism of the regime as treason? Hypocrisy is too good a word for what Republicans are perpetrating at the moment. Let us hope the American people sees through this cynicism.

My story

Mel from New York, NY — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:58:47 EDT

My story is this: Years ago, I retired as a school district operations supervisor. (My responsibilities were hiring contractors and operations staff, and overseeing purchasing.) I have owned a profitable business called Southeast Entertainment for thirty years. This business planned tours for entertainers and put shows together. Since retiring, I have shown my leadership in the community by organizing fundraisers to benefit students. Through our fundraising efforts, we were able to give over $2500 to care for a student with a brain tumor and $2500 to help a student whose parents were killed in an auto accident. I personally contributed all of the mailing and advertising costs. For the past couple of years, the modest profits Southeast Entertainment has made have all been funneled into providing college scholarships at two high schools and discount tours to seniors. After organizing the student fundraisers, I decided to help families going through hardships in the community to make a better life for themselves through business. I started purchasing businesses I found on the Internet but soon realized that they were all too complicated, too expensive, or just scams. My friend was making a good living buying merchandise from a liquidation company at below wholesale prices. After researching the company, I decided to give it a try. I ordered seventeen items to check the quality, cost, and delivery time. With the help of four friends, I checked out the goods and found them acceptable, with just a three-day delivery time. I have since learned that if I become a platinum agent, I can get a better price and improve my profit margin. I contacted two high schools to find families who would want to start their own businesses, and as a result I am working with two single mothers (one of whom has a handicapped daughter and the other has four children). The company, which I named A B H, will supply them with catalogs, circulars, letters, postcards, mail-order marketing, and advertising materials so they can get started. I will show them how the program works and how it will benefit them. They will be involved in contacting businesses; passing out flyers; sending out postcards, circulars, and letters; and taking orders. After showing them the merchandise we purchased, the first family decided to sell ladies and men's gift watch sets, and the second family selected student backpacks. With help from both of the families, including the children, A B H has been able to obtain a business license and Internet domain. We are now working on a website and marketing and business plan.

Online education vs. Face-to-Face

PhilRayJack — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:52:38 EDT

Steve Lohr, in a recent New York Times article, reports that a "Study Finds that Online Education Beats the Classroom," and as I read the article, I was reminded how little people understand what teachers do. For example, one line reads, "The real promise of online education, experts say, is providing learning experiences that are more tailored to individual students than is possible in classrooms."

The interesting thing is that these "learning experiences" seem to magically appear at the press of a few buttons.

Of course, I know that behind that "electronic curtain" is a teacher responding to students needs. That is what we do, that is what we've always done, and that is what we will continue to do.

Lohr also points out, "This hardly means that we’ll be saying good-bye to classrooms. But the report does suggest that online education could be set to expand sharply over the next few years, as evidence mounts of its value."

No one who has been teaching for the last twenty years will be surprised to hear this. Most of us teach online as well as "face-to-face," and we usually combine the two by either providing online support for face-to-face classes or requiring face-to-face meetings for our online classes.

The reason: Because online instruction is a very effective tool. I used boldface because I want to emphasize that it is a tool -- and like any tool, it's effectiveness depends on the skills of the person wielding the tool.

The secret is, teachers do know how to use the tool and tend to use it very effectively. Yet, for some strange reason, we are often not included in the visions of the future being created.

One of my colleagues recently said that we need to convince out leaders to depend more on "the collective wisdom of the practitioners."

Wouldn't that be nice?

Little Black Dress Party for College Affordability

Saint Lucie County Group — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:18:49 EDT

Port St. Lucie, August 12, 2009 – Press Release

Port St. Lucie, FL - On Saturday, August 29, Iduka Corporation will hold its inaugural “Little Black Dress Party for College Affordability” event in Port St. Lucie to bring members of the community together to show support for college students with varying financial needs. The event will take place in Saint Lucie West at Elements Martini Bar, 2096 NW Courtyard Circle, Port St. Lucie, FL 34986.

Online registration is available at http://www.iduka.citymax.com/events1.html. Pre-registered participants will pay $5 at the door, all other attendees without RSVP will pay $10 donation for entry. The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. Drink specials and finger food will be served until 10:00 p.m. Ladies in black dresses are eligible to win prizes! Ladies get one free drink. Please register early, as space is limited!

Iduka Corporation is a non-profit organization that has a pending application for 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. Our mission is to promote college affordability by connecting students with lenders, schools, and community service organizations through an Internet based micro-loan program.

Our goal is to provide students and their families one more financial tool to help them in their pursuit of higher education. We make this possible by offering an innovative plan based in a Web-based micro-lending system that connects students with lenders, and incorporates, whenever possible, student volunteerism as a mean for students to pay back their loans.

Media contact:

Darlene Craddock

darlene.craddock@iduka.org

772-284-6455

www.iduka.org

www.iduka.citymax.com

www.facebook.com/iduka.microloans

Saeed Abbasi English Learning System (SAELS) Project

Saeed Khan Abbasi — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:18:56 EDT

My SAELS Community Learning Project

To Our Health, Universally

Standing Firm — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:16:47 EDT

We as a nation, at this moment in time, face severe circumstances. Systems vital to the stability and continous growth of the nation, such as education, health care, social and political policies are rapidly deteriorating. This deterioration stems not from the lack of human capital, no this decaying process has been generated by collective members of our U.S. Congress, who are determined to place negative, illogical road blocks in the way of progress.

One must question the motives of individuals who without good, sound reason, have vowed to oppose progress that with hard work and commitment can ensure an inclusive healthy, educated nation as a whole. More importantly it has the potential to ensure a nation of healthy, educated human beings.

Reason based on logic reveals, at this time the nation needs healthy citizens. Given that millions of individuals are currently unemployed, new ideas must be explored, training for new occupations must be developed, implementation of new work standards and policies must be constructed to meet the new 21st century way of work. How can this be accomplished if the majority of our nations citizens are in bad health? This nation is not self maintained, it can not repair nor rebuild itself, it was build by hardworking members of society, by the way of forced labor without pay. So is it logical to believe that, the most powerful nation in the world has the power to rebuilt itself.

Reason based on logic reveals, not only must citizens be healthy, but they must also be well educated. How can a nation hold pride in having the finest educational institutions in the world, but refuse to have highly education individuals that understand their purpose for teaching, is to prepare all children, to become future productive citizens of the nation. These are just some of the issues that are of vital importance to the U.S. This nation must faced racial ideologies, "just for us" social and policial policies, the negative effects of it's ethnic imaging, the list continues. But for now let's focus on the most pressing issues of health care and education, maybe by correcting these social inaccuracy the remainding social barriers won't be as difficult to face and destroy.

The American Graduation Initiative

Jill 4 Obama — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:58:23 EDT

TUESDAY, JULY 14TH, 2009 AT 5:52 PM

Investing in Education: The American Graduation Initiative Posted by Katherine Brandon

As part of his effort to build a stronger foundation that will allow us to lead in the global economy, the President announced today a historic initiative to strengthen our nation’s community colleges, and called for five million additional graduates by 2020. Speaking at Macomb Community College in Michigan, the President stressed the importance of education to America’s prosperity: But we also have to ensure that we're educating and preparing our people for the new jobs of the 21st century. We've got to prepare our people with the skills they need to compete in this global economy. (Applause.) Time and again, when we placed our bet for the future on education, we have prospered as a result -- by tapping the incredible innovative and generative potential of a skilled American workforce. That's what happened when President Lincoln signed into law legislation creating the land grant colleges, which not only transformed higher education, but also our entire economy. That's what took place when President Roosevelt signed the GI Bill which helped educate a generation, and ushered in an era of unprecedented prosperity. That was the foundation for the American middle class.
(President Barack Obama greets the crowd at Macomb Community College in Warren, Mich.,
Tuesday, July 14, 2009. Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson) Yesterday, we told you about the Council of Economic Advisers’ report about the future of the U.S. labor market. The report described a shift towards jobs that require greater analytical and interactive skills, and the benefits of higher education. It is expected that jobs requiring at least an associate degree will grow twice as fast as jobs requiring only a high school education. The President understands that education is fundamental to reviving our economy and strengthening our workforce, which is why he is committed to increasing graduation rates, and has asked every American to commit to at least one year of higher education: But today I'm announcing the most significant down payment yet on reaching the goal of having the highest college graduation rate of any nation in the world. We're going to achieve this in the next 10 years. (Applause.) And it's called the American Graduation Initiative. It will reform and strengthen community colleges like this one from coast to coast so they get the resources that students and schools need -- and the results workers and businesses demand. Through this plan, we seek to help an additional 5 million Americans earn degrees and certificates in the next decade -- 5 million. (Applause.) You may remember Dr. Biden recently spoke about the critical role of community colleges in our higher education system. Community colleges are rapidly growing, and are needed now more than ever to keep America competitive. The American Graduation Initiative will build on the strengths of community colleges and launch new initiatives and reforms that will increase their effectiveness and impact by figuring out what works and what doesn't, modernize facilities, increase graduation rates, and expand and create new online learning opportunities.

Read the White House fact sheet on the American Graduation Initiative.

The Initiative is estimated to cost $12 billion over the next decade, but the President has outlined a plan to pay for it by cutting waste, while increasing Pell Grant scholarships and reducing the deficit: Not since the passage of the original GI Bill and the work of President Truman's Commission on Higher Education -- which helped to double the number of community colleges and increase by seven-fold enrollment in those colleges -- have we taken such a historic step on behalf of community colleges in America. And let me be clear: We pay for this plan -- this isn't adding to the deficit; we're paying for this plan -- by ending the wasteful subsidies we currently provide to banks and private lenders for student loans. (Applause.) That will save tens of billions of dollars over the next 10 years. Instead of lining the pockets of special interests, it's time this money went towards the interests of higher education in America. (Applause.) That's what my administration is committed to doing.

The Supreme Court might have missed the boat on their recent ruling re: Forest Grove v. T.A.

Ericha from Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:54:27 EDT

On June 23, 2009, The United States Supreme Court made its ruling in the matter of Forest Grove v. T.A. Originating in Oregon, this case made headlines when the family of a disabled boy with A.D.H.D. sued the public school for reimbursement of tuition resulting from their child's private school education. The family alleged that the public school failed to provide services and evaluations under the federal act called Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA).Some brief background to note about this particular case is that the public school suspected that the student might have had exhibited signs of A.D.H.D., but did not share their suspicions with T.A.'s parents. T.A. began using marijuana regularly and ran away from home, "and he exhibited noticeable personality changes." In response to T.A.'s troubling new behavior, T.A.'s parents removed him from his public high school and enrolled him in a private school designed for students with behavioral and academic problems. In bringing this case for legal action, reimbursement of the private education tuition was being sought by T.A.'s family. The public school district argued that T.A., who was not receiving special education services at the public school level, could not seek alternative private education at the expense of the public school district. The school district further contended that T.A.'s family's legal action incentives parents to bypass other remedies before opting for private placement. On Monday, in a 6-to-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that students with disabilities can seek reimbursement for private schools tuition even if they did not try the public school's special education programs first.The dissenting Supreme Court opinion in this case was written by Justice David Souter, and he was joined by Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. The dissenting opinion pointed out that the IDEA codes called for private education options to be reserved for students who had already been receiving special education services in public schools.It is quite possible that the dissenting Supreme Court Justices failed to make the most relevant and appropriate evaluation in their report. In the future, it could be entirely possible that a landmark Supreme Court case could reverse this decision and the exposure to states with respect to IDEA services, funding and resulting lawsuits.IDEA [20 USC 1400 et seq.] is an important set of laws with respect to outlining the definitions of a disabled student and the requisite services to be provided for the students in which it aspires to protect. However, IDEA is a federal act. It is not constitutional for the federal government to require that these services be provided and funded by the individual states. These services, as defined by the IDEA, are illegally forced on the individual states to fund. The 10th Amendment of the constitution, prohibits the federal government from imposing federal acts on individual states. In fact, in 1992, the Supreme Court did make a ruling in a case alleging a violation of the 10th Amendment with similar facts. The Supreme Court case entitled, New York v. The United States of America (1992), 505 U.S. 14, challenged a federally mandated Act called the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985. The federal government obligated the state to bare the cost of disposing its waste as prescribed in this Act. The Supreme Court, in a 6–3 decision, found that this federally mandated program violated the states' rights under the 10th Amendment and found in favor of the Plaintiff, New York.Justice O'Connor, one of the most liberal and balanced Justices of all time, found that the federal government can encourage but cannot mandate conditions for a federal Act and that the federal government cannot directly compel states to enforce federal regulations by forcing the funding.However, IDEA does exactly that. It mandates and compels states to enforce a federal act and it obligates the funding by states and their school districts.
In IDEA section 1400(c)(6), it states that "local education agencies are responsible for providing the education for students with disabilities, but that the Federal Government will have a role [emphasis added] in assisting the state and local education agencies." In other words, the Act itself admits that it is to be enforced and funded by the states and school districts but the the federal government will only have a role in helping. Therefore, the federal government is willfully imposing this requirement on the states in violation of the 10th Amendment of the United States Constitution. Reportedly, school districts in California and perhaps other states are struggling to retain their accreditation because every year it must show solvency for the next three years. School districts in California struggle to meet the demands of their requirements in general. Add now the IDEA expenses. I recently profiled a small school district in Southern California that has paid, out-of-pocket, the sum of $12.5 million [deficit] from IDEA expenditures. This school district is laying off nearly 100 teachers, who could have had their jobs saved with merely $1.3 million. Furthermore, school districts pick up the tab for lawsuit judgments and settlements resulting from IDEA complaints. IDEA's goal is to help students, but it has also burdened states, school districts and other students. Why hasn't the government taken responsibility for IDEA services and funding? The IDEA expenditures have proven to have had a negative fiscal impact on school districts. This federal Act needs to be governed and funded entirely by the federal government.

Opportunities for Young Black Folks from Obama & HBCUs

Leslye J Allen of Atlanta, GA — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 12:21:24 EDT

Page in Obama Administration - If you know anyone who is 16 years old, has a 3.0 GPA and may be interested in serving in the Obama Administration as a page, please visit House Page Program

Florida A&M Scholarship for Black Women - FAMU is providing an outstanding opportunity for Black women entering college in the fall of 2009. It is designed to address their absence in the field of computer technology. Dr. Jason Black is the Principal Investigator of a recently awarded $552,000 NSF Grant entitled African-American Women in Computer Science. The grant provides scholarships from $4000 to $10,000 per year for female African American students .

We need your help to get the word out about this great opportunity to build back up the enrollment of women in the CIS Department. More detailed information
http://www.famu.edu/index.cfm?a=headlines&p=display&news=602&archive.

You can also contact Dr. Black by email at jblack@cis.famu.edu

Peace, Leslye J Allen

Barack Obama is Better Off Smoking!

BobbyMeade — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:58:18 EDT

All this hoopla about smoking arises from the Nicolaitans of Revelations 2:6. They were probably using nicotine to kill people long before they were smoking it. They want you to eat that nicotine because they probably believe that it is a much more effective way to kill you; thus they have President Obama chewing nicotine gum. I don't believe that suppresses your urge to smoke at all. It probably just makes you sick as hell. Below is some of what I have written on the matter:

From NY Forum Topix post: Nicotine Madness: In response to commercials portraying amputations attributed to smoking: New York Anti-smoking Poster "Boy", Skip Legault said that his parents made him eat a pack of cigarettes when he was a kid. 3 cigarettes is probably a fatal dose. Nicotine is one of the most toxic substances there is. If he did eat them, that is probably what messed him up more than smoking! You always hear about babies dropping dead from nibbling on cigarette butts that they've seen in their parents mouth. It is no bull! Tobacco is of the Deadly Nightshade family. What in God's name ails this medical profession to make like smoking did this to Legault? Check and see, and I bet his troubles started when he was forced to eat cigarettes. 1/15 Since GHW Bush said that the Bush Nazis have been using nicotine as a means of chemical assault (nicotine is in insecticides), I researched the matter. Nicotine can be absorbed from guts, lungs, and skin. Ingestion of small amounts of nicotine, a bitter-tasting compound, causes vomiting, nausea, headaches, salivation, abdominal cramps, stomach pains, agitation, a rapid weak pulse, and bowel and bladder evacuation. Larger amounts cause convulsions, extreme weakness, confusion, paralysis, coma, respiratory arrest, and death. Even though it says that ingestion of nicotine causes the blood vessels to collapse, they say that they still haven't linked it to peripheral vascular disease. Duh! The fatal dose is listed as 40 milligrams per kilogram. I bet that Skip Legault has always had peripheral vascular disease since his parents made him eat those smokes. Smoking is a big deal with these Bush Nazis probably because they are trying to justify Bush Daddy dumping his buddies in the Pacific, saying that he smelled smoke in the cockpit after telling his buddies that he didn't mind if they smoked. "The curse of an evil deed is that it will always continue to engender evil" Schiller. So it goes as Nicotine Madness replaces the Reefer Madness of yesterday. "Behold they are less than nothing.." (Is. 41:23-24) Although Bush Daddy says that Nazi death doctor Nicky Exarchou has boxcars full of nicotine etc. to dump on you, don't get shook! I can probably save you or at least you will probably die laughing. Bush Daddy keeps saying, "Kill every poophead! Kill every poophead!", hoping I'll repeat it, so that he can say that was my work and justify his throwing chemicals at me, suppressing my writings, etc. His plan is to wait until every poophead is dead, then come forward and say that he was the one who got rid of every poophead, probably thinking that people will let him live as the last living poophead.(Is. 14:20) 1/22 Hitler's Health Care is after me again for ignoring the bogus blood test of a few months ago. I told them that it's all about Nicky Exarchou, that he came here after WW II, that he formed Secret Service to protect him and the rest of Hitler's Storm Troopers, and that he is still an Illegal Alien to this day.

DJ Isyssbeat /Ice Investing for remixxed radio - Health Care Reform

DJ Isis of www.remixxedradio.com/ Hip Hop 4 HIV Research Team — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:19:24 EDT

1) More Herbal Remedies training and research and education.
2) Patient Rights should include the pharmacokinetics given to patients. Full disclosure of all ingredients and all alternatives to that medication. Also all treatments should be open to all people regardless of type of medical insurance held (public,private,free). Treatments should never be withheld based on race or ethnicity or background unless research has been performed to prove it harmful if taken/performed. Treatments and Procedures should be given based on good thorough research. People should not just have a more open right to choose but should more choices.
Fund research and Laboratories especially
The Hip Hop 4 HIV Research Team
www.remixxedradio.com News and Information

Healthcare needs employment and educational opportunities for minorities and Thoes of disadvantaged bkgrnds

Oh Yeah & Government(in the form of Medical care private or free_ should not be found telling private citizens that medical treatment is mandated without outlining all options with adequate time for the patient/party to decide.
And Never should Govt/The Medical f Industry be found threatening the custody of a Parent over the dislike of available medical options.

look this product up..
http://www.masimo.com/rad-57/index.htm
why isnt it actively used in clinics in america. how about the oral test for HIV.

We have the most advanced medical care system in the world yet people are still denied treatements/procedures based on class, wealth and race.
GET IT TOGETHER! treatments are being denied based on class & wealth & race/ethnicity.

Cancel Student Loan Debt to Stimulate the Economy

Heidi Roberts — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:24:05 EDT

Reprinted from: "Cancel Student Loan Debt to Stimulate the Economy" Facebook group by Robert Applebaum

"How many times have we heard from our leaders in Washington that education is the key to solving all of our underlying societal problems? The so-called "Silver Bullet." For decades, presidents, senators and members of Congress have touted themselves as champions of education, yet they've done nothing to actually encourage the pursuit of one on an individual level.

Some of us have taken advantage of Federal Stafford Loans and other programs, including private loans, to finance higher education, presumably with the understanding that an advanced degree equates with higher earning power in the future. Many of us go into public service after attaining such degrees, something that's also repeatedly proclaimed as something society should encourage. Yet, the debt we've accrued to obtain such degrees has crippled our ability to reap the benefits of our educations, causing many to make the unfortunate choice of leaving public service so as to earn enough money to pay off that debt.

Our economy is in the tank. There isn't a reasonable economist alive who doesn't believe that the economy needs stimulating immediately. The only debate now centers on how to go about doing it. While the new stimulus plan contains some worthy provisions, very little of it will have a significant and immediate stimulating effect on the economy. The Obama Administration itself doesn't expect to see an upsurge in the economy until mid-to-late 2010.

Instead of funneling billions, if not TRILLIONS of additional dollars to banks, financial institutions, insurance companies and other institutions of greed that are responsible for the current economic crisis, why not allow educated, hardworking, middle-class Americans to get something in return? After all, they're our tax dollars too!

Forgiving student loan debt would have an IMMEDIATE stimulating effect on the economy. Responsible people who did nothing other than pursue a higher education would have hundreds, if not thousands of extra dollars per month to spend, fueling the economy NOW. Those extra dollars being pumped into the economy would have a multiplying effect, unlike many of the provisions of the new stimulus package. As a result, tax revenues would go up, the credit markets will unfreeze and jobs will be created. Consumer spending accounts for over two thirds of the entire U.S. economy and in recent months, consumer spending has declined at alarming, unprecedented rates. Therefore, it stands to reason that the fastest way to revive our ailing economy is to do something drastic to get consumers to spend.

This proposal would quickly revitalize the housing market, the ailing automobile industry, travel and tourism, durable goods and countless other sectors of the economy because the very people who sustain those sectors will automatically have hundreds or, in some cases, thousands of extra dollars per month to spend. The driving factor in today's economy is fear. Unless and until the middle class feels comfortable enough that they'll have their jobs, health insurance and extra money to spend not only next month, but the month after that, etc., the economy will not, indeed, cannot grow fast enough to stop the hemmorhaging.

Let me be clear. This is NOT about a free ride. This is about a new approach to economic stimulus, nothing more. To those who would argue that this proposal would cause the banking system to collapse or make student loans unavailable to future borrowers, please allow me to respond.

I am in no way suggesting that the lending institutions who carry such debts on their balance sheets get legislatively shafted by having them wiped from their books. The banks and other financial institutions are going to get their money regardless because, in addition to the $700 TARP bailout, more bailout money is coming their way. This proposal merely suggests that in return for the trillions of dollars that has been and will continue to be handed over to the banks, educated, hardworking Americans who are saddled with student loan debt should get some relief as well, rather than sending those institutions another enormous blank check. Because the banks are being handed Trillions of dollars anyway, there would be no danger of making funds unavailable to future borrowers.

To avoid the moral hazard that this plan could potentially create, going forward, the way higher education in this country is financed MUST be reformed. Requiring students to amass enormous debt just to receive an education is an untenable approach, as demonstrated by the ever-growing student loan default rates. Having a loan-based system rather than one based on grants and scholarships or, ideally, public funding, has, over time, begun to have the unintended consequence of discouraging people from seeking higher education at all. That is no way for America to reclaim the mantle of the land of opportunity.

A well-educated workforce benefits society as a whole, not just the students who receive a higher education. It is often said that an undergraduate degree today is the equivalent of a high school diploma 30 or 40 years ago. Accepting the premise as true that society does, in fact, place the same value on an undergraduate degree today as it did on a HS diploma 30 or 40 years ago, then what is the rationale for cutting off public funding of education after the 12th grade? It seems to me that there is some dissonance in our values that needs to be reconciled. That, however, cannot come to pass until the millions of us already shackled with student loan debt are freed from the enormous economic burdens we're presently carrying.

Many of the vocal nay-sayers who have curiously joined this group seem intent on ignoring the fact that Washington IS going to spend TRILLIONS of dollars, likely in the form of handing blank checks over to more and more banks, as a way of getting the economy under control. Normative assessments of how things should be are fine, but they don't reflect reality.

Accepting the premise that Washington WILL spend Trillions of dollars in unprecedented ways (a good portion of which will just be trial and error, since we're in uncharted waters), what is the argument against directly helping middle class people who are struggling, rather than focusing solely on the banks and other financial institutions responsible for crisis to begin with?

Further accepting that there is an aggregate amount of outstanding student loan debt totaling approximately $550 Billion, (that's Billion with a B, not a T), one is forced to ask again, what is the objection to helping real people with real hardships when all we're talking about is a relative drop in the bucket as compared with what will be spent to dig us out of this hole?

In a perfect world, I share these biases towards personal responsibility and having people pay back what they owe and making good on the commitments they've made. But we don't live in a perfect world and the global economy, not just the U.S. economy, is in a downward spiral, the likes of which NOBODY truly knows how to fix.

This proposal will immediately free up money for hardworking, educated Americans, giving them more money in their pockets EVERY MONTH, addressing the very real psychological aspects of the recession as much as the financial ones. Is it the only answer? No, of course not. But could it help millions of hardworking people who struggle every month to get by? Absolutely. Given the current economic climate, as well as the plans to spend trillions of additional dollars that are in the works, one must wonder what is so objectionable about giving a real helping hand to real people with real struggles.

2009 and the new Obama Administration is supposed to be about change. Nothing in the new economic stimulus package represents a significant departure from the way Washington has always operated - it's merely a different set of priorities on a higher scale, but it's certainly not materially different from any other economic stimulus package passed during the past few decades.

Washington cannot simply print and borrow money to get us out of this crisis. We The People, however, can get this economy moving NOW. All we need is relief from debt that was accrued under the now-false promise that higher education equates with higher earnings.

Free us of our obligations to repay our out-of-control student loan debt and WE, the hardworking, middle-class Americans who drive this economy will spend those extra dollars NOW."

-Robert Applebaum

Dear Mr. President meet Dr. O, 88 year old Holocaust Survivor and Educator

Stephanie Houser — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:06:26 EDT

“Regrettably, this is an example of what hate can do. This is why I was preaching at high schools and universities (for the past 40 years.) The worst four letter word is H_A_T_E – it’s the most destructive word of them all. All these horrible killings and disasters are based on hate – religious, political, racial HATE.” 88 year old friend Dr. Henry Oertelt told me when I called him tonight and asked for his comments.

I was shocked when I heard the news of James von Brunn, 88, a white supremacist and Holocaust denier, who opened fire on Stephen Tyrone Johns, a six-year veteran of the Washington D.C. Holocaust museum's security staff, who"died heroically in the line of duty," according to Sara Bloomfield, museum director.

This is not just a Jewish issue, this concerns all of us.

My friend, Dr. Henry Oertelt, is a Holocaust survivor. He didn’t want to spend his life discussing the worst time in his life, (who would?) but a teacher insisted he come speak to her students 40 years ago and the invitations haven’t stopped since. And Henry has done his duty, trying to educate kids from middle school through college students as well as adults at civic groups, churches and other community organizations.

Both Dr. Oertelt and Van Brunn are 88 years old. And while Henry was spreading education and love, von Brunn was seething with hate and that will be his legacy.

Henry’s motto is, “If you absolutely have to hate, hate HATE.” He was actually an honored guest at the Holocaust Museum and his identity is used in the museum experience, which allows guests to receive a passport when they enter the museum and find out at the end of their visit if that person lived or died.

Dr. Oertelt has already received two honorary doctorates from St. Cloud State University and South West State University, in Minnesota and he will be receiving his third from St. Olaf College on October 15, 2009.

And so, Dr. Oertelt and I will forge ahead with our feature film project, An Unbroken Chain: The Movie. Not because the world needs another holocaust movie, but because the world needs to understand what hate can do.

We have been asked to speak at the Holocaust Educator’s Day next year in Phoenix at the Bureau of Jewish Education. I’ve joined the Phoenix Holocaust Survivors Association, a group who celebrates their 25th anniversary October 25. These survivors chose life over hate, and as Helen Handler, another Survivor so eloquently put it, we didn’t put a gun in our children’s hands, we put a book in their hands.

Please help spread the word about our project. We will need all the support we can get. Join us on Facebook or visit our blog and sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop. Mr. President, I invite you to come and meet Henry and help us raise awareness for this important cause. Thanks.

Become Engaged

Engaged Citizen for transparency and accountability — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:16:31 EDT

We often hear today that our government is doing too much too fast. Really?

We have an economic melt down that is costing hundreds of thousands of jobs every month putting us in an economic and financial crisis. We continue to debate the financial and climatic impact of an unsustainable energy policy that requires a transition to alternative, renewable energy. We have the year-to-year cost of health care crippling individuals, businesses and our governement (Medicare & Medicaid). We seem to lack a commitment to the fundamental requirement of an educational system that produces competent, world class citizens on a scale with other countries.

We need to know what our representation in Washington is doing about these critical issues. We need to let Washington know how we would like them to legislate on our behalf. We need to make every elected representative accountable for the actions they either have or have not taken on our behalf.

Become engaged - let Washington know where we stand.

What "Hope" Means

leftcoastjim — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 17:56:13 EDT

Barack Obama is a welcome breath of fresh air as well as a beacon of hope. However, less that 150 days into his regime, it's becoming clear that along with the "hope" will come great disappointment. I believe that American citizens, holders of many ideals for a culture, were generally disheartened by the actions of the last administration. What might they be hoping for from this new gentleman and his entourage?

Possibilities include (in no particular order):

A genuine response to the Katrina damaged people and cities, providing jobs while providing support.
A health care system that takes care of people from birth to death, paid for by taxes, involved in encouraging health as well as treating illness.
Getting serious about providing public education as formidable as any in the world.
Providing graduate education.
Restoring and creating US jobs by changing corporate tax incentives.
Building mass transportation in the US.
End of Rendition and Imprisonment-without-charge.
End of the Patriot Act and restoration of Habeas Corpus.
Allowing countries to protect their own workers with subsidies and tariffs.
Replacing the US tendency to imprison its citizens, with a policy of educating, or training and preparing them for productive lives.

When President Obama took "Single-Payer Health care" off the table, gone was the hope that this was a boat-rocking administration. Obama may be treated kindly by history for making changes that deal only with emotional "wedge" issues; put a woman here, a hispanic there, a black there. These can be admirable, but substantially window dressing. Putting on the Supreme Court, a judge with a 51% chance of voting for an aggrieved citizen over an abusive corporation, is courageous.

Hope means rebuilding New Orleans levees to withstand only level three hurricanes would be a funny Saturday Night Live skit if it were not true. Why is it we are not preparing for a level five (like the one that did all that damage?) Giving the wounded homeowners a cheap trailer is better than nothing, but it should be recognized as just that. The fact that it is years later should be another embarrassment to the Greatest Nation on Earth.

Hope means tax breaks to the most profitable corporations in world history makes no sense while 50 million Americans have no health care and about the same are experiencing regular hunger. Cheers to "The Biggest Loser" TV show for feeding millions of people, as well as all the churches, foundations and end-hunger groups that perform so admirably day-after-day. But how do we build up a trillion dollar excess, then go to war in order to give that trillion and several more to a few hundred US corporations, and plead "got no money" to starving, undereducated, underfed, under-employed citizens. We do it with elected officials whose loyalty is to those corporations.

Hope means if you need ten million dollars to get a senatorhip in DC, you can get it from the US government! Or you can do business as usual by appeal to Big Oil, Big Defense, Big Health Care and sell your soul to interests other than the US population.

Hope can mean many wonderful things. It can mean an end to the embarrassment to Americans horrified that their agents are torturing and kidnapping. Or it can mean only that the criminality of the past eight years will be dialed back some.

Hope can mean that a savvy politican, used to Americans sitting quietly, will hope he awakens a sleeping tiger, and will be able lead the way to a Renewed America. An America with a Constitution in use, with true concern and generosity for its citizens. Where will our Hope take us?

LeftCoastJim

Budgeting

Mysti — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:36:17 EDT

I am not sure if anyone will be able to read this,THE FONT IS REALLY SMALL, especially; people in California; but we are in trouble. especially, our children. Education and Health Care is extremely important, no job, no tax no savings for the future. It is a problem that our state has to take from people whom are struggling to survive as it is. I am sorry but, our children are our future, without health care or education they will just be another number. This is 2009, our Country should have already passed this ridiculously fight over who gets what and when and how it is going to help. I have been an advocate for the disabled population for quite sometime now; and, it is truly sad that even the working disabled, still needing assistance to be able to work, are being cut. Our children's education is also important; without them how are we to grow?, how are we to continue with our Globe?, who is going to proceed with our country? All these questions need to be addressed. Someone is still being stingy and putting money in all the wrong hands. Our health care is ridiculous; with all of the air, water and food tainted our children are growing with health problems. This needs to be corrected. CALIFORNIA HAS A PROBLEM..

The Moral Strangulation of America

Eric from Covina, CA — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:34:46 EDT

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

The Moral Strangulation of America

In my last article I pointed out that the character of America is being fundamentally changed. In less than two generations we've gone from citizens who were politically engaged and socially aware, to zombies who simply accept what we're being told by our favorite demagogues. We've gone from citizens who held our politicians' feet to the fire, to a group of cattle who allow our politicians to dictate what is, and what isn't, off the table - in spite of our instinctive clamor for the simple adherence to the law. We've allowed politicians to go from representatives with the single mandate of doing our biding, to so-called leaders who dictate to us what's in our best interest. As a direct result, the script has been flipped - we now define what's in the people's best interest by what's in the best interest of the politicians who are supposed to defer us.

PARENT-PARTICIPATION-TIME-OFF-FOR-SCHOOL ACT

Queen E — Fri, 29 May 2009 13:10:45 EDT

Hello Mr. Alan Grayson

Who wouldn’t want 30 days vacation time off like the Congress gets?

Your proposed Paid Vacation Act is a winner with me. I couldn’t turn that down and thank-you Rep. Alan Grayson for suggesting that idea.

I’d just like to offer another scenario and pro-active solution to add to your vacation idea.

How about joining me and others to introduce this Parent-Participation Time Off For School ACT or add this time-off to your Act?

Please see my Congresswoman Donna Edwards and join in drafting our Parent-Participation Time Off For School ACT.

I’d really prefer to make it a complete separate Bill. it can aslo work if we add this section to your Bill. SO PLEASE READ MY BILL BELOW:

=============

H. R. Bill No. --- PARENT- PARTICIPATION-TIME-OFF FOR SCHOOL ACT

In addition to the already recognized programs called “Take Your Child To Work Day, Job Partnership and Adopt -A-School and other Partnership Programs, there needs to be an allowance for a parent to volunteer in schools and assist with their child’s education.

This program would eliminate truancy, unruliness and disrespectful behavior and create a serious learning environment because kids would seek to control themselves and concentrate more on their academics knowing that their parent and their friend’s parents may show up at school at any time.

Grant paid time off of work per month to parents to participate in their students school activities from tutoring, hall monitoring, class-room assistance, substituting to chaperone for field trips.

Grant 3 days off work per month to be spent in school just as the Adopt-A- School, Mentor Programs works today by allowing Federal Workers to volunteer to take off work at their Agencies Adopted School.

Federal workers and other business’s employees already take paid time off during the day to spend at adopted schools during the day per week to assist and tutor kids. Let’s make this allowance to parents all across the USA.

Benefits includes the economy be stimulated by the Parent-Participation in Schools that involves travel, food and other type shopping. The presence of someone’s parent in school will help eliminate peer pressure and negative influences from occurring on students. Parents would assist Teachers, Staff and their Student with the academics and curriculum, the learning environment, behavior modification issues and social and development skills.

On any given day, there could be 100 to 200 parents in a school building with 600 or more students.

PROGRAM PROCEDURES AND GUIDE TO BE USED BY ALL BUSINESSES:

1. Grant 24 hours Parent-Participation School Leave per month to parents with children in grades K thru 12.

2. Grant 24 hours Parent-Participation School Leave to be used in any intervals of time that parent needs, (example 4 hours one day, 8 hours another day or two hours on a day, etc.)

3. Grant no less than two hours per use that month.

4. Grant hours under Administrative Leave or Excused Absence.

5. Schools can make a Request of Parent-Participation Schedule available to the Parents

6. Parents can just volunteer to pop in at their own choice depending on their own work schedule or go by the School Teacher’s Request Schedule given to them.

Proposed Drafters: Donna Edwards, Esther Mayberry and Alan Grayson

The New Girl in Town on Change...

Keesha — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:35:27 EDT

So, for a while now I've been wanting to blog. I guess it would only be appropriate if I do so on a site that I love so very much. Barackobama.com. As an introduction to myself I am a; Mother, Wife, Sister, Friend, Poet, Novelist (soon to be published hopefully), Midwife-to-be, and all around Feminist! All while being able to leap any obstacle in a single bound. I AM SUPERWOMAN...less the cape blowing in the wind! I contribute greatly to my community, East Garfield Park in Chicago, especially to the women and their children who reside here. It is one of my great hopes that I will wake up to a better existence here in America. When that day arrives, we will owe it to the life altering seeds that we have collectively help to plant.

My partner and I have six children and we had to fight for proper education of those children in Chicago Public Schools. I am sure that every poor American has also had to endure this battle. To gain a better level of education and educational resources my children awake everyday at 5a.m. From there they are bused out of their community to receive that just education that their mommy and their forefathers fought to capture and retain.

In as much Certified Professional Midwifery care for women, which I know for a fact provides superior maternal, infant, and family unit support and medical care is a felony in the state of Illinois. Yet within most minority communities, especially the African American community, the infant mortality,maternal mortality, and cesarean rates are up. As a contras, adequate social and health care support is down. Imagine women going to jail and being fined for providing a safe haven for women and adequate medical support!

A just educational system and adquate health care is the fight I wake up with every morning. Yet, I will not be moved. As long as there is breath in me, and I know what is right; I will speak out, support President Obama, and work towards the betterment of my community, the American Community. Mercy,Charity,Justice, and dignity starts at home! What better time to be an activist and activate yourself into a culture of humanity.

Keesha

Obama & HBCUs - The Real Truth without the Hoopla!

Leslye J Allen of Atlanta, GA — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:20:40 EDT

Just in case you had not heard the latest pile of manure that has been brewing about Obama and HBCUs. Here is a short piece by Essence Magazine's Cynthia Gordy that sheds much light and is certainly worth taking note of just in case you need some talking points.

OBAMA VS. HBCUS? LET'S REVIEW...

You may have heard grumbling this week about a funding cut for historically Black colleges in the 2010 federal budget. I've read the articles and outraged headlines, but held off on commenting until I’d taken a closer look at the budget myself. It seemed like there was some information missing.

The outcry is in response to the absence of $85 million in extra funding that has been given to historically Black colleges and universities for the past two years. This has been framed as a budget cut and, according to some critics, proof that “Obama doesn’t care about HBCUs.” One thing to note, however, is that this was a temporary two-year fund enacted by Congress in 2007, and already a done deal for 2010.

Rather than revisit the temporary idea of a pot of extra money for HBCUs, the administration instead increased spending in student aid. They also boosted direct discretionary funding for HBCUs from $238 million to $250 million. Now, the increase in direct discretionary funds isn’t much (especially when pitted against the $85 million that expired). But the administration argues that supporting students with more student aid—especially in the form of increasing the maximum Pell Grant for low-income students by $200, to a total allowance of $5,550—will help HBCUs.

“Half of students at historically Black colleges and universities receive Pell Grants, compared to 27 percent of students at other institutions,” Massie Ritsch, a spokesman with the U.S. Department of Education told me regarding the boost in student aid. "We expect that over 10 years, students at HBCUs will receive $3.2 billion in increased Pell Grants, an average of $320 million a year. That money will directly benefit HBCUs by making it easier for the students they serve to attend."

The budget also increases the need-based Perkins Loan by $5 billion, up from the current volume of $1 billion, and offers $2.5 billion for programs that help low-income students enroll in and graduate from college. “This shouldn’t be seen as any indication that there’s not support for historically Black colleges and universities,” Ritsch said. “The budget and the Recovery Act provide more money for the students that disproportionately attend HBCUs, and provide additional funds for the institutions themselves.”

I’m not saying this is necessarily the better way to do it, but it’s a far cry from the idea that Obama is effectively saying, “To hell with you, Black students!” Let me know what you think. Should the President renew the fund that gives money directly to HBCUs, or do you agree with his emphasis on increasing student aid that goes directly to minority students?

This article available at:

http://essence.typepad.com/obamawatch/2009/05/obama-vs-hbcus-lets-review.html

Ramifications of Homeschooling

Doris Anne Beaulieu — Mon, 25 May 2009 19:49:17 EDT

Hello,

My name is Doris Anne Beaulieu. I have a website-Life’s Ultimate Test dot com-on which you can learn more about my mission to change the face of home schooling.

I attended a parochial school as a child in the 1950's. In this Catholic school I was sheltered from the realities of the world around me-from swearing, from public displays of affection, from slang. These are often some of the same things that modern home schooling parents aim to protect their children from. A superior court judge said " In today’s threatening world, we seek to protect children from abuse, not just physical, but also educational abuse." This protection however often leaves behind a naiveness to the surrounding world the children must eventually enter.

Children need to be exposed to real life. Parents should as a family, talk about the world openly so children may not only learn that the world holds cruelness, but so they can gain knowledge from their parents experience and guidance for adulthood.

Playing with other children, a basic aspect of childhood was something we were unable to do because of the lack of seeing children outside of their family. Home schooled kids face the same consequences. A child who hasn’t efficiently learned how to deal with childhood conflict can not deal with adult conflict.

A child could become an active member of an organization that offers compromising skills. Be it girl scouts, boy scouts or some form of sports in their community. Anything of this nature would improve the outcome.

In my school, we spent most of the day praying- in church and in class. Who is to say in home schooling the children are receiving a full education which I even lacked in a parochial school? The same judge mentioned before also said " how can we not monitor the educational welfare of all of our children?" There should be a system, of more than just suggestions, to guarantee the children are being educated. This system should also lack so much variance from state to state.

More of my personal experience can be found in my book The Torments of the Modest Secluded Farm Life and it’s screenplay "Broken Souls." I hope, through my experience, I can soon make a difference for children facing similar situations.

Thank you,

Doris Anne Beaulieu

http://www.LifesUltimateTest.com

Hosting my first Organizing For America event

Kimkesia from Tallahassee, FL — Mon, 25 May 2009 19:16:52 EDT

I am a mother and health care professional. I want to see change in america, concerning health care policy. I am hosting this event to make sure my family, friends and neighbors are involved in seeing real change in america.

A Simple Question: Would God Condone Torture?

Eric from Covina, CA — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:05:14 EDT

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

A Simple Question: Would God Condone Torture?

Maybe I'm missing something but I find it uniquely ironic that some the same people who clamor for prayer in school, claim that same-sex marriage is an abomination under God,who insist that America is a Christian nation, and fight for the Biblical version of creationism over science, are also the very same people who demand the right to be armed to the teeth with some of the most destructive private weapons on Earth, the right to slaughter and bring the most excruciating kinds of death upon God's other creatures for nothing more than their own entertainment, and now, condone the torture of other human beings as a legitimate tool of government. Is it just me, or does anyone else see this as the very height of hypocrisy?

America celebrates the 55th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education

Ericha from Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:02:19 EDT

The landmark decision of Brown v. The Board of Education reversed the term derived from Plessy v. Ferguson of "separate but equal." Here is a glimpse into Brown v. Board of Education and Justice Thurgood Marshall.

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-5067-LA-School-District-Examiner~y2009m5d17-Americans-celebrate-the-55th-anniversary-landmark-case-Brown-v-Board-of-Education

Lincoln/Obama Hi-Tech Museum & HOLLA Excellence thru Education

HOLLAatyaANCESTORS — Wed, 13 May 2009 10:05:04 EDT

I saw the coolest show last week on the Lincoln Hi-Tech Museum on the History Channel. It brought out all of the GEEK in this African-American Female, "the new 40ish" I.T. Project Manager. It had Lincoln's virtual figure and voice. It was just like being there in 1865 when he freed the slaves! Please help me at GEEK150 organization, plan trips across the country to expose our children to careers of the future. It will get them interested in Computers (IT), Math and Science. Get more info at DeKalb County, GA Saturday, May 16th 10-10:45AM, Kroger Flat Shoals at Flakes Mill. Must RSVP by Thursday 4PM.

Go to www.HOLLAatyaANCESTORS/GEEK150.com, Twitter & Facebook/HOLLAatyaANCESTORS

HOLLA needs your child to work on the 1ST African-American Hi-Tech Musuem that I am proposing to Wells Fargo (home of the Stagecoach Musuems) through the Baldwin HS Class of 1976 to be place it at the apex of Slavery and the Civil War, Milledgeville, Baldwin County, GA the former capital for 60 years, as the home of the first A-A Civil Rights Musuem. This blog is directed to the 1976 Baldwin HS Class especially, and all High School and College Graduates of the Class of 1976 (The Bi-Centennial) to work on the 2015, 150th (Semi-Centennial) End of Slavery to employ the High School and College Techy Class of 2016 to put Hi-Tech Musuem all across the country to retell the history of African-American, GEAP's (pronounced JEEP's) Good European-American People and others that invented and built our country.

So you know I must work on the musuem for Pres. Obama. I have contacted the Graphics company this week to volunteer on the OBAMA Hi Tech Musuem. Educate yourself and your kids by watching The History Channel ( Channel 269), NASA, NatGeo (National Geographics, cool right!). Then, volunteer to gain experience in your industry of interest. If you call DirecTV please tell them you were referred by Johnette Brooks, Decatur, GA so we can get $50 towards kids trips and you get $50.

Please share your thoughts on educating Adults with TV, The Hi-Tech AA Museum in the heart of Slavery, Volunteering for Retraining Knowlege and Honoring your Ancestors in Excellence by researching, documenting and retelling the story of the boomdiggity in your family with a physical, public tribute in your hometown. Commit to becoming a FEE today. A FEE is a FAMILY of EXCELLENCE and EDUCATION that supports Pres. Obama every way we can. 1% of everything you donate to HOLLA/GEEK150 will be donated to Organizing for America (OBAMA). 99% of the rest of your donate will support GIVING OUR ANCESTORS THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACE IN HISTORY. THE ANCESTORS ARE INSISTING THE TRUTH BE TOLD IN 2015. Be 1 of the first 150 Families.

Why politics must be discussed

wbarrett — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:48:23 EDT

I grew up in the midwest in a family in which politics was rarely discussed. Nebraska -- mother was from farm country near Sioux City, Iowa. Except for my father, who I think admired FDR for his efforts in alleviating the suffering of the great depression, most of the Nebraska farmers were confirmed Republicans. (Still are, it appears)

I voted that way, too, until the Vietnam war and some university friends pointed out the folly of my thinking. My last GOP vote was for Ike, and I don't much regret it -- he was fine president. Also, the Democratic party was dominated by a southern faction determined to keep Jim Crow in place -- that disgusted me.

My point is that it took a chance encounter at a party, and someone willing to break through the trivial party chatter to wake me up. That shouldn't be the case -- we need to reach across to others and discuss issues, and learn to do it in a dispassionate way. We surely can come together if we are willing to reconsider our own biasses, listen to others, and keep our focus on the common needs of all our citizens.

With Barack in office, I really can hope that a new era is dawning, in which we can discuss the real issues confronting our nation, and the state of California in particular. I'm concerned about many issues, and just can't decide on any particular priority -- Barack is right that liberal progress must proceed on many fronts at once. I'm pleased that he has the wisdom, intelligence and energy to keep on top of them all.

I maintain a web page with a dozen or so essays that I've written, along with a few others from various media articles -- see below. See especially my comments about no child left behind -- George Bush's well-meaning, but terrible educational testing policies. As a university teacher, that strikes home, as I see the results of our educational system in the students that I'm training in computer engineering.

http://www.wbarrett.us/index.html

Celebrating the first 100 days of President Barack Obama - Education & Healthcare

Saint Lucie County Group — Thu, 07 May 2009 11:10:41 EDT

A couple weeks ago we were asked by OFA if we had in our community a positive story to highlight the first 100 days in office of President Barack Obama, and here in Saint Lucie County, Florida, we do. We started organizing and holding regular meetings right after the elections.

Within days of the President’s call to service, a small planning group was formed to help with the President’s vision to bring hope to thousands of college students in our communities and the group’s mission was outlined to provide an outlet for active citizenship in the area of college affordability.

On April 11, 2009 a new non-profit organization, Iduka, was incorporated in the state of Florida.

Iduka was created to promote college affordability by connecting students with lenders, schools, and community service organizations through an Internet based interest free micro-loan program.

Students may also qualify for a loan to grant conversion. In such cases students can pay off their loans by volunteering in their communities if Iduka can secure enough donations to cover such loan to grant conversions. A student enrolled in a Health Care Program at the local community college, can, if matching funds are available, convert an Iduka micro-loan into a grant by volunteering at a local hospital or community hospice.

In addition to a few professionals that have already provided pro bono services, we currently have a group of 10 local volunteers working hard to make this project a reality. This commitment and enthusiasm is a direct result of President Obama’s call to bring change to our communities, country, and the world.

Iduka is currently seeking seed money start operations and fulfill its mission. We are also actively recruiting members to serve on the Board of Directors, particularly individuals with a background in Law and Finance.

Please feel free to contact Miguel Martim (772) 380-4883 or Joan Barnes (772) 871-9104 in case you need any further information and/or would like to partner with Iduka. You can also visit us online at www.iduka.org

National Charter Schools Week - LACHS

Jodie from Lehigh Acres, FL — Wed, 06 May 2009 13:02:05 EDT

Happy National Charter Schools Week! May 3-9 is National Charter School Week. There are more than 4,600 charter schools in America serving over 1.4 million students. Charter Schools are making differences in the lifes of so many children. I am the principal of Lee Alternative Charter High School in Lehigh Acres, Florida. My school has a population of about 200 students, who for one reason or another, do not choose to attend traditional high school. My students are extremely special kids, who have risen above their home and community lives, and are fighting to get their high school diplomas. Students who dropped out of school, are now back in school, working hard to earn the diploma that will help to make their lives better. This is the first year that Lee Alternative Charter High School was open. We have about thirty students planning on graduating in June, many of them first generation graduates. They are realizing their dreams: some are going on to serve our country, some are going to vocational schools, and some are going where they never dreamed they could - college. I would like to take this time to thank the people who support charter schools and let them know that they are making a difference in the lives of students in Lehigh Acres, Florida. Happy National Charter Schools Week!

Haywood County NC to cut 36 teaching positions next year

Chelsea — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:49:53 EDT

I am tired of reading newspapers, headlines on t.v. and blurbs across the bottom of the television about Oil Companies, Carmakers and Banks. Not only am I tired of hearing about it, I am tired of a large part of our nation's attention being directed towards these businesses. I suppose I am tired of it because I assume that we are a country founded on capitalism and a democratic government, yet, somehow these BUSINESSES have become the most important 'citizens' to date.

What ever happened to the laws of supply and demand? What happened to survival of the fittest? What happened to our government placing attention on the areas that are not affected by the market but are a staple to the continuation of our country as a world leader?

Reversion- why are our tax dollars being given to the automobile industry? I saw a picture on the news with a car lot the size of Rhode Island (sarcasm) full of empty cars and a news anchor whining about how Detroit is going under, along with the U.S. car industry, because consumers are not buying cars and production is being halted. Well, FYI, when the 'average' American is out of the job, getting raped by credit card companies suddenly deciding to double interest rates and has a house in foreclosure- THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BUY A CAR. So, the solution appears to handout hundreds of billions of dollars to the car makers and to save one dying area- Detroit. Excuse me for my lack of compassion, but I do not care one bit about the car makers. I do not even own an American car, and whether that is because of quality, money or lipstick is irrelevant. If you cannot survive as a business, someone else will rise to the challenge to meet the needs of the market. The automobile industry is not a monopoly, nor an oligopoly, in my opinion. So, why is there any need for government intervention?

The intervention is not because car prices have risen to the point that we are concerned with the mobility of our citizens to 'fuel' the economy and get to work- we are concerned with a company, an amoral entity. Ok, so, you may reply by indicating that the industry is being spoiled because of all the people they employ. So, I may reply by asking why we did not sustain the tobacco industry to date? Why do we not just keep building houses to help the housing industry? It is irrelevant as to whether or not there are people to live in them, at least the business would not have been hurt. The point here is simple economics- the laws of supply and demand- there is no demand for more cars, so can we stop supplying them with billions of dollars? Why don't we instead supply our citizens, our people, with billions of dollars? I am not talking about sending checks to households- I am talking about our government investing in our skill sets so that when the economy recovers and we realize that we no longer have the competitive advantage in the automobile industry, those workers will have something else to do besides being brainwashed into thinking that our government is working against them and has exported their jobs. FYI- the government did not do it!! Your amoral employer who supposedly cared so much about you did it. The only thing the government did was tease you into thinking your skills were necessary to the continuation of this economy.

WE NEED NEW SKILL SETS. Invest in people, not products and not amoral mission statements.

Reversion- why are our tax dollars being given to the housing industry and the banks who 'unknowingly' bought and sold mortgages like monopoly houses? I just cannot believe that the greed within the housing industry backlashed in such a way (sarcasm). Just recently, the median price of the American home was ~$250,000. Am I the only one that sees a problem with this? Ok, let's break it down then- let's go back further than the subprime mortgages that were molded to present positive composite credit ratings, let's go back further than when these mortgages were sold to municipalities who had no idea what they were buying. I am going to go back to when flipping houses became a game.

There are numerous television shows that were created to show people how to put a minimal amount of effort into rebuilding something and then attempting to sell it for unearned and unnecessary profits. I will be referring to this approach again shortly, so, remember it.

Any Tom, Dick and Harry was buying houses and flipping them as if it were a sport. So, here comes the young, new American family- first time home buyers- picking up a house in an over appreciated market- keeping up with the Jones's. Some of these families even put in a few thousand in renovations and then flipped it again. It's contagious. It's also greedy. Now the same people who could not afford to buy homes can't even rent the over priced units, while those who were buying houses like baseball cards, sucking up the profits and basking in greed, stopped making mortgage payments. Uh-oh, this could make the housing bubble burst...worse yet, it could destroy the banking industry.

So, guess what- those pretty little AAA bonds and 'securitized' instruments created by the housing industry happen to carry just enough risk so that for the bankers and Wall Streeters and municipalities and investors who bought and sold them without really knowing the risk associated with the underlying assets- because there was a lack of due diligence- because there was a lack of reality- or because there was too much greed- this meant an avalanche was already coming, they were just too low on the mountain to see it yet.

Now look where we are- banks aren't lending. I can't even get a used car or a used home. My credit card companies have doubled interest rates because evidently I did not know how to properly read the minute literature the card company provided me with five years ago- there is a clause that (1) in a time of economic downturn, we retain the right to take more money from you, unannounced and that (2) we cannot assist you in keeping your account in good standing until you have irresponsibly or uncontrollably let the account go past due- help can only be provided once the account is no longer current and you have incurred a minimum of one late fee, one over the balance fee and one just-to-really-stick-it-to-you fee.

I believe that the 'average' American knows where I am coming from on this. I will delve no further into the banking industry because it has been a deceitful mess since its inception. Making money by lending money- I apologize for the lack of sympathy. Thanks FDIC (sarcasm).

So, my final reversion- application of minimal effort for the receipt of unearned and unnecessary profits. I am talking about education.

I have talked, thus far, about amoral industries and companies reaping profits (meanwhile whining about corporate taxes) while our citizens are working out payment plans with the IRS (really looking forward to my next stimulus tax break being TAKEN BACK by the government to cover the taxes that I am paying on a monthly basis- stimulus shmimulus), while our citizens are working out payment plans with the banks to save their homes, while our citizens are being raped and pillaged by credit card companies that appear to be immune to government regulation (at least until I have been screwed enough that I am in default and the fees assessed against me could be paying for that used car to get me to an underpaid job). All the while, my credit rating has fallen- the three digits that monopolize my life. I mean, I read about numbers being assigned to people in the Bible- I have seen movies about numbers being assigned to people in a world in which the dead walk among the living- where the hell am I?!?

Well, I can tell you where I am not. I am not in a world, a country, a community where we care about our children or our future. I am not in a world that cares about acquiring new skill sets to apply to new industries. I am not in a world that cares more about educating our young, or even our old for that matter, than it does about Detroit, or cars or John Rich Doe's vacation home. I am not in a world that instead of cutting over 36 teaching jobs in a single county in North Carolina would cut bailouts to an amoral industry. Bailouts to companies with CEOs making $1,000,000 a year who were evidently too busy or too stupid to realize what they were getting us into. Really?

I am not even in a world, a country, a community that can step back and look at the picture as a whole instead of the top right corner. We are part of a global community- surprise!! If we continue to diminish the importance of education, our students will continue to drop out, if they go to college, they will get by putting forth minimal effort, if they get a job, they will put themselves first instead of thinking of the pervasiveness of their actions on their fellow human beings. Of course, there is a sense of generalization in this statement, but we are most often affected by the sheepish behavior of many rather than the noble actions of one.

We have to start improving the quality of our education, work ethic and adaptability. We have to stop laying off teachers and cutting school programs in order to build a FORD or buy a second home. And to those who have happened to make it through this recession without any regard for the issues I have mentioned, to those who think their future will be fine because their child will not be subjected to public education- I am going to have to burst another bubble- you are not immune to the pervasiveness of miseducation- you are a member of a community, a country, a world and it is an intricate web. That fly that took your place as the spider's meal will not be there next time.

Government equilibrium in relation to Current Policies

Chirag — Mon, 04 May 2009 00:22:48 EDT

Government Spending Vs. Tax Cuts (Less Spending)

Lately, it is hard to walk into somebody on the street and not strike up a casual conversation about the economy. Everybody is worried about the economy. According to the latest Gallup poll over 70% of Americans trust President Obama's plan for economic recovery. However, do people really understand what the Government is trying to achieve? If we don't have an answer for that question then we definitely don't have an answer for the next question: is it fair to criticize the Government Spending approach to stimulate our economy then give more tax cuts to higher-income Americans?

There are two major indicators of the economy:

Labor Productivity
Consumption

There are two ways to stimulate the economy and they both move the labor productivity curve and consumption curve in the same direction. Both ways work to a certain extent.

The two models are

1) Tax Cuts

2) Increase Spending

We had seen two tax cuts during President Bush's administration. A tax cut is NOT a freebie, and after we get a Tax Cut we will see the Tax Increase at some point in the future because Taxes are a very important source of revenue and it is the right of the Government to collect Tax. Tax cuts come with the cost and as I said earlier, you can only make an adjustment to a certain extent.

Now let’s talk about the Government. The ideal government tries to satisfy this formula:

G+[G’/(1+r)] = T+[T’/(1+r)]

G stands for Govt. Spending

T stands for Tax

R is Interest Rate

In simple terms we call that a balanced budget. It can be balanced by changing either variable (tax or govt. spending). I won’t tell you that you are wrong because you like more tax cuts because it has the same effect as increased government spending. I find it necessary to increase government spending because we are already $1.5 Trillion in deficit and the problem is not on the supply side. The problem is with the demand side. People right now do not have money to spend. Only the government can spend money but I totally agree that when the consumption curve starts moving with the labor productivity curve then government spending needs to be stopped. Until then, the government needs to spend, and the majority of economists agree with increasing government spending. People are worried about budget spending, but spending fluctuates depending on how and where the economy is and all this spending in the bill is not a concrete number that needs to be spent. If next year the economy recovers then the government doesn’t have to spend money just because it has written a 1000 page spending bill. My anger is not towards the last administration because they were republicans. My anger is towards their spending pattern and the disparity in spending. Let me give you an example of FY 2008 Spending breakdown by department:

Dept of Education: around $ 80-90 billion
Dept of Energy: around $20-30 billion
Dept of Defense: $630 Billion
Health and Human Services: over $700 billion (We do need Health Care Reform)
Treasury dept: over $500 Billion (including interest on debt)
Dept of Veteran's Affairs: around $80 Billion
Total Debt: Over $10 Trillion.

That is where I have a problem: outrageous spending but nothing to grow a better economy. The problem is not with spending. The problem is spending without a plan. If we spend so much money how can we pay for it? What will happen when the war ends? What will it do to the unemployment rate when our troops come home? and When and How will the war end? In the name of protection, money was wasted left and right. It left our economy handicapped with the most devalued currency in a decade. The devaluation of American currency was another big factor contributing to the slowdown of our economy as we couldn't afford foreign-made goods--all of sudden those goods became more expensive. It hurt all the nations that depend on the United States of America for their products including China and the Indian software industry. That has raised the need for another global currency. People are saying President Obama is stealing from their kids and grandkids. What if there is no economy left for their kids if we don’t do anything today? Grand Theft was committed during the Bush Administration in the name of "No Child Left Behind." It is an amazing program without sufficient funding and I already gave you proof of spending above. The results were clear as glass: a record number of college drop outs. When India and China are producing a record number of doctors and engineers, we started producing a record number of HIGH SCHOOL DROP OUTS. I know we are better than this. If we are not better, then why would anybody come to America for higher education? Over 70% of students in higher education are foreign students. I had a hard time finding somebody who speaks clear English before I signed up for my classes in college. My math tutors couldn't even say any body's name. So she used to write names on the black board to take attendance. Without disrespect to any of those students why couldn't we have our American kids go in higher education and build better America? Why do we all have to fight for blue-collar jobs? Seriously, how many Joe the Plumbers are out there who are making more than $250 thousand?

When it comes to Energy, we all know that oil is a limited resource. It will run out with time. But the Sun will always shine, and the wind will always blow. So why is it so hard to pay attention to alternative sources of energy? Why is President Obama called the thief of our children's future when he is the one who is trying to invest in alternative sources of energy?

So if we don't invest in the Economy, Energy and Education today then WHEN?

Why is it a bad idea: To invest money in the ECONOMY
Why is it a terrible idea: To invest money in search of Alternative Sources of ENERGY
Why is it wrong: To invest money in EDUCATION so that we can produce more engineers, doctors and better college professors in our country.

President Obama's plan to recovery and prosperity offers the solution those core issues such as Economy, Energy and Education.

I am taking a commitment to educate myself, keeping an open mind and understanding first hand about the plan. I would't want any views from hate media specially FOX NEWS. It is time to move forward and get work done. America has great leader with clear vision and plan, and we an American people has done our job by electing right people on the right spot.

Special Ed destroys minds, not helping.

Jem — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:06:49 EDT

Our special education for problem children, controls students via 'threats'. Fifty pushups isn't proper for school punishments. Kids who are bitten have to shut up, or get in trouble for a bit of cussing. Police aren't called to protect the innocent from violence in the school. My child was in a crisis of deep depression, before the school counselor contacted me. He has no problem with peers and adults anywhere, except in the school, where the 'big man' torments kids- which I have now witnessed first hand. Please end the tyranny in the special education classes.

Change is in Our Future Not Our Past

Tom Awtry — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 02:30:55 EDT

Every good past President has looked to the future, while every failed administration has suffered with the past, in part by their own misunderstandings of the failure(s) and to fully concentrate on moving their own agenda’s forward! Consequently, we the American public are as much to blame, for their failures as they are.

Today in office we have elected a forward looking Chief Executive, tasked with the mission of tackling the previous administrations failures and deceptions; while moving onwards his own vision of how America should be.

To me, this means let the president delegate responsible, for corrective action on the issues concerning Gitmo, torture, Rove, FOIA and FISA to his appropriate cabinet members and select committees within congress.

We as diligent citizens and supposed caretakers of our country should and must be focused on issues such as health care, getting out of Iraq, the economy and perhaps an over looked issued by many, an improved, affordable plan to enhance our current educational system of higher learning.

We have seen hundreds of thousands of jobs disappear over the past several months, will these jobs ever come back? The answer is “No”!

Soon we will have thousands of veterans returning from overseas, will they remain in the military service? Again, the answer is possibly “No”!

So what are the solutions to the aforementioned issues within the Obama Administration? I feel the president has chosen the most correct choice by relying on what made our nation what it was in the “past” – “Education”.

But, as we all know, including the president, both the cost and quality are the downsides for most of us, even the slightly “upper middle class”.

As quoted by President Obama (President Obama on Higher Education and Reforming Student Loans):

Over the past few decades, the cost of tuition at private colleges has more than doubled, while costs at public institutions have nearly tripled. Tuition has grown ten times faster than a typical family’s income, while inefficiencies in the student loan system provide lenders billions of dollars in wasteful subsidies instead of making college more affordable for all Americans.

When we review the 60’s, the days of placing a man on the moon and the golden times of NASA; education was at our country’s forefront, even while the Vietnam War was in progress, education was considered a must for survival in the Cold War overall and personal success in life as an individual(s).

We must not accept taking a backseat within the international community, as we have and again noted by the President in his Remarks by the President at the National Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting:

Our schools continue to trail other developed countries and, in some cases, developing countries. Our students are outperformed in math and science by their peers in Singapore, Japan, England, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Korea, among others. Another assessment shows American 15-year-olds ranked 25th in math and 21st in science when compared to nations around the world. And we have watched as scientific integrity has been undermined and scientific research politicized in an effort to advance predetermined ideological agendas.
Complementing while confirming the aforementioned is the following from Gallup Polls with an article entitled: “Public Discontent With Quality of U.S. Education, where we can see the American public over the past eight years have been frustrated with the Bush Administration’s progress on education:
A three-year aggregate of Gallup data (2002-2004)* on attitudes toward the public schools indicates that 44% of Americans are very (11%) or somewhat (33%) satisfied with public education, but a slight majority, 55%, are either very (25%) or somewhat (30%) dissatisfied. Despite these negative perceptions about the quality of the U.S. education system, past surveys have demonstrated that most Americans are happy with their own educations and the educations their children receive.

So, should you subscribe to the fact our nation’s higher learning institutions are to expensive and our primary education system(s) of public schools are not performing as they should; how is the president and perhaps more selfishly “us the American public” going to resolve the educational systems and turn their services into “jobs” and an increased standard of living for all of us?

The President has prepared congress for needed changes, staring with his Fiscal Budget for 2010 with major investments in broadband networks, clean energy technologies, and health information technology, as I’ve quoted him here (Fact Sheet A Historic Commitment To Research And Education):

President Obama has already made science and technology a top priority: The Recovery Act includes $21.5 billion for research and development, the largest increase in our Nation’s history, and well as major investments in broadband networks, clean energy technologies, and health information technology. The President’s FY10 budget includes sustained increases in basic research, $75 billion to make the research and experimentation tax credit permanent, and funding to triple the number of the National Science Foundation’s graduate research fellowships. The President is committed to restoring integrity to science policy, and making decisions on the basis of evidence, rather than ideology.

Also, the President has enacted steps within his own Executive Branch (President Obama Meets with Family Struggling with College Costs, Underscores Need to Eliminate Wasteful Spending in Federal Student Loan Program, Reinvest Savings in Making College More Affordable):

Today, President Barack Obama met with a family struggling to afford the cost of college and underscored his commitment to cutting wasteful spending on federal student loans by ending taxpayer subsidies to banks. President Obama discussed the strain that rising tuition costs are placing on middle class families and his proposal to end the private Federal Family Education Loans program that lines the pockets of the banks who serve as middlemen while costing the American people $5 billion a year.

As I elated to earlier, since this is a failure of past administrations to attend address the president has wisely delegated this national concern to Vice President Joe Biden, who in my own opinion as been doing an outstanding job for the president in seeing all measurers are brought to the forefront on getting legislation authored and past in a bipartisan manner.

Vice President Biden has implemented “Middle Class Task Force” to find solutions and assist him in seeing colleges become more affordable through a series of town hall meetings. Here in an excerpt from such a meeting in St. Louis, the excerpt is entitled: “Middle Class Task Force Report: College Affordability”

Middle Class Task Force Report: College Affordability

An obstacle to federal student aid is the unnecessarily complicated application process that is often intimidating to families and students seeking loans. In order to qualify for aid, students or their parents must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, which contains well over 100 questions on income, assets, family characteristics, personal characteristics, and other items. Completing the FAFSA requires families to sift through paperwork and transfer numbers from tax forms that they may or may not have readily available.

The following is a downloadable pdf report, which bears reading, regarding steps being taken by the Obama administration to lower college cost to the middle class desiring to enter college and making the application procedure more simplified and friendly:

Middle Class Task Force Staff Report (pdf)

So, what’s the Point:

Much “to do” recently has been made in the media over the release of torture memos and the president’s first 100 days in office, which are all constructive concerns and self-servicing pats on our own backs for electing the “right person for the right job”, but lets not get hung-up on the issues of witch hunts and arrogance that got us into the trouble we’re in today.

Lets keep pressing forward in correcting mistakes and apathy of the past with “new ideas” and approaches that will insure we’re never in the fix we are in today.

After all wasn’t it President Bush who said “Fool me once and you’re a fool, fool me twice and I’m a fool”.

The following selections of videos cement President Obama’s commitment to the middle class and his devotion to insuring every American is entitled to higher learning:

Opening the Doors of Higher Education

Taking a defiant stance towards those banks defending the status quo, the President proposes cutting out the middle man in student loans for a savings of almost $50 billion over ten years.

Additional Videos:

Real Tax Cuts Making a Real Difference

Flanked by Americans who have benefited from his Making Work Pay tax credit, President Obama speaks about his tax policy and how it is helping people across the nation.

Taking on Education

The President explains the urgency of changing the way we educate our children, and offers four pillars of reform.

Meet Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan talks about the source of his passion for education reform — and why he thinks it’s about more than education, it’s about social justice.

Additional postings regarding this topic and others may be found here:

The Specter of Hope, as the GOP Implodes

Douglas from South Gate, CA — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:20:50 EDT

If I had any doubts, I don't anymore: The (political) ground just shifted under our feet.

The best comment I heard this morning was on MSNBC: David Shuster said that Arlen Specter didn't leave the Republican Party; the Republican Party left Arlen Specter ... and a whole lot of other moderates, in Pennsylvania and nationwide.

Now we've GOT to make some real, positive change (as by getting Franken sworn-in in MN) so that the people at large get some benefit from all this, in those key areas Obama keeps pounding away at: healthcare, education, and energy. Those things have been left undone for far too long. The only way we can survive and thrive as a nation is by working on all three (and then some) together, in an integrated, "holistic" approach: It takes a nation to build a nation!

Yes, we can!

Njanraj

Unknown user — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 05:21:34 EDT

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Posansja

Isndkso from Vallonia, IN — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:22:15 EDT

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Getting Started - An introduction.

Educationforall — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:39:47 EDT

I have just moved to Fulshear, Texas. Texas is my home state, and I am glad to be back home. I was born in Corpus Christi, but I have lived in several places in Texas: El Paso, San Antonio, Blanco, Abilene, and Twin Sisters. I have also lived in Louisiana; Indiana, where my first child was born; Georgia, where I graduated from Valdosta State University; and Florida, where we helped carry Barack Obama on to the White House.

I am so happy to be back home, but we have a lot of work to do in Texas.

Many issues concern me, but I must focus on only a few.

I am concerned about the high school drop out rate. While I lived in Florida, I taught ABE (Adult Basic Education)/GED to adult females at a county jail for two years.

This opened my eyes to a common thread running through most high school drop out's which I will discuss in later posts.

I am concerned about Global Warming. The laissez faire attitude some people hold toward this issue informs me of the need for community education.

This will, hopefully, also be a topic blogged here.

Hope to be back with you soon.

Real "Health"

Kwaku — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:50:24 EDT

The concept known as "Health has some rather strange travels. From early recognition as the motivating factor to efective living to the 1986 World Health Organization's "resourse for everyday life". It has been used to describe the chief ingrediant to beneficial life.

It has not, however, included the use of 1/3 of mans ability to exist. In the january 2006 issue of The American Journal of Public Health, an article by Lester Breslow MD of UCLA medical school ask for definitions of what "health" is that takes in our present understanding of mans nature and the scientific understanding of the nature of life.

He briefly mentions that all prior scientific study has concentrated on the characteristics of disease and has taken the view that disease is to be measured by its effects on the body and mind wwhile giving only passing mention to the character of a portion of man delineated as the spirit or soul.

Though composing one of three parts of what most consider to be the totality of humanity, (body, mind, and spirit), it is only tangiently viewed as it relates to his 'health". Dr. Breslow argues rightly that todays medicine is concerned with and measures only chemicals and markers of disease states. It has no measures to evaluate "health" only illness. Is there anyone in all of creation who believes a human being can be healthy without a healthy spirit?

I am not refering to the religious definitions that speak of a eternal piece of humanity that will eventually leave his body and mind behind but the envisioning, creative portion of mankind that is responsible for communicating with worlds of possibilities that can find their expression in the here and now. All inventions of man first saw their birth in an image of possibilities in the spirit that was transfered to the mind for cretion in this reality.

Without exploring and utilizing the faculties of this vital portion of humanity how can "health" be defined let alone realized. I have written to Congressman Conway (D-Michigan) in detail, at his request, regarding these subjects and The Trivalent Understanding pioneered by Prometheus of Ohio Inc. (a Health education Company).

I only hope that the next century of America's growth will include not only a meaninful definition but a sicere search for "Health", thank you.

Did you know that 50% of high school graduates cannot pass a GED exam?

Jason M. Christos — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 06:27:21 EDT

Did you know that 50% of high school graduates cannot pass a GED exam? I myself am a dropout but I passed the test. Education is not the governments job. And with the internet education should evolve. There should be no need for a public school system. Parents should take tutoring classes and teach their kids.

With wiki text book projects and projects like gutenberg.org. All of the necissary knowledge is at your fingertips. Do not resist change. Embrace it.

New video from Car to Classes

Clay — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:12:31 EDT

Here is a new video compilation that covers from the beginning of the racecar build to its use in promoting education. Efforts like this will attract young minds that will uncover new cleaner and more efficient power sources.

Car to Classes

RCSEFi's campaign

Clay — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:52:46 EDT

I am an advocate for improving education. Half of the students in school will drop out. Most of the dropouts won’t know what to do with their lives and will become lost in a world of bad choices.

You can help. RCSEFi is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation I started that focuses on encouraging youngsters to stay in school. We work with kids ages 12 – 16 and use auto racing to help them discover the excitement in learning.

RCSEFi has elevated the pedagogy with our highly acclaimed teaching process known as E3 Student-Centered Teaching™. Students are shown how to learn using their hands and minds focused around their interests. This is a living pedagogy that evolves with student’s interests helping it to stay relevant and exciting.

I support families, single parents, and our children looking for a better way to learn. One of the benefits of RCSEFi is that we offer positive role models for many youngsters lacking a male figure in the life. I am committed to positively changing the lives of children. My organization currently faces a challenge that threatens to hamper our progress. I need your help and support in spreading the word and attracting attention to this vital program. Details of the campaign are listed on the website and on our blog page.

http://www.rcsefi.org
http://www.rcsefi.org/blog

I invite your comments and suggestions.

Together we can change the lives of children.
Thank you for your support

Clay Smith

Be wary of "start up" charter schools

Ericha from Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:14:36 EDT

This is an indepth investigative piece that constrasts two kinds of charter schools. Be wary of the "start up" kind. I examine a charter school in California called the TIP Academy. It drained resources in many California school districts and left kids uprooted.

http://www.examiner.com/x-5067-LA-School-District-Examiner~y2009m3d16-California-Beware-of-education-recovery-claims-by-start-up-charter-schools

Barrack Obama challenges teachers' union in Los Angeles

Ericha from Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:07:11 EDT

At his town hall meeting last week, Barack Obama answered a question about California education. It seems that without reform there will be no federal bail out money except as provided in the stimulus package. Hard news story.

http://www.examiner.com/x-5067-LA-School-District-Examiner~y2009m3d22-Obama-challenges-teachers-unions-to-reform-before-any-federal-bail-out

Will high median income communities abandon public school?

Ericha from Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:03:52 EDT

This is a profile piece about wealthy communities in Southern California. It contrasts and compares independent school districts from LAUSD. Many parents are abandoning public school and taking their resources with them. One high median income community is the exception.

http://www.examiner.com/x-5067-LA-School-District-Examiner~y2009m3d24-Many-California-parents-will-abandon-public-schools--but-not-all

UTLA under fire - LA times weighs in

Ericha from Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:00:34 EDT

UTLA, the LA teachers' union, has been under fire for failing to reform antequated contract provisions. What do you think about my review of Steve Lopez' article from the LA Times? It's a call to the unions to reform.

http://www.examiner.com/x-5067-LA-School-District-Examiner~y2009m3d25-UTLA-under-fire--the-LA-Times-is-now-on-board

first post

average joe — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:48:29 EDT

The most famous and great Presidential speeches of all time have been included in this collection of famed Presidential speeches. They include the most persuasive speeches by topics. Many speeches to the freedom of speech. American Presidents are numbered in the World's greatest and most persuasive speakers. The famed orations ands oratory skills of Presidents Washington, Lincoln and JFK are outstanding. They constitute some the most powerful Presidential speeches ever made in America. The topics of Presidential speeches vary according to situations but the most famous Presidential speeches relate to times of crisis.Yet, some things are asked, told, pleaded, or forced in times of peace and some of these things may never be solved. I am Joe the Plummer, I am an Average Joe. I am a young adult who would like to talk about the political issues on my mind. Three topics cross my mind when i write this, those are : Education, Equality, Essential needs. The three E's if you would like to call it.

Education is very important it is the ground work for America's future. It teaches our children acedemic knowledge but other things too.Like how to be a leader, how to ask questions and how to find awnsers to those questions. I attend school in Clark County Nevada. I am not going to lie about how great my school is. I believe we are very behindin our learning. I have no experince in other states or even counties so i can't speak for everyone. The "No Child Left Behind" is bringing to many people back. It is not the schools fault if the child does not learn. By lowering the standards to meet everybodys needs is rediculous. Alot of my peers dont learn anything becuase everything is so below. I say raise the standards the kids that dont make them dont give up, dont make them repeat a grade send them off to the next grade and let them get on with their lives. As for budgets stop paying the heads of the districts and pay the schools. At my School we have cut the many differnt things, cut back on supplies other things like that just to balence things out. If you want your children to succeed do somthing about the education. Even just volunteering at a school can make a differnce. If you see a problem start with your self, then your family, then your friends, then your cominity then go beyond that and try to solve the problem.

Equality, that is a big topic to talk about. Let me start by saying the first immigrants came to America for two reasons : Religous Freedom and Economic freedom. They wanted to be away from the people who forced them away from things they wanted to do. History repeats its self over and over again someone or a group of people think somthing is unfair and they do somthing about it. Thats exactly what i want to do. Exactly for that same reason of Religous Freedom i believe that Religoin shouldnt be brought into the government. Like President Bush's proposal to end homosexual marrige. People get married all the time, I live in Las Vegas people come here to get married all the time. But is it fair that two men or two woman cant get married? No its not i know lifes not fair but for a country that wants to make everything fair i belive that should be changed. Some things have changed but it took a long time. almost 200 years after the America became its own country we had our first African American President. Almost 100 years till Women got their rights. Everything must change. if you are the most hard headed to the most open minded person you got to admit that things need to change.

Essentail needs, health insurance, a house, a job. all these things people need to surivive in this fast paced country. We are in hard times. alot of these things are really hard to get if you dont already have them and if you do already have them its harder to keep them. People are natural jealous. Rich people buy big cars and homes so the middle class try to keep up but end up getting flipped upside down. Many are homeless, many are jobless, and many are sick but cant pay hospital bills. we need to change things.so if you do believe like i do please help out. Try your best get things going try to to turn us around. We've been through tough times before but we've made through them. we will do it agian.once all our troops are out of iraq things will turn around just like in the depression. I'masking you to believe. not just in my ability to bring about real vhange in Washington...T'm asking you to believe in yours ~ Barack Obama

OBAMA SONG-17yr old positive lyricist

Fundamental — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:39:43 EDT

I'm a 17yr old positive lyricist out of Richmond,VA. i wrote a rap song about OBAMA. you can hear it at myspace.com/3rdeyeup
no cursing, no negativity. real positive, creative lyrics. hope you guys check it out. peace n bless

How to Decrease Teen Pregnancies, Decrease Crime, and Improve our Economy

Dr Linda Shelton — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 09:49:15 EDT

Idol young people who have delayed educations, inadequate educations, and difficulty finding jobs are expected to delay marrying and having families. This fights biology as a persons most fertile period is in their late teens and early 20s. We need to analyze and deal with these facts.

Personally as a pediatrician, I found the highest teen birth rates in three groups. 1. Teens in distressed families (drug addict or absent parents [not single moms], poverty where parents are working 2-3 jobs, overextended and therefore technically absent and rich parents with unsupervised kids); 2. Teens in very religious families relying on abstinence, that wouldn't talk about sex, leaving kids to figure it out on their own (these kids constantly were super rebellious); and 3. idol teens who had no hobbies except hanging out with friends and who had self-esteem problems such that they would do anything to appear popular.

The saddest case that is a commentary on how we talk but don't help distressed teens and families was an eighth grade girl who told me she purposely got pregnant because she wanted someone to "love her." She had lived mainly on the streets taking care of herself in South Carolina (the bible belt) where social services were inadequate to help her. Her parents were unavailable. The churches, schools, and social services viewed her as important and worthwhile as a dead dog. What do you expect! Three girls in her class were pregnant that year.

Until we promote individual worth; provide adequate eduation so that kids are motivated to learn and therefore kept busy with self motivation(our high school education is like a junior high education in most civilized countries - teachers are in general miserably undertrained); teach kids the value of being involved with others and with activities such as the arts, volunteering, involvement with government and social services, gardening, sports without a goal of being a major leager; teach that community and family is more important than self and instant gratification or material goods; promote a village atmosphere where people in one small neighborhood or a few blocks in a city know each other, meet regularly with each other (difficult with two jobs and long commutes) and help each other (70 % of Americans don't know their neighbors); make real job training and jobs available to young men and women; reform laws so that like in Europe women can stay home with a child the first two years of life and still have a job available and career available when they return to work, we will make no progress in regards to teen births or abortions.

We need to shift our priorities and donations to the REAL problems that result in teen pregnancies and abortions. If we simply fight about ideology nothing will be accomplished. United We Stand, Divided We Fall. Perhaps it is time to agree to disagree on ideology and work together on issues that we all agree upon!

The benefits would be enormous. We would not just deal with teen pregnancies and reduce abortions, we would reduce crime and increase our countries productivity saving huge amounts of money and rebuilding our economy.

X Kingdom faced economic crisis

sadashivan — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 07:44:41 EDT

Once upon a time some thousand years back a country X faced serious economic crisis resulting financial and banking institution failures, massive unemployment, trade crisis that slashed kingdom revenue. King and his chief minister were worried about moving economy. All solutions they brought were failed rather deepened further. Entire kingdom was sleepless. Worried King ordered the ministries “Perceiving economic down turn I decide to invite all the economists and ministers for their suggestions to overcome the deepening crisis and find solutions. Suitable idea will be rewarded”.

All Children Left Behind

April Keating — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:21:05 EDT

I am a parent of three children who have or do go to public schools in the county in which we live. I homeschooled all of them for several years, also, each for a differing amount of time. And I am now a substitute teacher and have taught at all three levels: elementary, middle, and high school. My children are currently labeled as gifted, but it is not only their welfare that concerns me. It is my belief that the No Child Left Behind rules are causing more suffering than help.

In class the other day, I was talking with a collaborative special education teacher of 25 years, who was telling me her experience firsthand at how the system is underserving children at all levels. Under the "old" system, children with special needs on the lower end were grouped into their own classes, which allowed for teachers to get to know the students on a more personal basis and thus cater more effectively to their needs. Usually, classes were smaller, which is a huge factor in a teacher's ability to communicate more to each student.

Now, with children of all levels lumped together, the teachers must go more slowly and work harder to accomodate the learning of the slower children, while also maintianing a challenging pace to accomodate smarter students. For all of its theoretical goodness, this approach usually does not work, and in my mind is not effective for either slower or faster students. It causes the smarter kids to get bored at the pace, and does not give them enough challenge to accomodate their higher abilities to process information. It quells their curiosity and causes behavior problems. At the same time, the slower kids are struggling to keep up at the "moderate pace" and are being lost in the process. Even collaborative teaching doesn't help. It is inefficient.

What the slower kids need is a teacher who knows them and has the time to spend individually to help them work up to a higher potential, instead of just squeaking by. The smarter kids need not to be hampered by slow, thin, repetitive lessons that leave them just as behind for their ability levles as the slower kids are for theirs. Regular classroom teachers need not to be dealing with a classroom of mixed abilities: gifted, slow, behavior disorder, etc. But instead, teachers need to specialize in these skills and build their classes around their teaching strengths. Students of like abilities will learn better in a classroom organized around their levels, drawing from the natural support and competition of others like them.

It is my belief that NCLB is actually doing the opposite of what was intended, and that it is imperative that we quickly assess and re-organize our current methods, or all our children will suffer. In fact, they already are.

April Keating

115 Shawnee Dr.

Buckhannon, WV 26201

Taxing the Greedy Class

Fred & Annick from Weaverville, NC — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:10:40 EDT

Congress can do something about those AIG and Merrill Lynch bonuses, while at the same time raising some of the funds we badly need for President Obama's public works, education and health programs. It's quite simple and long overdue: introduce a new 100% tax bracket on all annual income exceeding $1,000,000.

We have a minimum wage; we need a maximum permitted income. Let's tax the greedy class. Surely no one should need more than $1,000,000 a year in income to lead a good life. If they do, they are the ones who should now be forced to sacrifice to help those less fortunate than themselves.

Change Has Come to the Classroom in Obama Die Cut

Melissa from Minneapolis, MN — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:21:36 EDT

Obama Fans and Educators,
Given President Obama's commitment to education, we wanted to give you, his supporters, the first look at this unique Obama die-cut display for the classroom that will be released in just two days! This release is expected to make a big splash among educators nationwide, so let us know what you think!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu2IjKe4PoE

What is your political fight

Starting point is now...I must do my part. — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:05:24 EDT

Is it the same mailadrama or has President Obama sparked a spirit of power. Some of us (me) have always sat back and let others do the talking for us. I have this energy to voice every chance I get to make. Most people are tied down to their daily dramas and never make a difference. Well we now have a chance to make a difference.

My issue is EDUCATION our children have every chance to be the best, smartest, talent, etc. We must fight for support on behalf of schools, teachers, and especially our children. The next issue is HOMELESS this is a choice that should not be allowed in America.

Education, Basis of a Greater America

Standing Firm — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:41:24 EDT

Analysis of our present Educational Systematic Structure plainly reveals the importance for educational refom. Our children are hungry for knowledge that is presented in a manner that's engaging and inviting. The present system of education fails to project learning in this way. This has been one of the many factors, accoutable for so many children becoming discourage and, dissappointed with processes of learning.

Current day situations our nation face, including our society as a whole, demands that a new idea regarding the process of education be based on full inclusion. Survival of the nation will rest on, the level in which education is presented to our children from this day forth.

Opposition to educational reform so far has not presented any reasonable argument as to way educational reform should not move forward. There is none or better yet, there should not be any argument against ensuring that children are granted the resources and encouragement to learn. For these are the tools that afford them an opportunity to being forth thier natural talents and gifts.

FAITH, SUPPORT AND INTEGRITY

ronwillett — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:32:35 EDT

There is no "easy button" on our economy, on energy, or on education. The change Mr. Obama promised requires hard choices, choices that will precipitate political disapproval, even anger among segments of our society. An administration threads a fine line, between choosing courses that meet our nation's rationally defined strategic needs and acquiescing to bursts of populism when they are unthinking, even ignorant. Not a place to spend your summer vacation...

This writer supported Mr. Obama because of faith in his intellect, evidence of both extant and potentially even greater management and leadership capacities, and belief that "what you sees is what you gets," integrity, after eight years of dissembling and something between delusion and malevolent ideology.

That said, I do not agree with all of Mr. Obama's proposals, indeed, if the processes of integrity ascribed are present, he would endorse the dissent. For, on the primary topic of this blog -- changing a failing K-12 public educational culture -- it has been the overwhelming disservice of our educational establishment to treat critique as disloyalty that has helped block improving U.S. K-12.

What follows is support but also critique. Subsequent blog postings include a three-column series on K-12 issues, pointed critique of present proposals, supporting documentation for self-study, and a proposal to support an aspect of change in those systems.

Your critique, in turn, is welcome; it likely cannot be any more probing than the continuing self-assessment conducted to assess the validity and fairness of these reviews.

(Dr. Ronald Willett is a former Indiana University professor and administrator, and former entrepreneur, corporate executive and CEO. He operates two web sites devoted, respectively, to K-12 and higher education issues, and innovation: www.newbremenjournal.com and www.innovisioning.net. He currently resides in New Bremen, OH, and can be reached at drrpwillett@mac.com.)

Author Claudette Milner's Address to the Village of Louisville

Claudette Milner — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 13:26:49 EDT

On April 14th I had the honor to speak at a Gala held by the Village of Louisville founded by Mozzie Dewalt held at the Holiday Inn in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Village of Louisville is a community based organizations whose goal is to mentor teens not only through athletics but through educational tutoring and SAT and ACT prep. Last nights benefit included speakers from Health and Education as well as United Way and the Assistant School Superintendent. Most importantly it featured students that had excelled in the program and had gone on to complete a college education.

As I walked to the podium to deliver my address I was humbled to be asked to speak. Below is my address to this community group.

On Inauguration day President Obama challenged Americans to a call to service. That call to service included each of us in this room regardless of race, gender, religion, economic status or educational level. He challenged each individual to contribute to their community, to be a mentor, to visit the elderly, and to make a difference in someone’s life. This is the mission of the Village of Louisville, to impact the lives of young adults and to make positive changes in their lives. The mission is admirable but it can only be accomplished through a commitment from its founder Mr. Dewalt, the board members and Volunteers and the students and parents, and the community that participate in the program.

I have taught my children and grand children that each person has a commitment first to God to fulfill his destiny for their lives, to themselves to educate themselves in order to be successful, to their family as a support system and a role model, to their community to unite and to give back, to their race to know their history and help create their destiny. We all wish that we could wake up and have the skills of Michael Jordan or be able to swim like Michael Phelps or invent great things like Alexander Graham Bell but the reality is that all of these men worked diligently educating themselves and developing their crafts. Let me ask you a question. If I gave you a swim suit and sent you to the pool and the pool had no water in it could you swim to the other side?

If I picked two teams and you took to the court but you didn’t have a basketball could you play?

Would you think of going to the basketball court without someone having a ball?

Would you go to a swimming pool without water?

Then why would you go to school unprepared for success. Why would you just not show up to the game.

When a basketball team fails to show up for the game they have to forfeit. The players that don’t show up let the team down and their peers. They set the team up for failure.

When you don’t show up for school you set yourself up for failure. You defeat yourself. The more you miss the less prepared you are until finally you give up on your dreams your goals and yourself.

The average graduation rate in the country is 51%. That means that a minimum of 49% of your peers will not graduate your senior year. It means that 49% of your peers will not be prepared for the 21st century. It means that a minimum of 49% of your peers will be working minimum wage jobs, homeless, undereducated, in prison, or living in a cycle of dependency on welfare.

It used to be that the undereducated of our society could work in manual labor, work in a factory, do blue collar jobs and make a decent living but those jobs are gone. One needs a high school diploma to be a janitor during a recession.

My question to you is what are your dreams? How are you going to accomplish your goals? Are you preparing yourself to meet the challenges of the 21st century or you looking for a short cut to success?

There are no shortcuts. Success takes hard work. Many times it takes working two or three jobs. It means cultivating your skills, It means turning off the television,, limiting the video games, going to the library, separating yourself from the crowd. It means standing alone.

If I believed in statistics I would not spend time traveling across the United States speaking to youth. I believe that our youth have replaced the priority of education with reality television and gang banging. Our parents have given up our children to the streets. Our community and churches would rather praise God every Sunday and ignore the needs of our children Monday – Saturday.

First we as adults must begin to be role models for our children. We must stress education in our home and create an environment for learning. There is no excuse for not attending meetings at school or not checking homework or not making education a priority and when parents are undereducated there must be community organizations that will step in the gap with tutoring and mentorship programs for our youth. Our teachers must step up to the plate and expect excellence from our students instead of mediocrity, our principles and the school board must fire teachers that no longer have an enthusiasm for learning, our principles must create an environment of excitement for learning off the sports fields.

The school board must reorganize its systems and be innovative in teaching our children.

Even if we accomplish these goals the bottom line is that each of you must make a commitment to success by graduating from high school and continuing your education rather it be a junior college or technical college or a four year college. Then you must heed your call to service back in your community through volunteerism, teaching, mentoring, assisting the elderly, making an impact on someone’s life, then you must build your own family stressing educational values and being a strong role model for your children. We all have a destiny within ourselves. God has given all of us gifts and talents. Don’t get it twisted. God did not give Michael Jordan a gift to be a millionaire. If you remember he was not a great player until later in his high school years. He had to work hard to be a super star. God blessed the works of his hands to give himself glory. He blessed him so that he could be a role model, so that he could set up a foundation that would mentor other children. He proved that with hard work each of us can be great. That is our mission to glorify God in our deeds. My mission is to minister to youth. What is your mission? I challenge you to a call to be a success in fulfilling God’s destiny for your life. I believe in each of you.

To contact Ms. Milner: www.claudettemilner.com

Please Stand Up with our President for the Change we BELIEVE in

MDR Miami Beach — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 11:54:19 EDT

Yap yap yap - the talking heads.

Meanwhile, we NEED health care solutions. We are not taking proper care of ourselves. We HAVE TO educate all of our children so much better than this. Our children, for goodness sake! And WE CAN invent and use new energy solutions. We could actually live to see things greener and cleaner.

There is no chance that Washington will do what we need them to do. We knew that. That is why we elected this new President -- he wants to speak for us. He wants to hear our voices.

President Obama has presented his 10 year budget that plans to invest in Health Care, Education and Energy now, on the road to Economic Recovery and to a future that we all want to live in.

We KNOW that is the right thing to do right now in this country. Whatever Congress people and media heads have to say, there is no FUTURE without planning for and investing in it. This is our chance to create the future we want to see.

"We know this fight won't be easy. But important battles never are. Together, we have the opportunity to shape our country's future. We believed in the power of people to win an improbable election victory. And we believe in the power of people to drown out the cynics and entrenched interests in Washington to bring lasting, meaningful change we can all be proud we played a role in." -- David Plouffe

So let's get busy. (1) Sign the Pledge online. http://my.barackobama.com/pledgeproject (2) Get all of your friends and contacts to Sigh the Pledge online. (3) Host a Canvass Party on Saturday, 3/21. Engage your friends & neighbors. http://my.barackobama.com/pledgecanvass (4) Go out & Canvass on Saturday 3/21. Find an event and Show up.

Make our voices heard.

Yes We Can!

The Most Oppressive Debt- The Banking Scam You Never Hear About

silversunstop — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:57:00 EDT

The Most Oppressive Debt- The Banking Scam You Never Hear About

As a former student organizer and staff of the US Student Association, I always have an eye out for stories about access to higher education, and the affordability crisis. Not only are there few stories, but they usually focus on the impact of rising tuition. The analysis (if there is any) is it is caused by more cut backs in state funding. There's little to no analysis of the declining value of the Pell Grant.

This segment on Democracy Now is astonishing. Like I said, I know more than the average person about student loans, the impact on students, and on access to higher education for communities of color; and I am amazed at the analysis and the evidence here of a student loan racket and wholesale ripoff. You have to watch it for yourself starts 13 minutes in (scroll down for audio or the written transcript).

They show clips of Defualt: The Student Loan Documentary, from the website,

"While the media has focused on the disaster that sub-prime mortgages have turned out to be, only superficial attention has been given to financial giants which have been profiting by approving loans to low-income students with variable interest rates up to 25%."

Another guest, Alan Michael Collinge, author of The Student Loan Scam: the Most Oppressive Debt in US History--and How We Can Fight Back, talks about his personal experience with the student loan industry and reveals how private banks have created a perfect monopoly and racket in student loans that even the mob would envy. His website www.StudentLoanJustice.org is fantastic- it names names.

In addition to extraordinary and arbitrary fees, student loans have been stripped of consumer protections, not just bankruptcy protection, but truth in lending laws. Under the banking protection laws, it is in their financial interest for students to default- you owe them WAY more, AND they still collect. This graph will help illustrate that profit motive.

are you LISTENING????

i am rasa — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:01:33 EDT

My top priority in life is LISTENING to my son Makiah Miller and acting accordingly.

Sometimes, hearing him, getting outside the box of my own perceptions...to listen to what HE is teaching me...is difficult.

Go HERE, inside the box labeled Nate Hutcheson...inside that box is THE ISSUE, click on it ...see if you can hear what lessons HE has to teach...

May your day be perfect and may you act on it accordingly...or....." Be the love. Share the love." as Makiah tells me.....

--
rasa
Robert Allan Schueler Artist
Peace City, Utopia.

Can we build a community?

Dave Machen — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:45:10 EDT

This will be my opening act. The script hasn't been written but I will make it up as I go along.

I worked very hard to see President Obama elected and every day I feel more vindicated in my choice. Now is the time to act in a grassroots way to advance these priorities, Energy, Heath Care, and Education. Here in my community is where it starts for me, now is the time to act. What can we do together? I have limited time, but I know every little bit would help.

I particularly want to volunteer in an elementary school, or support elementary school teachers by assisting with computer skills, tutoring, or in whatever way deemed best. I want to learn the challenges faced by our teachers because I am very keen on the issues regarding development of state of the art educational software, and need to discover all I can about the eduction world on the front lines. At the same time I could be helping kids or teachers. How cool is that?

I want to meet local volunteers who also seek new direction. Can we join our resources?

My next blog I hope to talk a little about my 30 years in the Solar Energy industry.

Contact me please if you want to build this world one good work at a time and be an actor, not just an audience.

Education and Choice

Frank — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 23:50:11 EDT

This editorial was in the Wall Street Journal today. As a concerned Democrat who wants better schools and more choice this article makes some great points

Obama and the Schools

It's time to stand up to the teachers' unions.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said last week that poor children receiving federally financed vouchers to attend private schools in Washington, D.C., shouldn't be forced out of those schools. Bully for Mr. Duncan. But the voice that matters most is President Obama's, and so far he's been shouting at zero decibels.

His silence is an all-clear for Democrats in Congress who have put language in the omnibus spending bill that would effectively end the program after next year. Should they succeed, 1,700 mostly black and Hispanic students who use the vouchers would return to the notoriously violent and underperforming D.C. public school system, which spends more money per pupil than almost any city in the nation yet graduates only about half of its students.

The D.C. voucher program has more than four applicants for every available slot. Parental satisfaction is sky high. And independent evaluations -- another is scheduled for release later this month -- show that children in the program perform better academically than their peers who do not receive vouchers. This is the kind of school reform that the federal government should encourage and expand.

The Senate hasn't yet approved the spending measure, and there's nothing stopping the popular President from asking Democratic leaders to reconsider their voucher phase-out. Mr. Obama signed a stimulus bill last month that spends some $100 billion on education. But by not asking unions for anything in return for the money, he missed an historic reform opportunity. This time he could at least publicly back Mr. Duncan and D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, who's also expressed concern that ending the program would relegate low-income kids to failing schools.

It's no surprise that the Obamas opted out of D.C. public schools for their own daughters and instead chose an exclusive private institution. Come on, Mr. President, find your voice for families of lesser means.

Plowshares, Shmowshares

signsSansSignifieds — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:26:30 EDT

My brother sent me this neat compendium of specific steps that led to the current economic catastrophe:

While I have criticisms of Barack Obama's approach to certain aspects of this multidimensional train wreck (i.e., I think the government should take over, clean up & sell off the zombie banks ASAP; I also think he asked for too small a stimulus package at the outset), I think he's trying, in general, to do the right things in the right ways. (Contrast his approach to that of the GOP, which is continually pressuring Obama to cut taxes & spending--a guaranteed recipe for total economic collapse.)

Speaking of the GOP, Representative Patrick McHenry, their head of messaging, declared today that the GOP doesn't care whether their criticisms of Obama are accurate or not--their aim is to continually bombard Obama with charges from now until the 2010 elections, based on the idea that sheer repetition will make those criticisms sink in. Sort of like Joseph Goebbels, actually.

With all the above in mind, I'm forwarding to you yet another in a series of thrilling links--this one from Obama's own Organizing for America.

Economist Dr. Kamran Mofid: U.S. Lectures ("Yes We Can!")

Hope4Unity — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 21:38:25 EDT

"Dr. Kamran Mofid is a visionary activist committed to the evolutionary transformation of social, ecological and spiritual values. His is a vision of a healing world, in which justice and peace are increased – rather than diminished – by the process of globalisation." -- Common Ground

http://www.cg.org/news_list.aspx

Kamran Mofid: Promoting Globalization for the Common Good

Alma and Clifford Pearson Distinguished Speakers Series

Mon, Feb 23, 2009 at 4:00pm

Location: Samuelson Chapel - California Lutheran University

Event Description

"Kamran Mofid is founder of the Globalization for the Common Good Initiative and co-founder/editor of the Journal of Globalization for the Common Good. Born in Tehran, Iran, he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from the University of Windsor, Ontario, and his doctorate in economics from the University of Birmingham, U.K. In 2001 he received a Certificate in Education in Pastoral Studies at Plater College, Oxford..." http://www.callutheran.edu/calendar/event/1787

To listen to the lecture please click here: http://www.callutheran.edu/CLV/

"Outside ideas of right doing
And wrong doing,
There is a field
I’ll meet you there." -- Rumi

Continued:

Charles Krauthammer’s Twisted Logic

mathpol — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:21:11 EST

Charles Krauthammer, in his column , “The Great Non Sequitur, The Sleight of Hand Behind Obama's Agenda” in today’s Washington Post, has twisted the logic in President Obama’s recent address to Congress. Obama is saying that changes in healthcare education and energy will help grow the economy, that they have been put off for too long in favor of short term goals. (Although dependence on foreign oil did have something to do with the current crisis.)

Obama’s argument.

PREMISE: Reforms in healthcare, energy and education were deferred in the past in favor of short term gains.

PREMISE: Search for short term financial gains without adequate regulation, and the lack of fiscal responsibility, got us into the current crisis.

PREMISE: Reforms in healthcare, energy and education will help grow the economy.

CONCLUSION:Therefore: In addition to reviving the economy, we must push for reforms in healthcare, energy and education to help insure our long term prosperity.

Not a non sequitur, Dr. Krauthammer.

Krauthammer’s version:

The logic of Obama's address to Congress went like this:

"Our economy did not fall into decline overnight," he averred. Indeed, it all began before the housing crisis. What did we do wrong? We are paying for past sins in three principal areas: energy, health care and education -- importing too much oil and not finding new sources of energy (as in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Outer Continental Shelf?), not reforming health care, and tolerating too many bad schools.

The "day of reckoning" has arrived. And because "it is only by understanding how we arrived at this moment that we'll be able to lift ourselves out of this predicament," Obama has come to redeem us with his far-seeing program of universal, heavily nationalized health care; a cap-and-trade tax on energy; and a major federalization of education with universal access to college as the goal.

Amazing. As an explanation of our current economic difficulties, this is total fantasy. As a cure for rapidly growing joblessness, a massive destruction of wealth, a deepening worldwide recession, this is perhaps the greatest non sequitur ever foisted upon the American people.

Obama in his speech:

The fact is, our economy did not fall into decline overnight. Nor did all of our problems begin when the housing market collapsed or the stock market sank. We have known for decades that our survival depends on finding new sources of energy. Yet we import more oil today than ever before. The cost of health care eats up more and more of our savings each year, yet we keep delaying reform. Our children will compete for jobs in a global economy that too many of our schools do not prepare them for. And though all these challenges went unsolved, we still managed to spend more money and pile up more debt, both as individuals and through our government, than ever before.

In other words, we have lived through an era where too often, short-term gains were prized over long-term prosperity; where we failed to look beyond the next payment, the next quarter, or the next election. A surplus became an excuse to transfer wealth to the wealthy instead of an opportunity to invest in our future. Regulations were gutted for the sake of a quick profit at the expense of a healthy market. People bought homes they knew they couldn’t afford from banks and lenders who pushed those bad loans anyway. And all the while, critical debates and difficult decisions were put off for some other time on some other day.

Well that day of reckoning has arrived, and the time to take charge of our future is here.

Now is the time to act boldly and wisely – to not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity. Now is the time to jumpstart job creation, re-start lending, and invest in areas like energy, health care, and education that will grow our economy, even as we make hard choices to bring our deficit down.

I rest my case

"Astronomics"

Charles — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:53:41 EST

Astronomics$!

"No term exists to describe the current spiraling fiscal situation..."

The phenomenon of a 789 billion dollar stimulus package has quite simply exceeded the necessary vocabulary to be in any way adequately understood and encompassed.

So I hope you'll forgive this writer coining the term "Astronomics$."

No, it hadn't yet existed in modern parlance, but I, like most Americans, am dwarfed by the idea of it all, with its unparalleled price tag.

It's way out there, out in the Milky Way somewhere. And were it not from a great distance mentally, we couldn't possibly conceive of it at all.

I sat, stunned, with my mother watching the news, as CEO Vikram Pandit of Citigroup - which in the form of CitiMortgage owns the lien on my home - testified before testy Senators. They gnawed at him as if they were the old lady in the familiar Wendy's hamburger commercial in search of the patty of beef on the proverbial bun. So, "Where's the beef?"

And there's a beef all right, carnivorous in its intensity, angrily pervasive in this country of ours. Folks are hungry for help, but, politically and psychologically, and where their wallet is concerned, they're looking at accumulating lint. If they are nourished at all, it is with sarcasm, because they're all fed up!

And this sandwich, however, comes in the huge form of a sum hitherto unheard and even not thought of.

A stimulus package. It boggles the mind of any who try to wrap themselves around it.

It actually approaches a zillion dollars! Frankly, I'm surprised the spell-check let that one by me. But, apparently the word does legitimately exist.

If you, like I, am used to rounding cents upward to dollars in your checkbook in the best of times when the budget allows, then you cannot fathom this ridiculously high amount of money.

My research took me to multiple sites, all with the information below a matter of public record.

Just take a look of the summation below to see how the Treasury has thus far disseminated our tax, and as yet unearned, dollars:

TARP AID - Participants in Troubled Assets Relief Program

How Treasury has spend/committed the $350 Billion so far.
1)$168 billion in varying amounts to 116 banks
2)Committed another $82 billion to capitalize more banks
3)Bought $40 billion in preferred shares of American International Group (AIG, Fortune 500) so the troubled insurer could pay off an earlier loan from the Federal Reserve
4)Committed $20 billion to back any losses that the Federal Reserve Bank of New York might incur in a new program to lend money to owners of securities backed by credit card debt, student loans, auto loans and small business loans
5)Committed to invest $20 billion in Citigroup on top of $25 billion the bank had already received
6)Committed $5 billion as a loan loss backstop to Citigroup
7)Agreed to loan $13.4 billion to GM and Chrysler to get them through the next few months.
8)Invested $5 billion in GMAC
9)BofA to Get $20B More From TARP, Plus Backstop on $118B

Below, see a list of participating companies.
Last updated: 1/16/2009 using Treasury announcements.
Click the headers of the columns to sort by company, state and amount.

Date Announced*

Company

Headquarters

Capital, in millions

Status**

10/28/2008

Citigroup Inc***

New York

$25,000

Completed

10/28/2008

J.P. Morgan Chase & Co

New York

$25,000

Completed

10/28/2008

Wells Fargo & Co

California

$25,000

Completed

10/28/2008

Bank of America Corp

North Carolina

$15,000

Completed

1/9/2009

Bank of America Corporation**

North Carolina

$10,000

Completed

10/28/2008

Goldman Sachs Group Inc

New York

$10,000

Completed

10/28/2008

Morgan Stanley

New York

$10,000

Completed

That boils down to just six mega-banks when the vrous names are combined: Citigroup, Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs Group, and Morgan Stanley.

They've already gotten our money once, and are looking for more. Bucks we haven't yet earned, and yet have still invested in them.

In the first round of payouts, executives blatantly thumbed their noses at the American public, taking ridiculously high bonuses - many millions of dollars apiece. But none of this so far has caused them to loosen their grip on loan resources for John and Sally Q. Public.

Now it remains to be seen if the current astronomically high amount of investment infusion will produce the desired results: more jobs, a revived economy, and the salvation of American home owners in danger of foreclosure.

One Corporate bank CEO told Barney Frank's congressional committee that his bank had so far saved 60,000 debtors from foreclosure.

But thousands of homes have already been lost.

My dear old bungalow house is among those remaining, badly in need of repairs and a lower interest rate should I wish to survive.

My credit? I recently sent for a "free" credit report, but it didn't include sufficient detail to completely review my status and rating, so I ended up purchasing the reports in their entirety from Experian, Transunion, and Equifax.

Turns out I haven't incurred any registered reports of late payments, because my bills have always been paid within 90 days.

But as to the status of my credit, I have watched as my open to buy was downgraded by the ever cautious and conservative American Express, and then upgraded by Discover and Chase. It has been a teeter-tottering experience, if not a mad merry-go-round,

Still, from day to day and week to week, the figures of my credit worthiness on charge cards have varied wildly between $10,000 to $30,000.

In a conversation with a Wells Fargo customer service representative, I was told that I should refinance my bill payer mortgage loan with them, and that they were "the most solvent bank in the country."

I responded to this pomposity by saying, "fine, send me the application in the mail, and I'll take a look at it." But the information has yet to appear.

It's the same old story. Major banks have yet to put their money where their mouths are.

I've grown all too weary of just scraping along. The irony of it all was brought home, as I was completing this article, by comedian Bill Maher this evening on the Larry King show. He offered the same analogy as I have in my past writings: "The foxes," in effect the Republicans, "have been in charge of the chicken coop too long!" He went on to observe that the disparity between the very few wealthy two percent of Americans and the increasing debt of the middle and lower classes has worsened the situation. He spoke of stagflation, but also observed that the living wages of American workers have hardly changed at all in the past thirty years. But the continued to charge on their cards, and buy homes with ever more inflated property values.

Now the boom, or balloon seems to have burst.

Today, adding the most historical of ironies to our national and world situation, is the two hundredth anniversary of the births of both Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin. When one considers the politically divided United States and the status of a world torn by war, famine, and disease, it isn't at all a very secure situation. Survival sis not something for which mankind has ever been able to purchase a guarantee.

One wonders in this crisis what such a president as Abraham Lincoln would do. President Obama has been stumping the country for his policies, speaking to the common people, just as Lincoln once was the first to do - drawing crowds numbering in the tens of thousands, city by city traveling by train..

Lincoln has come to be seen in refreshed, detailed, and more balanced terms these days, with the observations of historians on two National Public Broadcasting shows which on February 11, 2009 cast new light on the great emancipator.

It turns out that he was a white supremacist, and that he had, according to latest research, mostly had economic factors in mind in issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.

Lincoln's personality is now in retrospect thought to have been flawed by deep depression and the common white prejudices of his day. But he was a person who struggled against poverty early in life. He remarked that his early years could be summed up in one phrase: "The short and simple annals of the poor."

Could today's CEOs survive on even a hundred times the per diem expense of 75 cents, as did Lincoln and his 300 pound, lawyer partner when making the rounds of Illinois circuit courts?

I doubt it.

Atop his horse, Old Tom, Lincoln rode through prairie grasses that grew as high as his head all about him.

A brilliant litigator, he urged townspeople to, if at all possible, avoid the expenses of the legal system.

Still, he had to earn a living, and took cases both for an escaped slave and later for a Kentucky slave owner in the affirmative.

He never truly new financial prosperity, despite rising to the highest executive office in the land. He felt fortunate enough just to manage, and had difficulty keeping his wife, southern belle Mary Todd, happy.

But he successfully traversed troubled times, determined to keep the American Union intact. That also reminds me of the sea of growing debt we are now attempting to navigate.

Having a temper just like you and I, he even became involved in a sword duel which was narrowly averted by the two people who acted as seconds negotiating a settlement. Well, if he were around now, I firmly feel he'd be angry as hell, and cursing. Yes, Lincoln did curse, and also visited a prostitute, as well as indulging in "blacky" jokes.

Struggling as a young lawyer, when he finally won a big Illinois Supreme Court case, he had to sue merely to recover his fee.

Would he be chasing an economic ambulance these days? Perhaps. Or maybe he would be among the senators or their aids who are peppering Bankers and corporations with questions as to how they are using and misusing public stimulus and TARP funds.

He agonized over the Civil War and its consequent cost in human lives.

We are now at war upon fronts in both Iraq and Afghanistan. And surely the most major cause of our national debt has been the horrendous military expenditures, as well as corporate greed by civil contracts acquired support without benefit of bidding and oversight. That has left former Vice President Cheney and his Halliburton far more wealthy than before.

Nothing is free. Everything innately in this life has its cost, whether in money, in patience, in labor, or in stress.

Which brings us back to the present day stress of bail outs and their price tags.

In our times adults responsible in the economic crisis have come to resemble children in a war of words.

Recall how, as kids we would try to outdo our playmates?

"You have a million of them? Well, I've got a billion!: Then the retort would be "a trillon" and following that a ba-zillion" and a "ga-zillion!" So went all the lofty taunts.

If money were humor, one could do a Jimmy Durante impersonation: "I've got a million of 'em, folks - a million of 'em!"

But it's greenbacks were talking about here.

Not jokes. Not astronomy either.

Yet we've had to put the subject of fiscal peril in terms that can only be viewed at such a great distance as to be cosmic in astrological euphemisms. And financial slavery has taken on the face of debt, rather than color.

Even the traditional national pass-time, baseball has been tainted. The Yankees will soon be playing in a stadium which replaces the "house that Ruth built," and its new name: Citibank! This sponsorship will benefit the team annually with its top heavy all-star payroll, to the tune of twenty billion dollars a year.

So one cannot help but draw the inevitable conclusion that poverty, with its attendant long term debt, is an equal opportunity mortgage banker - a present day Shylock - fixing the books, and embezzling the tax dollar. It's now a racetrack full of economically careless drivers. Just an accident, looking for a place to happen, it may soon resemble a veritable multi-vehicle auto accident resulting from veering around, and finally disastrously crashing. Or perhaps this has already occurred in terms beyond our wildest nightmares - and we are only just starting to realize it!

We've substituted dollar signs for stars in the process. Or are they planets - all of them red as Mars like the ink with which accounts note, penny by penny, our burgeoning budget?!

So, to quote the song from "My Fair Lady," "Are the stars out tonight? I don't care if it's cloudy or bright, 'cause I've only got eyes for you."

Unfortunately, it's not a love affair at all - if it ever was one - and it seems as though in point of fact our bankers only have unashamed lies for you.

They're at the top of the world, or out in the firmament, and they're looking down on us now.

But we've reached an impasse, and can no longer hold them in such high, starry eyed respect.

Maybe educators will one day thank them for introducing a new area of study. After all, they've introduced us to a possible whole area of research to be taught soon in our schools and colleges: "Astronomics$!."

Obama Budget Plan Links

signsSansSignifieds — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 16:15:27 EST

The bear has crawled out of his hollow log, looked around and posted another thrilling entry on his blog, this time addressing the Obama budget.

Please feel free to comment, either in Comments on my blog or via e-mail, on any ideas you may have regarding what we can/should do to help get the budget through Congress. It's going to be one hell of a fight.

Thanks To All Art Educators Who Came to the Meeting!!!!

Miss Nina — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:26:16 EST

There were an overwheliming amount of art educators in attendance at last nights meeting- it was fantastic! Everyone was so eager to meet each other, so ready so share ideas, challenges, insights. The meeting went on for an hour and a half but could have easily gone much longer if not for time constraints. We have made plans for collaborations and our next meeting will be in 6 weeks. The group wanted it sooner, but I thought it wise to wait just a little longer. WOW. It is souch a good feeling to know you are all out there- I've never done anything like this and all were so appreciative and excited. I feel really good knowing I am helping to build this comminuty of intelligent, inspiring people who feed and nurture the minds of children in such creative, compassionate ways.

The only thing I don't get- why was there so much food left over? :)

Hop Skip Jump

Paul Chambers — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:32:51 EST

… 1963 the President who would go to the moon was murdered. At the 1964 GOP Convention, trolls smashed Nelson Rock., and the ideology of Goldwater to match Reagan’s “A Time for Choosing” rhetoric. In 1965, new shoots of a ‘great society’ were trampled by flat-soles turned against ‘the northeast educated liberal elites’. MLK in 1967 through Kent State in 1970 saw the destruction of ‘promise’ complete.

Obama's Speech to Joint Session of Congress

Megan Kaminski, Intern NY 21 — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:53:10 EST

Hey, So I had time to fully digest Obama's amazing speech on Tuesday night. I know it has been a long time since I posted anything; Obama has once again inspired me to action. Since he was inaugurated, I have had a renewed energy to work towards a better county. I have been doing 3 things.1. I have been working with MoveOn.org for green energy legislation. We are meeting with Rep. Paul Tonko tomorrow to discuss clean energy bills.2. I have become an Admin for the NewYork.CAN group along with my good friend Satwant Dhillion. We have a meeting this Monday March 2nd 8PM at the Albany County Community Public Library. It is an open meeting and everyone is welcome. Feel free to give me a call 518.322.6353 if you have any questions.3. Lastly and arguably most important is the Scott Murphy for congress campaign. Scott is running for the 20st congressional district in New York State; he is trying to fill the seat vacated by Senator Gillibrand. Check him out at: www.scottmurphy09.com or call his glen's fall office at 518.761.2009.Alright, I should get to Obama's speech. I cried some small tears of joy. After the speech, I started bragging to my friends and family about how I voted and campaigned for him. There were so many good points he made but I want to talk about the shocking and very surprising.The speech's high point for me was when the president called out the agriculture industry. He stood up to big Ag companies and called on congress to stop subsidizing them. At which my father and I dropped our jaws. Also, he delineated clear ambitious goals. Doubter might say that it is impossible and ridiculous to set these goals. I believe that set these goals forces us to try harder and maybe get further on the path to healthcare reform than we otherwise would. For example, say you are in a difficult class, if you strive for an A even though it might not be possible. You may end up with a B for your effort. So even if we don't Obama's goals during his first or second (fingers crossed) term, we may get a foundation for the future on healthcare, green energy, education, etc.Alright, I have rambled on long enough. If you would like to add a comment to my post; it would make me feel good to know some read this. Have an amazing day, Megan

From a blue sky.

Paul Chambers — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:45:35 EST

This post is for the 'hearts and minds', and the visceral of the people in Afghanistan in aid of 'friendship and mutual understanding';
for the cost of a few bombs, drop instead millions of objects similar in size and focus to 'packs of cards'. Create content and good quality of manufacture to increase retention;

Decks of Masterpieces of Painting from Giotto and the Modern Western School
that is a deprivation not to know
Collected Fragments of American Transcendental Literature: Emerson, Whitman, Lincoln
that is a deprivation not to know
Groups of Images from the Hudson River School; Americans painting God
that is a deprivation not to know
Sets of fine Numbers; and Typography for people who have not relented to Helvetica
that is a deprivation not to know
Architectures
Packs of Masterpieces from Herat, the 'Florence' of the painting of Islam
that is a deprivation the locals have lost knowing of

Drop the medicine of Education, tons of these beautiful weapons to divert attention to all-sort of ready-made dialectic that is a deprivation...

Thank you.

Broadband to the Rescue

Regina Hopper — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:15:06 EST

From tweeting lawmakers to bold ideas for our nation’s recovery, President Obama’s address last night was truly inspiring. He offered an ambitious and hopeful vision of the road to recovery, and I couldn’t agree more with his confident assertion that “the answers to our problems don’t lie beyond our reach.” In fact, at virtually every turn last night, we encountered a familiar theme to many of us engaged in online policy debates—the power of broadband to connect the country to the next wave of American growth, innovation and opportunity.

Education. When President Obama talks about ensuring all Americans have access to a complete and competitive education, broadband is the resource that ensures this access no matter where people live—connecting students to everything from online mentoring to a whole world of opportunities to expand horizons and thrive.

Health Care. It is beyond time for real reform, and health IT is key to getting costs under control while advancing the quality of patient care. Kudos to our connected president for his shout-out to electronic medical records that can reduce debilitating, often fatal errors and make health care more efficient.

Energy. Not only can we rebuild and renew, but we can do it smarter. From telecommuting to reduced air travel, broadband offers many sophisticated ways to boost productivity while reducing dependence on foreign oil and our impact on the earth.

Jobs. President Obama readily acknowledged that investment in broadband deployment will create jobs, and these direct jobs are just the start. Nearly half of all broadband-fueled jobs are outside the tech sector (think IT professionals in schools, hospitals and your office). President Obama also made a critical and constructive acknowledgement that every time our nation has rallied to renew our economy “government didn’t supplant private enterprise; it catalyzed private enterprise.”

I agree with our President that our shared love of country and desire for our nation to succeed must be the starting point of every debate in the critical weeks and months ahead. I look forward to a constructive conversation about how broadband can help move our economy and our lives forward into a bright American future.

Simple Learning To Start This Running & Reading Program

Kathy Smith — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:05:23 EST

First pick out a simple book to start with. . For learning drill #1: Pick a line that is in quotes... and take the line and read it out loud. then ... ask - what does this mean to me. Or, give an example in different words of what you just read from your material. If one cannot give an example, it means there may be a word in the sentence not fully or correctly understood. So, we look up which word, and the rest is pure magic. You can give examples. (Here's an example-- 1. read the sentence: "When people mess up their own possessions and area, it can slop over into your own." 2. give me an example of that: hmmmmmm (these are made up) (thinking)... If my kids throw books & coats just anywhere when they get home from school and leave a mess in the kitchen and bathroom, it causes confusion to what I was in the middle of doing. And on and on...I hope this makes sense.Let's say we were having a child read that sentence and they didn't understand the word "slop".
So we look it up: http://www.onelook.com/ and find the definition that best fits: (I feel #1 in the Encarta fits the sentences best:
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861701887
So I look up the word... Say what it means to me... Go back to the sentence and it would make sense. I just gave a simple example. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and I can go over any of these exercises at the next meeting.
I really had fun today.
Thanks so much,
Kathy Smith

RUN & READ

Kathy Smith — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:11:01 EST

We held our first community service called READ & RUN with the purpose of getting others reading and running for America. I was inspired to start this group based on Will Smith's song on YouTube RUNNING & READING [THE KEY TO LIFE] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEMEBBwO6J8

We have held three meetings and the program has its core group now formed.

The Keys to Life are Running and Reading. The person who works the hardest wins...

Once the official website is launched [under construction] you too can become a part of the most exciting movement America has ever launched and maintained to success for all that run and read.

Thanks to Peet's Coffee for their space and delicious coffee and for everyone that attended and are now about to go to our fourth meeting this Thursday evening at Tina's. Thanks Fred and Tina for having the meetings that followed at your places. Best to all, Kathy

Event Name:

READ AND RUN

Description: Meet at Peet's Coffee in Studio City [Ventura/Laurel Cyn]

Plan on where to put in an ongoing program of encouraging all to read more and get exercise to then start setting goals to build an even better community.

Time:Wednesday, February 4 from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Host:Kathy Smith

Location:Peet's Coffee/Ventura by Laurel Cyn. (Studio City, CA)12215 Ventura Blvd Ste 101
Studio City, CA 91604Directions:101 Fwy. N. get off Laurel Cyn. Turn South and go to Ventra Blvd. and turn West to Time Square Shops in the front.

About US education system...

temberowa — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:24:52 EST

Many here got very good point of public school system not being challanged enough and government becoming "monopolist" in this matter.

Well, as educated overseas person I can point at many ups and downs; generally American education system has opinion of being far behind worldwide standards.

What I see the most challenging is the fact of public schools becoming socializing "pot" with all the cultural conflicts involved, instead of paying more attention to quality of knowledge delivery. Upbringing in most of families don't expose a young person to values and moral choices. Only financial stability seems to be imperative. There is weak communication between family and school officials. With this approach teachers/instructors/educators have mission impossible to be accomplished. I've witnessed myself arogance and total disrespect of many 3,4,5 graders, who simply refuse to improve their lifestyle.

This is a huge factor how the class in handled every day. Separately from it, there is a meritoric part. As European In 2 grade I had to have a geographic general knowledge of the whole world, in 4th I was familiar with not just European or Asian history, but also American one. High school usually introduces everyone to detailed aspect of the ones mentioned above. College level expects students to have wide and detailed knowledge together in general and expertise area.

Every school system has different demands depending how culturaly diversified the country is and this can be considered as very tricky in country like US. First of all, it is a melting pot of different and many times, far apart from each other, cultures. Idea of nationalized versus solely state based educational system is a second concern. Small countries usually don't have problem with establishing scheme, USA is a land of divisions and many differences.

What I see as a shame is bringing people to this country with extensive knowledge and well-rounded individuals who don't get enough credits for their professional past. These are the ones who can bring a lot to the table by educating and coaching others -instead American institutions waste lots of time by sending this 'ready force' back to schools. Reason: no adaptation to US system, although better quality education of foreign candidates....

This needs to change if country full of opportunities like America needs to sustain its existence, according to one's words "country without history and well educated nation is doomed to collapse"

Right America

P Crawley — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 01:11:22 EST

I watched an HBO special last night called "Right America" it was quite an insight on the beliefs and reasons as to why certain people especially from the south didn't vote correctly on Nov. 4th (namley voted republican) here are some of the reasons given.

1) He's not a man of God he believes in murder. And will ellect all new supreme court judges to support him.

(obviosly the "God Squad" that don't believe in "free will" and dosen't know how the judical system works)

2) I don't like the fact that our taxes are going to go up.

(this was a school teacher, she must be REALLY rich or just watches fox news)

3) He's not an American, he's going to be sworn in using the Qur'an and since those were Muslims that attacked us on 9/11 I think he's in bed with terrorists.

(I think everyone in the south should be sent a version of the Constitution, then when they get past 3rd grade be made to read it, especially the part about only a natural born citizen can become president!)

4) America isn't ready for a black president.

(notably these were NAS-CAR enthusiasts that think going in circles really fast is cool and they also wanted to repeel the woman's right to vote, nuff said)

5) He'll turn this country Socialist just like Hitler and Marx did to Europe!

(What the ...... BLEEP!)

At this point my interest then laughter turned into utter shock. First, Hitler was a fascist and Marx was a communist, which by the way wasn't even living at the world war two stage, I think the name they were grasping for was Stalin! That would be about as far left and far right as you could politically get. Second, The "Evil" word of "Socialism", thanks to the republicans most people in the US think it means communism, it dosen't, it just means "ecconomic equality".

We have a socialist police force & fire service because it's considered good for everyone, why not a socialist health care system. Basic human rights should be covered by the government, my favorite quote, "A government FOR the people BY the people" should include taking CARE of the people.

Now i'm not saying that ALL socialist things are good, we don't need ALL electric power handled by the government but an option might lower some electric bills and maybe water and gas as an option. It would sure stop some summer price hikes when your air is running or winter gas hikes when you need to be warm. Just a thought.

Back to healthcare, my sister-in-law is a republican and my wife and I democrat, last year my wife was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, it took the administration more than two hours to get her to her room and most of that time was filling out paperwork and waiting around for return phone calls from our insurance provider. I asked my sister-in-law, "wouldn't you like to see a free health care system?", she said, "Hell no we have much better healthcare than other countries", lets see. My cousin in England is doctor, i asked him how long it takes, he sent me the form needed to enter an NHS (National Heath Service) hospital.

Name: xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Address: xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Date of Birth: xxxxxxxxxxx

NIN: xxxxxxxxxxxxx (stands for National Insurance Number, same as SSN)

Ok, the Dr will be right with you, that's it, done, no phone calls, not more waiting, off to your room.

Everything is on a central database (which no-one has ever hacked by the way, just like a bank, totally secure)

My wife has had her opperation and is now on her chemo and her radiation ($3000 per session, total with insuance $36,000, our insurance paid thank god, total in England $0) She's now taking four perscription drugs everyday one of them costs $105 per pill, thankfully the insuance covers them. I told my cousin what the medication was and he told me, "it doesn't matter what the drug is it's $10.00 per perscription". I asked him what about the $105 pill what if she need 30 of them, he said, "$10.00 per perscription no matter what, 10 pills, 100 pills same price".

"The taxes must be really high to have such a socalist healthcare system?"

5% extra tax and everyone is covered, not even perscription charges for children under 16 and people over 65, they pay nothing at all. I can hear people saying "5%" that's a huge chunk of my money, is it? is it really? think about it, if your employed you pay for a medical plan, A chunk comes out of your pay check each month and your employer pays the difference. Look at your pay stub next time you get paid and calculate how much your paying, it's about on average 2% of your income and your boss foots another 5%, that's 7%, 2% more than what you would pay, 1% on your side plus your employer could pay you more as they save money by not having to insure you!

Just do the math, if you paid a little more your employer could save money and maybe not offshore your job!

Unemployed people pay nothing, small business people get a tax rebate.

I lived and was born in England for more than 30 years, I think the longest i waited was about an hour without an appointment. As for long waiting lists, not true, if you have elective surgery then sure you might need to wait a while but for serious medical needs your seen right away, do Americans really think a heart attack victim has to wait a month before he gets treated?

Don't get me wrong I love this country and England is far from perfect, England is rated 18th best in the world for healthcare but America is listed at 37th?

Most Americans couldn't name 36 countries, Africa isn't a country by the way and neither is Europe:-)

Are we as Americans really sure we wouldn't want to have some free healthcare, sooner or later everyone gets sick, do you want to have to sell your house to pay for it?

Back to the five questions I heard above, one thing sticks out more than anything I heard, dis-information & lies. Any well educated person knows that there are two parties, not people but parties, there was Bush and then McCain, just because McCain is a likable fellow does not mean he thinks different, his "Party", is the same. Most of the people interviewed didn't like Bush alot but thought McCain could be trusted. Now i'm no magical wizz on politics but isn't republican being replaced by republican the same policy? Education, Education, Education. It's not the man/woman it's the policy then the person. If Joe the Plummer was running and won the nomination for the democrates I'd still vote democrat. I must admit though voting for someone that came from nothing make me tingle a little, least he knows how many houses he owns (the words silver & spoon spring to mind for McCain and wife).

A very smart man by the name of "Tony Benn" once said a very profound statment and it's happening right now in America, he said. "There are only two ways to control the people if your in government, fear and lack of education, scare the people and they will let you do anything even if it infringes on there civil liberties. Don't educate the people so they believe what you say"

Think about it, wire taps, getmo, people not knowing the facts, people not asking questions, people looking for WMD, wars started, terror, terror, terror. and the last thing the republicans wanted removed from the stimulus package, less on education. We have become a nation of sheep looking for a leader I hope we have found one, the fat cats in washington have raped this country enough, the private companies have transfered the public funds via a war not needed, American lives have been wasted in the name of corperate greed and the world has become more unstable than ever. Unless we realise that our government is broken we can never fix it. The french did just that several hundred years ago now they are ranked number one in human rights including healthcare. There government is afriad of it's people, Americans seem afriad of it's politicians. I hope we have the right person, I personally think so but like i said the fat cats want to keep there wealth, it's going to be hard to take it from them.

The Power is Yours.

The Republican Rape of America

Eric from Covina, CA — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 04:14:22 EST

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

The Republican Rape of America

The Republican leadership and their corporate cronies have systematically brutalized and raped America. Now they're insisting that we give them a bonus instead of treating our wounds. Those are literally the facts, but why are so many Americans blind to the assault? In short, we've been brainwashed.

The Republican Party has demonstrated repeatedly that they are lousy at governance but there are none better when it comes to marketing their philosophy-and they should be, because they have but one philosophy-to divide and conquer. It would be inaccurate to call them racist, however, because they don't care any more about poor and middle class White people than they do minorities, but neither do they have any qualms about using racism and division to advance their interests.

Before Affirmative Action

Ivan from Christiansted, VI — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:57:21 EST

I can remember growing up in the 50’s, when our communities were more self-sufficient. To me, Affirmative Action divided and destroyed what semblance of togetherness we had as a people. Affirmative Action was designed to Window Dress, creating a crabs in the barrel black society.

Affirmative Action is kinda like the Pyramid schemes. Most of those educated and skilled, who understood the scam, took advantage of the opportunity. They were the ones, who were serving as role models, that began moving on up and out of the neighborhoods.

When Malcolm talked of self-sufficiency, he was accused of separatism. The reality is that within the 50 states we are many nations in one nation. During this presidential campaign it was made clear that family and social values were paramount in connecting with candidates. We African Americans are a family and it is time that we begin working toward our own families’ interests. “Charity begins at home”, is not separatism nor selfishness. The neglecting of ourselves and relying on others to provide for us, nurtures that negative perception other families have of our community.

Until we as a people take ownership of our own financial, political and social destiny we will be seen as not deserving of others’ respect. Today it is not a whole lot about fighting for our rights: it is more of how we should exercise our rights. For one, making sure that we are being treated fairly with the allocation of government contracts, loans, grants, scholarships, etc. and with the contracting of capital improvement projects. With a unified voice some of these infrastructure projects will be developed and buil[t]d by us in our communities.

This new world market, which can only expand, provides opportunities that abound; we have family and in-laws around the world, and when the companies and industries begin finding that potential clients and customers are looking to patronize businesses that are more reflective of their family members, those qualified will be in high demand and will be represented from the top executives to the receptionist.

Those of us who are more fortunate should become entrepreneurs in revitalizing our communities. We as a family need to get out of debt and pool our resources, and make our children, our elders and the legacy of our Ancestors, Proud!

Ivan Butcher II

What Is Good For The Producer Is Good For The Consumer Economies

LOL — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:29:48 EST

It seems that the EU and China as well as many other economies both established and “emerging” are complaining about the US only clause in our stimulus package. I know I have been harping on this for awhile now. But, they keep complaining and there are so many lessons and insight to be gleaned from this issue. Many have been touched upon in previous posts. I would like to explore an overall depth of this issue.

Letter to the President from Army of Dude, Very Important

Annette Sousley — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:35:55 EST

This is for Alex, a young veteran of the Iraq War. I have linked to his blog before, in the B A D list, when the Weblog Awards were going on and I have talked about it at other times.

Well, this morning I noticed there was a new post, so I went to read it. I have been touched deeply by Alex's posts before, but this one really, really touched my heart. So, I am asking you to read this post, I am putting here, I will also link to his blog, he is a very talented writer, and you can follow your heart, but I think you will see where he and I are coming from. I hope you will write to Pres. Obama as I am and ask that he spare Alex's friend and all the others who are caught up in this back door draft that the Bushies got us into. Because that's how it is. So, read this and see what you think. Then if you want, go here to "http://armyofdude.blogspot.com/ and read more.

More after the fold

The Yellow Brick Road For CHANGE in America Starts Where & When FEAR Stops

Gicomeng — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 06:07:58 EST

In 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a man disabled with a peripheral neuropathic disorder that left him unable to walk rose to the highest office in our nation during the midst of the worst economic disaster in U.S. history. Five sentences into his inaugural address, FDR set the course of the nation for the next 36 years, declaring “there is nothing to fear but fear itself”. Those words became the anthem that echoed throughout our nation, instilling a sense of bravery and patriotism in all Americans, just as “Yes, We Can” rings out today. U.S. citizens had no jobs; no food, and yet, one of FDR’s first accomplishments was bringing beer and wine back into American communities, and by the end of that year, prohibition of all other alcoholic beverages had ended. Until recently, ratification of the Twenty-First Amendment has been consistently overlooked or criticized for it’s lack of importance. Today historians identify it as a strategically prudent maneuver of the only U.S. presidential administration maintaining overwhelming popularity across an unprecedented four terms despite the challenges in resolving the Great Depression. Repealing Prohibition was more than a gift of Pleasure; it was a gift of Responsibility. It brought Unity and Motivation to the backbone of the nation to support FDR throughout the largest war effort of all time, culminating in the only U.S. war victory of the 20th century through today and into the foreseeable future. We can wrap a circle around the years 1933 through 1968 and rightfully call this the Rooseveltian Era. It was a time of superman, super heroes, and binary super powers. It was a time when people remained loyal to “Truth, Justice, and the American way” simply because “fear” was not a barrier.

Psycho-active chemical substances were first introduced to the American people by the U.S. Government. Students today learn that Japanese and Nazi military used amphetamines which had an impact on our opponents losing the war. The truth is that amphetamines were regarded state-of-the-art military technology during WWII and those who had the most advanced technology were more likely to have a greater abundance of amphetamines. Since U.S. technology during the war was by far, the most advanced, it is rather obvious that we exceeded others in quantity.

The assassinations of three U.S. Civil Rights leaders during the 1960s rocked the Rooseveltian Era and brought psycho-active substances into the mainstream. The general public was in mourning; the drugs became a way to heal.

While the presidential administration of Richard M. Nixon is credited with ending segregation, landing an American on the moon, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), and the end of the draft and the Vietnam War, these events were either fueled by public protest or already set in motion prior to Nixon’s inauguration. The impetus of the Nixon administration lies in restoration of Fear, Ignorance, and Exclusion. Antithetical to FDR, Nixon befriended Fear and Ignorance with a chilling and ghostly pessimism that resounds not only through the tapes he left behind, but in his policies, namely, in the war on drugs (WOD). The Nixonian Era has enduring for 40 years now .

To understand why the WOD was never a logical move, consider two major issues impacting health and safety of the Boomer generation during their teen years, automobiles and drugs, and how each was handled by two distinctively different presidents, one during the Rooseveltian Era and the other in the Nixonian Era.

MOTOR VEHICLE LEGISLATION

In 1966, when automobile fatalities had topped 50,000 in one year, President Lyndon Johnson brought before Congress recommendations from a 1936 Select Committee of the United States Senate, the 1949 Hoover Commission Task Force on Transportation, President Eisenhower’s 1961 Budget Message, and a 1961 Special Study Group of the Senate Committee on Commerce in urging the US Congress to create Department of Transportation.[i] President Johnson facilitated an inclusive effort that reached out to automobile manufacturers, federal, state, and local government contractors engineering the design of roads and highways, motorists, and high schools in developing the foundation for policy that is still successful today.

DRUG WAR LEGISLATION

Exactly one month after the Stonewall Riots commenced on June 27, 1969 in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, triggering a positive turning point in the gay movement, the Nixon administration issued legislation for a comprehensive reform of federal drug enforcement laws. It was a response to constituents and others who believed that sexual perversity was caused by psycho-active substances. Until 1973, homosexuality was listed as a mental illness in the DSM, and the growth of the gay movement was incorrectly attributed to the use of illicit drugs. In Nixon’s May 13, 1971 taped conversation with John D. Ehrlichman, and H. R. Haldeman, Nixon himself states that “Homosexuality, dope, and immorality are the enemies of strong societies.”[ii] A month later, on June 17, 1971, just 10 days before the second annual Gay Pride Parade in New York City, Richard Nixon spoke before Congress with the opening words:

“In New York City more people between the ages of fifteen and thirty-five years die as a result of narcotics than from any other single cause.

"In 1960, less than 200 narcotic deaths were recorded in New York City. In 1970, the figure had risen to over 1,000…”[iii]

The mention of New York City, of course, was a blatant allusion to the gay population that stirred a rather fanatical nationwide appeal by the president in which he states:

“The magnitude and the severity of the present threat will no longer permit this piecemeal and bureaucratically-dispersed effort at drug control. If we cannot destroy the drug menace in America, then it will surely in time destroy us. I am not prepared to accept this alternative.”[iv]

There are two ironies here.

FIRST, “piecemeal…” describes the actions reformists are taking today in a leisurely attempt to undo the WOD. However, the magnitude and severity of the threat imposed by today’s drug laws has totally eclipsed all problems resulting from drugs.

SECOND, destroying the “drug menace in America” IS destroying us, since “US” defines the American people comprised of drug users / abusers.…

Unlike Johnson, who managed the implementation of formal recommendations from experts, commissions, and panels assembled specifically to study the problem of motor vehicle accidents, Nixon excluded the voice of experience, the general public, and even the recommendations from the National Committee on Marihuana and Drug Abuse led by Raymond Shafer, a committee that Nixon personally appointed which recommended the legalization of marijuana when it was released in March 1972. Richard Nixon and members of his administration also rejected input from Dr. Roger Egeburg, Assistant Secretary of Health that he personally appointed to study 1972 in shaping the WOD. In reviewing more than 100 transcribed documents produced by Nixon with specific regard to drug abuse during the first term of his administration, his concern about drug abuse that seems admirable at first glance is actually obsessive and disturbing. However, it is Nixon’s unrefined, personal, erratic, and dangerously presumptive level of understanding about psychoactive substances and drug abuse that are alarming and without foundation. As a result, his efforts threaten rather than inform; demand rather than request; broadly assume rather than specifically identify. Discrepancies in definable terminology with the medical community have been one significant factor steering the U.S. Government directly off course from the original objective.

With support for the drug war waning during the Ford and Carter administrations, Ronald Reagan’s adoption of the WOD was an expectation. During the 1980s, the WOD began expanding in scope with increased bipartisan support and a new focus on prescription drugs. One of the great blunders of the Democratic Party has been the failure to recognize drug use as a Civil Rights issue. Zero Tolerance policy with mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines was not a deterrent to drug use / abuse; it was an invitation to the drug community to engage in other forms of crime. For example, burglary can be reduced to a sentence of a few months; the minimum for possession is 10 years. In cases across the U.S. a defendant arrested for both burglary and drug possession the latter charge might be thrown out if the defendant pleads guilty to the charge of burglary. However, if the defendant was only charged with drug possession, judges have no recourse but to sentence the defendant for 10 years. Such laws are ridiculous because drug crimes offer no reason for incarceration whatsoever.

“Too little is known about drug abuse, especially the causes, ways to treat, and prevent drug abuse.” That humiliating, show-stopping statement came from members of the 109th US Congress in January 2006, 34 years and 7 months after President Nixon declared drugs to be “public enemy number 1”, launching an effort that has cost US taxpaying citizens 2 trillion USD, clogging our courts and increasing our prison population with non-violent drug law offenders sentenced 20-to-40 years or longer under zero tolerance guidelines for something that the US Government knows “too little” about. These mandatory sentences have routinely torn families apart for simple drug possession. As parents are arrested, children, adolescents, and teenagers are taken into custody and frequently scattered among family members whose lives are inconvenienced and these minors are often left on the streets to fend for themselves. They end up without education, a bitter hostility towards law enforcement, and a lifetime of criminal activity. Our lawmakers may know “too little about drug abuse”, but when it comes to spinning out criminals, no nation has mastered this craft better than the U.S.

At the end of the first decade in the 21st century, evidence strongly reveals that the harm resulting from U.S. drug policy is inescapable. Incidents might no longer be hidden but reported daily by the mainstream press with callous interest from the general public which has been led to believe that punishment and treatment are the only ways to stop drug abuse. This is false. These are invalid approaches. Inside the walls of correctional institutions of America, drugs still proliferate. Hundreds of reform organizations have sprouted up over the years and membership is growing steadily in number. While the U.S. Government is so consumed with achieving an impossible victory in the WOD, it has neglected to notice that the collateral damage of current drug policy, by far outweighs any benefit. In fact, it is virtually impossible to determine why nothing has been done to change the course of a war between the government and the people; a war that is destabilizing our nation leading to dangers that are far more imminent than those of global warming. Impacts of the WOD can be mapped across 12 categories:

1. Human Life

2. Civil Rights

3. Healthcare

4. Medical & Pharmacological Research

5. Education

6. Criminal Justice

7. Law Enforcement

8. Corporations & Businesses

9. Economics

10. Family & Society

11. Foreign Relations

12. Future Generations

Each of these is currently defined on my website at http://www.DrugUseEducation.org, I plan to write a blog summarizing each.

RESPONSIBLE DRUG USE IS NORMAL

My website at http://www.DrugUseEducation.org explains in great detail the residual effects our drug laws, but first, to couch my point, simply and succinctly: appropriately formulated drugs are not a threat to humanity. They never have been. Using drugs and chemical substances is normal human behavior.[v] Our culture has established this with regard to using drugs which have medicinal value, while ancient civilizations established the recreational value of drugs with countless generations ever since approving the use of alcohol. The Electro-Chemical Age[vi] coinciding with the Anthropocene[vii] Epoch in which we live today is the logical springboard for introducing safer alternatives to alcohol when correctly administered. These options also make it possible for individuals of different genetic types to enjoy pleasure and relaxation that is more suitable to their body chemistry than alcohol, which is considered to be one of the most lethal substances along with tobacco and gasoline used as pleasure drugs by Americans but are not controlled substances.

THE REAL THREAT IS THE LACK OF EDUCATION

The dangers associated with drugs are specifically linked to incorrect methods of drug administration, namely: drug abuse, dependence, addiction, and misuse. President Richard Nixon was aware of this. Throughout President Nixon’s address to U.S. Congress on June 17, 1971, he specifically mentions drug abuse and drug addiction as the two central “drug problems”. Furthermore, RN presents a proposal for rehabilitation and prevention efforts. Not once does RN mention a “war on drugs” before Congress. Not once does he make the remark that “America's public enemy number one in the United States is drug abuse”. Such comments were made during a news briefing several hours after RN addressed Congress.

ABSENSE OF STANDARDS & GUIDELINES

During the past 37 years, the WOD has evolved into an enigma of convoluted terminology, in which there are no standards and no guidelines to designate the acceptable use of recreational drugs, a pastime that has been growing among adults and will surely continue to grow well into the future with no end anticipated outside of the annihilation of the Earth before we have the opportunity to inhabit at least one other planet outside our solar system.

For that reason, I am appealing to the Obama administration and members of Congress to consider my proposal or any substitute action that will stop the condemnation of those with legitimate medical disorders using controlled substances and responsible recreational drug users and self-medicators who want -- and very well may have just cause -- to use drugs, while providing necessary education to everyone in society, especially those who are unaware how drugs should be used correctly, applying harm reduction, and providing treatment for drug abusers and those who have become chemically dependant. So far, the U.S. Government has repeatedly failed to show why anyone administering drugs one way or another -- whether they are prescribed or illicit controlled substances -- should be subjected to incarceration when they threaten no other members of society. By legalizing drugs and making them available at a fair price to individuals who have earned the privilege to use them, the unwanted illicit drug trade would diminish and cease to exist with the absence of any demand for illegal drugs.

I do not support an illicit drug trade, or the manufacturing, sale, distribution and use of impure homemade/homegrown substances that have not been FDA-approved, or the glamorization and commercial sale of drugs as has been the case with alcohol and tobacco. My philosophy is that all drugs whether they are used for medicinal, recreational, performance-enhancement or other purposes are a personal matter that requires education and qualified support by a legitimate pharmacist, physician, or perhaps some other trained and certified individual who is able work with the user to determine which drug is appropriate for them. While there is no way to assure that drugs won’t be abused, dosing restrictions provided with every drug, including alcohol and cigarettes would give the public the knowledge and the responsibility to maintain control.

In the 21st century, the problems associated with incorrect forms of drug administration are merely a cosmetic blemish compared to the life-threatening hemorrhage that defines our current drug policy. How can we even begin to estimate the number of individuals that are adversely impacted by our drug laws. There are reports on-line which suggest a lower end of 700,000 to an upper end of more than 200 million U.S. citizens that have in some way been adversely impacted by our society’s drug laws during the past two decades. Tragically, many of those directly in the line of fire have been innocent children.[viii] Even more tragically, down here in the trenches we are helplessly witnessing the self-destruction of America as faith in our democratic government wanes amidst a background of corruption, including drug laws that have created an environment far worse than the prohibition of alcohol from 1920 until 1933 since today we have included patients with legitimate medical disorders among those who use drugs for entertainment.

The longer it takes to reach a level of sane, acceptable, drug policy, the more certain we are that a far greater number of human lives will be challenged, if not lost, by hardships that result from the irrational control of psycho-active substances.

[i] Special Message to the Congress on Transportation. Lyndon B. Johnson March 2nd, 1966 http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=28114&st=automobile&st1=

[ii] http://www.gicomeng.com/histinsidenixon.htm Original Source: Harper’s Magazine.

[iii] http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=3048&st=&st1= Special Message to the Congress on Drug Abuse Prevention and Control, June 17, 1971.

[iv] Ibid

[v] See analysis at http://www.gicomeng.com/

[vi] Electro-Chemical Age (ECA) – The theoretical name that logically represents the tools of our time, which are electronic or chemical based. The ECA has its roots in the Age of Enlightenment (18the Century)that spawned the Industrial Revolution. Technically, the ECA succeeds the Industrial Revolution that took place during the early 19th century. The ceremonial start date of the ECA is May 1, 1851, the date that Queen Victoria and Prince Albert opened the Great Exhibition (aka Crystal Palace) in Hyde Park, London, England, where over 17,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered to demonstrate their inventions and trigger the start of an Age dominated by electrically-powered mechanics, and complex chemical technology.

[vii] Anthropocene is used by some scientists to describe the most recent period in the Earth's history. It has no precise start date, but may be considered to start in the late 18th century when the activities of the humans first began to have a significant global impact on the Earth's climate and ecosystems. This date coincides with James Watt's invention of the steam engine in 1784.[1] The term was coined in 2000 by the Nobel Prize winning atmospheric chemist Paul Crutzen, who regards the influence of human behavior on the Earth in recent centuries as so significant as to constitute a new geological era.

[viii]

His First Post!

Charles Stevenson — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:44:05 EST

(Monday, February 9, 2009 / Great Falls, Virginia) Thanks and Kudos to President O'Bama and his organization for making this great communication tool possible!

This amazing election gives us all a chance to work for real reflection, change, and transformation - to create the causes and conditions for security, abundance, justice and peace - a world of cooperation based on knowledge, good will, forebearance, reconciliation, and open-mindedness becomes possible!

My main personal preoccupation right now is visionary and peace education "for the history of the future," building bridges and connections across all the divides of the human experience. I'm privileged to work with Colman and John McCarthy in DC at this time. (I grew up in Japan and its international schools, one of them Catholic, so I have an unfair advantage!) And I'd like to hear from others of similar mind and heart. Feel free to write me at: anjinsan AT geotrees. com or visit geotrees.com to share your own dreams, visions and skillful work. Thanks - and Peace be With You!

Economic Package

Melly — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 11:44:20 EST

A simple question? What do the Repuplicans have against education? How does it help America to have an undereducated populous? I was so happy that the economic package had provisions for college aid such as the Pell Grants. Think about it, if parents cannot send their children to college, RIGHT NOW, because of the economic times, etc; then we will lose a generation of sturdents that can enter the work force with qualifications for a good job in a few years. These students will be lost.

Also, why can't we build more elementary and high schools and help the deteriorating school system. What is wrong with that? I want an answer from the Republicans as to why they have forever been against the educating of America. Where is the logic?

I also am concerned about all the lay offs because I heard one man say on TV, did not get the name or title, but he said; if they don't do what we want, we will lay off all the workers until they do what we want. This is how the rich people feel that they are in control and can push America around.

The Republican party needs to reinvent itself and start looking out for more than just themselves.

Welcome to Center Channel

Fermin F. Iduate — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 17:30:25 EST

The objective of this blog, is to establish a forum for our community and enable collaborative interdisciplinary thought and discussion as to how we can all help make it a better place.

Focus areas:

1) Energy Independence: This matter is so strategic that it affects everything we deal with... the price of just about everything. We are being held at bay by the Oil Producing states due to our reluctance stemming from 1979 to change our sources of energy and go the easy way of dependency upon foreign resources thereby choosing the easy way out.....which of course never works.

2) Opportunity via innovation: New ideas for doing old things in a more cost effective and efficient manner, taking into account our impacts on our earth and neighboring ecosystems.

3) Social Consciousness: Striving to bring a social consciousness to "Entities" which are not real human beings such as Government, Corporations, Non-Profits, Institutions, and Utilities, as well as to People since a lot of people just don't really care about anyone else but themselves.

4) Education: Part of the reason we have become so dependent on foreign source labor is because we have left our educational system go "to the dogs". We don't improve education by spending more money on buildings and administrative programs, we do so by building up MINDS via good quality CONTENT, CURRICULUM, EXPERIENCES AND TEAMPLAY. We have a great defecit of US Scientist, Mathematicians, Engineers, and Technical experts and have resorted to outsourcing this to workers who only lease us their time and then take their knowledge and experience back to their countries.

5) Jobs: We can't wait around for the Big Companies to figure out how they're going to move. Small & Medium size companies have the flexibility and mobility to get things done and to approach new technologies and solutions with speed and efficiency. Let's share in opportunities where we can all invest our time and talents to make this a better place.

The State of the U.S.

David from Gainesville, FL — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:49:12 EST

Dear Mr. Obama,

I am relieved and filled with hope now that you are our president with the backing of a Democratic Congress.

For several years I have believed that the United States has been losing ground as a leading nation and that our leadership and political policies have guided our country into a lifestyle and way of conducting business that is not sustainable or ethical in the areas of economic and labor policies, environmental management and resource use, medical care, care for the homeless and financially deprived, education, civil rights, penal philosophy and practice. and international relations and policies, and defense. In general, our people and government have addressed the symptoms rather than core causes of problems in each of these areas. To a great extent policies have been driven by personal and vested interests and not by science and the welfare of the people. Below I have introduced my views on each of these areas. In future communications, I intend to elaborate on and clarify these views.

Our economy should aim for steady state and stable conditions instead of continued expansion. We should localize our economy by minimizing imports and keeping services and production of goods within our country. All workers should make a living wage and should be registered U.S. residents with some provision for authorized temporary residents from other countries. Transfer of funds should be primarily related to goods or services received. Loans and activities related to speculation of the future should be heavily regulated and significantly taxed.

Sustainable environmental practices must be strived for by maximizing recycle, minimizing disposal of wastes into the environment, prevention of resource depletion, and minimizing destruction of natural environments. We must evaluate and regulate major polluting industries such as land filling, agricultural, fossil fuel extraction and use, mining, water use, and forestry (especially lumber and paper industries).

Basic affordable medical care and drugs should be available to all legal residents and visitors. Layered medical care practices should range from simple nursing care to special medical services provided by doctors and medical specialists. Incentives should be provided to encourage U.S. residents to improve their health, e.g. healthy diets and exercise. Unhealthy products such as alcohol, foods with added sugar, tobacco products, and alcoholic beverages should be heavily taxed.

Every resident should be entitled to have their basic needs met, i.e. food, shelter, and medical care. Group homes should be established to help those with mental, physical, and addiction health problems and released prisoners. Prisons should be viewed as rehabilitation institutions which strive to be self sufficient and provide counseling and training. Half-way houses and jobs opportunities should be provided for released prisoners. Capital punishment should be abolished.

Education through undergraduate college level should be free for all residents. Students should be grouped based on demonstrated aptitude so education can be focused. Education at all levels should include basic knowledge, creativity, and life management skills.

Laws should be instituted to minimize discrimination of individuals based on age, gender, sexual preference, or religion. Legislation of morality should be minimized. Issues should be clarified by open dialog regarding controversial issues such as abortion, stem cell research, capital punishment, euthanasia, and gay rights.
Strong policies should be instituted to address and improve international relations. The U.S. should encourage formation of an international governmental agency (IGA) with funds and personnel provided from all participating nations. The IGA should play a governing role in international defense, security, disaster, economic, and environmental issues. Member nations should collectively decide and act on matters related to terrorism, internal oppression, response to natural disasters, and regulation of global environmental issues such as greenhouse gases, fishing practices, and water use. Movement should be toward diplomacy and away from war and use of weapons of mass destruction. All able bodied men and women should be required to provide civil service and be trained as reservists on call for civil and other defense issues.

Sincerely,
David P. Chynoweth, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Florida

Two Perfect Conceits

Paul Chambers — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 10:52:30 EST

‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder‘ : ‘it depends on whether I like or not‘.

Considering any work of art; the faster a person explains judgment using this language, often the less will be known about the subject by this person.

Without context, bias can run wilder than the bunny in a meadow who has seen big bird aloft, and can hide too defying further rationalism or objectivity. Preference for a sunset on velvet than the real thing.

In this personal-centric view, Nature itself is subject to variable ‘likes and dislikes’, and beauty as near meaningless as a choice can be; a whim.

The conceited laying trashy garlands at the stoop of the house of art is one thing, but subjective attitude to ‘beauty’ has proved dangerous folly now looking at climate change.

Beauty is what we are, and in the relations of the constructions of the eye ‘of the beholder’, but it is what one is looking at always - organizing outside the eye.

Leonardo’s figure squared in a circle is all ‘golden rule or mean or section or proportion' and beauty exists in this same proportional relationship, dynamic and not-fleeting.

Remember it has gone nowhere, it must keep up with itself is all, like a transorma machine. Count on much practical benefit from a flip of this little switch.

A topical example: since there is a ‘minimum-bottom’ (wage), any intelligent design would need, by relation, a ‘maximum-top’. In nature, the top of the (snow) banks’ shape is scoured by howling aggregate as pressures sink, flattening the bottom; a crystal ceiling over an earth safety-net.

President Lincoln and the Universal Postal Union

Paul Chambers — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:15:45 EST

President Abraham Lincoln’s Postmaster General, Montgomery Blair is credited with founding the notion for what became the ‘Universal Postal Union‘, one of two international organizations to survive both world wars of the following century. The other, ‘Telecommunications’, was largely sister to the UPU.

How is it that this brilliant idea, large and characteristic of the (postmaster) President is ascribed to a fairly uncooperative cabinet member who could not have this authority by himself.

The packet ship, 'Trent', has left Havana, Cuba, for London, soon after Civil War hostilities begin. Union Navy captures it off the Carolinas. President Lincoln’s intelligence has it a foil and pretext for that government to join the conflict on the side of Secession; but Lincoln instructs for the ‘mail’ not to be molested. And then setting his Postmaster General to check-see if foreign governments too might create agreement so nations can pass mail (for payment) and respect each others’ Posts...

The world might be happy to join U.S. representation 'at this moment'; for the increase of justice in the 200th birthday Proclamations and Commemorations of the great man.