NEA and Riots: Not About Kids

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Former general counsel of the NEA 2009:

Despite what some of us would like to believe it is not because of our grand ideas, and it is not because of the merit of our positions, and it is not because we care about children, and it is not because we have a vision of a great public school for every child. The NEA and its affiliates are effective advocates because we have power, and we have power because there are over 3.2 million people who are willing to pay us hundreds of millions of dollars in dues each year because they believe we are the union that can most effectively represent them.

The NEA is about power. They collect dues and then they do what they like with it. I am supposed to be part of a union, and never at any time have they asked me what I think. They TELL me what to think, when they bother to communicate with me at all.

Just a few hours ago, a former student of mine contacted me on Facebook. This is what he said. "I don't know if you remember me. I was in your ******* class a few years back, and I wanted you to know you are one of the most interesting teachers I ever had. your (sic) just a really interesting guy that actually loves to teach his subject, most teachers don't have that." I am here for the students. I am here to teach. I am an educator. The people out picketing and rioting in Wisconsin and who may join them in Nevada are not interested in your children or in jobs generally speaking. They care about THEIR job.

When Gibbons was our governor, I wrote him twice, knowing that if he acted on what I said, I stood the risk to lose my own job. What the state may yet learn is that they need me more than they think. We can afford to get rid of people. We cannot afford to eliminate good teachers. Unfortunately, this isn't about good teachers. It's about the NEA and the people who pay it dues.

Thus they clothe themselves with odd old ends stol'n forth from holy writ and seem saints when most they play the devil.

I am tired of all the people who politic and use children as a tool, a means to get what they want, when they have no care whatsoever for the well-being of the children if honestly admitted. They own politicians. They own many of us. No harness on my back. Like other movements, the education debate is using your children to get you to agree with them. Force them to prove they care. Don't just accept that premise.

Consumers Confident and Unsure

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The Associated Press released a series of indicators that they claim show that the economy is recovering. What they really mean is that we're more willing now to take risks, which is what people do when they think their bases are safe. One problem with the type of risks the AP identified is that some of these will not help the economy at large continue to recover. You will notice an absence of things that have been previously identified as hallmarks of a strong economy like "housing sales on the rise", "vacations", and "investment in stocks" to name a few.

1. taxis

When people are willing to spring for more expensive transportation, it means they're not pinching pennies to save on the costs to earn a paycheck. I am still coordinating trips to minimize the number of trips I take and to meet people halfway when I can so that we don't drive as much in total. I'm still not willing to spend 10 hours per week on the bus to eliminate my car, and the 12 mile ride from my house to work is uphill almost the entire way, and I don't want to smell like a cyclist when I walk into work. If they are correct, expect SUV and truck sales to rise as well, in spite of higher gas prices, since we're now willing to splurge on how we get there to save time or have increased comfort.

2. exorbitant 'sports'

They report that more people are out golfing and gambling. Golfing tells me two things, that people are spending more time recreating than working (no matter how much they tell you that networking matters, the actual work of a deal must still be done off the course), and that they're willing to drop exorbitant amounts of money to interrupt a good and otherwise free walk. Gambling tells me two things as well. It tells me that people are desperate for quick money, which means they're not sure how long the plateau will last. It also tells me that they're willing to part with their money for entertainment only if that entertainment earns them a profit or benefits, which is the same kind of thing that happens with golfers, or at least they hope.

3. plastic surgery

As our available income increases, we spend more for vanity items. You will probably see cosmetics rise as well as brand name retail shopping for whatever clothing and fashion is currently trendy. I know that lipsuction costs around $6000 in Vegas, and it's faster and easier than a gym membership, even if it's only $25/month. Expect vanity purchases to rise if this proves true.

4. divorce

Finally, the article mentions this strange albeit sensical measure of economic standing. For years, we have heard stories about people unwilling to divorce because of additional financial duress. When you split a household, your expenses become all your own until and unless you find roommates, which is more difficult for women with children. Even if the other person doesn't earn a ton, if you live off of two incomes, you find that you can't live as well or in the places you like after a divorce, and so some people even that I know have decided to put up with things or realized their money problems aren't as bad as long as the economy is uncertain. Couples who decide to divorce now feel they won't lose as much by splitting costs and splitting assets and that things are steady enough to last on their own.

These particular measurements of consumption indicate that people are optimistic about their money. There are probably more, but these are interesting choices because they reveal that we are still as unsure of ourselves. We're still not sure that we are good enough, cute enough, and desireable enough for who we really are, so we buy vanity items. We're not sure how best to 'invest' our money, so we're after quick returns at the poker table or in gold. We're not even sure other people can invest it well, so we don't buy stock or houses or other items that can appreciate in value even if they do not.  We buy things that will depreciate, like clothes and cars and cosmetics so we can look prosperous even if we're not.  We're not sure about our neighbors, so we don't want to ride with them on buses, and maybe we're not sure of our health, so we don't walk or ride bikes or other things when we travel. We're not sure about our choices of partners, and so we're more likely to put a partner out in hopes of greener pastures.

I have learned that the more things change the more they remain the same. In this time of 'boom', if indeed it is true, wise people still prepare for the next bust cycle, which will inevitably come, whether in a day, a year, or a decade.

People make interesting decisions. They have reasons, but they're not necessarily reasonable in the long run.  These things are not long-term solutions to increased economic prosperity.  Most of them just make us feel better today, which is ok albeit temporary.

Teachers and Unions

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Before I left last week, the protests in Wisconsin were well underway. Before you hurt yourself jumping to conclusions, let's cut through the fog of editorials masquerading as news and get to the heart of the matter. Another blogger posted just before 9AM this morning that protestors were asking Fox News to tell the truth. About what? They're like most reporters and more interested in fomenting discord through editorials masquerading as news than in real investigation. As the British Defense Counselor Sir Percival _______ said once in a trial, "In other words, constable, you investigate the obvious and ignore all other possibilities?"

I am one of the good teachers. I had Friday off last week as a day off without pay to help the state balance its budget. How did I spend the day? I went to a local high school to discuss with students what science really is, what a career in science really entails, and how to get into science if they really enjoy it. For a person my age and position, I have a rather broad range of exposure and experience, and my perspective is different, and so I felt it might be of some value to them.

Nobody paid me or required it of me that I go do this. I did it of my own free will and choice. I'm also currently tutoring some students in Chemistry, which is a subject I don't actually teach. Nobody forces me to do this. I do it because it makes me feel like my evenings and weekends maybe help someone else besides the company that manufactured the DVDs and musical instruments with which I otherwise fill my time.

There are plenty of good teachers. This is, however, not about the teachers. This is about Unions. The union has been asked to pay for some of its own healthcare and retirment costs instead of expecting people who in many cases earn far less than they to fit the bill. The union has staged this disruption in services that inconveniences the people who pay their salaries. If Chevron or Wal-Mart or UPS shut down, you would just go to one of their competitors. You can't do that in education. Unions have become accustomed to regard negotiations not as a compromise to meet the needs of everyone as much as a way to get their way, piecemeal if necessary, but eventually to force their will on others.

On his program yesterday, Rush Limbaugh said this: "That's how you get around having to hire good people, and it's how you get around not having to get rid of failing or underperforming people, 'cause it's not about hiring the best. It's about strength in numbers and loyalty to the Democratic Party." This is not about good teachers. It's not about what's best for the children. It's about what's best for the people who get paid, sometimes, to babysit your kids. Ask some of the teachers, and that's how they will describe their jobs- as elaborate and expensive day care.

Now, before you lump me in with the rest of that ilk, I have taken at least one pay cut. It amounts to a 4.5% salary reduction, for me a 200% increase in outlays for a reduction by half in medical coverage, and a 25% greater increase to my own retirement. The net effect on wage was that I took a 15% paycut two summers ago. Fifteen percent beats 100%, but the folks in Wisconsin would rather be fired than take a pay cut. They don't give a flying flapjack about the communities they serve. If they did, they would willingly surrender a part of their prosperity, because it is their duty and privilege to serve the communities of which they are a part. We can survive without them if we must, but they cannot survive without us.

The National Education Association isn't really about education. Check out their website, look at where they donate money, and gauge their actual goals by virtue of that and not by what they say to you. It's very martial- orders distill down from the level above. In order to work in the state, you must be a member of the union. I happen to be a member of a different union, but the principle is the same. I had no choice, and it's part of the reason why I'm having a problem at work right now, because the bureaucracy and the union make it inordinately difficult to do what ought be done. Everyone is protected 'equally', regardless of how well they do their job. The leadership has lawmakers intimidated, because they don't want to get sued by an organization that can bring leverage against it from out of state financial backing, and so frequently, they just let the unions have their way and bully us like the thugs they have become.

Government employees exist to serve the people. We do not exist to serve them. Many of them do a fine job. Some of them are gaming the system. I have a personal experience with this that I will not share here or at this time so as not to compromise the people involved, but know that I have seen this play out, and if it works out for the best, it will not be because the people in positions of responsibility did what was actually best for the people.

The leaders in education are former teachers who rose in the ranks to positions of responsibility. Many of them are not leaders, especially if they are scientists, who are generally socially awkward and go into science to avoid people, and so they are not really the best choices for leadership. When I was in high school, a history teacher showed us an R-rated film without telling us that it was so rated or obtaining permission from our parents. I complained. Their response? The administration promoted him to dean of discipline. Dean of discipline? This man is by definition undisciplined!

Unions use the law and teachers as leverage against weak politicians to compel property owners to pay for more luxuriation regardless of outcome. Our schools get worse and our students know less, even though the unions compel us to pay more for diminishing returns. They demand to use the power of their offices to abuse you. Most of your kids who experience a good teacher will have one by luck, because the union won't let us stratify teachers by the quality of their work. Nobody is allowed to stand out or have extra rewards.

There are good government employees. I am a good teacher. We are few and far between, because if you try to do what is right, they smack you back into a corner. You are subject to increased scrutiny and oversight, and others are exempted from it if they play the system. We few, we happy few who do what is right, put our lives and livelihoods on the line for your children. If today is the day to fall on my sword for the children, I am ready. I will not abide wickedness in high places. I dare do all that may become a man. Who dares do more is none.

As for all the references in the media to how these oppressions are similar to Nazi Germany: I am taken aback by all the references to how what's going on in Wisconsin is comparable to Nazis by people who themselves have never met a real Nazi let alone lived in a nation they once ruled. I have met some real Nazis, and these reporters are unjustly ascribing things to leaders in Wisconsin who are the furthest from. Our two chief fears, as voiced by our present politicians, are both represented by German examples: The economy of the Weimar Republic and the totalitarianism of Hitler. Sounds mostly like a power play set against a too convenient backdrop of a foe to villify in order to make either comparison valid.

Things to Echo

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When I moved at the end of last year, I started attending a new congregation on Sundays. One of the men I met and befriended there has been a guest in my house and a frequent conversational partner. We share a common wish that people echo the things that really matter, and as such, I thought it expedient to abandon the jejune for things of eternal consequence to echo over the weekend.

People leave on the screen that which they wish to echo. I have complained on this blog and elsewhere about songs, sermons, and scientists who leave false impressions, negative energies, and ruderal commentaries as the part that echoes in our minds when they finish their messages. Over the past several months, as I have dedicated myself to a greater degree to leave a message worthy of repetition, I have focused more on Christ. This morning, I was schooled by someone I barely know.

Valentines Day is usually very annoying for me. I'm stalled on this 30 Day Blog Challenge on "A Person That I Love" because I don't want to offend anyone in my family by choosing one and because I don't really 'love' anyone else in the traditional sense. This person drew my attention elsewhere.

When we think of love, we think of sacrifice. Frequently this time of year, it comes in exorbitantly priced floral arrangments, lavish dinners, and other things of ethereal value and worth. Sacrifice does not mean to give up things. It really means "to make something holy", and that is why I admire this person's attention at Valentine's Day to Christ and His atonement. Sure, Jesus gave up something great, but it wasn't for the sake of giving it up or giving it away or giving out. What He did was done to make us holy, something we could not do for ourselves.

When I think of love, I really do think of Christ. If ye love me, keep my commandments. Greater love hath no man than this than he who layeth down his life for his friends. The first great commandment is to love the Lord thy God...and the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Everything he did and said was about love. That is really his message. It isn't in the trimmings and trappings, and it's certainly not in gifts, especially those grudgingly given. I don't know a lot of women who might like Valentine's Day turned to a focus on Christ, but I know I appreciate that about this particular woman who did that for me.

In the last few days, I have been frequently angry and opinionated. I am basically frustrated because I felt I did not have love in my life. Sure, sometimes it helps to have someone with skin on, someone to show us they love us via affection (because affection is shown and love is felt), but how much of that really lasts? I am the constant recipient of Christ's love in my life. Christ's mission allows us to be part of a movement that actually means something, and His message invites us to take an active part in the miracle of mercy, salvation, and sanctification.

You may notice therefore that I may frequently and inexplicitly insert anecdotes that seem calculated to convince men of Christ. I believe that any Christian who only infrequently and cursarily mentions Christ is like someone who plays Battleship and tries not to hit his opponent's ships. For this purpose, I will teach of Christ, testify of Christ, prophecy of Christ, and write about what I learn so that you may learn to what source you may look for a remission of your sins.

I live well because I strive to live like the Savior. At the end of the day, when I feel that I have acted according to the edicts and on the promptings of God, I sleep well because my confidence is in Christ, in His power and promise to save me not only from the poor choices made by others, but also from my own. Too many people try to save themselves. In truth, sanctification and peace come through the merits and mercy of Christ.

What Do They See?

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When I see a picture like this or couples in real life, I frequently ask myself, "What does she see in him that I don't see?" There seem to be quite a few mismatched couples, none of which follow the conventional wisdom, like that shared by the First Lady, that things like laughter matter or like Dr. Warren that values matter.  There are lots of theories on this, and it's useless to speculate without the facts. Plus, I have discovered that even if you ask them for facts, you frequently get answers that are either disingenuine or unhelpful.

When we were young, parents and other adults told us to not judge books by their covers.  They taught us that it's what's on the inside that counts.  When you encounter someone on the street, how do you know what's on the inside?  Even if you study them and watch them or read about them, you still don't really know frequently who they really are.  Do you think that John Wayne Gacy's mother and neighbors and teachers knew that he was the kind of person who would some day become one of the most infamous serial killers?  However effective our teachers like to think they were, most of us judge things based on what they have done or what we think they may become.  We put a lot of stock into people who say they intend to be firefighters or doctors, and yet I know women who married men in hopes of that future who became nothing of the sort.  There seems to be a greater interest in people of great looks and great fortunes rather than great characters, which is probably one reason why there appear to be few people of great character.  What's their incentive?

Why do we pick chocolates based on what’s inside but we pick partners based on their colorful candy shell?  I see different things than they do apparently. I still don't see what this woman sees in the man to her left.

People Play Parts

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It seems more and more apparent to me that Shakespeare was correct when he wrote that "All the world's a stage, and the people merely players." For the better part of my thus far life, I have heard copious denigrating references to people being 'players', and the more I get played, the more I understand their sentiments. Among my friends, we frequently discuss the importance of being true and being real people, because we value truth, justice, and the American way, which means frequently that it's necessary to get right to the point.

Accordingly, I will get right to the point. Most people play parts. They play a part that gets them what they want. They play a part that someone else wants them to play. They play a part to keep others from finding out who they really are. Whatever the case, this adds just one more level of confusion in human interactions, because they have obfuscated their true self, and all of our subsequent interactions become based on a lie.

My father once had the brilliant idea for me to play a part. His plan was for me to buy a BMW 300 series or something like it, but still take people out on first dates in my Saturn. When I picked them up in the BMW later, I could tell them they had made the cut or something like that. Most of the world does this in reverse. They put on airs, their best clothes, a borrowed car, and drop money they can ill afford to whine and dine, and then later they revert back to character. Who can forget who has seen the movie how Ferris Buehler takes a pricey Jaguar out to impress folks, only to wreck it. At least if it's yours and you wreck it, nobody else loses.

One of my favorite movies is "Dave" with Kevin Kline. It shows a man who plays a part, yes, but a good part. Everything Dave does in the movie is what Dave would actually do if he were really the president and not just a body double. I also like that movie because in the credits so many people like Senator Dodd and Jay Leno are cast as themselves. I really appreciate when people are who they really are with me and not roleplayers for what they would like to be if they could do as they wish.

Sometimes, we play parts because we have no choice. I choose to fight the status quo because that's the way I sleep well at night- calm in the knowledge that I was true to myself, true to my beliefs, and true to those who may look at me later. Among my actions, you may find errors, but it is he who works with courage of conviction who wins a place in our hearts and in our history books. While most of what you see from others is a play, I am me.

Be you. Do what you do. Drink Dr. Pepper (if you like). For the moment, I may not have the companionship and partnership for which I hope, but in the end, there are no surprises. With me, you really get what you see. (Exit office, stage right. Fade to black.)

Seed Story

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The following is an adaptation of a popular story and not an original work. I like it because it sounds like something I would do:

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. "The young executives were Shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.

"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.

All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"

* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective

* If you plant hard work, you will reap success

* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

Valentine

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Today is a huge hoax. There are several St. Valentines beatified through history, primarily of antiquity given the etymology of the name Valens, which is Roman and Latin at its root. Of the one whose feast is celebrated today, there is no record besides the fact that he exists. In fact, it's nothing more really than a hoax.

I did a little research, and the first reference of which I am aware that bespeaks a feast on St. Valentine's Day of 14 February is found in Chaucer. His literary allusion in Parliament of Foules is the oldest historical record for this feast, but it is fictitious in nature, given that Chaucer was novelist and not historian. Therefore, St. Valentine's Day is founded entirely upon a hoax.

Many hoaxes abound in history. Many hoaxes continue to persist today. It seems more that I look into Valentine's Day that it really is a holiday created by the greeting card companies, because some women do act as if all the spontaneous acts done throughout the year do not matter one whit unless you top them today.

Sometimes, while we're looking to fiction for our answers, I think Henry Higgins had it right.

Safety in My Travels

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Everyone has spiritual gifts. Among what other gifts I may feel or you may feel I possess, I have been promised safety in my travels. This does not, as I once suspected, mean that nothing bad will happen per se, rather that nothing bad will happen to me, at least not permanently.

In the last three days, I have seen, within a few miles of the same spot every day, a rather horrific vehicular collission that I managed to miss by a matter of minutes. The first one was Tuesday night, where a driver lost control turning a corner too quickly and slammed into a brick wall sideways. Fortunately, he hit with the passenger side, so I presume he's relatively unscathed, but it littered the road with blocks. Wednesday night, a car's front end had been completely stripped off by collission with a large pickup truck (Titan, Ram, or similar) and then slammed into a light pole. The truck's wheel and axle had snapped off. I hope the driver of the sedan is ok. This morning, a guy merged too early where the line is solidly white (this is recently illegal in NV), and sideswiped someone else, but somehow, he bounced off and ended up upside down. I have no idea how these things happened, but those people have sore trials ahead, even if they were innocent.

Sometimes, things happen that are beyond our control. When you can, you control the parts you control. The rest of the time, you rely on other people, their representations and skills, to help contribute to the safety of the whole. Ordered society is a contract society. We give our word and require others to do so, especially when we're speeding along in piles of metal and plastic that weigh several thousand kilograms apiece at speeds of over 100kmh. That kind of inertia has far-reaching effects if it goes astray.

A few months back, I was involved in my own near-fatal collission. When my rear driver side tire blew, the car spun 30 degrees and careened towards the concrete barrier. Instead of flipping over it when I hit it at near 55mph, I bounced off. Just before I hit the barrier, I remember very vividly the only things that flashed through my head. "Am I ready to die?" I thought. Shortly thereafter, a voice in my head said, "Don't worry about it." I don't know if it was a reassurance that I would be ok or a certification of my readiness. What I do know is that I am one of the good ones.

I have problems in my life, but as I have driven by these wrecks, several of which seemed severe, I have been grateful for my life. For now, I can still get to work, get paid for work, and enjoy when I am not at work because both my car and my person have been protected in travels. Be safe out there. Remember that lanes are a contract and that the life you save might be your own.

Cops Hurt NV Employment

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The police have been given, it appears, the disadvantageous assignment to 'enhance revenue' for the state. This means that the state means to enforce traffic violations in a way heretofor unseen. Whereas you once were able to go in and negotiate down both the charge as well as the fine, they are no longer budging on the fines.

Many small businesses in Nevada make money negotiating fees in court on behalf of offenders. For a small fee, they negotiate the ticket price and the charge down in court while you go to work. The courts have thus far been accepting of this arrangement. This no longer seems to be the case. An acquaintence of mine reported that although his charge and the points for a speeding ticket were negotiated down, he still had to pay the ticket, which was something exorbitant like $700. If the state is no longer negotiating the fines down, these companies will soon have no business. Some people will not pay $75 if their ticket price remains the same, and the demand will decrease for this kind of company.

I understand that the cops are looking out for themselves. The problem I see is that this will further exacerbate our economic crisis and might prove to harm more than it helps, especially long term. Jobs will be lost, revenue will eventually go down, and Vegas will take longer to recover. Every little bit affects every other little bit.