Two news stories just days apart -- from Houston and St. Louis -- are morbidly interesting and hugely disturbing.
Private foundations in both cities are planning to pay out enormous amounts of money to families whose children attend underperforming schools in an effort to get those kids to make better grades and show up for class.
The Houston ISD is going to pay families in 25 schools up to $1020 for their children to master 200 math concepts and pass 5-question tests with at least 4 correct answers. The parents have to attend nine parent-teacher meetings throughout the year. Some of the meetings will focus on financial management, surely a primary purpose of our public school system. (Snark)
A St. Louis elementary school is also offering its students private foundation money to show up for class -- up to $900 per family. Students must have near-perfect attendance at the end of each semester and parents must attend three PTO meetings.
Is public education in some places so crappy now that the only way to get kids to show up is to bribe them?
Guess so.
Wordly discourse on everything from the sad state of public education, politics and world peace to vegetarianism, breast vs. bottle, religious persecution, bad media, and all manner of life's vagaries.
August 30, 2010
August 19, 2010
There are not five seasons
Perhaps it is coincidence that each of my four children was born in a different season. Maybe it's some cosmic symbolism I've not yet fully understood.
At any rate, the novelty of this phenomenon is never far from my thought, especially since it means we host a birthday party once every three months. We sometimes joke that the best way to have a convenient excuse for a party is to have many children.
To that end, my husband and I have never predetermined the number of children we wanted. Some have accused us of living dangerously, envisioning us with enough children to rival the now-famous Duggar family of Arkansas with their brood of 19. Some accused us of flat out irresponsibility. After all, don't we know it takes some $5 million per child to raise them to adulthood? (Okay, I exaggerate slightly, but those stupid statistics based on crap and nonsense annoy me. I think the latest figure is about $220, 000 -- still overblown, in my opinion.) Others like to remind us that, "this isn't like the old days when they needed a lot of kids to help around on the farm," as if the only thing children are good for is unpaid labor.
Still others just shake their heads as if to say, "Whatever."
It's hard to explain in five sentences or less -- about the amount of time you usually have to hold someone's attention when you're trying to articulate your pro-child perspective -- why we love our children in such a way that we don't have an interest in prohibiting the arrival of more.
I guess the best description of our mindset comes from a book by married couple Rick and Jan Hess. Titled "Quiverfull," the book draws on the Bible verse in which a man is judged blessed not by how much money he has but by how many "arrows" or children he has in his quiver.
In short, our children don't deplete our wealth, they ARE our wealth.
At times I struggle between feelings of greed for wanting more wealth and feelings of contentment with what I've already been given.
The only thing that keeps me from feeling deprived in those moments of greed is the fact that there are not five seasons, only four, and God has graciously given them to me one by one so that every year brings a time to rest (winter), a time for renewal (spring), a time to play (summer) and a time to prepare (autumn).
To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.
At any rate, the novelty of this phenomenon is never far from my thought, especially since it means we host a birthday party once every three months. We sometimes joke that the best way to have a convenient excuse for a party is to have many children.
To that end, my husband and I have never predetermined the number of children we wanted. Some have accused us of living dangerously, envisioning us with enough children to rival the now-famous Duggar family of Arkansas with their brood of 19. Some accused us of flat out irresponsibility. After all, don't we know it takes some $5 million per child to raise them to adulthood? (Okay, I exaggerate slightly, but those stupid statistics based on crap and nonsense annoy me. I think the latest figure is about $220, 000 -- still overblown, in my opinion.) Others like to remind us that, "this isn't like the old days when they needed a lot of kids to help around on the farm," as if the only thing children are good for is unpaid labor.
Still others just shake their heads as if to say, "Whatever."
It's hard to explain in five sentences or less -- about the amount of time you usually have to hold someone's attention when you're trying to articulate your pro-child perspective -- why we love our children in such a way that we don't have an interest in prohibiting the arrival of more.
I guess the best description of our mindset comes from a book by married couple Rick and Jan Hess. Titled "Quiverfull," the book draws on the Bible verse in which a man is judged blessed not by how much money he has but by how many "arrows" or children he has in his quiver.
In short, our children don't deplete our wealth, they ARE our wealth.
At times I struggle between feelings of greed for wanting more wealth and feelings of contentment with what I've already been given.
The only thing that keeps me from feeling deprived in those moments of greed is the fact that there are not five seasons, only four, and God has graciously given them to me one by one so that every year brings a time to rest (winter), a time for renewal (spring), a time to play (summer) and a time to prepare (autumn).
To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.
August 13, 2010
Our president gives us the finger
Yep, that's how I feel right now. Like our president, the guy who is supposed to be representative of all Americans -- or at least receptive to the collective opinion of the majority of us -- has just flipped us the Big Fat Finger of F*ck You.
I'm referring, of course, to his bold remarks at a dinner tonight marking the Muslim holiday of Ramadan in which he expressed his unequivocal support for the building of a mosque near Ground Zero.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I clearly remember where I was and what I was doing the morning the Twin Towers came tumbling down and the feeling of sheer terror that swept over me as I realized what was happening.
I also remember seeing in real-time the footage from 9/11 they never show anymore, the falling bodies of people so panicked that they preferred to jump from tens of stories high rather than be burned alive. Yeah, the news networks quit showing THOSE clips because, well, because I guess they thought it would upset us or something.
Right.
See, that's how history gets re-written even as you're staring it in the face. It starts with selective editing of camera footage and ends with the President of the United States of America spouting lofty crap about how freedom to worship belongs to everyone.
No mention, of course, about how fuselage from the jet planes dropped onto the site where the new mosque will be built. No mention, of course, of the overwhelming majority of Americans who, like me, heartily support the freedom of worship but also long for common sense to prevail.
The arrogance cloaked in "who me?" type remarks by mosque supporters is all the more infuriating. They know full well what they're doing and they know why. It's akin to what would have happened if Christians had opted to build churches on the grounds of Auschwitz or Bergen Belsen. It's hard to say, "Oh, but we're not trying to offend anyone," when you know damn well that's exactly what you're doing.
Sadly, the arrogance of our president in this matter doesn't really surprise me. He's already blown off the families of soldiers at Arlington on Memorial Day in favor of a half-ass visit to a Chicago area veteran's cemetery that was rained out and resulted in a hasty wreath laying, paid for his wife and daughter to cavort about Spain when plenty of beautiful tourist destinations in his own country are crying for tourist dollars in a sagging economy, shunned the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America and a traditional personal appearance at their jamboree in favor of 15 minutes of horseshit with the ladies of The View, and bowed and apologized his way across the Middle East in an effort to show the world how awful and sorry and contrite we are for all the horrible things we've done. Then there's his tacit approval of the government's lawsuit against Arizona for daring to enforce the federal immigration law because the feds won't do it.
Who is this man and why does he seem hellbent on destroying the dignity of our country?
Right after 9/11, a fairly obscure country western singer named Darryl Worley got his 15 minutes of fame when he penned a poignant song and sang it on TV. I cried the first time I heard it, and I cry when I hear it now. You won't find it played on radio stations anymore -- 9/11 was a long time ago and apparently we're supposed to forget it and get over it -- but I put it on my iPod and included the lyrics in the journals I write for all four of my children. One of them was a baby on that fateful day, the other three were not yet born, but I wrote down my recollections so that in spite of whatever revisionist history they someday encounter they will have a first-person account from someone they know they can trust to tell them the truth.
I encourage all parents to do the same.
In closing, I leave you with the words of Darryl Worley's song, "Have You Forgotten?"
Oh, and I dedicate this to President Obama.
I hear people saying we don't need this war
But, I say there's some things worth fighting for
What about our freedom and this piece of ground
We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down
They say we don't realize the mess we're getting in
Before you start your preaching let me ask you this my friend
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
They took all the footage off my T.V.
Said it's too disturbing for you and me
It'll just breed anger that's what the experts say
If it was up to me I'd show it everyday
Some say this country's just out looking for a fight
Well, after 9/11 man I'd have to say that's right
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And we vowed to get the one’s behind bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
I've been there with the soldiers
Who've gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember
Just what they're fighting for
Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Yeah, some went down like heroes in that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
All the loved ones that we lost and those left to carry on
Don't you tell me not to worry about bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?
I'm referring, of course, to his bold remarks at a dinner tonight marking the Muslim holiday of Ramadan in which he expressed his unequivocal support for the building of a mosque near Ground Zero.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I clearly remember where I was and what I was doing the morning the Twin Towers came tumbling down and the feeling of sheer terror that swept over me as I realized what was happening.
I also remember seeing in real-time the footage from 9/11 they never show anymore, the falling bodies of people so panicked that they preferred to jump from tens of stories high rather than be burned alive. Yeah, the news networks quit showing THOSE clips because, well, because I guess they thought it would upset us or something.
Right.
See, that's how history gets re-written even as you're staring it in the face. It starts with selective editing of camera footage and ends with the President of the United States of America spouting lofty crap about how freedom to worship belongs to everyone.
No mention, of course, about how fuselage from the jet planes dropped onto the site where the new mosque will be built. No mention, of course, of the overwhelming majority of Americans who, like me, heartily support the freedom of worship but also long for common sense to prevail.
The arrogance cloaked in "who me?" type remarks by mosque supporters is all the more infuriating. They know full well what they're doing and they know why. It's akin to what would have happened if Christians had opted to build churches on the grounds of Auschwitz or Bergen Belsen. It's hard to say, "Oh, but we're not trying to offend anyone," when you know damn well that's exactly what you're doing.
Sadly, the arrogance of our president in this matter doesn't really surprise me. He's already blown off the families of soldiers at Arlington on Memorial Day in favor of a half-ass visit to a Chicago area veteran's cemetery that was rained out and resulted in a hasty wreath laying, paid for his wife and daughter to cavort about Spain when plenty of beautiful tourist destinations in his own country are crying for tourist dollars in a sagging economy, shunned the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America and a traditional personal appearance at their jamboree in favor of 15 minutes of horseshit with the ladies of The View, and bowed and apologized his way across the Middle East in an effort to show the world how awful and sorry and contrite we are for all the horrible things we've done. Then there's his tacit approval of the government's lawsuit against Arizona for daring to enforce the federal immigration law because the feds won't do it.
Who is this man and why does he seem hellbent on destroying the dignity of our country?
Right after 9/11, a fairly obscure country western singer named Darryl Worley got his 15 minutes of fame when he penned a poignant song and sang it on TV. I cried the first time I heard it, and I cry when I hear it now. You won't find it played on radio stations anymore -- 9/11 was a long time ago and apparently we're supposed to forget it and get over it -- but I put it on my iPod and included the lyrics in the journals I write for all four of my children. One of them was a baby on that fateful day, the other three were not yet born, but I wrote down my recollections so that in spite of whatever revisionist history they someday encounter they will have a first-person account from someone they know they can trust to tell them the truth.
I encourage all parents to do the same.
In closing, I leave you with the words of Darryl Worley's song, "Have You Forgotten?"
Oh, and I dedicate this to President Obama.
I hear people saying we don't need this war
But, I say there's some things worth fighting for
What about our freedom and this piece of ground
We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down
They say we don't realize the mess we're getting in
Before you start your preaching let me ask you this my friend
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
They took all the footage off my T.V.
Said it's too disturbing for you and me
It'll just breed anger that's what the experts say
If it was up to me I'd show it everyday
Some say this country's just out looking for a fight
Well, after 9/11 man I'd have to say that's right
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And we vowed to get the one’s behind bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
I've been there with the soldiers
Who've gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember
Just what they're fighting for
Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Yeah, some went down like heroes in that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
All the loved ones that we lost and those left to carry on
Don't you tell me not to worry about bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?
August 4, 2010
I'm a Hater -- or so they say
It's hard to face the music, but if I'm to maintain even a shred of intellectual honesty I have to confront the fact that I am a hater.
I'm not sure what to do about this. I mean, I could spend a lot of money to go for counseling. I could apply to some sort of "de-programming" facility where they'd rid me of my inappropriate thoughts and make me acceptable to society again.
Or I could do what a lot of my fellow Americans have done and just take my opinions underground for fear of being hassled, vandalized or killed.
See, I don't believe ILLEGAL immigrants ought to be given help to get a college education in Texas. I think the state of Arizona was right to pass the law it did and I think the federal government is wrong for trying to make them rescind it. I had a guy from some group called Immigration Reform call me up this morning while I was homeschooling my son to ask me to send a letter of support to our Texas senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson. The guy on the phone wanted me, in essence, to urge our senator to support a proposed act called The Dream Act. This act would let students here in the country ILLEGALLY stay for 6 years with temporary resident status and then apply for permanent residency upon completion of ONE of several conditions during that six years: During the first six years, the ILLEGAL immigrant would be granted "conditional" status, and would be required to graduate from a two-year community college or complete at least two years towards a 4-year degree, or serve two years in the U.S. military. After the six year period, an ILLEGAL immigrant who met at least one of these three conditions would be eligible to apply for legal permanent resident status. During this six year conditional period, ILLEGAL immigrants would not be eligible for federal higher education grants but they would be able to apply for student loans and work study.
Uh, that sounds like some sort of reward for being in the U.S. ILLEGALLY, doesn't it? When I told the guy on the phone I didn't support anything that rewarded people for breaking our immigration laws he went off on me. And then he hung up on me!
My Dream Act would include compelling everyone either by deportation or border reinforcement to OBEY THE LAWS OF THIS COUNTRY JUST LIKE MY LEGAL IMMIGRANT ANCESTORS AND FRIENDS DID. Period.
Yeah, I'm a hater.
And I don't believe that marriage between people of the same sex should really be called marriage. The fact that my religious book says this and that I am of the religion that adheres to that book -- those things alone make me a hater. Now, if I was an atheist then it would all be different because it's okay, even fashionable, to hate Christians.
Adding to my credentials, I also don't think that our president is doing a good job running the country. In fact, I think his decision to rub elbows with the ridiculous airheads on The View television show rather than address in person the crowd at the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America jamboree shows just how arrogant he is. I think his choice of various cabinet members including a tax evader as treasury secretary and a snarky chief of staff as well as his willingness to sit through 20 years worth of Bill Ayers sermons on hating America and white people puts him in the same category as I am right now. Yep, I think in many ways our own president is a hater.
Join the club, sir. We'll make room for you.
I'm a hater because I homeschool my kids. That means I hate public education. (Actually, I mostly detest the NEA because it's made up of Communists and I detest Communisim.)
I'm a hater because I detest Communism.
I'm a hater because I think the U.S. flag should be displayed in all American schools and children should have to recite their loyalty to this country via the Pledge of Allegiance.
I'm a hater because I don't think building a mosque within 50 miles of Ground Zero is either intelligent or tolerant.
I'm a hater because I don't think anything but English should be taught as a first language to immigrant children attending our schools.
I'm a hater because I actually believe Judeo-Christian values and teachings heavily influenced the founding of this nation.
I'm a hater because I'm still appalled our president went around the world his first year in office bowing and kow-towing to every leader with whom he met.
I'm a hater on so many levels I can't decide whether it's getting harder to live with myself or within this f**ked up mess we call Our Society.
Ooohh. And I guess I'm a hater because I used (or implied) a bad word in reference to Our Society -- the one in which child pornography has only now finally made it to the forefront of the Justice Dept's list of concerns, the one in which our federal government actually fights against anyone trying to uphold federal laws, the one in which Wall Street bailouts line the pockets of a few while more than 40 percent of employed Americans work in low-paying service jobs, the one in which the latest television show or video game generates headlines while our soldiers overseas risk and lose their lives with little more than a mention, the one in which the ACLU can bully for the removal of the Ten Commandments but stays silent at the proliferation of slutty billboards and deviancy training for kids as young as 5.
Yeah, that society.
And I'm a hater because I don't want to live in or raise my children in Our Society. I'm a hater because if I could I'd create a parallel universe in which morals weren't relative, children were safe, animals weren't abused, laws were obeyed, adults behaved with at least a modicum of decency in public, and the government actually protected the people instead of exposing them to crap in the name of "tolerance," "dignity," "diversity" or whatever euphemism for stupidity they concocted.
Wow. That felt good to say.
No doubt this 'blog will eventually be targeted for removal because, as has already happened with another well-known 'blog hosting service, anything perceived as hateful must be removed.
Read it while you can.
And don't feel bad if you need to call me a hater. Hey, sometimes the truth hurts but I'd rather hear the truth and take the pain than live a lie and say it's all good.
I'm not sure what to do about this. I mean, I could spend a lot of money to go for counseling. I could apply to some sort of "de-programming" facility where they'd rid me of my inappropriate thoughts and make me acceptable to society again.
Or I could do what a lot of my fellow Americans have done and just take my opinions underground for fear of being hassled, vandalized or killed.
See, I don't believe ILLEGAL immigrants ought to be given help to get a college education in Texas. I think the state of Arizona was right to pass the law it did and I think the federal government is wrong for trying to make them rescind it. I had a guy from some group called Immigration Reform call me up this morning while I was homeschooling my son to ask me to send a letter of support to our Texas senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson. The guy on the phone wanted me, in essence, to urge our senator to support a proposed act called The Dream Act. This act would let students here in the country ILLEGALLY stay for 6 years with temporary resident status and then apply for permanent residency upon completion of ONE of several conditions during that six years: During the first six years, the ILLEGAL immigrant would be granted "conditional" status, and would be required to graduate from a two-year community college or complete at least two years towards a 4-year degree, or serve two years in the U.S. military. After the six year period, an ILLEGAL immigrant who met at least one of these three conditions would be eligible to apply for legal permanent resident status. During this six year conditional period, ILLEGAL immigrants would not be eligible for federal higher education grants but they would be able to apply for student loans and work study.
Uh, that sounds like some sort of reward for being in the U.S. ILLEGALLY, doesn't it? When I told the guy on the phone I didn't support anything that rewarded people for breaking our immigration laws he went off on me. And then he hung up on me!
My Dream Act would include compelling everyone either by deportation or border reinforcement to OBEY THE LAWS OF THIS COUNTRY JUST LIKE MY LEGAL IMMIGRANT ANCESTORS AND FRIENDS DID. Period.
Yeah, I'm a hater.
And I don't believe that marriage between people of the same sex should really be called marriage. The fact that my religious book says this and that I am of the religion that adheres to that book -- those things alone make me a hater. Now, if I was an atheist then it would all be different because it's okay, even fashionable, to hate Christians.
Adding to my credentials, I also don't think that our president is doing a good job running the country. In fact, I think his decision to rub elbows with the ridiculous airheads on The View television show rather than address in person the crowd at the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America jamboree shows just how arrogant he is. I think his choice of various cabinet members including a tax evader as treasury secretary and a snarky chief of staff as well as his willingness to sit through 20 years worth of Bill Ayers sermons on hating America and white people puts him in the same category as I am right now. Yep, I think in many ways our own president is a hater.
Join the club, sir. We'll make room for you.
I'm a hater because I homeschool my kids. That means I hate public education. (Actually, I mostly detest the NEA because it's made up of Communists and I detest Communisim.)
I'm a hater because I detest Communism.
I'm a hater because I think the U.S. flag should be displayed in all American schools and children should have to recite their loyalty to this country via the Pledge of Allegiance.
I'm a hater because I don't think building a mosque within 50 miles of Ground Zero is either intelligent or tolerant.
I'm a hater because I don't think anything but English should be taught as a first language to immigrant children attending our schools.
I'm a hater because I actually believe Judeo-Christian values and teachings heavily influenced the founding of this nation.
I'm a hater because I'm still appalled our president went around the world his first year in office bowing and kow-towing to every leader with whom he met.
I'm a hater on so many levels I can't decide whether it's getting harder to live with myself or within this f**ked up mess we call Our Society.
Ooohh. And I guess I'm a hater because I used (or implied) a bad word in reference to Our Society -- the one in which child pornography has only now finally made it to the forefront of the Justice Dept's list of concerns, the one in which our federal government actually fights against anyone trying to uphold federal laws, the one in which Wall Street bailouts line the pockets of a few while more than 40 percent of employed Americans work in low-paying service jobs, the one in which the latest television show or video game generates headlines while our soldiers overseas risk and lose their lives with little more than a mention, the one in which the ACLU can bully for the removal of the Ten Commandments but stays silent at the proliferation of slutty billboards and deviancy training for kids as young as 5.
Yeah, that society.
And I'm a hater because I don't want to live in or raise my children in Our Society. I'm a hater because if I could I'd create a parallel universe in which morals weren't relative, children were safe, animals weren't abused, laws were obeyed, adults behaved with at least a modicum of decency in public, and the government actually protected the people instead of exposing them to crap in the name of "tolerance," "dignity," "diversity" or whatever euphemism for stupidity they concocted.
Wow. That felt good to say.
No doubt this 'blog will eventually be targeted for removal because, as has already happened with another well-known 'blog hosting service, anything perceived as hateful must be removed.
Read it while you can.
And don't feel bad if you need to call me a hater. Hey, sometimes the truth hurts but I'd rather hear the truth and take the pain than live a lie and say it's all good.
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