The tragedy in Sandy Hook

I have tried to avoid watching too much of the news this weekend.  I can't express the sadness that I feel for the families and all the people in the town of Sandy Hook.  I can't believe the audacity of the shooter -killing little children.  This just shows that the shooter was mentally unstable.

Folks- mental illnesses and guns do not mix.  We are going to have to do a better job identifying and treating people with mental illnesses.  I am a teacher and I know that I frequently find out about students with mental illness quite far into the school year and I am am certain that many pass through my class room with no diagnosis.

I am the child of a parent with schizophrenia.  I can tell you that if we had a gun in our home when I was a child the chances that I would be writing this today would have been  slim to none.  There is no stopping someone when they are off their meds and their adrenaline is pumping.  My father could hardly stop her when she was attacking him. I think the weight difference was about 150 pounds.  She was very scary when she was off her medicine and she hurt both my sister and I on several occasions.  Today she takes her medicine and she can have some sharp-tongued verbal insults but the physical abuse has stopped. 

When someone is over 18 and they have a mental illness their family can not force them to go to the doctor. They are free to be as crazy as they want to be. the treatment often makes these people very fuzzy and sleepy and they don't like this.  When they start to feel better and hear less voices in their heads they tend to stop taking the medicine and that is when the trouble starts.

If the second amendment allows for you to protect your home with a weapon-why would you really need a gun  that was semi-automatic?  Couldn't you protect yourself with a handgun that holds 6 bullets?  We have got to do a better job with gun control.  Like Chris Rock says- tax the bullets. If you had to pay $2000 per bullet you wouldn't waste your money on drive by shootings.  I know that humor is not what is needed right now-but he has a good point.  Bullets and weapons should not be so easy to attain.

Another Gun Tragedy- Hello NRA- time to wake up!

I won't even bother to pontificate- When will we learn that when guns are available to the general public-the result will never be what a moral society should expect? 20 children died- wake up  you fucking stupid people!

Now that the endless campaign is over and the election is over let me send a plea to our president to please try to accomplish a few key issues to save our legislative process. 

Mr. Obama-
I gladly donated $500 to your campaign last June.  I believe that you are the person to get us through the financial debacle that we have been in since 2008.  I am a teacher and believe me, that sum of money was difficult to part with.  When I believe in a cause, I think that you have to give until it hurts in order to be a part of the solution to the problem.  I don't have anything to do with religion so therefore I tithe for charity and social causes.  I want to see this country take positive steps towards social issues-which I believe was the reason you won the election.  I also want us to move congress into the 21st century.

Here is a simple list of issues that I would see as important in order to move us Forward!

1. Stop some of the outdated laws that control our election process.  Get rid of the electoral college. Now is the time to get rid of it.  It helped you win the election this this round,but it is an outdated relic of the 1700-1800's.
 
2. Stop Gerrymandering- look at this district in your home state of Illinois.  Does this look like a fair district?  We know that the basic difference in the house and the senate is states have 2 senators, so that Alaska has as much power as California in the senate, but the gerrymandering to gain house seats needs to be stopped.

3.  Put a real limit on money spent on campaigns.  Who wins in the ad spending- the networks!  I will make an analogy to the nuclear arms race.  Why did the US need 30,000 nuclear weapons when 20-30 would annihilate the whole human population? Because we had to have more the "evil empire".  The same is true of campaign spending.  If you have a budget and get rid of super pack spending, money could be saved for running this country.

4. Invest in education.  Currently public schools are battlefields.  We are allowed to have 36 students per class in Georgia. No child left behind did some serious damage to our public schools.  We couldn't make progress unless we kept all students in school. The truth is that if there isn't a fear of being expelled from school, there really isn't discipline.  Without discipline, the students have too much control of the school. I am not saying that that a majority of the students are like this.  I love the diversity in our high school, but a small portion of "thugs" can really stop us moving in a positive direction. I have been teaching for 31 years and I can't handle a class size this large every day.  So many important programs are being cut and this is our future.  I realize the federal government can't get involved in every state-but something has to be done to save our schools.

I believe that this election proved that a majority of people want equality in gay rights, women's rights, minority rights.  I think the republicans now realize that they can't stomp on the will of the minorities, because they are now a majority of our country. I approve of the the way that you handled many of the social issues.  Hopefully, we can now focus on fairness for everyone. I am scared of the debt crisis. I hope the congress will now work together with you to lead us over the "fiscal cliff".

Mr. Obama- I wish you the best and I admire your tenacity. Keep us on track and move us forward as a country!

Frankensandy

I grew up on Long Beach Island in NJ.  I remember hurricanes. We used to have at least one per year when I was in high school.  Sandy only registered a 1 on the hurricane scale, but she packed a punch. This beach is now gone.  The rocks on the jetty are God knows where and who knows when things will ever be back to "normal".

I love this picture because it has my Daddy in it.  He passed away four years ago and I miss him.  He would be devastated by this week's events. He was a terrific role model. He worked diligently at m high school.  He was a guidance counselor and he really cared about the students.  He helped a whole generation of students pick the right college.  He was knowledgeable, he ran the SAT tests and he made certain that everyone had a schedule in the age prior to computers.  He arranged the schedules for every student at Southern Regional High School (over 2000) by hand.

I have worked as a teacher for the past 31 years in Dekalb county Georgia and I have only met one counselor that even came close to my Dad.

I am sorry that I strayed from my original point.  I really wanted to thank the people in charge of LBI for having the foresight to turn off the gas and to have mandatory evacuations. They saved a lot of human lives.  The island can be rebuilt.  When I was two we had the only storm that came close to Sandy. The storm of 62 wasn't a hurricane and it devastated the island.  I grew up knowing several kids that had lost their dads in this storm.   Their dads were policemen or firemen and they lost their lives trying to save the others that tried to weather the storm.  I don't remember that storm, but I do remember my dad bought our house because it was on a street that didn't flood in 1962.  Good thing he didn't have to be around to see a storm that was actually worse.

If you read this, please consider donating to the Red Cross Relief Fund. There is not much we can do to help physically.  The causeway bridge is closed and who knows when cars will be allowed on the island.  At least your money will be channeled directly to shelters and people who really need it.

Rest in Peace- RHONJ

 

Well a few days have passed since the final installment of the Jersey housewives reunion.  It was quite a ride. I just don't see how Teresa can go back to this show for another season. I think if she wants peace in her life, it is time to drop the housewives. 

 

 

I think that four against one is a pretty difficult for anyone to handle, but I mean couldn't you just admit that you hurt someone or you wrong about just one thing?  I have been a big supporter of Teresa, but I can't do it any longer.  The time has come for Teresa to leave the housewives.  She needs to think of her kids.  She needs to heal her family.  She has made enough money to live for a while.  I want the old Teresa that was fun and happy.  I miss that Teresa.  That reunion was really tough to watch.  I like all the jersey housewives and their families.  They are "real".  They say "go scratch"- that is real jersey-all the way!

Teresa- heal you family. Have fun and please don't worry, your fans want what is best for you!  It is time put your family first!

Has the Zombie Apocalpse already Started?

Does this scene look familiar?  As an educator- I am around teenagers all the time and I have to say that I find it very disturbing at the direction we are headed in terms of social skills.  If you notice in this picture the parents are the ones that are setting the standard for their children.  How are these children going to grow up to be leaders and have positive social interactions, if their parents are tuned out at the dinner table?

I am not a text- er and I get grief about this all the time.  The truth is I go to faculty meetings, events, dinners etc. and I watch all the flying fingers and it bothers me.  There are so many people that are tied to their phones that they are totally missing out on the world around them.  It is truly rude to be having drinks with someone and they are talking to you and texting at the same time. I am not a perfect person, in fact I struggle with interpersonal skills because I didn't learn them as a child, but I can recognize that we are raising a new generation that is even more self- involved as the last one. 

Don't get me wrong- there are still teens out there that are caring and appreciative.  I am lucky to teach quite a few of them.  But the trend is definitely moving towards more kids that are so involved in their electronic worlds that they have lost the art of conversation.  I see kids that receive gifts and they have no idea to express their gratitude.  They also have no idea how to speak to someone on the phone because they have never had to.

Is this the true Zombie Apocalypse?  By the way- looking forward to the third season of "The Walking Dead" tonight!

 

Which one of these is truly scarier?  I wonder?

 

What happened in Jersey?

Wow- I watched the first installment of the housewives this week and I truly started crying at the end. I used to be amused at all the shenanigans and now it is just pathetic!  I guess this is the results of 15 minutes of fame. I can't explain why it hurts me so much.  I am from NJ and Teresa and her family go to my beach. Out of all the Housewives shows- these girls are the ones that seem the most "real".  I don' t like everyone ganging up on Teresa and I don't like the way she has responded.  It is so sad that everyone was so much fun at first and now there are two families that are split because of this show. Is it all because of greed?  Is it just because of jealousy?  Who knows- but I can say that I really don't like the way that any of the girls were behaving on the first show. 

I wish that Teresa would wake up and see how silly she is.  Caroline isn't an angel either.  We are all invested in your families and we feel so sorry for all the children.  Teresa has always been my favorite because she isn't smart and she realizes that she isn't smart and yet she has made a lot of money to help support her family. The insults are some really low blows- that applies to all five of the girls. I really don't want them to be on TV anymore. They all just need some time to heal.  I guess when I watched the reunion I realized that this is a real mess and there isn't anything amusing about it any more. 

Folks at Bravo- this may be getting a lot of attention, but it has gone too far.  By the way- I guess you took this picture at the beginning of the taping session!

The Magic of Andy!

Watch What Happens Live is a hit.  It has filled a time slot that has to compete with the local news, The Daily Show and Chelsea Handler.  Since I have to work early in the mornings, I have started to tape each show and my daughter and I watch them the next day after I get home from work.  We really love the show. Andy is a master at stirring the pot and allowing the celebs to "spill the tea" without ever insulting anyone personally or taking a side.  If you notice - he does the same thing at all the Housewives reunions too!

Every once in a while Andy will give you a hint that he disagrees with one of his guests- IE. Joe Gudice( currently pronounced- Jew dich A) and Bruce Jenner on their homophobic natures.  Andy also lists a Jack hole of the Day- but this is usually not a celebrity. 

I thank you Andy for bringing the laughter into our home!

Cloris still has "it"

My Belly laugh of the week came to my daughter and I via Watch what happens Live. Cloris Leachman was a guest along with Jeff Lewis and she was her wacky self. She had the boys competing for who was the best kisser and she she was completely irreverent. She "spilled the tea" on Judy Garland and other celebs, forcing Andy to continually repeat-"just the first thing that comes to mind Cloris." My roomate's dad dated Cloris in the 80's and couldn't handle her eccentricites.

I have always loved Phyllis Lindstrom from the MTM show. She is also hysterical in Raising Hope- vasilating between bouts of clarity and demensia as Hope's great grandmother- Ma maw. Thanks to Andy Cohen for giving us a talk show that is simple, honest and fun!

Happy? endings? Spoiler alert- Weeds finale

I have to say that I enjoyed the series finale of Weeds. I wasn't expecting the time jump to ten years later. I liked the tie back to the first episode with Doug's son.  I liked that Shane was the one in the worst shape and that he appeared to be aware of it. After all,  he never really had to pay for his crime of murder ( with the croquet mallet) and it finally has caught up with him.  Of course Doug being the leader of a cult was perfect!

I was so happy for Andy, because the episode before this was not one of his best moments.  I think the point of the finale was that Nancy is the type of person that needs her men around her and now she is alone and that is her pay back for all she has done to her family.

I didn't understand the whole Silas's wife and her extreme hatred, after all she aborted Silas's baby( which Silas isn't an innocent in either) as a teenager.  She really doesn't have much of a leg to stand on when it comes to moral issues. 

I didn't like the child actor that played Stevie.  His story line was well done and Guillermo finally got his revenge on Nancy.  I also was sad not to see Celia.  She was the funniest person on the show. 

Weed's was a groundbreaking show.  It was both a comedy and a drama.  I think it was fun and yet maybe it got the people thinking about the war on drugs and is it all really worth it?  I like that the show ended in the future with legalized pot being sold at convenience stores.  You know maybe it will plant the seed that finally starts the movement towards legalization of marijuana.  I think this is could be the trend that sends us out of the economic crunch and would also prevent the incarceration of many people that really don't need to be in jail.

Why I hate Dekalb county- Part 2

It has been about a year since my last rant on my employer. Has anything changed? Yes-but not in a positive way. We had a summer of childish fighting at the school board, Quite honestly it was better than watching NeNe or Sheree tugging at Kim's wig. (Real Housewive's). The problem is that this isn't Bravo TV- which is something you all know I love to watch for fun. This is true reality. This is our kid's lives here.

We have no textbooks to hand out anymore. The students are issued a website to go to the book online. Does every household have the internet?

I am currently making a salary that is less than what I made ten years ago. It is tough to be at the age of retirement and really not being able to afford to retire. I have worked over thirty years for this county. I have seen this school system go from being truly "Premire" in the state to being a laughable embarrassment.

We need more than five teachers to replace either retired teachers or overenrollment and the classes have been taught by substitutes for the last four weeks. In one case there was a willing science teacher that thought he was going to get hired during pre- planning and they still haven't hired him.

When you go to the website to look for posted teacher positions, there aren't any postings for our school. They did hire two teachers within the last four weeks. We now have a new art and a new PE teacher! We need 2-3 science teachers, at 2-3 social studies teachers and all of our general level classes have at least 40 students in them. I know one teacher that is teaching all the students that failed, mixed in with special ed students and there is a total of 57 students on roll with 2 teachers in the room in a room built for 28 people.

Our IB and AP students may have to pay for their exams in May. No one in any authority position at the county office will discuss whether or not the funds will be available.

On a personal note, I have tried to have some of my money in savings stopped on my check, so that I will have similar liquid assets each month. My first request went in July 11th. I still haven't seen the outcome. I have contacted payroll 4 times and the last time I spoke personally to the person in charge and was rudely assured that the change had been made. No change in five pay periods!

The morale is at an all time low. Class sizes are bursting at the seams. The empathsis is in quantity instead of quality. Was saving 2 million dollars by pissing off every single person in the county really worth it?
(I think the latest report was that the budget had a 70 million short fall)

Why I will miss "Weeds"

After watching last weeks episode (5 miles from Yetzer Hara), I have to disagree with the nay-sayers. Jenji Kohan has masterfully crafted a comedy with halarious characters. She has done this throughout eight seasons, never forgetting every detail of the plot. Nancy started out in season one as a recent widow. She lost her loving husband to an early heart attack and is faced with financial ruin, all the while living in a "little pre-fab box" on the hillside, attending PTA meetings and living in a body that secretly desires to live a high risk life style. She decides to sell weed and then later grows it. She gets involved with every type of criminal and holds her own against all the men with guns. ( My favorite is U-turn-check out season three-also my favorite season). Some critics have panned this show because it "glorifies" illegal activities. I think most people realize that TV is just entertainment. Besides, Nancy Botwin's character never really gets ahead. Every time that she starts making money someone jacks her. She even spent three years in prison. Her boys go through time periods where they hate her, but in the end they are her biggest support team. This is the type of writing that I love. You get invested in the characters. They are flawed and real. I am wishing that we will see Celia and Conrad towards the wrap up of this series. If we don't,it won't be a tragedy. Can't wait to see what is in store for the Botwin clan!

Paul Ryan and Teresa Guidice- Separated at birth?

Maybe Paul isn't quite as tan as Teresa.   Maybe Teresa doesn't have the widow's peak like Paul, but
the hair and the hair-lines are strikingly similar.   Maybe I am just jealous, since I have the five finger forehead.  I think they are definitely three fingers or less.  I am not certain if brain size correlates to forehead size.  I saw Paul Ryan speak on 60 minutes last night and I immediately thought of Teresa!

Truancy Crack Down-about time!

I heard a small blurb on the local news yesterday about arresting parents of students being arrested for allowing their children excessive absences at school.  I hope this is the trend and it will continue.  Congratulations for this positive step towards taking back our schools.

There are way too many students that miss over 10 days of class per semester.  I can not think of any reason that students should miss that much school unless they have a serious medical issue.  I had a ninth grade student last year that was absent more than 80 days.  I spoke to his mother and she said she couldn't wake him in the morning.  Who is in charge at the house?  Some students miss school without their parents knowledge- but every parent should know when progress reports are released.  Every 4.5 weeks this document is released and it is part of your job as a parent to find out this information.

  I had another student a year ago and his mother wouldn't let him in the house some days.  He was definitely gay and his older brother (and probably the mom) was a drug dealer.  Unfortunately, being gay in some households is worse than being a criminal.  This kid was living at friends homes or on the streets and the only meals he was receiving were at school.  I came to find out that the mom had kept him out of elementary school for four years.  Now he was in ninth grade and failing everything.  Go figure.

We live in a country that prides itself for providing everyone with an education.  We must establish some guidelines and hold both the student and parent responsible for not meeting the standards of attendance and behavior.  we are under extreme financial burdens.  Our tax base has been severely disrupted.  Use this time to affect real change in the minds of our lack-luster parents.   If you start enforcing tough penalties due to truancy or poor behavior perhaps there will be an appreciation of a good education.  School is not just day-care.  It is the first step towards self-discipline and self-improvement.

Make no mistake Romney is "the Man"

 

Mitt Romney is making a concerted effort to wear "casual" clothes like jeans and polo shirts.  His attempt to blend in and attract the middle class voters is laughable.  Somehow there is just a little too much starch in that polo shirt Mitt.

I am always mystified by voters that think that being a God-fearing servant equates to plain old American values.  This country was originally settled by people that lived in harmony with their environment.  It was later settled by IMMIGRANTS that were escaping some sort of  religious or economic oppression.  The colonists then enslaved people from Africa and stole the land from the original inhabitants in the name of financial success.  We then put many other immigrants in sweat shops and further built our way to a World superpower on the backs of our economic poor.

Today's poor and middle class may not work in sweat shops anymore, but we still make everything happen in this country.  The 20th century saw massive reform in civil rights and labor reform but I am afraid that now the reform is going to stop in the name of Christianity.  Many people equate being a good christian to being a Republican. 

Good people of America, being a good person isn't always being a Christian.  There are many great people in the world that believe in a different religion or perhaps even love someone that also has a penis.  Stop thinking that people like Mitt Romney care about the average Joe. 

If we want this country to rise to the top again we need to stop being greedy. We learned that not everyone needs a McMansion in order to be a middle class family. We need to remember that a majority of the people are the working class and they need a fair shake in order to survive.  Entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicaid, WIC, food stamps and Medicare were not suggestions of the Republican party.  The minimum wage was fought for by those now-feared labor unions.  These are ideas were primarily established by our "bleeding heart" Democrats to help level the playing field between the haves and the have-nots.

I don't believe that Mitt Romney truly cares about the economically disadvantaged.  There is nothing in his demeanor or more-importantly his platform that shows any sympathy for the real people that are in trouble from the great recession.  Don't drink the Jesus juice folks- please take this election seriously.  Mitt Romney is the Man!

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Every once in a great while you see a movie that makes you say to yourself- That is why I go to the movies!  Beasts of the Southern Wild is that movie this year.  The star is a little girl named Quvenzhane Wallis.  She is simply mesmerizing. 

The magical part of this movie is that it takes you into the world of a completely different culture of people and helps you to understand a whole different way of life.  For the first time you understand why people didn't want to be rescued during Katrina.  My favorite two lines of the movie were descriptions of the evacuation center- "It isn't a prison so much as an empty fish tank."  She also describes the patients being treated by the hospital staff as "being hooked into a wall".  This reference describes how someone who has never seen a fast food place or a supermarket would view the tubes,IV etc. being used to treat a critically ill patient in the hospital. 

This movie weaves the magical thread between reality and fantasy as seen through the eyes of a six year old child.  She was truly a beast in every positive connotation of the word!

Best Wishes to Robin

We just learned that Robin Roberts will be taking a rest for a few weeks.  Robin is someone that I admire.  She has gone through so much and kept her sense of humor and her dignity all the while being in the public eye.  She has helped get many people to sign up for the bone marrow registry.  If you want to help out- look up Be the Match and just a warning you have to donate $100 to cover the cost of your medical tests.  It is a really great way to help out others in need.  The test is simple- just a cheek swab.  Have a well-deserved rest Robin- we love ya!

Teaching Tolerance

As a supplement to my rant about Chic-Fil-A the other day, I wanted to make a comment about tolerance.  In this politically correct age-we have developed plans to educate our children about diversity and we call this teaching tolerance.  I have no problem with this-but I think we really need to broaden the word tolerance to acceptance.

Just think about it.  We tolerate babies crying on planes and other public places.  We do this because we all understand that babies can't help crying.  They communicate their uncomfortable circumstances by crying.  We tolerate this-but we don't like it. 

I personally grew up in a very isolated world. I didn't know any openly gay, African American, Hispanic or Asian people.  I went to college in Atlanta and was introduced to the world of diversity.  There were a few students that were very close- minded at my school.  I learned how much everyone just wants to be accepted.  Isn't it a shame that many of us don't understand that we are  racists or bigots  until we become friends or have family members that are gay or black and then we learn they are just like us and crave a life of acceptance. 

Hate Fil-A

Well- this week brought some very disturbing news-Colorado shooting,Penn State Sanctions, and our favorite fast food joint isn't quite the place we thought it was.

First of all- I used to admire Chic-Fil-A.  They are closed on Sunday and that shows a level of devotion to their Christian beliefs.  They must take a quite a financial hit by missing out on the revenue from only six business days.

 On the other hand-I believe that to be a Christian means to follow Jesus and I really don't think that Jesus passed judgement on any person.  Contributing millions to anti- Gay organizations really sends a message of hate. Was Jesus a hater?

  I also don't think that any community has the right to ban Chic-Fil-A's from starting up in their town(ie. Chicago), but Chic-Fil-A will not be receiving my business any more. 

I was talking with my friend yesterday about all of this.  He is gay and used to work at Chic-Fil-A in high school.  He was like come on- this is old news. The gay community knew about this first, then it made the Advocate and finally hit the main-stream news.  I am heart-sick because Chic-Fil-A was always the go to place to get biscuits for school fund-raisers, nuggets for celebrations after initiation ceremonies etc.  If I knew this earlier- I would have never given Chic-Fil-A my business in the name of my high school.  Some people say- it is just chicken- who cares?  I think if you throw your money at organizations that are discriminating against a group of individuals, then it becomes more than chicken. 

Remember when Medger Evers was assassinated?  He had organized a campaign to not buy gasoline at stations where you weren't allowed to go to the bathroom.  Civil rights is not just for African Americans.  It applies to gays, Muslims, Hispanics etc.  How will gay marriage hurt our country? People that are gay are not hurting anyone.  Don't be HATE-FIL -A ,  I have faith that you can come around and realize that we can all Co-exist and just be good to each other- as my friend Ellen likes to say!

Bob Scheiffer is my hero!

I just want to take a moment to encourage people to look up the commentaries made by Bob the last two weeks on Face the Nation.  I congratulate him on his frank comments on both the inadequate nature of congress and the importance of support of the ban on assault weapons.  I routinely watch both Sunday Morning and Face the Nation and my wish would be that more people would consider listening in on these insightful news programs.  Bob Scheiffer asks the tough questions and he asks them again when most politicians try to side step past them. 

Please take a couple of minutes and at least watch his commentaries for the past two weeks.  He is "spot on"  with both of them.  Thanks Bob-  you have demonstrated grace and character throughout the years and I really admire your style of news!

The Dark Shooting

I woke up to the news of the shooting at the movie theatre in Colorado last night.  I can't imagine being a parent of a teenager that probably purchased advanced tickets 2 weeks ago and now isn't coming home. We don't have any details about the shooter yet but let me make some speculations.  He has always been a loner, probably was teased in high school and may have some undiagnosed case of schizophrenia.  Perhaps he has been diagnosed with a mental disorder but has gone off his medication.

Why is this the only country where we hear about this type of shooting?  This is unique to us because we have interpreted the antiquated second amendment as a right to bear arms for all 24 year old nuts, not just the militia that the law was originally intended.  Our second amendment was modelled after a British law - from the Bill of Rights in 1689.  The difference is that the Brits have realized that allowing every citizen to have guns is not a good idea in our modern times.

Other countries have terrorist bombings and fighting, but this is usually related to some sort of difference in ideology- NOT a spoiled, 24-year old nut job that wants attention because he was able to sneak an arsenal into a movie theatre and shoot a bunch of innocent children and young adults much akin to throwing a grenade in a coy pond.

Sorry to all of you that believe in the right to bear arms- I just can't agree.  How many of the possible 300+ people in the theatre had their guns with them and were able to pull them out to save themselves and others?  None-why?  We you are in this type of situation you really can't Rambo your way out of it.  I just don't believe that having a gun really affords you protection.  I would like to see some statistics on this NRA fans.  I know that countries that have gun control laws have a lot less violence.

If we are going to have "background checks" when guns are purchased, there needs to be more attention to mental illness.  It is scary that someone like this kid was able to build up an arsenal and  have tear gas?  How is this possible?  Yes I am angry and I am reacting before knowing all the details, but that could have been my nerdy daughter at the theatre and I am very upset for the victims of this senseless crime.

How can we fix our school system?

It has been a bleak summer in Dekalb county Georgia.  The school board has had to make deep cuts due to a large budget deficit.  Why are we in this mess? Part of it is due to mis-management and most of it is due to the economy.  When homes are in foreclosure and the price of homes plummets- the tax collected on property also declines.  We are paid by the tax collected on property and this is simply less than it used to be. 

I have watched friends at the county office, Fernbank science center, half-day retirees all been cut from the Dekalb county payroll.  Many of these talented teachers and administrators are the smartest,most diligent and effective teachers I know.  They have a lot of experience and therefore get the highest paychecks and are the top of the chopping list.  This is very unfortunate because the students will suffer from this loss.

There are other ways to make cuts.  Do we really need to pay for sports?  Why not make extracurricular activities optional and charge the students for participation?  Collect money that will cover the cost of the coaching, field maintenance, transportation and equipment and cut costs this way. Why is football the most important activity at our school? Why is  the most important position that was filled last year the new football coach?  Does anyone realize that  our best students are academically competitive with any others from around the country?  We do send students to Ivy league schools.  Shouldn't this be the most important fact we are concerned with?

I was a coach and I realize that sports are important to the health and character building within our young students.  I also realize that it is difficult to pay expensive booster club fees if the school system doesn't subsidize the teams.  But shouldn't budget cuts focus on all aspects of the budget? 

What do you think?

Who is the hardest working person in TV?

Last night Mike Tyson was a guest on Watch What happens Live.  It was a must see episode.  He spoke candidly about what an ear tastes like and how Teresa needs to move over and let the younger version of her- Melissa Gorga- take over.  He spoke about needing the Holyfield hot sauce on the ear next time.  He definitely was funny and very candid, but had no awareness that he was on Live TV.  I felt really bad for the poor guy who had his finger on the button to bleep out all the profanity.

Poor Andy- Melissa dropped a marker on his carpet and made a permanent stain.  Mike just keep on talking no matter whether it was his turn or not.  Andy didn't seem to have the hootspa(not a Jew-sorry)  to remind Mike he was on Live TV.  Andy normally has a handle on his guests-but Mike Tyson was a different character.

I remember when Mike Tyson was boxing. One of my roommates was a nut for boxing and went out to buy a VCR to tape the fight.  I was the one who could actually follow directions, so I worked all afternoon trying to install the F'ING MACHINE. Meanwhile, my ADHD , pothead, trust-fund, no job roommate was yelling at me the whole time.  I finally got the fucker in and we watched the fight about half an hour ,later.  The fight lasted less than one minute.  I can't believe I slaved over that installation for 30 seconds! 

Another memory I have of Mike Tyson is that my daughter went to an Atlanta public school for elementary school.  One day she came home from Kindergarten with a gift bag from Good Old Mike Tyson.  There were books and school supplies inside.  Every kid in the whole Atlanta public school system got a goodie bag from Mike Tyson as part of his community service requirement for taking a bite out of Holyfield's ear.  I liked to call the effort- " A bite of the Apple".

I am OK with Mike's triumphant return to the spotlight.  He definitely is a hot-tempered, wife beater, rapist, zombie-esk tough guy. But he deserves a second chance.  He had a really difficult childhood and he was thrust into instant stardom at a very young age.  I am certain he partook of every illegal drug and from his appearance last night, may still be invovled in some illicit drug activities.  The key thing is that at least he is able to make fun of himself now.  That shows a big step up from his Barbara Walters interview with Robin Givens.  He was seriously scary during that time period.

Check out Mike Tyson- plead the fifth on Watch What happens live!  Good stuff!

I can guarantee you a smile with this one!

If you need a pick me up I suggest that you google Sophia Grace and Rosie.  I case you haven't seen these two lovable little girls from Essex, England- you are really missing out.  They are so adorable and Ellen has had them on her show several times.  If you are having a bad day-just check out some of their you tube videos and you will feel better.  Sophia Grace talks a mile a minute and she sings with reckless abandon and knows all the words, all the celebs and her little cousin Rosie is her sidekick and she is like silent Bob or Teller but super adorable.

If you have a twenty something daughter (most likely still at home)- check out Girls on HBO.  My friend told me about this little gem and my daughter and I watched the first season this week.  The lead actress- "Hannah", Leena Dunham writes the show straight from her own experiences and Judd Apatow produces the show.  My friend told me about this and it is a must see for all of us moms that want to understand the dilemmas of our daughters.  Truly- I came out of college in the early 80's.  We were experiencing a recession then- not as bad as today- and truly, boys in their 20's are and have always been pricks.  So I really can relate to this this from my own experiences plus throw in all the technological advances and a generation that had everything all throughout high school and the bottom dropped out while they were in college and you have this show that captures the heart of this new generation. Watch it- it is really good!

My Baby Story

I recently visited new parents at the hospital and held their little bundle of joy.  The new mom was a bit shaken with the whole birth experience and she implied that no one had let her know about what to really expect about the whole process. I have to say that I do intentionally keep the graphic details out of my personal birthing experience when women are pregnant because there is no such thing about being a little bit pregnant.  You are going to have the labor experience no matter who you are and how far along you are. 

My sister had her baby five months before me and I talked to her while she was in the middle of labor and heard her painful contractions and then I basically was scared in anticipation of the whole process for the next half of my pregnancy.  That was when I decided not to be too graphic with the details around my pregnant friends.  The truth is that I have only known three women that basically "popped" the baby out.  Most of the women I know had a long and difficult deliveries.  I think my poor sister experienced crowning for almost two hours. 

I have no idea why anyone would think that the birth process would be magical.The final product is perfect and magical.  The process sucks. The movies and television shows pretty much let us all know that women experience pain.  They don't show all of the torture such as episitomties, epidurals and the total lack of privacy- not in that order of course.

Here are some of the my personal " highlights"-

1. Not realizing that I was having contractions for a day before the really painful contractions started. I alienated my friends by being grumpy and short with them on the phone. I also didn't eat anything that day except soup. This may be the trigger for alerting to women that they are about to start the birth process.

2.  The major contractions start.  I broke a wooden chair by grabbing it and holding on.  I wait 6 hours before going to the hospital at 3 am.  My husband drives like a frightened asian peasant fleeing Ganghas Khan. Believe me it was truly frightening.

3. We get to the hospital and immediately an emergency room (dictator) nurse examines me and breaks my water "by mistake".  She says "honey- you haven't dilated at all, if you are actually experiencing this level of pain now-we  are in big trouble".

4. 12 hours later, I still haven't dilated but 2 cm and can't have an epidural and I am in pain-apparently only in my mind- according to the nurses, they decide to give me pitocin. Oh Shit!

5. While I have Oprah on the TV set- so I know it between 4-5pm- the contractions are fucking killing me.

6.  The anathesisologist is alerted that I have dilated to 4 cm.  I get up on the table on my knees and get the needle in my spine for the epidural.  I am a very private person and all of this bare-assed, spread- eagled public display of my vag and anus are working a permanent need for physciatric appointments for the rest of my life.

7. It is 8pm and I am shaking and yet trying to rest.  The nurse is now very kind.  I have seen 8 other women come and go- in to other words successfully have their babies- I have still not dilated more than 4cm.  I ask the nurse what would have happened to me if I wasn't in a hospital and she replies- you would have died in childbirth.  Thanks- that somehow makes me feel like I can do anything now.

8. It is 11:45pm and the monitors go crazy.  The baby is in distress.  The doctor is called in.  I have never met her.  The nurses come in and shave me down-it is C-section time.  The anaestheiologist comes in again.  I get more juice in the epidural so that I can't feel anything from the shoulders down.  Before this is administered I poop on the table.  Jesus.

9.  11:55pm - I am on the operating table, shaking from  cold and fear, I hear the doctor say- "Oh my God I just missed her nose"- Now I am very confident  and all I can see is the drape and I am shaking my butt off( I wish). 

10.  11:56pm March 5th 1990- My daughter is born.  I haven't eaten in 2 days, I won't get to eat for 2 more after- I don't count Popsicles as food- they show me the baby she looks just like my husband- thank goodness-right?  She is really cute and sweet.  All I can remember is the damn ice chips and I am so thirsty.

I meet the anaesthesiologist one year later, when I had to have  a D &C.  The surgeon introduced us and he said-"we've meet before".  Very Disturbing. 

Can you understand why I don't want to tell  new mothers about my birth story?

Two great TV moments this week

Now that I am off for the summer- I do some gardening and I try to work out.  I have cleaned out every closet-but I am a fan of TV.  I know that I am not supposed to say things like this-but it is the truth.  My daughter and I have caught up on series like: Veep, The Big C, Burn Notice and are excited about the upcoming episodes of True Blood and Weeds.  I have to say that I have laughed out loud at two totally unexpected things this week:

1. Jerry O'Connell was hosting with Kelly and they were talking about how their children watch Disney movies over and over.  I can relate to that- I could never understand how my daughter would watch the same movie over and over for 4 months in a row.  Jerry started in on a monologue that leads into the the song- Part of your world and Kelly chimed in and remembered all the words also and then she did the whole push up on the rock- Thing a bobs- I've got 20 ,blah blah blah- I want more.
Both of them -I think a totally honest, original moment, both knowing all the words and singing in unison- That was a classic!  I could have done the same thing about 15 years ago- before I lost every memory.

2. Tonight on "Watch What Happens"-  Andy had Ramona singer as one of his guests and also the red head from the Office. ( I can't remember her name and I think she is hysterical- I just watched the show  30 minutes ago).  Do I need to see a doctor about this?  Anyway- Andy had a comedian in the bartender spot who does a perfect impression of Ramona and Bethany.  Her name is Amy Phillips and I think her Bethany impression is on You tube.   Check it out- FUNNY.  Of course if you have never watched the housewives you wouldn't get the joke-but I will admit to loving all things "Housewive".  Of course I have those tight ass "friends" that could never lower themselves  to watch such garbage.  Give me a break- sometimes you need to watch mindless drivel in order to just chill out.

Right now my girl Teresa has been dropped by Caroline and Jacqueline.  You all know how I love Teresa.  She has a beach house near where I grew up at the Jersey Shore and I love her spoiled children especially G to the A and MIL ANIA!  I find it amusing how the children are so animated. They are very comfortable around the cameras.

 Come on girls- Can't we all just get along?  Look at what just happened to Rodney King this week.  Life is short- look at how happy you all used to be! Momma T wants you all to get back to being friends!

Watergate's 40th anniversary

My earliest memories of politics were of campaigning for Richard Nixon in front of my elementary school.  I believe I was in 3rd or 4th grade.  I remember making signs and having little arguments with the Humphrey supporters and some of the ultra conservatives that wanted Goldwater to run instead of Nixon. 
When you are a child, you mimic your parents views.  My father was a conservative and we lived in a part of NJ that has never voted for any Democrat.  A solid republican zone. My father was one of the leaders of the republican party in our town.  I remember idolizing Nixon as a child.

Things gradually changed as the Watergate hearings came to pass and Nixon was impeached by complete majority vote.  I remember taping his resignation speech on my tape recorder and crying.
That really was the defining moment in my young life.  I stopped believing in our political leaders and started to really question their motives.  I remember one of my friends going off on Jimmy Carter and listing all the terrible reasons my he would bring our country to ruin and for the first time - I my head- I thought, this is just bullshit and it is coming straight from her father's mouth.  I remember the realization of how hypocritical many of the people I knew growing up.  I started realizing how removed we were from the "real" world.  After all I grew up in an all white area.  There were no minorities that lived there and their was no crime.  The biggest crime news story that I can remember was when my neighbor's son had broken into the summer homes throughout the course of the winter months and stolen things like TVs etc.  He had stored the loot under one of the houses on our block.  That was the headline story in our  paper.

There are certain defining moments that change you.  I can say that Watergate broke my bubble.  It made me question things.  It made me also question religion.  I started to gravitate towards science and the importance of our environment.  I started to realize there was a lot more out there and started to think globally. I started to understand the importance of people over industry. I loved studying world history and evolution in college and I came to college with an attitude that a lot more open -minded.

Recently, there have been leaks to the news media about the underwear bomber, the attack in cyber space against Iran and several other secretive initiatives.  These leaks put the people that are under cover in danger.  They may have come from the white house. Hopefully the perpe- "traitors" will be caught soon.  It is no secret that I have come to admire President Obama.  I hope that he can act swiftly to catch the these leaks.  I really do not agree with everything that has happened during his administration- mostly because I don't think he has done enough. But I believe he has done the right things to keep us out of economic despair.  I hope that he gets re-elected because I think that he will try even harder to bring about reform when their is no threat of election-loss.  I just hope that the same stupid idiots that run the fake VP office on HBO's Veep show aren't too true to life!

If you haven't had a chance to watch this series- I highly recommend it.  Some people feel that it harms our image of our current administration.   I think it is just plain hilarious!

The Power of the Pause

I haven't been around for a while due to an overwhelming year of educating teenagers.  I am back for the summer. I just heard Maria Shriver's commencement speech and wanted to congratulate her.  She spoke about the power of the pause.  We are living in uncertain financial times and it is certainly scary to be released into the job market.  She encouraged the students of her daughter's graduating class to not be rushed or pushed into just any career-just because everyone is judged on their success.  Here is a portion of her speech:

"So remember to pause and reflect -- before you sign on with someone or some organization whose work you don’t admire and respect. Who you work for is as important as what you do.
And if you don’t have a job yet and someone asks you “What-are-ya-gonna-do?” Just pause, and be aware of this fundamental truth: It’s okay not to know what you’re going to do! It’s okay not to have all the answers. You don’t have to be like I was at your age and beat yourself up for not knowing.
It’s okay to go with the truth and tell people, “You know what? It’s a tough job market out there. I'm not sure what I'm going be doing. I'm pausing, I'm open, and I'm looking at my options.” Hey, that’s exactly what I’m saying to people these days -- and so far, so good!
And while you’re waiting for that perfect job -- know this: There are so many incredible nonprofits out there doing important high-impact life-changing work. They can use your brains and talent in the meantime to help them communicate their mission and message."    

Maria Shriver- Friday, May 11th at Anaheim school of Communications

Bravo Maria- As the mother of a graduate of the class of 2012, that is exactly what the students need to hear. Everyone is asking them what are they going to do, are they going to get their Master's?  I just want to scream because I know that we already owe a shit load of money in loans and my daughter has worked very diligently on her classwork. We as parents have allowed her the the time to really invest in her education and now it is time to enter the work world and learn the lessons of holding a job, being responsible and supporting herself. Unfortunately, that may mean that she may have to work at a fast food restaurant for a while. 

Thanks Maria, for speaking about these troubling times and making me realize that we all are in the same boat.  I remember when I graduated in 1982, we were going through recession and I had a really difficult time finding a teaching job.  I wanted to stay in Atlanta but couldn't afford to wait to hear from the school systems.  I went back home and worked the old summer jobs and felt like a loser. You are told - everyone needs math and science teachers- you are guaranteed to find a job.  Well- it took until October to get a job. Life was really difficult- I made $12,000 a year and couldn't afford a phone in my apartment.  It is unfortunate that my daughter's generation has experienced such an easy life style and now when they are about to be set free the tables have turned. 

It is OK if she doesn't get as job right away.  It is OK if she needs to live a home for a while. If I can't retire right away- I will also be OK with that. We will all make it and I am very happy and proud to be the parent of such a unique and talented young lady!!

the "504" plan for teachers

Many of you that aren't familiar with educational lingo may not know what a 504 plan is.  Well I am not here to put down the idea entirely- my daughter had a medical one plan when she was in school.  I think that teachers should be aware when students have a medical condition. 

Today the 504 plan is also being misused.  It is a way to ensure that students that are trouble makers have a way out of being suspended or expelled.  Another excuse to give the parents a permanent baby-sitter for their child without repercussions towards the student.

I have a student who lives in a group home and has been to jail.  She has been in my class since the beginning of January.  She has probably been in my class for 7 full days.  She is constantly being called to the office.  I have spent over 4 hours in group meetings and filling out paperwork on her.  I am not allowed to know what she did to get in trouble.  She was kicked out of a high school last year and now has a legal team that will prevent that from happening at our school.  She loud, obnoxious and late to class.  She will either completely disregard my requests for her to focus on her work and to be quiet or sleep through the entire class.  Her 504 plan says she is the victim of PTSD. (post traumatic stress syndrome) I am supposed to take her aside and speak to her in a non-threatening way.  I am supposed to read her the questions on her test in a small group situation.  I have 32 students in that class and I am all by myself.  Please help me!

I need a 504 plan.  I have students that are loud and disruptive.  They can't look you in the eye when you speak to them.  They copy their work because they have done that all of their lives and they have no idea how to look up the answer for themselves. Yes- the majority of my students are sweet and capable.  The 20% that are unable to fen for themselves tend to drag the rest down.  I am not able to write up a student that is disruptive.  The administration would ignore this.  Parents of this students have the PTSD and they can't cope.  These little demons run their households. Recently our freshmen class has had their "Arab Spring".  They have had fights, food fights- been totally out of control.  The teachers have had to keep them in the classes for lunch for the last two weeks.  Now- who is really being punished here?

The teachers deserve to have their own 504 plan:

1. Parents of students that misbehave must contact the teacher by email if they want re entrance into the classroom.

2. The county office shall put a hold on all new BS programs until the teachers have been restored to their proper pay scale and the class sizes are back to normal.
   In other words- don't make us pre and post test and develop PowerPoint data presentations when we haven't been given the standard pre and post test or been given training on how to input the data or have had our pay cut by 7-8 furlough days!

3. When students are sitting in your class and they refuse to do the work- parents- that is not then considered makeup work.  Please allow makeup work to be for truly excused absences!

4. When teachers have overcrowded classes and students that are considered special needs- please consider giving them extra assistance from time to time.
 I have asked for help with my difficult class and really no one has helped.

5. Please consider the teacher a true college graduate- professional employee.

 If a teacher has been given a duty, coaching assignment or any thing that requires them to put in extra hours- please allow acknowledge this effort.  This is what I consider "Educational Community Service".  Coaches probably make something like $5 an hour for their efforts.  Parents expect miracles. If you want miracles, then you need to be an advocate and not a critic.  
Last week I got ripped a new asshole so that a parent could get her daughter into a prestigious honor organization.  I had nothing to do with the comments that kept her daughter out of the organization. They were lodged by her former teachers.  I had to sit through about 10 minutes of ass- whipping while the parent complained that I didn't follow the proper procedures.  An administrator sat there and allowed it to happen and then the daughter was allowed in to the organization.  No one came to speak to me afterwards.  Every other teacher on the board that had to listen to this raving maniac were in shock. So now that I have PTSD- what will my school do for Me?
      Administrators are paid an extra $20,000- 30,000 per year because they have to deal with parents and organizing events, tests etc.  Well I get an extra $300 per year to be in charge of this organization. I spend more than 100 hours extra.  How is this fair?  By the way- when you bring up money the catch phrase is- this is all about the kids.  Yes it is.  That is why I haven't quit yet!

Way to go Nancy!

I am an avid CBS Sunday Morning watcher. Yes- the undercurrent here is that I don't attend church on Sunday morning,which I am certain is bothering many of the judgemental Christians out there. Sorry I really enjoy learning about artists, writers, children who are geniuses and hearing commentaries from Ben Stein, Mo Rocca, Bill Geist and especially Nancy Giles.  I agree with Ben Stein about 50% of the time-but I always agree with Nancy's comments.

Today Nancy discussed the hypocrisy in politics. Good Old Newt- out Georgia Peach of a dude- is the toast of the Republican Party this week.  He really socked it to that CNN commentator at his debate. The truth is that he preaches one way of living but he practices another and Nancy brought that to our attention again.  She pointed out all the politicians that are hypocritical such as President Clinton, Anthony Wiener and John Edwards. She even brought up our old friend Eddie Long- the preacher who has long preacher the anti- gay way of life while all along he was the biggest hypocrite of all.  By the way- if Nancy was trying to take sides then why would she as part of the "Liberal media" also be  mentioning past democrats and their philandering escapades?

The point here is not that having an affair has anything to do with whether or not you are a good candidate for office.  But when you put yourself out there as a overtly moral candidate and you have not practiced what you have preached then you deserve to have this brought to the attention of the public.  In my opinion, Newt Gingrich has always demonstrated the epitome of hypocrisy.  He tried to impeach President Clinton for philandering while he was doing the same thing.  He wasn't some small fish at the time- he was speaker of the house.  Personally I don't care that Newt has had three marriages.  I just have never been able to stomach his incredibly huge ego.  I also think he is one of the smartest candidates running for president.  I will give him that.

If you ever want to learn anything from watching TV- try watching Sunday morning or 60 minutes.  I always feel like I have learned something new after watching these programs.  Today they showed a small story about a high school student that came up with an idea to use nano particles to treat cancer. Believe  me- after some of the crap I have to deal with in the classroom- that is one uplifting story!

PS.- The funniest bumper sticker I have have ever seen was in in 1997 in Atlanta-  It said -Nuck Fewt!

I had a big belly laugh over that one!