Orlando's blog

My New Year's Trip

2012-01-15T00:56:00.002-06:00

Me and a few friends went to a casino for New Year's eve. It was a nice time. They had a concert and countdown and TVs showing Times Square. Not a bad venue to ring in the new year. I'm not a gambler, so no money was lost or gained, so you don't even have to worry about asking. What I did want to mention was the clientele that I can across while at the casino. I'm not trying to talk about anybody or anything, just stating what I saw.

I was really blown away by the people in the casino with oxygen tubes and assisted walking technology. Now nothing is wrong with that and my grandmother used to love to go to the casino whenever she got a chance, but the number of elderly and sickly in this place was pretty overwhelming. It got me wondering. Is this just a release? Some place to go to take your mind off of the bills and times outside of this magic time machine? Was the casino a place where you can get that instantaneous rush of adrenaline again and again as the slot wheel goes around? Was the casino a destination that these folks went to with the hopes and dreams of actually hitting it big? The answer to these questions I do not know, but that's what ran through my head at the time. There were plenty of other people in this place also, but the ones that seemed to be in the zone were the ones that looked like they had been through more than enough NYE celebrations in their lifetimes.

So for those of you casino goers out there, what the allure? Is is the hope of winning or just the social aspect of being out somewhere? I'm just curious. In case you were wondering, a friend one time asked me "Why don't you gamble at the casino?" and I politely said "I don't believe in giving my money to a place that is set up to make me lose." She looked at me and said, "Makes sense...I never thought of it that way." Take care!

The New Inheritance

2012-01-15T00:42:00.000-06:00

I was listening to NPR not too long ago and there was a guy on there talking about today's inheritance that today's youth are seeing. He made a very valid statement, "Today's parents are giving their kids their inheritance while they are all still alive." That makes plenty of sense. He was saying that parents today are more often than not helping their children out far more today than they did in the past. He stated that parents are more likely to help their kids financially today rather than wait until they passed away to leave their kids a large inheritance. The more I look around, the more he seems to be right.

Parents are helping their kids out more. I see them allowing students to move back in after graduation, or upon maybe losing a job. Parents are helping their kids get houses and keep up with bills as more and more people are becoming unemployed and underemployed.

I thought this was a very interesting turn of events as many people seem to wait on their inheritance with bated breath. Now it seems as though more people are quite content being able to see their inheritance come to them as they try to start families or fall on hard times. Either way I think it's commendable that parents are there to help their children even as those kids become adults. I know this isn't in every case out there and there are still a butt load of inheritances still waiting to be had, but for those those that do get a bit now when they need it most, be sure to say thanks to the ones that are there for you in those times. "Thanks!" Take care.

How To Get Beyond Your Current Situation?

2012-01-15T00:24:00.000-06:00

This post isn't so much what I think, but more of a way to pick the brains of others. Currently I'm thinking about another career, but I'm feeling a little unsure about how to do that. The first question I'm having trouble answering is "What do you want to do?". Truth is, I'm not sure. To the question, "What can you do?" the answer is an easy one....anything. But, anything doesn't get you a job or to another place in life. You need to have a plan. I seem to be falling short on that end.

I'm currently teaching. I like it, but it's not something I can do too much longer. I'm in a broken system, that underpays, under appreciates and over expects from its employees. Sure I'm happy to be employed and I know the grass isn't always greener on the other side, but I would like to not have to worry about a paycheck to paycheck living. I'm not sure if I want to go the full-time route with something part-time on the side or if I want to ditch it all together and go to something else? All that I do know is that I would like to move on from my current position and go on to better things. I'm currently trying to find or take any suggestions that I can get as far as how to do that. The next thing I'm not sure about is whether to go back and get more training. After getting one college degree and seeing where I am now, I'm very hesitant to go back again for some other degree or certificate that may or not pay off in the end. It's a very confusing spot to be in. I've even thought about my own business, but I think the logistics of it sort of scares me away from the idea and once again....I'm not sure what that business would be. Wanting to change careers in this job market is a very abysmal place to be in. Employers are taking their time hiring, if they're hiring at all. I'm also looking at going back to a starting/entry-level salary by switching from education to most other fields. My microbiology degree seems to be just dwindling and becoming less and less meaningful as time goes on.

So what I bring to you, are questions. Have you ever switched careers? If so, how did you go about doing it? Was it the right move? What advice would you give to someone trying to switch? I also welcome any other advice you may be able to shed on the situation. Thanks and take care!

Political Season and I'm back!!!

2012-01-14T23:21:00.000-06:00

It's been a while, but I'm back on the grind. I've been writing down notes that I've wanted to share with you all, but I'm just now getting a chance to put them out there. I may make this one post it may be more. Heck, it's my blog so I can do what I want!!! Now that that's out of the way down to the nitty gritty. This will be my political blog. I'll put out some thoughts that I've noticed since this political season has started and we can discuss, so some of these thoughts may be a little dated, but still pertinent.

Ron Paul won't ever win an election. Not because he doesn't have the support or the money, it's because he talks. Ron Paul is good for about two sentences and then he falls off a cliff. I know a lot of people support him whole-heartedly and that's their right, but his views can't and won't win an election. Not because of his supporters, but because of the other people that he needs to vote for him. The conservatives, the old GOP voters, the moderates, they don't look at Ron Paul for his attributes, instead they look at him for his downfalls. When people become focused on what it is that you're not doing well, then you are all but lost. He has given a great showing and I hope that his run in the primaries will allow us to see the shortcomings of the political process and lead us to make it better.

I'm going to end this piece by simply saying, Ron Paul will not win, but we can learn from his efforts. I hope the country watches and learns that we can still put people up that we want to see in the running. What we need to find a way to change is the overall process. We can have corporations paying to put people in office. We all see where that has gotten us. It feels good to be back. Take care!!

Casey Anthony

2011-07-06T13:29:00.003-05:00

So a jury of her peers found her not guilty and it set off a wave of dissent and anger. As I sat with my aunt, yesterday, watching the verdict and post trial punditry go on and on about how shocked they were and how they couldn't believe she got off, there was one thing mentioned that got brushed over. They all admitted that the public had more info than the jury. They admitted but didn't want to harp on the fact that the general public knew more that the jury. This was a very important fact. The jury ruled based on the evidence that was given to them. Obviously, the prosecution didn't present a good enough case to convince the jury of the defendant's guilt. I've heard a lot of people talk about how unemotional the lady was or how she was out partying while her child was missing, and how it took her so long to report the child missing. All of those things look bad, but they don't necessarily prove her guilt. That's what the public needs to be made aware of. We can't send people to jail based on the suspicious things they do. Our justice system has been criticized numerous times over the years, but sadly enough it's the one we have and in this case it worked just the way it was supposed to. The jury was selected, they were presented with evidence and they ruled based on that evidence. So if people want to look at someone to be upset with, then point your blame at the prosecution. Did Anthony commit the crime...we may never know, but the system worked the way it was supposed to. Feel free to comment. Let's talk about it.

Day 17

2011-06-25T13:39:00.001-05:00

We got a chance to see more of London today. We went to the London school of economics to hear a former member of Parliament speak. He was very knowledgeable and interesting. After that, we went for a medieval banquet for lunch. Post lunch we made our way to the tower of London and got a chance to see the crown jewels and other royal emblems. The jewels were pretty amazing. Then we took a boat ride on the river Thames.
We ate at Ye olde cock tavern, where we had rewarmed hamburgers that weren't that great. We are then heading to the theater to see love never dies. I can't lie I'm sort of tired, I hope I can stay up through it. And stay up I did! That play was awesome! Love never dies was a down right marvelous way to end this trip.

Day 16

2011-06-23T00:40:00.001-05:00

Headed to foggy London town today. She be a fun day. We get to see the changing of the guards, the tower of London, the London eye and whatever else London can throw at us.
We stopped at Harrod's to have a look around and that place is ridiculous! Nuff said.
We spent the day walking around London and our tour guide was a piece of work. A quite quaint old lady, but was very all over the place. She made for a great tour.
It was a long day. We had an interesting time with a couple of delegates who took some extra time shopping, but we handled the situation. All and all it was a long day.

Day 15

2011-06-22T02:56:00.001-05:00

We're off to Warwick castle today. We get to see yet another medieval castle but today we get to have a medieval feast in the castle for dinner. Should be fun!
After a short trip from Wales to England we arrived in Chester to shop a little and eat lunch. Chester is a cool little town. I could live here. Now on our way to the castle.

Warwick castle was fun and now we're back at the hotel yo get some rest before an early departure for London in the morning.

Day 14

2011-06-21T12:07:00.001-05:00

<p>We had a full on day today in Wales. We did some board breaking and castle repelling and good times were had. Needless to say.....I rocked the repelling. I could probably be an instructor. Moving on......we finished the full on stuff and made our way back to the hotel to chill for the night. <br>
Now I'm really feeling like eating a steak or some Lamb chops (fact : there is a 4:1 sheep to person ratio in Wales) , they can spare a Lamb or two :). Now I'm hungry. We're heading back to the hotel. I hope dinner is good.

Day 13

2011-06-20T03:23:00.001-05:00

We're leaving our home stay families today en route to Wales. After a 2 hour ferry ride, we'll arrive in Wales on the way to the hotel. Laundry needs to be done TODAY! I'm just about out of pants. Hopefully that can be done at the hotel. Irish vocabulary : fresh red - a light that just turned red therefore able to be run. Lol!
We made it to Wales. We'll be repelling down a castle wall tomorrow. Should be fun.

Day 12 - Dublin

2011-06-19T13:56:00.001-05:00

Our first night at the hone stay was amazing. We had great food and even better conversation. Today was went to the Dublin town center and got a chance to see Trinity college, Temple bar area, and a host of other sights that Dublin had to offer. The kids got some free time to shop and see the sights and we got a chance to go off on our own in town. I had a great tike today. We came back to our home stay and we had shepherd's pie and ice cream and tea. It was a good day.

Day 11

2011-06-18T16:20:00.001-05:00

Today we left end route to Dublin. We stopped at a restaurant in Kildaire for lunch and we had the beat waitress ever a little red haired elderly lady named Mary. She was very grandmotherly. After that we headed to another glacial park in Glendalough. It was an old church settlement in the valley founded by St. Kevin. After leaving the park we continued on to Dublin to meet our home stay families.

Day 10

2011-06-16T10:27:00.001-05:00

Leaving Limmerick and now on the way to the gap of Dunloe in Killarney for a horse and buggy ride and a float on a boat.
The horse carriage ride and the boat ride through the gap of Dunloe was absolutely gorgeous. Aside from the rain showers its a beautiful glacial valley with lush green scenery and numerous lakes. The granite peaks out of the green mountain side to give a glimpse of the pass' volcanic history. I'll post some pics soon.

Day 9

2011-06-15T11:25:00.001-05:00

The first half of our day was spent traveling. We switched coaches about half way and then had lunch and we ate at Flanagan's in Kildaire. After that we made our way to another castle (Bunratty). We received a nice tour through the castle it's very old and surrounded by two rivers and the ocean. One of the smaller castles we've been to. Then to our hotel. We have some nice accommodations for the night. Folks seem to be pleased.

Day 8

2011-06-14T12:30:00.001-05:00

Today we went to Coleraine Academic Institution. It's an all boys school in Coleraine, Ireland. It is a facility over 150 years old and a fine academic institution. We got a chance to meet some of the students and take a tour of the school. The girls loved it since it was an all boy school. The guys enjoyed talking to the guys at the school also. The vice principal was a nice guy and very knowledgeable. Now we're on the way to the causeway and the rope bridge. We also brought the sunshine with us so let's hope the day continues like this.

We've made it to the Giant's Causeway (built by Finn McCool) and we're going to walk along the coast to an old rope bridge across some of Ireland's most beautiful scenery. The kids are in high gear right now and it's good to see them enjoying themselves. I would consider this day a home run.

We made it to and from the rope bridge. Today we definitely got our workouts in. We walked up and down a cliff face and to the end of Ireland. On the way now to the hotel to eat and then get ready for a lesson tonight about the Irish conflict. Oh oh oh....our new bus driver's name is Shamus and he looks like a wee leprechaun :). Cheers!

Day 7

2011-06-13T12:21:00.001-05:00

We said goodbye to Gordie (pronounced Jordie), our coach driver, and now we're on the way to Belfast in Northern Ireland. The ferry (just like a cruise) had some great food and one of the few places we've been with free wifi. That's been nice to be able to post a few messages, read an email or two and put up a couple of pics. I think I'm going to find a place to nestle in and take a nap. I'll let you know how the rest of the day goes. Cheers, for now.
After our tour of Belfast we made it to our hotel for tthe night. A lovely holiday inn right outside of the city. The kids are excited and I think the other leaders are too. Belfast has a rich history. They've seen everything from civil war to the invention of the AC. Awesome place. Cheery-o for now.

Day 6

2011-06-13T04:41:00.001-05:00

Today we spent the day in Edinburgh. It was a nice town. Very old and historic. We spent some time at the Edinburgh castle and on the Royal mile. We ended the day at another hostel. This one was much nicer than the last. It had private bathrooms and sinks in the room. Tomorrow we head out to Ireland and our coach driver warned us not to wear orange or green because of the potential of bodily harm in the torn town of Belfast. Like some real bloods and crips type stuff. Tomorrow should be interesting.

Day 5

2011-06-11T14:30:00.001-05:00

We started the day off at a sheep farm. We got to help sheer the sheep and we also got a chance to talk to the farmer about how he trains his dogs, the state of agriculture in Scotland and a host of other topics. He was impressed with the kids and the questions they had for him.
We then went to Loch Ness. It's a beautiful place. We didn't get to see nessie but got some good "insider info" about her. We got a chance to go out on a boat in the loch and took some really good pictures of the area. We finished the day off with some free time for the kids at the shopping center down the street from our hostel. It seemed to be a pretty good day.

Day 4

2011-06-10T16:02:00.001-05:00

We went white water rafting and the water was freezing but it was a good time. The kids seemed to have enjoyed themselves. Now we're on the way to Blair castle for some Haggis and a tour!

The haggis wasn't bad. Look it up if you don't know what it is. We then spent some time at Blair castle. It would've been nice if we could've gone in but oh well. We took a nice tractor rode around the grounds and got a chance to see the lovely countryside. Now we're heading to our hostel and get ready to do some shopping for our next few meals. This should be interesting.

The hostel is very basic. I've seen worse so I'm not complaining. We'll be here for a couple of days and then on to the next locale. Tomorrow we go to a farm and sheer sheep and watch a sheep herder and his dog do their thing.

I've included a pic of Blair castle for your viewing pleasure. Time for some rest.

Day 3

2011-06-10T15:49:00.001-05:00

We spent the day at St. Andrew's. We saw the ruins of the old cathedral, the university and of course the golf course. It was a beautiful course right on the water. After we left we went to the hotel and got a chance to talk to a real Highlander (there can be only one!). I got a chance to wear a kilt and weild some weapons. Good times.

Day 2

2011-06-08T16:11:00.001-05:00

After the overnight flight, everyone was tired. We went to an abbey, an old jail, and got a chance to see the Irish countryside. It's ridiculously green over here but very rainy. Most of the time on the bus today, the kids slept. The jetlag was getting the best of just about everyone. Our hotel is right next to a beautiful loch nestled in between some mountains. It looks like something off of lord of the rings. That's all for now.

Day 1

2011-06-07T17:44:00.001-05:00

I'm waiting in the Newark airport to board the plane. Seems like I have a good group of students. Seems like there are some very interesting personalities in our delegation.

Yes we got him, but now what?

2011-05-02T22:05:00.002-05:00

I would like to say thanks to all of the troops who have so unselfishly put their lives on the line to protect our country. I would also like to say thanks and condolences to the families of those who lost their lives on 9/11. As many know by now, Osama Bin Laden has been killed. The country has been in a very upbeat mood and it seems to be as unified as when the attacks first happened, which is a good thing. The thing that concerns me is the growing number of people actually cheering that Bin Laden was killed. I don't think it's our place to cheer another person's death. He definitely did some horrible things, but how much better are we to cheer or wish for his death. Justice, in a way, has been served, but how does this right the wrongs that he has committed or the machine that he has put in place? Yes, it deals a crushing blow to terrorist everywhere that we will hunt you down, but do we really need to celebrate this man's death? I'm not anti-celebration but let's celebrate some more positive things like the effort of the troops, the leadership of the White House, the closure the victim's families can now feel and hopefully an end to the useless wars we're in. Maybe now we can reel in some of that money and put it towards paying the soldiers better wages, domestic issues, education, the economy, and things on this side of the pond. I just encourage everyone to keep a focus on what is important and let's not get wrapped up in the emotion of the moment and make sure we make out celebrations respectful and meaningful.

2011-05-01T18:31:00.001-05:00

NYT: The High Cost of Low Teacher S

Doing the most good

2011-03-26T18:01:00.006-05:00

Today I got a chance to hang out with a great group of people. The delegation of kids that I'm traveling with for people to people this year had a service project today and we made sandwiches for the soup mobile. When all was said and done we had made over 3,000 sandwiches that will go to feed the needy in the Dallas community. Acts like this is what makes this country better and we need to see more events like this if we're going to continue to help make the world a better place. I would like to say "Great job!" to the ambassadors for making a difference on the home front and I look forward to seeing you make a difference abroad. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of your delegation.

Jobs and jobless numbers

2011-03-04T09:05:00.003-06:00

Why don't we actually see the 2 go hand in hand? The jobless rate is going down, but it's still hard for folks to find employment. I know people with advanced degrees and they aren't getting picked up for the job force. I know people that have been sending out resumes for months and not even a call back or they hear the best line ever "We love your talents, but right now we don't have the budget for it.". When are we going to see the local turn around in the economy? I listened to a report yesterday that talked about the uptick in productivity among American workers and the profits that businesses are seeing from that productivity. That is a bad sign for the people looking for work. The businesses still don't have the incentive to hire. So my take on the downturn of jobless claims is that people are simply not filing for unemployment or they're already out of unemployment benefits. Just like the price of gas spiking when the price of a barrel of oil goes up, when the two have little to do with each other. Society has built itself up on a culture of fear and has allowed all of us to fall in line and take what's being dished out. It's a sad time. I'll end this on a good note. For those of you that are still out there looking for work, I'm rooting for you and if it brings any consolation...the numbers are looking better. As always, feel free to comment. Have a HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!

Gas and jobs

2011-02-27T15:33:00.001-06:00

It would be really nice if my paycheck went up when gas prices did. It's ridiculous that we're up to over 3 dollars a gallon based on speculation alone. Can we have an actual shortage or something before shooting prices through the roof? Supposedly, gas has gotten to its current level because of instability in the middle east. Funny thing is that we still have the same amount of oil being pumped out and even more in reserves. I hope someone gets us off this oil dependency real soon. The oil companies have run the world long enough. This is ridiculous. I'm out!

School Districts Offering Teacher Buyouts

2011-02-22T21:41:00.000-06:00

School Districts Offering Teacher Buyouts

Long reaching consequences of the education debacle

2011-02-21T23:44:00.001-06:00

Operation Education: Future teachers preparing for troubled job market | wfaa.com | Dallas - Fort Worth Local News

Operation education

2011-02-21T23:41:00.001-06:00

Operation Education: What about that Rainy Day Fund? | wfaa.com | Dallas - Fort Worth Local News

Edutainment and the modern education system

2011-02-21T23:09:00.002-06:00

I was listening to a program today and they were talking about some more gimmicks to get kids to learn. I've seen everything from rap songs to videos to teachers dressing up in full on costume. That's nice to try to mix it up every now and then, but I think that these gimmicks actually hinder true long term learning. What I mean is that when a teacher goes the route of props and costumes it becomes the expectation that this is the only time we need to learn. The day the teacher has to give the students notes or general information about a topic the students are no longer interested because there are no dancing bears and fire hoops. We have gotten away from actually having students use their brains to think, instead we are teaching them that unless a topic is so fun and interesting that they just want to burst then they don't have to care about it. This is a tragic turn of events. When was the last time you went to work and had a day where the boss pepped up the weekly meeting or the foreman at a construction site came with a clown suit on to boost morale. The simple truth is that outside of the classroom real life doesn't cater to your likes and dislikes. The way we are trying to "encourage" students to learn does not prepare them to take on what life is going to really throw at them. I'm not saying learning should be boring or dull, but I do suggest letting the edutainment be an accessory to real learning rather than the blueprint. Suggestions - 1.) Get student input on how they learn, but then critically questions them on the choices they make. Why do you want your teacher to look like a fool so you can learn? Why don't you study? How will one effect your learning over the other, etc. 2.) Learning should be more individualized. Students are assessed and put on learning programs based on their strengths and weaknesses. This currently seems to be reserved for special education and private schools. I think it should be extended out into public school. With that, comes an overhaul to the school system itself.

The conversation not being had is the fact that we’re using a WW2 educational system to educate a 21st century student. We can no longer expect students to come out of high school and be able to find a job that could eventually land them in the middle class. Years ago that was feasible. Now we must train students to use their talents and prepare them for a more uncertain yet competitive job market. Students need to be able to recognize what they are good at and find ways to utilize those skills. We also need to prepare today’s student for the reality that they may stay in a job for 5-7 years and then may need more training. They need to realize that we are no longer in a time where your career is a 20-25 year guarantee. These are the life skills that need to be included in the modern education system. The school system is in need of a complete tear down and rebuild. That rebuild should be lead by people in the class room and should end with the lawmakers and not the other way around. When that day will come no one knows, but the sooner we start tackling these issues, the sooner we can see our education system turn around.

Cuts are hitting close to home

2011-02-21T00:12:00.001-06:00

Is Townview Magnet Center being targeted for cuts?

Why job growth is slow

2011-02-20T10:21:00.002-06:00

I'm not going to make this long I just want to give a real plain and common sense view as to why the economy isn't growing the way people would like it to. It's a very simple reason. Businesses are making the same or even greater profits with their current workforces. They are meeting and beating their numbers from the economic boom times. From a business perspective they have no real incentive to hire anyone else. Why pick up an 11th person when you have 10 doing the job just fine. All that an extra person adds is another benefits package to manage and what company wants to do that? NONE. People need to realize that businesses are in the business of making money, not being altruistic. They are not out to better society, they're there to sell a product and to keep the shareholders happy. With that focus in mind it's for the rest of society to realize that no matter what happens, until businesses have a compelling incentive to hire they will continue with business as usual. Any thoughts? Feel free to comment.

Self worth...for what it's worth

2011-02-18T23:39:00.004-06:00

Tonight I sat down with the tribal counsel (Nadia,Raven and Sakina) and we talked about careers. Nothing too earth shattering, but it made me start to wonder. Why can't what you want to do be what pays the bills? Let me unpack this a little. What I mean is not everyone wants to be a doctor, lawyer, businessman, or engineer. Unfortunately, today's lucrative world sort of ends with those professions. If you're not on the track to being one of those you're on the track, to being broke. Now I know some people look at this and say "You're never broke when you love what you do." or "Money doesn't buy happiness." or "I'd rather be happy than be rich." These sentiments are all nice IF you have no debt, you're from means, or you have a guaranteed path set before you and that's where the schism lies.

Many people come out of high school knowing what they want to do. They go to college to pursue that career and at some point they realize that their lofty idealistic goal bears a very sparse and low paying fruit. It may be a noble goal that you're reaching for, maybe starting a rec center for under-privileged kids or an animal shelter, but you soon find out that neither of those will pay your bills. You'll find a whole community, city, or even a state official that may commend you on your work, but they will also drive off in a car that is worth more than your salary for the year, but at least you can say you go home happy. Well, that's if you can afford a home to go to. Maybe you'll take the bus back to your one bedroom apartment on a sketchy side of town, and then once you get there you can open up a can of tuna and enjoy your days work. You can have that happy feeling of doing something. I guess that's something that can keep a person going. I just think it's unfortunate that the more you try to do the right (noble) thing, the bigger gap you find yourself facing from living comfortably. Why must a person "suffer" through a job that they hate for a number of years in order to pursue something they really "want" to do? I don't think it's right or fair that society today puts its value on things that don't allow people to truly pursue their passions. When was the last time you saw an artist go to college and come out as a well to do member of society? Who was the last trombone player you saw come out of college and win a Grammy? Who was the last teacher that you knew that was able to go to a car dealership and put down 20% on a new car? These questions are ones that America doesn't want to answer or deal with because that would then start paying people for their passions and more people would end up wealthy, but that can't be. Those in power already have their friends and they're not looking for any company at the top.

In the end, you have to choose. Do you want to be happy or to be paid? In the rare occasion you can have both. Either love what you do or be happy where you are. I don't see this problem being solved anytime soon, so I wish you well in your endeavors and many years of happiness.

It's getting heavy

2011-02-16T23:21:00.001-06:00

Days after writing a post about education cuts in the state, I now see pockets of deep educational regress and distress around the country. The most notable is in Wisconsin. The teachers are about to have sick outs. The governor is about to cut off unions all together and it looks like states across the nation are watching this play out ready to pounce at their chance to do the same. My problem with all of this is that the real issue at hand constantly gets lost in the shuffle. Why aren't the kids learning. Some say because of teacher tenure,some point the finger at unions,some say it's laziness. Whichever camp you're in the fact remains we need to fix education.

I think the current system is in shambles and needs to be reconstructed, not reformed. We should allow students to leave high school with marketable skills that they can use that will give them skills to get work experience as well as career guidance. Schools nowadays are setup identically to the system we had during World War 1. Are we still living in a ww1 society? Last time I checked I would have to say no. So why shouldn't our education system advance? In order to do this we need to realize primary and secondary education is the foundation of our society. Second we need to realize if we want a society that can fix and avoid future problems it must have an educated populous. Finally, we need to stop politicizing education. It shouldn't be something that someone runs on. It should be something that we all look to in order to better ourselves and in turn our society. As I've stated before this situation will get worse before it gets better. It's up to us to fix it.

What you get and what you miss with the cr48

2011-02-13T21:39:00.002-06:00

After having a few days with the Cr 48 notebook from google (cr 48 ), I have an initial thoughts post that I’m going to do. It’s not going to be a review. There have been enough of those done and a google/youtube search will yield you numerous results. What I would like to do is give a little insight in to what you get and don’t get with the cr 48. My unit is stock and not in developer mode so this review pertains to stock cr 48 users. Disclaimer: This is a pilot program to help work out any issues. Lets get to it.

We’ll start with what it’s lacking and move on from there.

1. No local storage - This would probably be the most recognizable shortcoming of this unit at this time. You can’t save anything “on” the computer. Any saving is done directly to the cloud (your Google account). This is fine for things created in the cloud, but if you want to save your friend’s pictures from the latest meet up on your unit that may be a problem. That leads me to the second thing missing.

2. Can’t read external media - As of right now, external media can’t be easily read. So even if you just want to upload some pictures to your Picasa account from a jump drive right now you may have some difficulties. The file manager on the cr48 is very bare bones and doesn’t yet seem to be able to read files and manage or organize them for use from an external device. This is something that may or may not be addressed in production models, but for now it’s pretty much unusable.

3. No offline mode - You can not operate in an offline mode that will allow you to still work on docs, spreadsheets, etc. I’ve heard some people say they can, but in my testing I wasn’t able to get it to work. The unit does come with 100 Mb of free data per month for 2 years from Verizon, but I didn’t see how to make it work without data. Supposedly the google apps are supposed to have an offline function and the apps in the Chrome OS web store give devs the ability to allow their apps to run offline, so this may be something coming in the future.

Those are the most notable downfalls to this unit. They may seem big but when it comes to day to day use, these things are not that big of a deal for basic browsing and functionality. I use the cr 48 for Internet browsing, watching Youtube, blogging, checking email and listening to podcast and so far it has performed beautifully, outside of the occasional flash player crash. So what do you get with this machine?

1. Awesome battery - For starters the battery life on this thing is epic. 7-8 hours on average with heavy use (videos, streaming, email, sleep mode, etc.). I’ve enjoyed being able to use this machine for 3-4 hours and not having to worry about looking for the charger. What makes it even better is the fact you can come back a day later open it up and continue using it for another few hours before having to find the charger. Bottom line is that it has great battery life.

2, Great security - Allows your usage to be protected by a password and you can also allow guests to use your computer in guest mode. Guess mode allows other users to work without having to worry about them reading your email or having access to any of your account information. When they log off it clears their data, so they can also be assured that their information is safe.

3. Sleek design and ultra-portability - The size and feel of the unit is very sleek and lightweight. It would be very easy to carry around with you to work, class, on a trip and not have to worry about carrying the charger. You can easily make it through a day with this unit.

4. Webcam and microphone - You can enjoy video chatting on the go using the gtalk app and the integrated web cam and mic. The quality seems to be pretty good and both are very usable. Note: There is no Skype app for it right now. Right now you may be limited to gtalk, ustream and a few other apps in the web store in order to do video chatting.

So there you have an insider look at the cr 48. As stated earlier, this was not meant to be a review. Just an overview of what I’ve seen in my first few days using this awesome little machine. If you have questions or if there’s something you would like be to check out for you let me know. Until next time....take care.

CR48 better than a tablet

2011-02-13T09:21:00.002-06:00

I just received a CR 48 notebook from Google a few days ago and I must say I’m quite impressed with this little machine. The more I use it the more useful it becomes. It is quite handy for normal Internet use, streaming music, listening to podcast, and doing a host of other normal laptop functions. Granted, it does have it’s limitations, but I would think the actual production models would have those issues worked out. With that being said I think depending on the price point you would be better served getting one of these more so than a tablet. I’m sure a lot of people would disagree and they have bought all in to the tablet culture, but why spend upwards of $600 or more on something with very limited functionality other than for the novelty of it. Either way you’re spending money on something that can’t do everything you want it to do. Where let’s say these “internet books” come out at the $150 price point. You would not only be able to get your media content, you could actually use it to get something done. It has a very usable keyboard, wi-fi and 3g connectivity, light and portable, webcam and mic, and awesome battery life to boot. If Google can get the bugs worked out I think these netbook alternatives could really cut into tablet sales. I’d buy one....wait....I already have one. What say you?

Should we be worried?

2011-02-11T01:17:00.003-06:00

I just wrote an article for the examiner.com and it really got me thinking. Should all teachers be worried about their jobs. Supposedly, the government is making this big educational push, but I'm seeing something totally different in my neck of the woods. Many districts are cutting jobs or not hiring at all. They're trying to find every possible way to balance the budget and teachers seem to be on the chopping block. So to all my educators out there, I'm going to give you a line from The Social Network, "A Harvard man doesn't try to find a job where he can work for someone else and be happy.....he makes his own job." Might this be an option that you can take advantage of? If so go for it. If you're in the classroom now, get ready to buckle down and hold on for the bumpy road ahead. Good luck to us all.

Write as much as I can

2011-02-08T23:10:00.001-06:00

Alright world it's about that time. About to ramp up my editorial skills and get some writing done. I have a few different outlets that I'll be publishing for so it should keep me pretty busy and focused. I'm going to get a writing schedule set up to aid me in the creative process. This should be fun. I'll be writing for the examiner.com, some android sites and who knows what else. We'll see. Take care!

Time to get back to work

2011-02-06T23:00:00.001-06:00

After 4 days off from work, tomorrow is time to get back to it. I've enjoyed my days off and half heartedly look forward to going back. I'll be glad to see my students and coworkers but I don't look forward to the politics of being a teacher. The administration, the paperwork and all of the other red tape that goes along with it. I'm not going to complain though. I'm happy to have a job and will keep looking forward to the next step in life. Until then, I'll try to have a positive influence on as many as possible and make the best of the situation I'm in. Take care all. Good night.

Snow day

2011-02-05T01:04:00.001-06:00

After days of sitting around the house I've had ample time to sit and think. I think I'm ready for a change, ready to accept the gifts and blessings laid out before me, ready to help those I can, ready move on, ready to do my best. The more I think about life the more i appreciate the things I've been blessed with. As the snow comes down I get to ponder all of the opportunities that I've seized and the ones I've let slip away. The plan is to make the most of each day. With my plan set I'm ready for whatever life brings. Take care.

Cartoons and Drugs « Mi Aztlan – Where Aztlan and Chicanismo Coincide

2010-12-05T11:55:00.000-06:00

Cartoons and Drugs « Mi Aztlan – Where Aztlan and Chicanismo Coincide

Change in Career Direction - Why Teachers Stop Teaching

2010-11-29T01:59:00.000-06:00

Change in Career Direction - Why Teachers Stop Teaching

Uncle Danny's 50th bday

2010-11-10T01:10:00.001-06:00

We had a blast. As you can see even when it was time to go the party kept on going.

I tried

2010-10-22T08:25:00.001-05:00

In the quest to decide between another car or fixing this one, all while trying to get my car legal (inspection) I hit another road block. I took my car to the dealership today because when I failed my inspection I got a paper saying I needed to get recall work done. I thought maybe that would fix my car enough in order to get an inspection. I was wrong. The lady at the dealership said all recall work was done. So now I'm at a mechanic shop waiting to see if they can fix it. My ongoing car drama........to be continued.

Why you need science

2010-10-18T01:05:00.001-05:00

     First of all, I'm typing this from a hospital been on my phone. I love technology. Now on with my story. I want to write this mainly for my students but also for anyone who sat in science class and wondered "Why do I need to know this?" Here's a perfect example.

   Yesterday I went out to eat some sushi and catch a movie after a long day of ripping and running around. After the movie I got home and felt a little backed up. I figured it was just gas so I took some alka seltzer and figured it would be better in the morning. When I woke up my side was still hurting which I thought was weird since I had used the rest room a few times since it first started hurting. Here comes the science. At that point I realized it could be something else. So I started going through possibilities in my mind. I reasoned out that it wasn't gas, it wasn't a muscle cramp so it must be something else. Knowing the symptoms of appendicitis saved me from what could've been a truly horrible experience. I took some time and looked up appendicitis symptoms and tried to factor out any other possibilities. I used the scientific method in order to know what was wrong with me. Once I got to the emergency room I was able to tell them what I thought was wrong and after they ran their test they found that I was correct in my assessment of the situation. So kids learn how to think critically and use the science that's taught to you. Not just to pass a test, but to make your world and your life that much better.

     Thanks for your time and I'll update you after the surgery.

Up late

2010-09-22T23:35:00.003-05:00

Well I just finished typing up a review for my students. I'm trying to ride this technology push that the district is on. I like being able to have a class blog and such but I'm not sure how much it's being used. I'd like it to be a living document and form of communication between me and the kids, but it hasn't gotten there yet. I don't know if it's due to lack of access or just lack of caring but at least I'm trying. I'm enjoying my new school but I miss somethings about my old school too. I guess that just comes with change. I hope that my kids perform like I know they can. It just seems like sometimes it's a set up for a teacher. You do all they tell you to do and when it comes down to it you're left with your head in your hands wondering what happened. I'm hoping for the best. Sidebar: I'm still not convinced by the Apple hype. I guess it's just not my cup of tea.

I just wanted to check in and say hi to the folks who take the time to read my ramblings. I haven't had too many wacky things going on so I haven't had much to say. I guess that's good and bad. With that being said I'll call it a night. Have a good one.

September 13, 2010

2010-09-13T23:11:00.003-05:00

I should probably be asleep, but I'm not tired. Figured I'd chime in. It's been a while. The school year has started and I'm at a new school which I like. I really like the principal and my co-workers have been very welcoming. I like my students too. I miss some of my old students but I know they're going to do fine.
I just finished Ramadan and that was an enlightening experience. I lost a few pounds but I feel better for it. It was a time to purge the body and clear the mind. If you haven't fasted before you should try it. It's a humbling experience. I'm thankful for the opportunity to participate.
Mobilecrew is coming along, but has sort of stalled. Steven and I are still working on some things, but it seems like we've lost a little steam. We're going to hit up the android bbq in Austin in October and hopefully we can get some good content, contacts and motivation from there. Hopefully one day it'll take off to where we can actually make some money from it.
The Saints won a good game in the season opener. I'm proud to see the Saints winning. It does my heart good. I wish my grandpa had his season tickets now. He wouldn't know what to do with himself.
I'd like to thank my in-laws and all of their family friends for welcoming into their families and their culture. It's been a wonderful experience. I would also like to say Thanks to my family for welcoming Nadia in also. Married life has been nice so far. I've enjoyed it.
Currently I'm in a bball league, coed football and soccer league and a men's soccer league. It's been keeping my lung capacity pretty good. I've been having a fun time learning how to play soccer. I'm no Pele but I'm not that bad. It's a fun game.
I don't really feel like ranting or raving about anything tonight so I'll leave off here. I wish you a great night and a wonderful week until we meet again. Take care.

Garret LoPorto: Class of 2010: Epic FAIL? ...Why Nobody Wants Class of 2010 Grads.

2010-07-17T21:52:00.000-05:00

I've been hinting at this for a while, but people with journalism jobs put it together a little bit better than I have. LOL! Enjoy the read.

Garret LoPorto: Class of 2010: Epic FAIL? ...Why Nobody Wants Class of 2010 Grads.

Droid x

2010-07-13T15:30:00.004-05:00

For those of you that know me, I'm sort of a phone geek. Well today the Droid X (Verizon's newest android phone) was being released in Dallas. It wasn't just a normal release it was like the intersection between fanaticism, nerdiness, obsession, and geocaching all wrapped up into a hot summer Texas day. I told myself a few days ago if this challenge came to Dallas I would try it and by golly that's what happened. Let's get to the day's events.

I got up about 9:30 this morning, checked my twitter feed and they were telling Dallas that today was the day. So I hopped the downtown train and off I went. I made it to the grassy knoll and waited. Hadn't seen an actual clue since the night before so I walked around checking in the bushes and on and under benches and such just trying to get an edge. As I searched, I noticed others doing the same but I didn't say anything. At this point I was feverishly refreshing Touiteur (Twitter client for Android - free and paid version in the market). After a couple of hours I decided to just sit and wait for the @droidlanding update. While sitting there I met Aaron (@devdroidian) and Ben, also fellow droids and we started chatting it up about where it could be and sharing android stories. Two really awesome guys. We hung out and checked the Old Red museum-nothing there, the grassy knoll - nothing there, so we started just walking around. On our way back towards Dealy plaza Aaron gets the coordinates for the phone so we fire up Google navigation and it leads us to Sonny Bryan's bbq restaurant where there are people with video cameras and no one saying anything. As we're heading there we see the mob of people and we all converge on the restaurant. We're looking in and on and around everything. Eventually someone finds the card with the eye on it and just like that it was over. I would like to say congrats to the guy who won and "Thanks!" to the android community for being so frikkin' awesome.

All being said and done it was a fun day. I enjoyed snooping around downtown Dallas for the Droid x and look forward to meeting more android enthusiast. Now I'd like to leave you with a few last thoughts and a couple of vids. First, if you haven't tried android you should. It's on all 4 carriers and the community is awesome. Second, the big android bar bq is in Austin in October (). Third, if you're a mobile phone enthusiast check out (a site some friends and I are working on to connect DFW mobile enthusiast).Finally, enjoy the vids and be sure to leave some comments. Take care!!

It's been a while

2010-07-09T13:12:00.002-05:00

Now I'm married, enjoying summer and looking forward to a new school year. I'll be at a new school and in a new district so we'll see how that goes. I need to take some time and get some work done for mobile crew. Me and a couple of friends started a site called mobilecrew.org. It's a website for a mobile users group in Dallas. We're trying to get it off the ground. If you have any suggestions I'd be glad to hear them.

LeBron went to the Heat, Lindsay Lohan is going to jail, The Real World is back in New Orleans, TO is still out of work, Chris Brown cried at the BET awards, Paris Hilton was detained in S. Africa during the world cup and now you're caught up on useless celebrity news.

I'm playing soccer now and it's been pretty fun. We have a game tomorrow. Spain and The Netherlands are in the World cup finals and I'm ready for the next episode of True Blood. I miss Treme already.

I really don't have much going on. Just wanted to say hi.

Cavaliers: Open Letter to Fans from Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilbert

2010-07-09T13:11:00.000-05:00

Cavaliers: Open Letter to Fans from Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilbert

Audubon Oil Spill Response Team Update #6: Oiled shorebirds | Audubon Magazine Blog

2010-05-23T11:09:00.000-05:00

This is awful. I'm really upset that my home state is getting hit again with another catastrophe and once again we have slow, minimal and non-effective response. Do they really want Louisiana to fall by the wayside? That's a question I've had to ask myself numerous times since Katrina. Now I look at this oil spill and all I can do is just shake my head. I hope the best for the people, wildlife and industry in Louisiana. My prayers are with you.

Audubon Oil Spill Response Team Update #6: Oiled shorebirds | Audubon Magazine Blog

YouTube - Google I/O 2010 - Keynote Day 2 Android Demo - Full Length

2010-05-22T23:03:00.000-05:00

This is the keynote from google I/O. They are talking about the newest version of android as well as the new google TV. Awesome technology for the future. If you have some time, check it out.

YouTube - Google I/O 2010 - Keynote Day 2 Android Demo - Full Length: "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY3U2GXhz44"

This is what I've been saying...

2010-05-21T01:08:00.000-05:00

I think this is going to be a great movie/documentary.

Adobe Mobile Showcase

2010-05-18T00:09:00.000-05:00

Adobe Mobile Showcase

Project Emerald Details Emerge, Possible Sidekick Successor Running Android? | TmoNews - Unofficial T-Mobile Blog - News, Videos, Articles and more

2010-05-16T19:04:00.000-05:00

Project Emerald Details Emerge, Possible Sidekick Successor Running Android? | TmoNews - Unofficial T-Mobile Blog - News, Videos, Articles and more

As the oil churns

2010-05-16T17:45:00.004-05:00

Well if you've been under a rock for the past couple of weeks I'll fill you in. There was an oil rig explosion a couple of weeks ago and it's been gushing oil into the gulf of Mexico ever since. If this isn't a reason for some energy reform I don't know what is. On top of that, the finger pointing going on by the oil execs is truly child-like. As a people we need to go ahead and make our voices heard that we don't think this is ok....but I forgot. We no longer speak up for things that we are for or against. We leave it to other people to do. We don't want to be seen as the rabble-rouser regardless of the blatant infractions we witness. Our nation has become that complacent that we don't march for things anymore. We don't vote people out of office anymore. We don't stand for things anymore. As said in the past, "If we're not willing to stand for something, we'll be willing to fall for anything." and we are falling. We're falling for shoddy politics, poor policies, bad judgments and slanted information. Come on people. We can't let the country go by the wayside. Turn off the TV, talk to each other, organize and get things done. Sadly enough the only people really coming together are the ones on the fringe. Middle America needs to come together and let the "leaders" know what we want and expect and then let them know if they can't do it then we'll vote them out and put someone in place who can. So, while we're cleaning up the oil let's clean up our country also.

Been working on my game

2010-05-16T17:43:00.002-05:00

I got back out on the golf course and it's been fun. I realize I have more patience than I used to. And now that patience is paying off. My drive is straightening out and my irons are getting more consistent. Patience is truly a virtue.

She got it right!!!

2010-04-28T19:55:00.001-05:00

Listen to this podcast. This lady his some really good ideas about education. Sit back and enjoy. http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/77/510036/126368924/KERA_126368924.mp3?_kip_ipx=1848847072-1272502445

Money issues

2010-04-18T13:00:00.004-05:00

I'm not going to complain about money because that's just whining, but I am going to say one thing and then end this post. Someone took money out of my account without my permission and that was not fun. Sure the bank is going to refund the money and "look in to it" but it really chaps my hide when things like this happen. You work hard, put up with day to day work issues just for some idiot to come and hack your bank account to get some free jollies? I hate it. These are the types of people I hope get what's coming to them and they get it ten fold. It's just not right. Well, maybe one day I'll be wealthy enough where I'll be able to actually pursue these types of crimes but for now I'll just have to take the bank's word for it. So for now I'll just sit here writing to you with no money in my account. Have a great day!!

I've been trying

2010-04-18T12:48:00.003-05:00

I've been trying not to harp too much on the negative at my work, but I wanted to give you an update as to how things are going. I know some folks have asked me a couple of times so I'll give you a quick rundown. I'll try not to be too verbose, so I'll see if listing the problems out will help me.

1.) Admin is still in shambles- there's no real chain of command and to put it bluntly there are too many chiefs and not enough indians.
2.) The children seem to have been left behind- With the problem in the upper levels, it seems as though the students are almost given a free ride. The kids like it and the admin has taken this route so that they don't have to answer to disgruntled parents and keep up the facade of everything's fine. The kids lose in the end when things are set up like this.
3.) Many good teachers are leaving - once again because of the lack of organization at the top and poor working conditions, many good teachers are trying to share their influences in other schools and districts. Once again....the kids lose.
4.) The district seems to rather lose teachers than fix the problems - As long as that's the prevailing thought the kids will continue to lose.
5.) I'm holding on as best I can and trying not to let it bring me to far down, so I just keep telling myself it's almost over.

That's the jist of it and if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Other than that I guess I can end this session. Take care.

Movie reviews

2010-04-18T12:24:00.005-05:00

I'm back with some more movies. Today we'll look at Sherlock Holmes, The Blind Side, Ninja Assassins and one TV Show review - Treme (Truh-may for those outside of Louisiana).

Sherlock Holmes - Robert Downey played a great Sherlock. Backed up by Jude Law as Dr. Watson and you have a funny, action-packed adventure. Mr. Holmes has to help the bobbies figure out how a criminal escapes death to terrorize the town and Sherlock uses all of his deductive skills in order to bring the case to a close. Very smart and funny and now on DVD. Go ahead and enjoy. 2 claps!

The Blind Side - I held off watching this movie because I didn't want to be disappointed so I rented it and by George disappointment. I guess it happens. Story line was pretty flat and predictable and I just didn't care for it. I'm not going to say much about this movie. If you know me you can ask and I'll tell you about it. If you can't get in touch with me I'll let you decide for yourself. 1/2 clap.

Ninja Assassins - In the spirit of old school kung fu movies, Ninja Assassins give you Bruce Lee feel with a Kill Bill effects package. Definitely not an award winner, but if you're a fan of kung fu movies, you know that non of them are. The storyline is pretty straight-forward. A guy is trained as a ninja, but chooses a different path and has the ultimate showdown at the end using all of his skills and some he didn't even know he had. 2 claps for all kung fu lovers.

Treme - I know this isn't a movie, but if you liked The Wire you will be instantly gripped by this show. It takes place 3 months after Hurricane Katrina and it takes a look at how music played a role in the slow and gradual rebuilding of the city. This show in my mind is one worth buying HBO for. Treme (Truh - may) is filled with complex and interesting characters and the story lines are masterfully woven together and significantly rich on their own. Treme has only had one episode so far but it sets itself up to be another award winning series for HBO. I give this a standing ovation.

Clash of the Titans

2010-04-02T12:12:00.003-05:00

This was a nice remake of a good classic. It was entertaining. It won't win any awards but the trials and journeys of Perseus will entertain you while you're there. Sadly enough the effects were just a little better than the first one (lol). Well, if you liked the first one, you'll like this one. It has a very Lord of the Ringsish feel to it, but was still worth the time. For the record... I DID NOT SEE THE 3D version!!!! My 3D boycott is in full effect. And this may be one of the last remakes I see for a while. Magnolia and Angelika theaters here I come!!

1 1/2 claps. Check it out.

Video game reviews

2010-03-31T21:21:00.003-05:00

Video game rating scale:

2 controllers - Must play
1 controller - rental
0 controllers - don't even watch the trailer

1.) Assassin's Creed 2 - If you played the first one, then you'll love this one. It takes place in Florence, Italy and takes you on an adventure with a new assassin. Ezio is the son of a nobleman who finds out who his dad really was only after his death. He is trained in the way of the assassins and has some pretty cool friends that help him along his way to avenge his father's death. Awesome game! 2 controllers on this one.

2.) Resident evil 5 - Fun addition the the Resident Evil line. I hate the fact that you can't move and shoot, but other than that it's pretty fun. Millions of zombies coming for you and you're equipped with a pistol and 10 bullets. LOL! Have fun. You can pick up more ammo and guns on the way, but it's definitely not a kill everyone on the screen game. Sometimes some good old fashion cardio (running) is in order. Online play is fun and I would suggest a bluetooth in order to communicate with your partner. Rent it first and see if you want to add it to your collection. 1 controller.

3.) Band hero - This game is addictive. It has a nice mix of modern and older songs. If you've played any of the guitar heroes or rock bands, you know how addictive this game is. This is awesome when you have at least another person around to challenge or to rock out with. You can play the bass, guitar, drums, or sing. You have options and they are all fun in their own right, but when played together it's awesome!!! 2 Controllers!

4.) Guitar hero 5 - See band hero review. Main difference is that it has more rock songs. 2 controllers.

5.) Guitar hero world tour - See band hero review. A variety of music and fun for all ages.

6.) Prince of Persia - I've had a blast with this game. you're the prince trying to save the world as always. The graphics are amazing and the game play is pretty good also. It gives you hours of fun. You're trying to help a princess restore "light" and order to her world. You cross each other as you're looking for your goat in the desert and from there it's all one big adventure. You won't be disappointed by this game if you enjoy single player games. It'll keep your interested.

Let me know if there are any other games you'd like to see. Til next time take care!!

Family...

2010-03-31T21:12:00.003-05:00

Family is the reason why we're here. We are born, navigate our way through life and eventually we pass on. This inevitable journey is rarely taken alone. We have reasons for being. Those reasons are the relationships we make, break and maintain. In this entry I'm going to use the word family to mean relationships that we keep. With that being established we should take a look at the family we have.

Many people love or loathe their families. Family can be a close network of friends with common interest or those people tied to you by blood that you can't escape if you wanted to or you may be one of the fortunate few with that idealic mix of the two. I feel that I've been blessed with just that. I'll talk about me later but for now we'll stick to the overall view.

When you are born into a family you expect/deserve certain things but that's not always the case. Some natural families let their own fall by the wayside. Whether it's from a lack of concern or from a lack of ability sometimes family can't or won't provide what's needed. This is too true for a lot of people. In these cases family must be sought out.

Everybody needs somebody sometime....That song is on point. The people that you go to or call on can be seen as your family and whether you have the same blood in your veins is irrelevant. What is important is that those are the people you can call on and count on. I'll use my family as an example. I can honestly say that my family has shaped my life and helped me become the person I am today. Fortunately, I've been blessed with awesome parents, a great sister and an extended family like no other. We are there for one another, we support one another and they've all helped to shape my life. I am thankful everyday for the family and upbringing that I've had and I wish the same for others. I know that everyone isn't in the same situation, but I would like to believe that even if a blood family isn't available, I would urge people to take the time to be that family to someone and in turn you will broaden your own family.

These words may reach you in a time of plenty, but just let them ring even louder in the times of darkness and despair. Those dark times are the times when we need someone the most. So, if you have that system set up already, thank them. If you don't, try to find one and to my own support and family I'd like to say "I love you" and "Thank you!" Take care everyone and feel free to leave a comment or suggestions for future blog post. Take care!!

Movie review

2010-03-15T01:00:00.002-05:00

Up in the air - George Clooney earns his sky miles in this one. He takes us across the country with him as he delivers his message. This movie is original and has an awesome musical guest appearance. 2 claps! I see why it was nominated for a bunch of awards.

Movie review essentials

2010-03-15T00:04:00.003-05:00

I guess this should have been in the first movie review post. 2 claps is a movie you should see. 1 clap is rentable. 0 claps, don't waste your time. A standing ovation, then you should be out the door on the way to the theater.

Law abiding citizen - Gerard Butler and Jaime Fox put on a brilliant display. This movie puts you in the mind of Inside Man (2 claps). Butler ends up in jail and the world must pay for it. This is a guy you don't want to mess with. With that being said...Standing ovation goes to this movie.

2012 - John Cusack takes us to the end of the world and back in this sci fi action film. It gives you all of the science, drama, and action you could ask for in a movie. A little on the long side, but worth the time. See it while you still can. 2012 is right around the corner...it just came out on dvd last Tuesday.

Princess and the Frog - Classic Disney animation. The Disney princess has returned with a band of characters that will make you laugh and cry and go through all of the basic Disney emotions. Princess Tiana brings Disney animation back in a big way and takes you back to a time when New Orleans was known for much more than a hurricane. This deserves and receives a standing ovation and a foot stomp.

Zombieland - Woody Harrelson is one of the lone rangers fighting against the zombies. You've seen one zombie movie, you've seen them all. Nothing really different here, just some nice comic relief. This won't win any awards, but it'll keep you gasping and laughing. 1 clap.

If there are any movies you'd like a review on please let me know. Either leave a comment here or reply on twitter www.twitter.com/ogreen32 or on leave me a message on facebook. Thanks for taking the time to read my reviews. Take care.

Movie reviews!!!

2010-03-14T12:41:00.001-05:00

Now to the fun stuff.

1.) Shutter Island - Well written, directed and acted psychological thriller. Scorcese was in rare form with this one and Leo DiCaprio gave a "Titanic" performance. It was about a federal marshal who goes to investigate an escape from an insane asylum but finds out he has more of a connection to the island than he originally expected. It's a good one! I give it 2 claps.

2.) Alice in Wonderland - It wasn't as good as I thought it would be. Depp played a good hatter, but overall I wasn't that impressed. It basically picks up 13 years after Alice first went down the hole and they need her to come back. Alice has grown up and her world is a little different now. It was an interesting concept, but not that well executed. You'll be more entertained watching the Disney cartoon. I give it a clap. View at your own risk or wait for the DVD.

3.) Avatar - Visually stunning! The story line was one that had been done before and honestly if you have seen Ferngully you've seen this movie. This is one case where the effects were really the stars of the movie. It's very long and the 3D effects are awesome, but the 3D glasses will get annoying after about an hour. If you stick it out you will definitely enjoy the movie. I deem it a must see. 2 claps!!

4.) Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief - For all of my mythology fans, you'll like this modern twist on a great classic. Which classic is that you ask? Clash of the Titans!! (Which will be out April 2 - Expect a review). In this movie Percy (Perceus) is told who he truly is and what his missions are. He sets out with some friends to find who stole Zeus' lightning bolt. It's a well paced adventure and a fun story to follow. This gets 2 claps! Enjoy it. It's for young and not so young alike.

As I make my way to the theater over the break look for more reviews. Till then take care!

Childhood obesity

2010-03-14T12:06:00.000-05:00

This is serious topic number two and it should get lighter from here. OK. Let's go! It's no question that our country has an obesity problem. From the kids to the adults. I want to look at the kids. I guess some would ask "why?" but it's not really that hard to figure out. The kids today are obese because they don't get exercise, they have horrible eating habits and because their parents are obese. There I go talking about parents again, but I hope that through these post you start to see how much influence parents have on their kids. So let's dissect this piece by piece.

1.) Not enough exercise. Most kids that are obese don't get enough exercise. Well let's look where they are most of the time....at school. Well shouldn't they be out at recess? No, that has been taken out of most schools so that there is time for test prep. Well don't they get exercise in gym class? No, most schools have reduced the time of their gym classes so that kids have more "instructional time" - test prep. Also, most schools allow students not to participate in any physical activities with a note from the parents. So we're back to the parents. I'm not sure why they do it, but the parents let the kids not exercise at school, so I'm almost convinced they're not getting it at home either, so there is where the issues come in. The schools aren't being allowed to provide students with exercise because they have to get kids ready for the test and the parents are allowing the kids to sit and be sedentary. These two are part of the obesity problem. The next part is the biggie in my mind-nutrition.

2.) When you look at what our kids are eating it's really sad, but what's more unfortunate is that it's cheaper to eat unhealthy than it is to eat healthy in most cases. In some places, healthy choices are just plain hard to find. It's usually in poorer areas where the healthy choices are the hardest to find and these are usually the people suffering from the most dietary diseases. I guess it's like the question of the chicken or the egg. Do poor areas not have healthy choices because they don't want or use them or are there no healthy options because they can't afford them? who really knows. Back to the topic, in the school setting, schools are able to regulate what they serve and because they serve such a large population they get food at cheaper prices. The problem is that they still go with the lowest bidder which is the most unhealthy slop that is available. Instead of paying a few dollars more for something that will actually have some kind of nutritional value. I think districts should be more mindful of what they offer as food to the students since they are not allowing them to get the amount of activity that they need. Again, if they look at the research it shows that schools with healthy lunch programs have less discipline problems and better scores. Why they don't latch on to that research is still beyond me.

3.)Parental obesity- Since this is about childhood obesity I'm not going to say much about the parents except this "If the parents are obese, then the children will more than likely be obese."

For any parents or students reading this, I urge you to go to your local school board and push for a better school lunch program. This will not only help with the health of your child, but with their overall education. Well, that's what research shows... Feel free to comment. Take care!

Spring break is here and boy do I have some stuff to talk about

2010-03-14T11:38:00.000-05:00

I'm going to get the serious stuff out of the way and then move on to some lighter topics. Let's start. Of course education is up on the docket. I was talking with a couple of co-workers about Oprah's school for girls that she opened in Africa and the backlash it got from people here stateside. Her reasoning is what really made me think. It was said that she sent out surveys to see what kids wanted and when she got the surveys back almost overwhelmingly the American kids wanted material goods. The kids from other countries simply wanted schools and education. Armed with that knowledge she embarked on spending her own money to build an all girl school in Africa.

I'm by no means an Oprah fan, but I think this should be a wake up call for those who think that education doesn't need to be addressed in this country. It seems as though it has been taken for granted and that has led to the quandary we're in now. The students are not achieving on a competitive level, the teachers are stressed beyond reason and are leaving the profession and the "expert" and states are not trying to address the true issues. They fire teachers, fire administrators, close schools and when all of that still doesn't work they still refuse to look at the 900 pound gorilla in the room....the parents!

Since education officials like to look at research so much, let's focus on the fact that kids are most influenced by their parents. Kids often times will take the educational, professional, career routes that their parents took. My question is why don't we focus more on this aspect in education? Hmmm, I think I know. Most of the people that are in places of power to make these decisions are too scared to have to actually deal with telling a parent you need to do better because the education system has taken the Disney route. They like to tell the kids that everyone's a winner and can and will do everything you want to do.....without having to put forth any effort. Now they can't stop people from believing that and it's hard to go in a different direction. Secondly, the frivolous lawsuits have made a lot of officials scared to stand for anything because they fear being sued. Just like doctors, school districts play the ultra conservative role to avoid lawsuits. I guess it's necessary, but it ultimately let's the kids down.

All that I want to say is if we expect our kids to learn at a higher level we have to hold them to a higher level. We can't keep giving reprieves for a hard upbringing or because there's only one parent in the house. We have to show them that in order to get an education, you have to want an education. The more you want it the more you get from it and the better you'll be because of it. That's how education was in my house growing up and it's made me a better person. Let's start holding the parents to the flame if you really expect the kids to achieve. If you have any comments feel free to leave some and if not feel free to hang around and read some of my other post. Take care!!

I wonder where some of my students will end up

2010-02-25T20:33:00.001-06:00

I like to think that what I'm a part of is doing some good, but I'm starting to wonder if the current system is railroading some students into career paths that may or may not pan out. What I mean is this. When I go to trainings and staffings and to hear these so-called "experts" talk about the "right" way to teach minority students they seem to always talk about the arts. Now before any of my readers get all upset and start causing a riot, I was a part of the band and have the utmost respect and appreciation for the arts, but what bothers me is the following. Why are black and Hispanic students supposed to be taught using "art"? This is becoming a concern for me. I've been told that working with minority populations I should use art, music, raps, poems, stories, etc in order to help them learn. I think that's a great alternative when the basics have been covered, but how is this helping a student get ready for college or even the work place?

How many students aspire to be art teachers, music teachers, or even musicians? Not many. They think about being rich, having a house, something nice to ride in. Who was the last living artist that was able to say they were living that dream? How many musicians actually make it? Not that many, but that's the life they push these kids towards. They tell us "science and math isn't there thing." or "just let them enjoy acting in the school play." I'm wondering why are we not encouraging these students to do well in all subjects and allow their arts to be compliments to their other studies? I'm not trying to say that the school system is really pushing these kids to fail, but I think soo much more can be done to enhance their education. The current system seems to see young Hispanics and blacks as merely artist, actors, musicians all while allowing them to fall through the cracks and not teaching them to really play the game of life that they will be faced with. Are all Hispanics graffiti aritist? Can all blacks sing and dance? I don't think so. So why are those the skills that are pushed on these students? Why are they not categorized in this way: "Well George Washington Carver was a wonderful scientist, I think little Chris could be one also." or "Justice Sotomayor made it to the supreme court, maybe Andrea could get there one day too." Why aren't these conversations the norm? They should be. The prevailing thought shouldn't be that these students are artistically inclined so let's teach them all that way. It gets a little irritating to see.

If you're a student reading this, do your best in everything you do. You can be a great artist, actor, musician as well as a great historian, scientist or mathematician. Don't let anyone tell you the only talent you have is such and such. For any bold administrators that dare to read something like this. Take a look at your own school and see if you are doing this on your campus. Finally for any teacher that reads this. Be sure to encourage your kids to continue to learn across curricula and DO NOT let a child feel that they can only be one thing or the other. It's our job to show these kids that the world is theirs and they must find ways to seize every opportunity that they have.

I'm out folks. I hope someone can take this and it lights a spark that can help get this country and our students going in a positive direction. Leave comments and take care.

Politics- part 2

2010-02-25T19:05:00.000-06:00

The second part of my politics post has to deal with the President. Many "Black Leaders" are starting to push the president to help the black community. Well, I'd love to see a fat check in the mail one day but that's not going to happen but as far as what would help blacks in America is the following....an agenda. That's the one thing that we're missing as a people. We have no unified platform to stand on or stand around. Are there things that need to be fixed in the black community? Yes. Are there things that African Americans need to do for themselves? Yes. Are there things that the government could do to help? Yes. What I don't think is that Barack Obama is going to or should have to sit down in the oval office and single-handedly write up a proposal or plan to help just black people. He is the first black president, true, but he is first of all the President of the United States of America. His focus needs to be on the betterment of the country not just blacks. What I will admit is that minorities are disproportionately effected by the fluctuations in the economy, incarceration rates, joblessness, poor education, and discrimination. What does this mean for African-Americans? We do need to step up and do what we need to do to make ourselves better, our community better and in turn make this country better. I wish it was as easy as having a black president, but that would truly be a fantasy. What I'm charging African-Americans to do is to come together. We're not crabs and this world is not our bucket. We have the opportunities to be educated, let's use it. Not to just get out of the hood, but to make the path for those that come behind us a little bit more defined. Until we have a platform to take to Washington, we're not going to see anything different from what we've seen in the past. As the old adage goes - The squeaky wheel gets the oil. Until we squeak as much and as loud as all of the other wheels, we will continue on our path which is one of little advancement. We've been able to make it through some rough times in the past and we have an opportunity to shape the history of this young country. Let's come together and do what it takes in order for us to show the resilience and the brilliance of African-Americans in this country. It's on us to make this happen. Take care.

Politics

2010-02-25T18:28:00.000-06:00

Some of you that know me know that I like to follow politics as best I can understand. I was listening to the radio today and there were a few reports that really struck me. One was on the economy and the other was on the whether or not President Obama was really helping out black people in America. (Note: this post may be a little more racially and politically charged than usual so if you think it may be too much for you please feel free to stop reading now.)

First, I've heard numerous news outlets talking about how the economy is bouncing back and recoveries are starting to happen, but I think a larger problem is looming. We have banks that were "too big to fail", but now they're even bigger and even less likely to lend to common people. That's one issue, that's honestly outside of my understanding but I thought it was noteworthy. The real issue I want to talk about is the job market. With tens of thousands of people laid off every couple of weeks so it seems, I wonder why people think that all of the "new poor" - people who were middle class, but got laid off and have been out of work for 9-12 months - will be able to find new jobs? What I mean by this is that companies today are only after one thing, profit. So my question is why would they hire on new workers if they are still turning the same or possibly more profit with a reduced staff? It doesn't seem likely that they will try to hire droves of people just because the economy is turning around. Does it seem likely to you? I don't really see it happening and unfortunately good people were laid off, will get laid off and fewer and fewer people will get hired. That would be my prediction and Lord knows I hope I'm wrong, but my logical mind tells me that these companies will keep making money, people will keep losing jobs and the gap between poor and rich will continue to grow and the middle class will continue to shrink and become less and less important in this society. It's not looking good but I hope that things become more idealic like the world that was promised to us in campaigns and commercials, but maybe I'm hopelessly hoping for a world that is far gone, or never existed at all. Until people care for other people, issues like this will more than likely remain an issue and have less of a chance of ever being resolved. I'll finish this post in a second part. Take care.

part 5 - A change

2010-02-20T10:26:00.000-06:00

Now for a serious post. I think I'm ready to change my career path or at least my current situation. I love my coworkers, but I'm not feeling admin from central office all the way down. I feel like the basic goal of a teacher has changed. It seems like we have simply become classroom managers instead of educators. The admin seems to be more worried about not angering a parent than trying to make sure students are getting the education they need. They try to stop things or block things trying to keep from upsetting a parent before things even get a chance. This is ludicrous.

I signed on to try to educate America's youth, not to be an under-appreciated babysitter. I'm sick of having to give a kid work that's not trying to do anything all semester, but has "paperwork" that says they need extra time. A whole 5 weeks??? Is that extra enough? That's ridiculous and admin just keeps letting these kids work them and the system. I've seen students pass without having done a lick of work but the teachers can't fail them because admin doesn't want to have to "deal" with the paperwork or the parents so the teachers are urged to let them pass. The amount of paperwork on the teacher to fail the non producing student is immense. I'm done with this foolishness. These kids are allowed to skate through while you have some students that actually do their work and try and they are the ones who really suffer. The knuckleheads are given numerous chances and the good kids are being punished for dress code violations. What sense does that make? I'm lost. I need something else.

I've already started talking to some contacts and my placement for next year is uncertain at this point. I would hate to leave my coworkers, but it seems like the culture at my current location is changing anytime soon. We have too many personal agendas going on and the kids get lost in the shuffle. It's sad. We need to do better as a society if this is what education has come to. I see why people leave the profession....

part 4 - 4 day weekend

2010-02-20T10:23:00.000-06:00

We had a four day weekend thanks to the 12 and a half inches of snow we had in 24 hours and boy it was relaxing. I enjoyed the extra days off and it was very refreshing. I'm positive that was the most snow I've ever seen in my life. I was happy to see it, but I was glad to see it go. We need a 4 day work week. I hope someone gets that passed. That would be great. Every Friday or Monday off. I'd take it. Now I'm curious as to which day they're going to take away for our snow day?

part 3 - New phone

2010-02-20T10:15:00.000-06:00

I just got a new phone and I'm amazed. This nexus one is phenomenal. I've never had anything like it. For all who know me, I love my g1. It's like my first born, but this new phone is a definite upgrade. I love the multitasking, the screen, battery life is better than my g1, and the headphone jack it FTW. I'm thankful for the chance to be able to get it (thanks tax return!!). Now I'm looking into the future for when I can get a netbook running google's chrome os. This is definitely my nerd post. I'm truly embracing my inner nerd at this point. Friends and family alike come to me like tech support and even my mom told me I was in the wrong profession. Any mobile tech folks that want to pay me I'm willing to work and I'm a fast learner!!!

Part 2 - All star weekend

2010-02-20T10:03:00.000-06:00

First off, thanks Gene for being awesome!! Now to the game. I had a good time at the game. As for the venue, I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be. It was big, but not as big as I thought but that HD screen was gorgeous. The new Cowboys stadium is a wonderful venue for watching football, but it's capacity for basketball left a lot to be desired. The jumbotron controller needs to be fired or maybe go to a basketball game or two to see how it should be done. We were sitting pretty high up, so watching the actual game was hard but I figured since that screen was there it would be ok. Yeah right!! This guy tried to replay everything and you would miss one play because he was showing a slow motion free throw that just happened. Then the game itself was sort of lackluster, but I'm still thankful for the opportunity. One good thing is that I made it into the Guiness book of world records. I was part of the largest crowd ever to attend a basketball game!!! One for the ages.

I have many parts to get through. Stick with me pt 1

2010-02-20T09:57:00.000-06:00

Sorry it's been a while folks, but I've been moving and shaking. I'm gonna make this a multi-part post so it doesn't wear anyone out. Enough of the intro I'm gonna get right to it. First and foremost I must say Geaux Saints!!! Superbowl champs. I never thought I'd live to see the day. I wish my grandpa could've been around to see it, but I know he had a better view than most. The Saints played a great game and I'm happy to see them on top of their game. It's been 2 yrs but I can now say WE are the champions!! take that Archie!! Telling both of your boys not to go to the Saints. I guess you call it poetic justice.

I have my shirts, my hat and a second line in my heart. Bless you boys!!

Here they go again

2010-02-03T20:59:00.000-06:00

Well I've just been informed (yesterday) that Texas is changing its state test again. No more TAKS talk, now it's all about Staars. Well isn't this something, they haven't found a way to deal with the ever growing drop out rate, the abuse of the special ed system, broken families, lack of support and resources for teachers and campuses, teacher wash out/turn over, but you want to just go ahead and change things up. Smart move Texas.

I'm not from here, so coming in as an outsider and being able to objectively look at this I can say for certain that this system is a mess. The state has yet to go at the root of the educational issues. They are quite content with only trying to treat the symptoms instead of fighting the bug that makes everyone suffer. This top down education system is frustrating for teachers and in the end, it hurts the kids. From what I'm seeing, the kids are the last people being looked out for regardless of what people are told. The legislators love to run on education merely to let it be the first thing they don't have time for. Then they bring it back up at re-election time and then the cycle repeats. It's about time that communities hold the law makers to their promises and start trying to build the education system. Notice I said build and not reform. The current system clearly needs to be replaced. Reform will not get it to where it needs to be. Going forward as a country we need to put education back at the forefront if we plan for our country and our future to continue to grow we need to make sure our people are educated. If education fails so do we.

I would encourage you to take a look at what's going on in today's education system and try to collectively come up with some solutions to get us back on the right track. Talk to a teacher, talk to a student, talk to the school board and then put some of that talk into action. I always say that "1 concerned citizen is a thousand times more effective than 100 concerned and frustrated teachers." so help when and how you can and don't be afraid to voice your concern about the state of our education system. Take it from me, we need your help and our country needs your help. As always, take care and please feel free to leave any comments you may have. Thank you.

Why is school free?

2010-01-31T08:13:00.000-06:00

I was just thinking about this the other day while I was talking to my dad and then I went to a training yesterday and the question was posed again, so I figured I must be on the right track. I had a thought earlier this week and it really got me thinking. "What if all public schools charged for students to attend?" I'm not talking a private school type tuition, but something like $500 per year. A little more than $2.75 per school day. It would help pay for school improvements, better lunches, better facilities etc. What would be so wrong with this?

The more I thought about it, the more I actually liked the idea. This is how I would see it playing out. The home property taxes would go down because schools were no longer solely funded by the number of houses in the area. If a student lived in one area but went to a school in a neighboring area, the school would still be financially supported by that student and their family. Schools that have large apartment populations would also reap the benefits of more cash flow from their students. I think this would take a great burden off of school budgets to pay for student who aren't paying for the school as in the current system. It would also allow a stream of revenue for other academic endeavors such as school technology and building projects. Districts would be able to allocate more money to teachers, administrators and personnel since actual per school cost will have a way of being covered. These are just some thoughts.

I'm sure some will argue that "All kids can't afford it." or "That's wrong to make kids to pay for school.". I disagree. I feel that if you want a quality product you should be willing to pay for it. When these same kids buy Jordan's, Coogi sweaters, true religion jeans, baby phat outfits, coach handbags, and ipods I don't hear anyone complaining about cost, so what's so different about their education? If a parent is willing to pay $400 for a playstation 3 with 1 controller and no games you think $500 for the ability to read, write and comprehend would be a bargain. Sadly enough, the masses don't see it this way. They expect a free education. They expect people to want to deal with their unruly children and like it and then they turn around and want to bash the people who take their time and efforts and give their all to try to teach the masses. They say "those who can't do, teach." Well I'd like to see some of those same people stand in front of a crowd of 30 uninterested, unmotivated, untrained, disrespectful strangers and teach them anything. Then you'll see what one class is like. Good luck!

I think a paid education would allow for most of the principles that people want to see in schools. If you're paying, then you expect a good product. This would mean that parents would be more apt to actually take a vested interest in their child's education because they are now footing the bill. Since you are paying, you can now expect teachers, principals and the like to provide the best service available to your child. It's not like they aren't already, but now when you say "I would like to meet with you because I feel something may need to be done better" you have a leg to stand on and the school would be far more apt to listen because it's your business they would like to keep. By supporting your child's school, you could demand for better food, services, supplies and production from your school and what the kicker would be is that the school will actually have funding to implement the changes without the red tape.

These are just ideas of how I think things would go in a paid education system, but I don't think it would be a bad thing. Sure there are holes that I would have to sure up and guidelines that would still need to be put in place but the overall premise is one that I think needs to be looked at moving forward with today's education system. If you have any more ideas, suggestions, concerns, rebuttals, dissenting opinions please feel free to leave a comment or two. Don't forget to follow @ogreen32 on twitter or at ogreen32.blogspot.com for all of the latest updates. Take care!

Late night

2010-01-28T00:54:00.000-06:00

Can't sleep. I know I should be. I definitely have work in the morning, but I'm not tired and I'm just thinking about some things.

1.) I really like these new google extensions on their chrome browser.
2.) I would really like to look into this public policy PhD a little more. I think I can do some good in that area.
3.) I'm feeling this iheartradio app. Q93 and FM 98 are bringing me back. I still think those are the best two radio stations ever. Q93 is still tops in my book.
4.) I would love to be a full-time, well-paid tech blogger where I could work from home and keep my finger on the pulse of mobile tech and gadgetry, I'll keep working towards that.
5.) I'm glad I cleaned the gutters today. We're supposed to have some bad rain on the way.
6.) I agree with Sakina, I'm done with winter.
7.) I hate going to the doctor. I'm never that sick.
8.) I'm completely stoked about getting married.
9.) Sometimes I wish I could use more of my talents, but I'll be patient and use them at the appropriate times.
10.) I love my family and friends. Yall are the best.
11.) The Saints finally made it to the super bowl.
12.) I like law and order but I secretly urge to be a dissident and militant/rebel. I'm not sure what that's all about.
13.) Kids will be kids.
14.) We need to start doing what's right and not what's popular.
15.) Deal with the root cause of the problem. Don't just put a band aid on it.
16.) There's never enough money. We'd be better off without it. It causes too many problems.
17.) Be kind to the Earth.
18.) Chance is an awesome dog.
19.) I love my g1.
20.) Feel free to add your own comments. I'm done for now. Take care.

Healthcare

2010-01-27T01:38:00.001-06:00

I don't have too favorable view of our current health care system. Thank the good Lord I'm in relatively good health and it's rare that I have to go to the doctor, but when I do I feel the pain in the wallet.

The past couple of times I've gone I've had to come out of pocket quite a bit for nothing. Both times I went to urgent care clinics (primacare and care now) and in both cases I saw a doctor for about 5 minutes and in one case a PA and both basically told me to keep doing what I was doing and sent me on my way. Both times I was given at least a $200 bill. Really? Thats ridiculous! Something has to give.

Obviously the government can't fix it, so I'm hoping maybe someone reading this can find something that works better than our current system. I have insurance but I have to fulfill an out of pocket deductible before they start paying and the deductible is not cheap (it was the only option they presented me). So, my one doctor visit every other year continues to cost me just like if I had no insurance at all. Just pathetic. I'm truly at a loss. Let's get it together American insurance companies and health care system. Do something right.

Feel free to leave a comment. I look forward to hearing if you've had any similar experiences. Take care! Oh and don't get sick.

Computers

2010-01-20T22:28:00.000-06:00

I've been gone for a bit but I'm back! This will be a totally geeked out post, but feel free to read along. I'm tired of windows, I don't care for mac so what do I do? I'm looking at some linux based operating systems, but they're a bit more technical than I'm comfortable dealing with so I'm just up in the air. I'm downloading this OS called jolicloud and I'll see how this goes. It's made for netbooks, but supposedly it runs on laptops too. I just wish we had more of a choice in the computing world. More than just mac and pc would be a dream. If you have any comments, feel free to leave it in the comment section. Take care.

Back in the saddle

2010-01-11T00:22:00.001-06:00

A break. It's just what the doctor ordered. Along with some crafty switching of students in my classes. I feel a thousand times better about my situation. The Lord has once again worked his magic and for that I'm eternally grateful. I've had some new opportunites open up for me and I'm focusing on the positive. I guess if I were a resolution type, I would say that this year I'm going to focus on the positive but I was doing that anyway. I wanted to start this year off with a positive post and some good foresight for the rest of the year. Here's how I see it: 1.) By spring break I'll be a beast at rock band on ps3 2.) The wedding is going to be great. 3.)This summer I'll get some work done around the house. 4.) My friends and family will be blessed and finally this is going to be a great year. So live it up. Tell someone you love em and be thankful for everyday you're here. One other thing, before the end of this year I'll get a new phone :). Take care!

Back on the grind!!

2010-01-03T21:38:00.000-06:00

Well good folks! Tomorrow puts me back into the real world. The world of schedules and deadlines and benchmarks and everything else school related. I've enjoyed a wonderful break and I feel that I have refocused as much as I could to get ready for this next semester. We plan on pushing the kids as much as we can in order to squeeze as much academic juice out of them as possible. This break has given me time to ground myself and escape from the roughness this school year has brought. I look forward to keeping myself going by focusing on the positive around me and trying to let the negative come and go without me missing a beat. I'm thankful for the new opportunity that I have been given to do some writing and reviewing for droiddog.com. That gives me a chance to keep up with one of my favorite past times, mobile technology. As my mom said, I should be a part of the geek squad. Why not? Maybe, I'll put in an application soon. Who knows? It's about that time for me to start looking towards tomorrow. I hope everyone has a wonderful night and a great week. Take care and for the record the Kardashian show sucks.

First video review

2010-01-03T05:02:00.000-06:00

Well my dear readers. I did my first cell phone rom review for droiddog.com and I'm pretty excited about it. I was honestly nervous making it, but I think it came out pretty good. I plan on doing more so I'll post them as I do them. If you have anything you'd like me to do a video over please let me know and I'll see what I can do. Thanks and as always, take care.

A happy holiday

2009-12-26T20:21:00.001-06:00

I'm on the plane on the way back from the dell (Slidell,Louisiana) and I'm thinking back on how good my Christmas was. We had a small gift exchange, we ate and we enjoyed family. I couldn't have asked for anything more (it would've been nice if my fiancee could've come but she had to work...). I'm thankful for the friends and family I have and the invaluable gifts and blessings they have given to me and the world as a whole. I am truly blessed. This Christmas allowed us all to focus on what we have instead of what we wanted. We were thankful that we had all we needed and everythong else is just lagniappe. I received a t-shirt from my sister and the excitement it brought me you would've thought she just gave me a small fortune. It's times like these that make me truly believe in a divine love. The bond that runs through my family is stronger than anything man could come up with and I am blessed to be able to share that with others and in a few short months there is a beautiful female that I will be able to begin yet another bond with and man am I excited! I have to say this year has been one with ups and downs (we got your back dad), with twist and turns (you'll get the job sis) and loop de loops (friendship first mom) but one that can be looked back on as a year that brought out the best in those around us and allowed us all to some self-evaluation. Thanks 2009 for giving us a year to remember and one to grow from and I look forward to 2010! Let's get it.

How google got it right (kind of)

2009-12-23T16:21:00.001-06:00

As I sit on this plane heading home for the holidays, I'm listening to a podcast and writing on my blog. Sounds like a productive plane ride to me. I was just thinking about how my g1 can still hold it's own against most phones out there now. Granted, the internal memory is wack, the battery life sucks , and it looks a little frumpy but the functionality is all there. Can I do what a mytouch does? Yes. Do I have the same processor as most other android phones? Yes. When rooted can I do anything your android can do and more? Yes I can and these things allow me to make the statement "google got it right". I know some folks will say what they will but what has kept me from buying another phone thus far has been the simple fact that my phone can still do 'that'. Yes I rooted my phone and some would say that doesn't apply to most consumer phones and I see their point but I look at it from this perspective. Rooted or not, people still use the g1 as the base phone from which to develop and run roms, apps and anything else to push android forward. With that being said I still will put my g1 up against whatever you bring and until the next best thing comes out I'll stick with it.

Dear santa (android wishlist),

2009-12-23T11:54:00.001-06:00

Hey big guy! I'm just sitting around thinking about all of the things I'm thankful for and thought to myself that I forgot to write my Christmas list for you. I know it's a little late and the elves are swamped already but here goes. I would like a phone with a 1ghz processor, 5-10 gb of internal memory, a black g1 like keyboard, a 3.7-4in amoled screen, a battery that lasts 3-4 days but is not at all bulky (maybe hydrogen cell or nuclear or some kind of alien technology would work), slimmer than an iphone, 3.5 mm headphone jack, android 3.0 w/cyanogen influences, a camera with flash that would impress the likes of Noah over at phonedog, apps2sd option,root option, voip ability, tmo hsdpa+,and a price tag of $200 or less. That will be all. I hope you can deliver. You haven't let me down yet. Merry Christmas and I'll be sure to leave you some milk and cookies :)

I'm gonna try my hand at it...

2009-12-21T13:07:00.001-06:00

A friend of mine is a software developer and now an avid android geek (like myself) and he asked if I'd be interested in helping him make some apps. now to say I'm excited would definitely be an understatement. To say that I'm nervous would also be a complete understatement. I haven't written a line of code since college and I don't want to be the hold up, but he said he'd take the reigns and walk me through it. This could be the start of my part time career, full time hobby and all around good times. I'll definitely keep you posted on how this goes and will soon probably start taking suggestions as to what types of apps, themes, and android goodies you would like to see. Wish me luck and hopefully I'll be able to one day start helping with development for our wonderful android community. That's all for now. Take care!

Why i really love android

2009-12-17T10:25:00.001-06:00

Last year for Christmas I was given a brand new g1. It was my first smartphone and I wasn't sure the ins and outs of a smartphone so I started researching. I started joining forums and reading blogs and slowly but surely I started to see. Not only was this new, sort of clunky looking phone nothing short of a pocket computer, but it was also a key. It was the key into the world of android and boy what a world it has become.

I remember early on just browsing the forums trying to see what folks are talking about. They would say "my phone can do this" or "my phone can do that" or "the battery sucks" or "it's gonna be an iphone killa!". All of those things intrigued me but I was still learning about apps and open source and all of the other caveats of this little green robot. I started to look into what google had to offer and realized it could do more than just search and it was all hyper-connected to my phone. I slowly and more confidently started to see the potential this little giant had. So I start posting in forums and asking questions and finding out the little intricacies of my g1 and I was on my way.

A few months later, completely comfortable with what I have, I start reading about rooting. I say to myself "Self. What's that all about? Who really needs to do that?" The more I read the more it pulls me in and then one night around 11pm with my palms sweating and heart racing my phone gets rooted and another part of the android world opens up to me. Not only is the phone a key to another world, but it is your pass to meet new people and be a part of a wonderful communtiy that is built on building new relationships, pushing the platform forward and helping out a fellow droid. This is what really sold me on android. I think the phones are great, the OS is coming along beautifully, but it's the people that make android what it is today. I would like to say "thanks" to those that have driven the development, started the websites, moderated the forums, answered questions, lent a hand when needed and have helped people see that you don't have to be scared to blaze your own trail. Like field of dreams, if you build it they will come and google built it and we were there for the flocking.

I truly am impressed with how far android has come in a year and look forward to being a part of it's continued growth and success. Thanks google for everything, thank you to all the people who have helped me out so far and I appreciate the communtiy as a whole. Y'all are great! Have a wonderful holiday season and bring on the nexus one!

The holidays

2009-12-17T09:36:00.001-06:00

I guess the holidays do bring most people a sense of peace. As I watch the kids work through their finals (which we had an increase in passing percentage from last year in science), I finally am starting to feel resolved. I don't have this angst anymore that I've been carting around. I don't feel as negative coming into work and I may be seeing a little glimmer of hope for this year. That brings me back to my original point. I think these feelings are mainly stemming from the fact that the holidays are upon us and for me so is a 2 week break. Time for friends, family and a clear mind and conscience. I'm thankful for all of the above mentioned things. I look forward to a relaxing break, a rejuvination of spirit and some much needed time off. I wish everyone "happy holidays!" and may you all be blessed. Take care.

Good for the soul

2009-12-13T22:29:00.000-06:00

I took Friday off from work due to a heck of a migraine I had on Thursday night, complete with throwing up and all. That day off really showed me that we all need time away from what we do no matter how much we like it. Work is still work. On Friday I actually felt productive for the first time in a while. I went to the dentist, I played a new game I have on ps3, I got a chance to catch up on the latest android news and I got a chance to really just relax my mind and my body. I'm thankful for my day off and look forward to doing it again. I hope that all who read this take a cue from your's truly and take some time for yourself and enjoy the relief and relaxation.

Maybe they finally see

2009-12-08T11:47:00.001-06:00

I was talking to a couple of my students today and one said "I'm scared of the future." The other one turned and asked why? The first one said "because when everybody Mr. Green's age dies it'll only be us left and I don't think we can run the earth on our own." Wow! That was an epiphany for the ages.

It sort of scares me that this is where the kids are and they're finally seeing that they are in some trying times. Well I guess, like my student said, I'll be dead so it's a problem they have to face on their own. I hope they're ready. For those who have paid attention and learned something I leave you the world. For all the others, I leave you with a wish of good luck. Take care.

Finally!

2009-12-07T12:45:00.001-06:00

Well tomorrow I get to meet with a parent. Why you say? As an intervention to help her child learn? Of course not. In reference to a phone call home about her child's lack of progress? No silly! It's because I took his brush away last week. Yep, that's how to get a parent to the school. Take something away. But don't cry for me Argentina, I'm going to bring the failure documentation I have and see if we can actually have a real discussion. Should be interesting. That's all for now. Have a good one folks!

And the day gets better!!

2009-12-05T21:15:00.001-06:00

Now that I have a sinus headache I decided to stay in tonight and rent a movie. I was in line at the local blockbuster and two people were in line in front of me. They were making small talk with the cashier and at first I wanted to get annoyed but then I tuned in to what they were talking about. The customers were showing the cashier their g1's and the cashier replied "I have a droid." My heart immediately felt warm. He went on to say how he liked it coming from a windows mobile device and he enjoys the android platform. One of the customers turned and looked at me then looked at her boyfriend and said "We're holding up the line." I replied "I have a G1 also. Please, continue." As in star wars, google is building a droid army. It's nice to see people opening their minds to something other than an iphone. Let's go android!! Have a good night world.

New found love!!! Well, not really new.

2009-12-05T19:15:00.001-06:00

For those who know me I love my phone. Well today that love was strengthened. LOL! This is the type of love a dog has for his favorite chew toy. I'm joking I'm joking, but I really do have a new found appreciation for my little pocket pc. Today I was coming home from watching the Crimson tide roll clean over the Florida Gators and I decided to try out google navigation which is included on google maps on my lovely little device (tmobile-g1). I put in the coordinates to my house and then put on some music also playing from my phone and started to drive. I think to myself "Self, not only is this phone navigating me home, but it's also playing some of my favorite tunes" (ding - text message coming in but I can't read it. No texting and driving). This is awesome. This little thing is doing all of this and is not missing a beat. Since when were phones able to do so much at the same time??? I don't know. As I came up to a red light, I picked up my phone and hit the home button and all of my running apps were moved to the notification bar. I pulled down the bar and it told me the next instructions to keep on track. As I ride and Lupe Fiasco is enlightening me the music fades and the phone then tells me to turn at the next light. I'm blown away. I'm just really impressed with my little phone. It's awesome. I'd like to hear from some of my iphone followers. Does your phone give you directions and play music and receive texts all at the same time? I'm just curious. Try it out and let me know how that goes for you. LOL! Have a wonderful weekend.

On a lighter note - ring, ring, ring

2009-12-05T01:34:00.001-06:00

I really enjoy my new hobby of dabbling in the mobile telecom industry. Since I got my phone (tmobile g1) I've basically gone all in. I spend time reading cell phone blogs, modifying my phone and trying to keep up with what's new in the cell phone world. It changes just about daily, but I found that I have come across a really awesome community of bloggers, techies, and like-minded cell phone enthusiast. They're willing to share advice, opinions, and offer help at anytime. I'm thankful for my new found communtiy and I'm happy to be a part of it. Now if I can only get my fiancee to stop saying "I'm going to ungift your phone from you" or "you spent too much time on your phone" I think I'll be ok ;). Take care and find a hobby!

An 8th grade observation

2009-12-05T01:17:00.001-06:00

One of my students has written me a series of poems about her observations in class. Interestingly enough it started on career day where she looked around and noticed other students not paying attention while the various speakers were talking and it concerned her. So she wrote a poem about it. She gave me the poem and I read it and it mirrored many of the sentiments I've posted on this blog. That made me think. She then went on to write two more poems about her day to day in class. That too mirrored many things I've either said or thought. That really got me thinking....

If a student is able to express concerns about the other students in class, then there is obviously a problem. I do my best to deal with these students but it's like trying to dig a hole in a pool of water. When you scoop more fills right back in. It's tragic that students like my little poet have to suffer because of a lack of discipline by other students, lack of training from home and the lack of a true system to deal with problem students.

These kids are fine being suspended, don't show up for detention, don't mind failing and have very little respect for themselves or others. What do you do with a student like that? That's the question facing many teachers now. You try to focus on the students trying to learn, but you can only ignore or supress the "other" student for so long before they start to distract and influence others.

I still plan on teaching to the best of my ability and hoping to help students like my poet to reach her full potential. I know she will. Beyond that I'm going to continue to struggle with grading policies and procedures and overall frustrations of the education system, but I plan to try to be as positive as possible through it all. As always, thanks for your time and I'll post the poems on a later day. Take care and feel free to follow or share this with a friend.