Out of the woodwark via Alaska FB, syracuse, MIAMi, and new Hampshire?

Well, louise is up in alaska but, FB is everywhere and thus, i am too. So this guy Jason, who is turns out went to Syracuse with her, and was on the rowing team with her, and never spoke to her much...asked to be her friend. And, she isn't so excited about it right now. the reason being, he is adamantly against any form of government supported or designed health care program. He is a capitalist, he is wealthy, he is selfish and not afraid to say it. he doesn't want to pay one cent towards healthcare for anyone other than himself or his direct family members. Louise, her friend Joe and I have been in a dialogue with this fool for two days now. we shoot facts his way, he shoots opinion and heresay back at us. He reminds us of the long lines all over the world, and the fact that people can't always get an MRI when they 'want it,' in Canada. Then, we point out that the US residents spend over $7000 per person, per year on health care. That, the united states spends more money on health care than any other nation in the world and yet, we rank 37 in the world for health care. he told us that he works hard for his money and he doesn't want to share it. He is a landlord of a building in Miami...okay.
He noted that our founding fathers and the pilgrims before them didn't want to be told what to do so, they moved here. Taxing tea is a bit different than providing health care to help citizens pursue 'life, liberty, happiness and property.' which is what we are all supposed to be doing, right. He is from New Hampshire by the way, he noted the state motto on the liscence plates,' live free, or die.' well, guess what....that is just what is going to happen. we are going to die. people without health care will get sicker, get virus's and they will spread and the top 1% of the population, who controls 40% of the wealth in the US economy, will get just as sick as the lower 99% of us. This is what will happen and he deserves to be first in line. Tell you what...if he flees to canada, they will take care of him for free.

Teachers should be held accountable. A New Day Will Come...But, Joe is Still Gone

I have a big deep hole in the middle of my soul where my dear friend Joe's heart used to live. I don't really or, rather I do really or, I just don't know or enjoy GRIEF! Dang...what happened. I keep thinking that I can come to terms with it. But, I can't. I just can't and won't. I keep waiting for him to call or, walk back in the door, or take me to a game. Penney is great. Joe would love him. New day...new pitcher with a heart of gold.

So, what am I going to do. I have another pit in my stomach...in my soul that needs to be filled....and it can only be filled by me. I need to find purpose. I keep wondering where and when to go. I keep hoping that I can figure it out. But, I am depressed and unmotivated. This is because I feel useless. I feel like a failure. I was laid off. I went back to school after sitting on the couch for a long year, and then I earned my BA finally. And then I earned and MA. I loved it. It was a challenge. But, a tremendously, fulfilling, extraordinary one.

But, the path I am trying to follow keeps closing me out and I don't know how to open it again. I can't play the games. I can't suck it up. But, I have to because there is no choice. There is no financial security for being a good teacher. There is emotional reward. But, that keeps getting tossed aside to. They take and they give take and give. This time perhaps forever.

Will the older, last of the tenured, ever retire? Can they? Unlike other professions, you don't age out of teaching. You can always do it. Especially if you are unable to be fired. So, you may do it; but there is no guarantee that you do it well.

I say 'last of the tenured,' because I really think that it is time to phase it out. I think of all the professions in the world, teaching is among the most important professions. Teachers need to be held accountable. We need to separate the teachers from the researchers from the writers...

We can all be scholars. But, we can be scholarly teachers OR researchers. Teachers can do research and continue to learn....but, should RESEARCHERS, who are not necessarily strong teachers be teaching?

I think this is the big conundrum.

So perhaps its time to start over AGAIN?

i am not giving up; but it sure seems as though someone wants me too! not my friends of course. they support me every which way they can and it means SO MUCH TO ME! I guess that is what it really is all about. I can't say that I am happy to be laid off next semester and perhaps for many to come; but I can say without a doubt, that I have the best family and friends in the world. I am loved and I love. And, ultimately that is what really matters.

I will I will I will write the book. I will I will I will write the book.

Oi Vey...the mantra begins. But, first...the civic mirror, food for thought learning community, john locke, michael pollan and the US constitution await my wonderful class at CSM! And, I am going to love every minute of it!

Health Care Insurance Companies Keep Teachers Out of Work

Ultimately, there is little opportunity to get a full time job as a teacher as long as there is no system of universal health care in our country. Paying me to teach isn't the problem. Paying for limitless health care for the rest of my life is.

Yet another reason that I am considering a Canadian option!

Fair today Gone tomorrow: Who says the two-party system is here to stay?

Ed and I walked along the train tracks to the county fair yesterday. We spent a great day listening to excited, passionate musicians sing and play the guitar, keyboards and drums for hours and hours. The musicians were all from CSM! They included Helen sweet Helen who is always hard at work in the theater, on the dance stage, helping students create confident selves...SHE SURE CAN BELT OUT a SONG~! What a rich, deep, sexy voice. Ed and I were blown away. Rudy ...boy o' boy CAN HE PLAY A GUITAR! Watch out world...this man can jam with the best of them:) Although he jammed on the keyboards yesterday, our cool Prez Mike Claire can also play guitar and the drums! Who woulda thunk it!
We ate deep fried twinkies...what a decadent treat! Than we had a free grilled lamb chop followed by curly fries....at least three potatoes, peeled in an unending string of delight, placed in a basket and fried like any other...but, oh it was not any other! It was the size and shape of hat! SO DELICIOUS!~ Saw Megan and Jacquie too! And Heather and Bev and Mario and so many people. What a great treat. The CSM stage and booths were rocking ! Lots of fun in the sun! I also met Kathy Schwartz for the second time. She is President of our Trustees. What an amazing, passionate lady. She really loves her schools! And, I do think she will help us in anything she is able to.

Still no health care plan to think of. Bill Maher was great yesterday. The Democratic Deputy House Whip was on and she is soooooo part of the problem. She doesn't think we are doing anything wrong. GIVE ME A BREAK. The dems are acting like whimps and were letting them get away with it again. How much more can we take! Pluralism only works if it is allowed. The dems and reps won't let another party near their private one. It really is time to get our act together and branch off progressives! Its been done before...just not since the 17-1800's. "Stupid, is a pre-existing condition," and there seem to be a lot of people afflicted with it. Help me cure the nation - get rid of the two party system!!!

Roll over and have a great semester!

I am SO excited to be back at school during the day. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy teaching at night too but, I enjoy semester long classes. I have so much I want to introduce to my class. We are going to be part of the "Food for Thought," learning community this semester and examine our relationship to food. We are going to participate in the Civic Mirror nation building simulation and create, divide, perhaps conquer one another as we learn how to legislate, raise families, provide resources for ourselves and our communities. I met with the new co-President, CFO and two of my co-advisers for the Phi Theta Kappa honors fraternity on Tuesday after the Kick Off celebration. Everyone is so excited, organized and eagerly anticipating all of the lessons we will learn and the adventures we will take on our journey to learn them. What a great time of year. It doesn't matter if you are in 3rd grade, as our college Pres. Mike Claire said at 'kick-off' the other day or, in college: the first day of school ROCKS!

I am having a little controversy already. I seem to have some friction with an older adjunct who likes to control how the world works. Unfortunately, it interferes with how I work. I hadn't seen this person in 8 months, before this last Tuesday. I decided to try to initiate a new relationship with this person, because I really don't think we are that different. In fact, we have a lot of the same hopes for our students. However, that fell apart yesterday. I can't explain why right now. Just know that it kept Ed and I up talking until 1am. I contacted my Dean. I told this person I will sit down with him, if my Dean is there. But, really....I reminded myself last night; don't sweat the small stuff. And, to be honest this is a pea in the bed...its small and if you roll over it won't even touch you. So, guess what? I am going to roll over. Because, I love school, I love my students and this is going to be a great semester.

Coming to your Neighborhood soon! Death on a Doorstep with Sarah Palin

Tell me will you.....as Ashton Kutcher recently mentioned on Bill Maher, "why didn't we call the UK or CANADA Socialist when we wanted their help in our war," they have universal health care!

People without teeth are comparing Obama to Hitler for proposing that we all get health care. PEOPLE WHO NEED the health care have somehow been convinced, that health care programs overseen by the governement AND thus, the American People, thus, themselves.......is wrong. People who have no coverage wait until they get sick enough to go to the ERs before they seek help. These people wait until a blister on your finger becomes a staph infection. We could have used a bandaid, but now the PUBLIC is being charged 10s of 1000s of dollars.

Preventative care is the answer folks. Health insurance lobbyists have penetrated every corner of our universe. How in the world can we get it across to the public that this is all a crock of Health Insurance SHIT- They have their own interests in mind; not anyone elses. The companies want ot make money. THat is their job; not keeping any of healthy. They hire 40% administrative overhead personel...who are not medically trained to do nothing but, figure out how NOT to pay your claims and NOT to accept you as a client if you might get sick.

We won't provide end of life / hospice counseling because Sarah Palin claimed that it was a death panel, and they won't cover us....so watch where you step....there will be people dying in our communities with no place to go...except your front doorstep