tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243358557498882922024-02-15T01:45:22.164-05:00Bottom Feeding Sharks"And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's meant to be broken
I just want you to know who I am" ~IRIS by The GooGoo DollsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger121125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-20270819069231927052023-03-11T10:06:00.000-05:002023-03-11T10:06:03.758-05:00A Kick in the Face!<p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><h1><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWRjPGKvU-V0A7_4e1vW7953cU_NVAKveudOzHGoFLcc_CWSCV_-5wa3v59aDqXIFm2LBqhqnSX6BIljCXBCIx3ZtRHN_PrIVd11m_Aqzg40IIsaR85y8hC7o_1lpxRRIf1jc6v_f_c6b6ye5RlBk2JlkGwSqUlIfHR6gJRh1rCjqOwf1MD5v3-aSPw/s225/Soccer%20Ball.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWRjPGKvU-V0A7_4e1vW7953cU_NVAKveudOzHGoFLcc_CWSCV_-5wa3v59aDqXIFm2LBqhqnSX6BIljCXBCIx3ZtRHN_PrIVd11m_Aqzg40IIsaR85y8hC7o_1lpxRRIf1jc6v_f_c6b6ye5RlBk2JlkGwSqUlIfHR6gJRh1rCjqOwf1MD5v3-aSPw/w100-h100/Soccer%20Ball.jpeg" width="100" /></a></h1></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"> Dear Supreme Court,</h3><div>I am writing to support Lainey Armistead and the ADF in a case appearing before your body.</div><div><br /></div><div>At no point was I approached to do so, but instead felt compelled to reveal my own miniscule place in the history of women's sports.</div><p style="text-align: left;">I attended high school in a "small city" during the late 1970's, when Pele was becoming a household name for his amazing soccer skills.</p><p style="text-align: left;">At that time, Title IX was in it's infancy, and my fellow female athletes and I were struggling to make a foothold for ourselves in the sports arena.</p><p style="text-align: left;">During 1977, a group of us wanted to play soccer, and managed to convince one of our PE teachers (Marilyn Thomas) to supervise us on a less than standardized playing field.</p><p style="text-align: left;">We were only able to practice when her schedule was free, and our equipment was the standard gym class issue including well-worn soccer balls and multi-purpose nets.</p><p style="text-align: left;">While we practice and learned, we were constantly reminded of our "less than" status by seeing the boy's team practicing on the regulation field nearby, using real soccer nets and equipment purchased just for their team.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Fortunately for us, "Coach" Thomas was able to locate a few nearby schools that had similar "clubs", and we were able to actually have a few scrimmages. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Even so, we had to provide our own "uniforms" - matching T-shirts and shorts we bought out of our own money.</p><p style="text-align: left;">We had to provide our own transportation - parent taxi and carpool.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The writing was on the wall, and having a father who was a school board attorney for my school district, as well as over 10 surrounding districts, meant that change would come sooner rather than later, despite our rural location.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The following year, there was a bonafide girl's soccer team, with a coach, uniforms, equipment, transportation, and a schedule of practice and competition.</p><p style="text-align: left;">But it was a difficult fight for us to get that far, and that progress many of us fought for is being eroded by leaps and bounds.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Recent laws and rulings allowing biological males to compete in women's sports are a grave disservice to our history and struggle.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If competing in sports is that important to transgender athletes, allow them to compete in their biological sport, or form a league of THEIR own.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The physical and developmental differences between a biological male and biological female mean that it will usually be a struggle for a female to reach the same competitive level as a male.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Even the still present inequities in opportunities, facilities, and resources make it more difficult for females in sports, despite Title IX.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Caitlyn Jenner, who competed as a male world class Olympic athlete, does not support a transgender male competing in female sports, citing the inequity for her own daughters, and that should resonate with your body.</p><p style="text-align: left;">My granddaughter has recently begun playing sports, and the last thing I want for her is to achieve excellence, only to be outranked and lose opportunity to someone who is not truly biologically the same.</p><p style="text-align: left;">This is not about being "anti" anything, but rather about being "pro" common sense and pragmatism.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Please don't yield to the vocal minorities, but instead rule in favor of preserving the gains made in the late 1970's for female athletes.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The athletic future of our daughters, sisters, and females in general depends upon it.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Thank you for your time and consideration,</p><p style="text-align: left;">Elizabeth M Scanlon</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-51725187189608085752022-01-15T20:36:00.015-05:002022-01-15T20:52:50.560-05:00Woolley Bully<p><i><br /><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgNyCKXWdd0l4uVmMsjaa1QUin5mtSx3ae2iN924qwQvcRBwWS2MsClqZL-0oJyTIDTF2YABdBogJ7co7HHiSg3NZ5lt6rhbhdnmG7f1B6Fr37dZp-HO8QgBqDhkIm1AcUwXsTSdWyTqV0bPrHWGuF0y4QUBrVA0gXtqeOR7OZGcNMOottX2cnDX81NA=s360" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="360" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgNyCKXWdd0l4uVmMsjaa1QUin5mtSx3ae2iN924qwQvcRBwWS2MsClqZL-0oJyTIDTF2YABdBogJ7co7HHiSg3NZ5lt6rhbhdnmG7f1B6Fr37dZp-HO8QgBqDhkIm1AcUwXsTSdWyTqV0bPrHWGuF0y4QUBrVA0gXtqeOR7OZGcNMOottX2cnDX81NA=w176-h176" width="176" /></a></i></div><i><br /></i><p></p><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">Woolly bully</span></i></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">Woolly bully</span></i></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">Woolly bully</span></i></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">Woolly bully</span></i></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">Woolly bully</span></i></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><i><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: arial;">Watch it now, watch it, here he comes</span></i></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">You got it, you got it</span></span></i></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><i><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><i><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: arial;">~Sam The Sham & The Pharoahs</span></i></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><i><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">-------------------------------------------------</span></i></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px;"><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Principal Nicholas Woolley:</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">On Thursday, January 13, 2022 you/your school (St. Theresa's Catholic Secondary School) were contacted by ********* City School District on behalf of my daughter, ****** ****, for a copy of her school record.</span><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Upon information and belief, you refused to comply with that request, claiming that she had no rights to the record.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">On Thursday, January 13, 2022 at 12:06 pm I contacted you requesting that you provide ********** City School District with a copy of my daughter's (****** ****) school record.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You refused to comply with that request, and verbally stated that the grounds for your refusal was that I had no rights.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I asked at that time, before the termination of the call, that since ******* was over the age of 16 and had been emancipated under Canadian guidelines, she had the rights to her school records.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You stated that you would look into that question "when you had time" but made no effort to secure a phone number or email to respond to that request for information.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After the end of the phone call it took me all of two minutes to locate the MFIPPA (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.ipc.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/guide-to-privacy-access-in-ont-schools.pdf&source=gmail&ust=1642350275572000&usg=AOvVaw3WKoW4ZA1WV7biEtc1Majj" href="https://www.ipc.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/guide-to-privacy-access-in-ont-schools.pdf" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.ipc.on.ca/wp-<wbr></wbr>content/uploads/2019/01/guide-<wbr></wbr>to-privacy-access-in-ont-<wbr></wbr>schools.pdf</a>) which you should be fully acquainted with as a school administrator.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Under the provisions of the MFIPPA:</span></div><blockquote style="border: none; color: #222222; font-size: small; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><i><b><span style="font-family: arial;">DO STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS HAVE A RIGHT TO ACCESS STUDENTS’ RECORDS? Yes. Students and their parents have a right to access the student’s personal information from their schools and school boards. This right is provided for in both MFIPPA and the Education Act. These two pieces of legislation operate independently, have different rights and responsibilities, and may also lead to different results.</span></b></i></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i>HOW DOES A CHILD’S AGE AFFECT THE PARENT’S RIGHT OF ACCESS TO PERSONAL INFORMATION? Until a child turns 18, their parents or guardians have a right under the Education Act to examine the child’s OSR, without the child’s consent. Where a student of 16 or 17 has withdrawn from parental control, this right would likely not apply.</i></b><br /></span></div><div><i><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></b></i></div></blockquote><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">I once again called you on January 13, 2022 at 12:13 pm to refer you to the MFIPPA, and to remind you that under its provisions ****** was entitled to the records without consent of her parents.</span><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: x-small;">You once again responded that you would "look into it", and made no effort to give a time frame or ask for return contact information.</span><br /></span><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">As you had been informed that ****** was attempting to register for school in *********, **, United States, and would know from her school record that she was over the age of 16, the wishes of her father and stepmother (Kenneth A and Mary S Shaw) would no longer come into play.</span><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As an educator myself, I find it reprehensible that you would knowingly and willfully interfere with any student's attempt to continue with their education, and question whether or not you truly belong in the educational field.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Yet your refusal to provide ****** and ********* City School District with her school record demonstrated just that negative attribute.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Your recalcitrance is not preventing her from attending school, it is merely preventing her from being appropriately enrolled in the courses which would result in the best educational outcome for ****** at the earliest possible time.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This is abhorrent behavior for any educator, especially one holding a position as an educational leader such as a building principal.<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I am requesting that you immediately provide a copy of [my child's] student record to ********* City School District/********* High School so that she might be correctly enrolled in a course of study towards her diploma.</span></div></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The contact information for Central Registration is: </span></div><div><span face="Roboto, sans-serif" style="color: #3f4449;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15px;">[Not relevant to the privacy of the post]</span></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The contact information for ********* High School is:</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">[Not relevant to the privacy of the post]</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Thank you for your cooperation in advance.</span></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">---------------------------------------------------------</div></div></div></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><i><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9o_EdpIc3o" target="_blank">So here's how I really feel! (Click Here)</a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" jsname="YS01Ge" style="color: #202124; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-48454828864773767682022-01-02T12:36:00.000-05:002022-01-02T12:44:26.776-05:00(7)30 Days on Congressional Wage<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aISdO5a56zzaWIBrOMr2xb5Pp9egOqyUWd5ekz1cmuRpgF2-TQli-j1cd_pTetWaTXRjYMG_iAGavNVmKC6FiZXm924YZB6ULTQ2g0D8n2aBpIPMikaG4Lzjit6o70wQ6giD-hXZVqkT/s534/Calendar.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="534" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aISdO5a56zzaWIBrOMr2xb5Pp9egOqyUWd5ekz1cmuRpgF2-TQli-j1cd_pTetWaTXRjYMG_iAGavNVmKC6FiZXm924YZB6ULTQ2g0D8n2aBpIPMikaG4Lzjit6o70wQ6giD-hXZVqkT/w321-h241/Calendar.jpg" width="321" /></a></div> In 2005, Morgan Spurlock produced an episode of his 30 Day Series titled "30 Days on Minimum Wage".<p></p><p>The premise was fairly simple - he and his girlfriend had to try to live for thirty days on minimum wage in a place that represented the "average" demographic for the United States. </p><p>They were unable to resort to their bank accounts or credit cards for assistance and ended up in debt at the end of the thirty days.</p><p>Although this experiment was a failure in one respect (they were unable to eke out an existence without landing further in debt), it was a success in another respect (it proved that minimum wage was not subsistence level).</p><p>However, even more to the point, it provides an interesting basis for something that should be an essential part of reform in our country - our elected officials and their spending habits.</p><p><a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/salaries-and-benefits-of-congress-members-3322282" target="_blank">Did you realize that the yearly wage for most (not all) Congressmen and Senators is $174,000?</a></p><p><a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/salaries-and-benefits-of-congress-members-3322282" target="_blank">Not only that, they have approximately 72% of their health insurance paid for by the government, as well as a good portion of their retirement.</a></p><p>They live in a prosperity bubble that most of us only dream about, yet they somehow continue to milk the system for even more perks.</p><p>Many of the most prominent politicians come under scrutiny on a regular basis because they manage to increase their net worth while living a lifestyle comparable to celebrities.</p><p>Maybe it is time to rein in the riches and refocus our elected officials on the best interests of their constituents, not themselves.</p><p>Let's institute some simple rules for our elected officials:</p><p>1) You can maintain your current home in your district, but you must rely solely on your Congressional wage to make the payments/utilities for that residence, unless you have a spouse/partner who is allowed to contribute <i>a percentage of those expenses not to exceed their percentage of total household income</i>.</p><p>2) You must use your Congressional wage to purchase all groceries and entertainment expenses, both at home and in DC. (Again, a spouse/partner may contribute <i>a percentage of those expenses not to exceed their percentage of total household income</i> while at home, <i><b>but none in DC</b></i>. Your spouse/partner was not elected to the office.)</p><p>3) As it is necessary to travel to DC and stay there to perform your job, residences will be established with common dining areas, lounges, and exercise facilities - the rooms will be single occupancy with individual bathrooms. If you want anything beyond this, you must be able to afford it with your Congressional wage and <b>no</b> contribution from any outside source.</p><p>4) Your travel to and from DC by plane, as needed, will be reimbursed at the cost for economy travel with no "add ons" (upgraded seats, checked bags, exit rows, etc) on airlines that allow one free carry on bag. If you already have a frequent flier account prior to election that allows perks <i><b>at no taxpayer expense</b></i>, you may use that. If driving, you will be reimbursed at the standard mileage allowance posted by the IRS. You will not be provided a vehicle at taxpayer expense, and the costs of your personal vehicle and insurance are your responsibility. (The IRS allowance covers reasonable expenses related to personal vehicles.)</p><p>5) Your job is representing the American People and your personal constituents. This requires reading and studying <b>all</b> legislation which has been presented. This aspect can be done either at "home" or in DC, but <b>does not</b> include attending any events outside of Congress sponsored by any agency, individual, or corporation.</p><p>6) Your job <b>does</b> require attending <b><i>all</i></b> sessions of Congress, as well as <i><b>all</b></i> meetings of committees to which you have been appointed - this is what you are being paid for. Short of a family emergency or state of emergency in your district, you will not be absent from any of these.</p><p>7) You are <b>not</b> being paid to attend parties, galas, or any other functions. Should you choose to do so, <b><i>you must pay</i></b> all associated costs (tickets, food/drink, clothing, transportation, preparation) from your Congressional wage with <b>no</b> donations, gifts, or loans from any individual or group.</p><p>8) At any time any of your constituents can demand an accounting of all your Congressional expenses and verification of how those were paid, receipt of documentation to be completed within 10 business days.</p><p>9) All gifts received during your tenure as a Congressman need to be declared and surrendered to the U.S. GAO (Government Accounting Office) which will then sell or auction the gift and post the proceeds towards reducing the Federal deficit.</p><p>10) Your vacations will not be paid for by the taxpayers who elected you (travel expenses, accommodations, meals, entertainment, etc) and you are not to accept gifts of vacations or travel and accommodations from any other individual or group (see rule 9 above). Your vacations will only be taken during recess from Congressional sessions and not be considered an acceptable absence from attendance in Congress or your committee meetings (see rule 6 above). Financing must be done on your Congressional salary, with your spouse/partner able to contribute <i>a percentage of the expenses not to exceed their percentage of household income</i>.</p><p>These are all reasonable expectations for our elected officials, which might help start restoring the US Citizenry to faith in their elected officials.</p><p>If these rules seem "unfair" or "unreasonable", consider them from the perspective of any job held by a non-elected official who is considered "working class"(not the elites).</p><p>It is time to stop complaining about abuses by our elected "representatives" and to start holding them accountable.</p><p>These ten rules would be a good start.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-67115748406783925622021-01-24T19:47:00.002-05:002021-01-25T17:35:57.845-05:00Shattered Glass, Shattering Illusions<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSik7XVGXvCabiTrkcAB3ojCJow5n6_y0IsHBwK17lEh_5r_jq2mfSdeh7sp5dt-U2UPT0vAfGqqimrPZGVqE80-AsBEjpRawoIH9FJz2ZdK-ikixqYdDdBWxOCp-PVh4G6K_xfgdsDMXW/s460/Shattered+Illusions.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="460" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSik7XVGXvCabiTrkcAB3ojCJow5n6_y0IsHBwK17lEh_5r_jq2mfSdeh7sp5dt-U2UPT0vAfGqqimrPZGVqE80-AsBEjpRawoIH9FJz2ZdK-ikixqYdDdBWxOCp-PVh4G6K_xfgdsDMXW/w238-h159/Shattered+Illusions.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>Just as you proceed with caution when you are cleaning up actual broken glass, so should you be when presented with a situation that has been lauded as "shattering glass".<p></p><p>Unfortunately, too many people have jumped on the bandwagon of (wrongfully) assuming that the results of this election heralded in a new era in what is possible for women to achieve.</p><p>As a parent of daughters, I realize that there have been two sets of standards in many realms of life for women, and it has been an uphill journey to gain ground and strive for equality.</p><p>But the 2020 election was NOT a new era for women in goals that can be achieved, but rather a cautionary tale which instead should be a "How Not To..." guide.</p><p>Those who are celebrating it as a victory for new heights to which women can aspire are either sadly mistaken, or they are deliberately deceiving themselves and others.</p><p>To truly break down barriers (whether they be based on gender, race, religion, or any one of a million characteristics by which we identify ourselves or differentiate from others) means that a role model should at least be above egregious misconduct.</p><p>Unfortunately, what we have in office now is not that type of individual, for several reasons.</p><p>First, we should not have someone who changes their identity like a pair of shoes - wearing whatever matches the occasion. </p><p>Although originally billing herself as the child of an "Indian born mother" and a "Jamaican born father", this so-called exemplar has morphed herself into a Black woman in order to secure that minority vote. </p><p>The Asian Pacific Island Coalition even ran a commercial shortly after the election claiming her as one of their own, which was apparently short-lived on the airwaves.</p><p>If you have ever spent time around Jamaicans, they describe themselves as from the Islands, not as African Americans, so her self-rebranding was disingenuous at best.</p><p>The second issue is her failure to practice justice when dealing with the law, an ominous foreshadowing of what could happen in the future.</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jan/31/kamala-harris-laughed-jailing-parents-truancy">One notable example is her 2010 position on truancy in California - she even found it laughable and joked publically about imprisoning parents who ran afoul of her policy.</a></p><p>As an educator of 31 years, there are many reasons why students become truant, and it occurs at a disproportiantely high rate among those socio-economic groups who would most benefit from mercy instead of malicious prosecution.</p><p><a href="https://theappeal.org/san-francisco-is-paying-for-jamal-truloves-wrongful-conviction-will-kamala-harris/">Another significant case, highlighting her history as a prosecutor, is that of Jamal Trulove.</a></p><p>Rather than being the exception, the rule for her career in California appears to have been one of wrongful convictions and insistence on maintaining incarceration for exonerated individuals.</p><p>Her legal career has been characterized by her willful disregard for true justice when it interferes with advancing her political career, but it is somehow no different than changing her identity like a toxic chameleon.</p><p>As if these issues weren't enough, they are amplified by the <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/legal/moral%20turpitude">moral turpitude</a> exemplified by her affair with Willie Brown. </p><p>It isn't the <i>de jure</i> adultery with a higher ranking politician, as that doesn't violate the "community standards" that have become commonplace (read complacent) in today's society (after all, he had allegedly been separated from his wife for at least a decade).</p><p>The dilemma is that this adultery was the basis for securing appointments to well-compensated political positions, and later used to leverage other political ambitions after the affair had ended.</p><p>So with regret, I cannot uphold this election as an example of shattering a glass ceiling any more than I would praise <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Dahmer">Jeffrey Dahmer</a> as an innovative cook.</p><p>Moral bankruptcy is simply that, and not something to be praised or celebrated.</p><p>Instead, we should seek out and lift up those women, and all those individuals, who persist and persevere against all odds.</p><p>The true role models are the single parents who work full-time while pursuing an education; the immigrants who marshal all their resources to secure legal citizenship and provide a better future for themselves and their families; the everyday individuals who do not compromise their principles for fame and glory, but rather do what is right even when nobody is looking.</p><p>This is the parting glass that I lift up to you tonight!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-7442242975306092372020-09-03T10:06:00.001-04:002020-09-03T10:06:55.705-04:00Biden's "Back Up" Plan /s<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhM_Dry8r7zUrLrEODtBZwzm-6zX5PS_8rpafAjSz9-UnYy5vwo698yAi89O74oAe9dpt8wbdDA-ZkgEcvItpmBT0V0_WtDSN9UCC6DKMhDnIq0tmL2J43Hf-haN3ezFlWg7M69tJenrN_/s1600/CA+Fake+ID.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="1600" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhM_Dry8r7zUrLrEODtBZwzm-6zX5PS_8rpafAjSz9-UnYy5vwo698yAi89O74oAe9dpt8wbdDA-ZkgEcvItpmBT0V0_WtDSN9UCC6DKMhDnIq0tmL2J43Hf-haN3ezFlWg7M69tJenrN_/s320/CA+Fake+ID.png" width="320" /></a></div>
With the imminent passage of SB145, the Dem Presidential candidate is already planning out a new home-based business.<br />
<br />
The provision allowing for an age difference exemption from the sexual offender registry in California should spark a demand for fake IDs.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipT6gwwOgvSzgOzvvKAxOx0OkB4SkqFCjIJCitNKFKfirzKw-3irCtP7gmxeA2MKOxZHQOlzbsjHCiEdfRs5R6r7ju0jlDOcp1uvEauAY66buL0d6rDmVhWXWkvBfsfLWqWk7ioOnmN6Y3/s1600/AG+Tish+James.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="826" data-original-width="634" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipT6gwwOgvSzgOzvvKAxOx0OkB4SkqFCjIJCitNKFKfirzKw-3irCtP7gmxeA2MKOxZHQOlzbsjHCiEdfRs5R6r7ju0jlDOcp1uvEauAY66buL0d6rDmVhWXWkvBfsfLWqWk7ioOnmN6Y3/s200/AG+Tish+James.jpg" width="153" /></a>"C'mon man! why wouldn't people want to be younger with these kind of benefits?" he was heard to say in response to the news. "Ten years? If I could have a fourteen year old girlfriend at twenty-four, I'd hit that!<br />
<br />
NYS AG Tish James appeared to endorse the business plan, saying "If I could get away with being four years younger for decades, why wouldn't someone be able to pass for long enough to fool the police?"<br />
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It appears that other politicians were in line with the program, even going so far as to start prepping for photo shoots for their new ID.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTu2PytWFo1ZDqNrZj0A_IR8-cePBSDt6STDAjdf5WvL_v0QxeDfLwVDWUT5CsZjwkwkmxFYBEInyeJE0DH-scNgbvY4TMDuWlMas40LmQEYnaHNH355L-x9wFYGFr_Wzt9KdLPOnIt_h/s1600/Pelosi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="410" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTu2PytWFo1ZDqNrZj0A_IR8-cePBSDt6STDAjdf5WvL_v0QxeDfLwVDWUT5CsZjwkwkmxFYBEInyeJE0DH-scNgbvY4TMDuWlMas40LmQEYnaHNH355L-x9wFYGFr_Wzt9KdLPOnIt_h/s200/Pelosi.jpg" width="200" /></a>"With a good wash and blow out, and the right neck scarf, I could shave half a century off <br />
my age!" one of Biden's supporters was heard to say on a hot mike. "After all, the public doesn't even realize I had cosmetic work done while I was <i>quarantined</i>!"<br />
<br />
<br />
We all know it is a good idea to have a backup plan, if something goes wrong. But this is truly genius!<br />
<br />
Most of the fake ID businesses focus on making teens older to sidestep drinking laws. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0gaT_kP_XRVctJU_CNuYBQkeNvmT2TlTaqzTc1e2_lZSW_WIizK0jh3TdA34lZo6M2FwCNnOSS3ul_73imZQR2jErsVm3E9-iwbGi_YinDtMw6TLJu_JGwEelT6RbWweTS1IdZF0tenSG/s1600/epstein+and+maxwell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="480" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0gaT_kP_XRVctJU_CNuYBQkeNvmT2TlTaqzTc1e2_lZSW_WIizK0jh3TdA34lZo6M2FwCNnOSS3ul_73imZQR2jErsVm3E9-iwbGi_YinDtMw6TLJu_JGwEelT6RbWweTS1IdZF0tenSG/s200/epstein+and+maxwell.jpg" width="200" /></a>Biden's proposal turns the whole industry on it's head - making people seem credibly younger (also to avoid laws).<br />
<br />
Although one of his primary funding sources has encountered "difficulties", he expects that other angel investors will quickly line up. Some well known individuals have already<br />
expressed delight at the concept of this business.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrzj9WFFMvy5J9xUlHz0T3IMwddKzcDyjeMta4gdx6DWzcXWkxcbr-R0enUac_C7w6Um2XpFmGBv-dM5uqpCRyds0gPNG-I_zd6FsASTjLWOiLnnL6aQwK0xda2RgnsVYAjkQtAyZG7Ks/s1600/Bill+Clinton.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="274" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrzj9WFFMvy5J9xUlHz0T3IMwddKzcDyjeMta4gdx6DWzcXWkxcbr-R0enUac_C7w6Um2XpFmGBv-dM5uqpCRyds0gPNG-I_zd6FsASTjLWOiLnnL6aQwK0xda2RgnsVYAjkQtAyZG7Ks/s200/Bill+Clinton.jpeg" width="131" /></a>"Why didn't they have this when I was in college?" one of them was heard to say. "I might never have married, and we all know how bad that choice was!"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMulvvvG-NazEBfW0Qts9kNlwQhyMigdVq3cNKrtQTrYvp5KcPvJPcNS_d5ijpu8ZupmZFuuVfVNl_BYEaOrSZV5PgR7Mw3HaaN8mQYSASK-joY_eFkCt-gUfUx0zAiENAyemhZE9-LME/s1600/Scott+Weiner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="899" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMulvvvG-NazEBfW0Qts9kNlwQhyMigdVq3cNKrtQTrYvp5KcPvJPcNS_d5ijpu8ZupmZFuuVfVNl_BYEaOrSZV5PgR7Mw3HaaN8mQYSASK-joY_eFkCt-gUfUx0zAiENAyemhZE9-LME/s200/Scott+Weiner.jpg" width="149" /></a>Meanwhile, the marketing department has been making phone calls to Greece in order to get a commitment from their choice of celebrity spokesperson.<br />
<br />
Should that individual fall through, they have a long A list of potential endorsements, and expect an announcement any day now.<br />
<br />
Sen. Weiner was heard to say, "I approve of this business message!"<br />
<br />
<b><i>Sarchasm Alert: This "article" is meant as a parody of current events, and if you are under the impression that it is "fact", you are probably voting for any of the politicians mentioned above.</i></b><br />
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<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-15247871242440830202020-08-05T09:52:00.002-04:002020-08-07T20:46:49.763-04:00Chump Change - Working for an Essential Employer!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHIC1WfUh40cIstlI93u0myFAIkoQI7WUR4mVO4CGIW1nLISSZTS2RG9Skc9fTpuf_UvVB67GcTjEoCFvvB_yVV1LFjWmlnjzmZnCmPIlYXux4kegreAxLnJSMwjaLUVas9oThO1wSLPU/s1600/Chump+Change.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="664" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHIC1WfUh40cIstlI93u0myFAIkoQI7WUR4mVO4CGIW1nLISSZTS2RG9Skc9fTpuf_UvVB67GcTjEoCFvvB_yVV1LFjWmlnjzmZnCmPIlYXux4kegreAxLnJSMwjaLUVas9oThO1wSLPU/s320/Chump+Change.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The alarm goes off, you go to work, often getting shortchanged on your breaks and mealtimes, then clock out at the end of your shift.<br />
<br />
You head home to manage your own family and household, then get up the next day and do it all again.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://genius.com/Dolly-parton-9-to-5-lyrics" target="_blank">Dolly Parton summed it up best in her anthem to the workforce, "9 to 5".</a><br />
<br />
This year, the inconceivable happened to many hourly employees who worked for "essential businesses" - the job that was helping pay the bills became one that was also a potential health risk to themselves and their families.<br />
<br />
To add insult to injury, their friends and neighbors who worked for business that closed down not only got unemployment, they "earned" the equivalent of a $15/hour 40-hour work week "pay" on top of it.<br />
<br />
But these dedicated individuals continued to work, often no longer being allowed overtime, and frequently being subjected to testing for COVID19. (For those of you who don't know, it is an invasive process up the nostril with pressure and friction applied.)<br />
<br />
These non-salaried employees are paid AFTER they have put in the hours, and based on the actual time that they worked.<br />
<br />
So can you even comprehend when payday rolls around, and you have less than half of what you are due in your check? Or when you check your bank account and there was no deposit?<br />
<br />
Such was the situation this morning for the employees of a healthcare system.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYp8nfZpGBSRJrxwedVzclmkWGglppeBb91VRPkC1jBcUvkE8wlPn4ybDxK31Hec9zOPcX5WFy7AxrIxeIiaNMC_4cp35rk8Fjw2CVi8oZ55yNSWilRbFW8W4nQhTB_TMkU5lBk9G1s3V/s1600/IMG-5664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="828" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYp8nfZpGBSRJrxwedVzclmkWGglppeBb91VRPkC1jBcUvkE8wlPn4ybDxK31Hec9zOPcX5WFy7AxrIxeIiaNMC_4cp35rk8Fjw2CVi8oZ55yNSWilRbFW8W4nQhTB_TMkU5lBk9G1s3V/s320/IMG-5664.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://www.nny360.com/communitynews/healthmatters/samaritan-computer-systems-still-down-as-investigation-into-malware-continues/article_8252703a-e4b9-524d-9edc-c201aa4a235a.html" target="_blank">This is a screenshot from a July 30, 2020 article about Samaritan Medical Center/Samaritan Health Systems located in Upstate NY.</a><br />
<br />
Yet this morning's paychecks were anything but "normal", and these employees were unilaterally shortchanged.<br />
<br />
<div>
Samaritan issued a letter to employees on Tuesday, August 4, explaining that they were going to make some adjustments to pay, with "new" employees having 25% of their check withheld for "taxes" and the remaining employees receiving a paycheck the same as their prior one.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Let's ignore the fact that 25% is an amount in excess of what is normally withheld on minimum/low pay employees for taxes, and arbitrary figure.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Those "pre-existing" employees were finally allocated overtime hours at the conclusion of their prior paycheck, and many of them took advantage of the situation after moths of reduced hours, and so were entitled to far more pay than the prior check would indicate. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For many of these individuals, the amount they received was far less than 50% of the amount due them for hours <b><i>they already worked</i></b>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><i>These are frontline, essential employees in healthcare.</i></b></div>
<div>
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div>
<b><i>These are the men and women who have put their lives in harm's way on a daily, no wait, <u>hourly</u> , basis to help protect, care for, and heal our most vulnerable.</i></b></div>
<div>
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div>
<b><i>These are the people who worked at nursing home facilities in a state where the governor saw fit to deliberately send COVID19 individuals.</i></b></div>
<div>
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div>
<b><i>These are the individuals who did NOT receive a $600 a week bonus from the government to stay at home and do nothing.</i></b></div>
<div>
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div>
<b><i>These are the hardworking people who have NOT received any type of bonus or compensation from their employer.</i></b></div>
<div>
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div>
<b><i>And these are the people who just were given a virtual flipping the bird salute for their dedication by Samaritan Medical System.</i></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Apparently, this same organization was able to pay $2 MILLION dollars ransom to malware perpetrators who hacked their system and held it for ransom, apparently claiming that the FBI directed them to do so.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This healthcare organization is beginning a systematic replacement of their computers, at a final cost in excess of $2 million.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div>
</div>
<br />
<div>
And yet they can't provide their employees fair, timely, and equitable compensation for time and hours that were <u>already worked</u>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Essential employees have been front and center throughout this entire crisis, often taking verbal abuse from others, as well as being underpaid, and now unpaid, for their dedication to their professions and employers.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Is it too much to expect an employer to do the right thing??<br />
<br />
***************<br />
Update:<br />
<br />
Apparently this employer has been forcing employees to sign letters stating that they will accept the "adjusted" pay for as long as necessary.<br />
<br />
Statements from the administration about how long it will take involve estimates of up to eight months.<br />
<br />
How are they forcing the employees to sign?<br />
<br />
They (through their representatives) are telling the employees that if they don't sign the letter, they will not receive their back pay!<br />
<br />
So, how legal is it to refuse to pay employees for time worked?<br />
<br />
This is beginning to sound a lot like harassment and extortion to me.<br />
<br />
Class action lawsuit anyone?</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-82444461504578909012020-08-01T12:20:00.000-04:002020-08-01T12:20:01.432-04:00Can You Hear Me Now? I'm Claiming MY Time!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ShW6rd7phoFCe3qwMDL2voppGlsvQPfID8g-rNcmnFNkw5e6DAmEJJNhbtCeew8UURCAeOwIEMi1KaQ2olOojjK1ns4cCOv-YJwGReFuHnu9VzEW1gfwDhKiqNjv1ncpu6NK2w_YP9lD/s1600/Hear+Me+Now.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ShW6rd7phoFCe3qwMDL2voppGlsvQPfID8g-rNcmnFNkw5e6DAmEJJNhbtCeew8UURCAeOwIEMi1KaQ2olOojjK1ns4cCOv-YJwGReFuHnu9VzEW1gfwDhKiqNjv1ncpu6NK2w_YP9lD/s200/Hear+Me+Now.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Hearing</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is an interesting word, <i><b>hearing</b></i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maybe a refresher on its two primary definitions is in order, not for you readers, but for those who supposedly are our elected representatives.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From <a href="https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/hearing" target="_blank">Oxford English Dictionary</a>, hearing is a noun and means:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>1) The faculty of perceiving sounds; and</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>2) An opportunity to state one's case.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you have spent any time reading my blog, you already know that I have the conviction that words matter, that the pen <b>is</b> mightier than the sword.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In light of two major "hearings" this past week, I felt the need to <b style="font-style: italic;">claim my time</b>, and defend some of our basic principles which are falling by the wayside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Both of the dictionary definitions of "hearing" were not only disregarded during the two Congressional Hearings that were held this week, they were completely negated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Apparently many people wrongfully assumed that the second definition would be in play when the House of Representatives had people in the "hot seat".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After all, when you are being questioned, don't you have an intrinsic right to "state your case"?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not in the eyes of the members of Congress on the Judiciary Committee, as it soon became apparent.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although each of the interrogators was adamant about "claiming" and "reclaiming" their two minutes, none of the individuals called to testify was afforded even a minimum of wait time to process the question, much less to respond.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
***************</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>For clarification, "wait time" is an integral part of the question/answer process.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>After asking a question, both the questioner and the respondent should wait from 5 to 15 seconds in order for a full comprehension of the question and formulation of the response.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">****************</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not only were the respondents involved in these "hearings" deprived of the time to even provide anything other than a "yes/no" response (despite many of the questions posed requiring far more or a different format), many of the interrogators were asking complex, multi-part questions, each piece meriting its own wait time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And that is a good segue into the first definition of "hearing" - the faculty of <a href="https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/perceive" target="_blank">perceiving</a> sounds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The definition of perceive inherently involves understanding and awareness, something that was clearly lacking in these Congressional Hearings.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our elected representatives demonstrated that the only thing they understood and were aware of was continuing with their rehearsed speeches (couched as questions) and were intent on continuing forward with their personal agendas, rather than actually listening to anyone other than themself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Considering that many members of the Judiciary Committee are attorneys, and allegedly experts in the law, they rendered the entire process into a burlesque show.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Had they been in a courtroom when any of these activities had occurred, they would have been demanding a mistrial.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that they are in a position to advance their own personal program, they no longer care about the niceties of appropriate behavior.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It is <b>time</b> for these public farces to end!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It is </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">time </b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">for our elected representatives to stop acting like self-centered, squabbling adolescents!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It is </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">time </b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">for our government to focus on solving our country's problems, not on political power wars!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It is </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">time </b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">for our leaders to be held accountable for their decisions and actions!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It is </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">time </b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">for our government and its officials to stop wasting taxpayer money and resources on their personal advancement!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It is </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">time </b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">for true justice to return to our nation!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>This is how I am claiming MY time!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>How will you claim yours?</i></b></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-12681213218857884562020-07-30T08:14:00.001-04:002020-07-30T08:14:10.315-04:00Beyond the Edge of the Blackboard<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJcZtas_hq9zMBfJyVPGcE6ti4SYphhRCh5RyONe8MA5XIjFNvqyzenwjrOZ1RT5hgIhsP8dqXEahefekF8BEgwf8sBZPNCgCOPEo9EAUluvc5-P7MbHDvkDZ4T1bzcDcYu2wp7QNXYV5/s1600/blackboard.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="512" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJcZtas_hq9zMBfJyVPGcE6ti4SYphhRCh5RyONe8MA5XIjFNvqyzenwjrOZ1RT5hgIhsP8dqXEahefekF8BEgwf8sBZPNCgCOPEo9EAUluvc5-P7MbHDvkDZ4T1bzcDcYu2wp7QNXYV5/s320/blackboard.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Boundaries. It's all about setting boundaries.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unless you are suddenly thrust into a novel situation where there are no rules, no precedents, just guidelines hurriedly put in place over a few hours, a day, a weekend.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And the struggle is real. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Teachers used to be able to show up at the school door, enter their classroom, get a lunch break (30 min, which for a professional with a college degree is far below the industry standard), leave school at the end of the day, and put the classroom behind them until the next day of work.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Contrary to the belief of many elementary students (and middle school, and high school, and even parents), teachers don't climb into their closet at the end of the day and turn off like a robot only to reactivate the next morning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But the transition to online education in the wake of school closings has been anything but smooth, for students AND for teachers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What used to be the sporadic casual encounters between parents/students and teachers, in grocery stores and public places outside of school, has now morphed into something pervasive.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Most teachers are in the profession because they care about people and helping others learn. They arrive at school early and work late, they work on weekends and holidays, and forego their lunch breaks as needed. They go un/underpaid to coach sports and advise clubs and activities.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And that is their choice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But now they are waking up and responding to texts and emails before or during their breakfast, long before the "start" of the school day. They are doing the same during lunch, and dinner, and instead of relaxing in the evening and watching their favorite movie or show.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is who they are by nature.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But the emails and texts and phone calls continue long past the school day, and well into holidays and weekends.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These compassionate, selfless teachers who used to be able to manage their job as well as their own children (whose education they now need to supervise), pets, and household are suddenly on call 24/7.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last time I checked, being "on call" only applied to doctors (who are paid considerably more than teachers).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now there is a growing vocal minority screaming to "defund" the schools, because "if schools don't reopen, then teachers don't need to be paid".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seriously? If they don't need to be paid, then stop calling and texting and emailing, and complaining if you don't get an immediate response.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dust off your own skills and sit down at the kitchen table with your children and teach them yourself. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Make sure you get copies of all the state tests that your children are expected to pass so that you can bring them up to standards as the teachers are expected to do (most states require that homeschooled children pass state tests).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not interested? Well then stop the nonsense and realize that we are in unprecedented times.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pretend that we are back in a time (less than a year ago) when teachers weren't available at your text and call (and email and ping on MS Meetings or Zoom).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Request an appointment within the "school day" or soon after to discuss your concerns.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But most of all, realize that reopening schools may be necessary so that our society doesn't bleed out teachers who are rapidly burning out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All the student educational issues aside, there are serious mental/emotional health ramifications occurring for teachers that need to be addressed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Help them set boundaries by setting them for yourself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And when schools reopen, those teachers that don't feel comfortable returning to work can be reassigned to providing the online education for those students whose parents keep them on remote instruction.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If "it takes a village to raise a child", prove that we aren't living in a village of opportunistic, self-centered, ego-driven adults who will sacrifice others for their own benefit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Give teachers the respect for their dedication that you are now realizing they deserve.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-68650684609591305042020-07-29T10:25:00.001-04:002020-09-01T20:38:03.611-04:00CRITICAL UPDATE: Vote by Mail? Three Strikes and You Failed!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitiptwNPYK8vrQNU_q7OI2MdP1E1BtfcFtp-qOhY-tN7BtFobq61C1RzLLpxKJz9lyckPSCXnx8NoTE_Mm8zSaZODBFhAZK1B3MuV22ji4KaCfP5XhKZWFhzEZkZtdxE7dZByoY7YcwYbe/s1600/Three+Strikes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitiptwNPYK8vrQNU_q7OI2MdP1E1BtfcFtp-qOhY-tN7BtFobq61C1RzLLpxKJz9lyckPSCXnx8NoTE_Mm8zSaZODBFhAZK1B3MuV22ji4KaCfP5XhKZWFhzEZkZtdxE7dZByoY7YcwYbe/s320/Three+Strikes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Trust issues.<br />
<br />
Verifiable trust issues.<br />
<br />
Why do many people not want "Vote by Mail"?<br />
<br />
When you can prove that your local elections office doesn't even follow the rules and laws, why would you believe that a "fair and impartial" election will take place with a whole new element?<br />
<br />
This morning (July 29, 2020) I completed my New York State Absentee Ballot Application.<br />
<br />
When I ventured on to the interwebs and Googled "<a href="https://co.jefferson.ny.us/departments/Elections/absentee-voting" target="_blank">Jefferson County NY Board of Elections</a>" to ascertain the correct mailing address, I was pleasantly surprised to find the following:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbX503bZ0MDtU-zgirg05pV6tsY4YTB2pkx7FcN7KP0wliuK0_AjeYy57tVxl2QkbpNgJnwMjCV6fP2NeRrklNBwFIoo9VIniC-KMX7QPE99JZfDT-14pt8N7YTI40SuAGnpmm27K59W7p/s1600/Jefferson+County+NY+07292020+0956am.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="1600" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbX503bZ0MDtU-zgirg05pV6tsY4YTB2pkx7FcN7KP0wliuK0_AjeYy57tVxl2QkbpNgJnwMjCV6fP2NeRrklNBwFIoo9VIniC-KMX7QPE99JZfDT-14pt8N7YTI40SuAGnpmm27K59W7p/s640/Jefferson+County+NY+07292020+0956am.png" width="640" /></a></div>
Look at that final sentence in the first paragraph: "<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Applications for absentee ballots may be made by mail, email, fax or in person."</span><br />
<br />
Fax? I can do that!<br />
Email? Hallelujah!<br />
<br />
So I promptly took advantage of both options (making sure that I specified that I had done each), just in case a catastrophic technological failure should occur. After all, redundancy is good operating policy.<br />
<br />
And then I prepared to file away my paperwork with a note to double check receipt in a few weeks.<br />
<br />
Much to my astonishment, a new email appeared in my inbox in response to my application! 5 minute response time? Such rapid service! I felt all warm and fuzzy about the immediate personal attention!<br />
<br />
Until I read the email.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Good morning Elizabeth,</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Unfortunately we cannot accept a copy of your application. If you will mail us the original we can process your request and will mail your ballot when it becomes available. Please let me know if you have any questions.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Have a great day and be safe!"</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;">POOF! Like that, the warm fuzzies disappeared!</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;">Apparently the employees don't read their own website or the ever increasing spewing of Executive Orders from the state leadership.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;">More to the point, the title under the signature gave me even more reason to be frustrated: </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;">"</span>Deputy Democratic Commissioner"</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;">Last time I checked, this was not the political party in which I was registered to vote.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;">I responded with a link to the county's own website with a direct quote regarding the stated ways in which I might apply for my absentee ballot.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;">I also took a screenshot (see above) of the website as it existed at the time of my submission.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;">It has now been over thirty minutes since I replied with the information.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;">Apparently rapid response only applies to denying an absentee ballot application duly submitted under published guidelines.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;">Strike one: Publishing Absentee Ballot Application guidelines which are <i>de facto</i> false;</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;">Strike two: Rejecting Absentee Ballot Application submitted under those guidelines;</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;">Strike three: Failing to respond to a reminder of the published guidelines.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;">Voting by mail? Not just no, but HELL NO!</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;">When I have first-hand documentation of how just one county is unable to adhere to local and state guidelines for "well established" Absentee Ballot procedures, why would I feel that they could successfully manage an entirely new process?</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;">So take the concept of voting by mail off the table - it WON'T work!</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "tinos"; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
********************<br />
Update: I finally received a response to my email indicating that "there was a mistake on the website" and the Executive Order in question had "expired".<br />
<br />
Not only were there multiple fails during the process, there was an additional one in this agency being negligent in keeping updated voter information on their website.<br />
<br />
So I am back to once again submitting an application by mail.<br />
<br />
The irony? I am currently in one of those states on the governor's "list"...and now my local board of elections would like me to mail in an application that has been in prolonged exposure with this environment?<br />
<br />
Kinda makes you wonder, doesn't it?<br />
********************<br />
<b><u>CRITICAL UPDATE:</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
This is the email that I had to send tonight:<br />
<br />
<i>On Wednesday, July 29, 2020 I emailed and faxed my absentee ballot application in to your email address as well as the listed fax number, in accordance with the information that was posted on the Jefferson County, NY Board of Elections website.</i><br />
<div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>I received a response from Michelle LaFave stating that the provisions on the website were erroneously still posted and had expired on June 23, 2020, and that I would need to mail in my completed application.</i></div>
</div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>I mailed in my application, and have USPS delivery confirmation that it was received on August 6, 2020 by an individual at your office.</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>At that time, the website stated that I should receive my absentee ballot within 15 days of your receipt of my application.</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>As of today, it has been 26 calendar days and 18 business days since <b>your</b> receipt of my application and I STILL have not received my absentee ballot.</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>I visited the website tonight only to discover that apparently now I am able to apply online, via fax, and via email, as well as by regular mail, for my absentee ballot.</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>I applied online tonight, and have already applied via mail, fax, and email with my previous submissions which have been confirmed as received in your office. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>I have attached documentation to this email for my online application.</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Consequently, I expect to see delivery of my absentee ballot within 15 days, or I will research further action to take.</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>I have a constitutional right to vote and have attempted three times so far to secure that right following the guidelines posted by your office.</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Thank you for your time and consideration.</i></div>
<div>
<br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /></div>
<br />
Not only haven't I received my Absentee Ballot within the posted guideline of 15 days, it appears that Jefferson County NY is deliberately ignoring my application which has been submitted THREE TIMES according to the current guidelines.<br />
<br />
If someone who legitimately is requesting an absentee ballot is being ignored, how well do you think that the proposal for "mail in voting" will go overall?<br />
<br />
Time to seriously reconsider your position on the claims being put forward in the media!</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-40442474538099603572020-07-26T10:38:00.002-04:002020-07-26T10:38:40.829-04:00Teacher, Teacher, Can You Teach Me?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWMvaUoriwp3PgPqdT5Yja_fwTh3Hk3CZasydSllUyDf75qXmI0r3XgPePS7TnrJi1rekjjwxZV17vgXdbwn3Z1VXe7NiySPGFk4OPdcmruPwRTEyiBteRMy_qmd0o_Eeh47RHd6A1tPm/s1600/Classroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="1600" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWMvaUoriwp3PgPqdT5Yja_fwTh3Hk3CZasydSllUyDf75qXmI0r3XgPePS7TnrJi1rekjjwxZV17vgXdbwn3Z1VXe7NiySPGFk4OPdcmruPwRTEyiBteRMy_qmd0o_Eeh47RHd6A1tPm/s200/Classroom.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Teacher, teacher, can you teach me?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Can you tell me if I'm right or wrong?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Teacher, teacher, can you reach me?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I want to know what's goin' on, oh</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">~"Teacher, Teacher", 38 Special</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Enough already with the debate about whether or not to reopen schools!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I have taught in schools for over 31 years - more than half of my life. More than that, I have taught outside of a classroom for most of my life. So my voice matters and I would like to be heard.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">We are irreparably damaging our children. Not just now, as a result of the pandemic closing schools, but by our use of public education as a resource for any "minority" group who wants to push their agenda.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Right now I want to expose the harm that is being done by leaving public schools closed.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I grew up in a small city (it was actually not even deemed a city until later) at a time when handicapped children in our town were "lucky" enough to have a facility that provided them what realistically was glorified day care.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The facility was actually started shortly before I was born, but in 1975 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_for_All_Handicapped_Children_Act" target="_blank">PL 94-142 (Education for All Handicapped Children Act)</a> was passed, and just as I entered high school, a whole new world was opened up.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The disabled students that had previously been "out of sight, out of mind" at the local facility (for any of us who did not have a neighbor, friend, or family member with a disability) were now in our school building, and sometimes even in our classrooms.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">In my school, there was a wing that led to the band/music/chorus/stage that held the classrooms for most of these students, but those of us who participated in those activities became familiar with many of the teachers and students.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">What I have NOT seen raised as an issue at all during the school closings is a dialog about how disabled students are being affected by no longer having access to the school buildings.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">You can NOT do PT (physical therapy - large movement skills such as walking) or OT (occupational therapy - fine motor skills like writing or turning switches) effectively over a Zoom interface. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Speech therapy is also problematic and difficult under the best of conditions, and given all of the issues that can arise with connectivity, cameras, and microphones, it is not meeting the needs of these students. (I will discuss the "digital divide" more in a separate blog entry.)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Life skills such as laundry, cleaning, personal hygiene cannot be effectively taught without following the student around and observing them in action. And since most schools have barely been able to provide stationary technology for students, a portable camera interface is beyond budget.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are schools able to provide an interface on their Zoom or Microsoft Meeting so that the teacher or aide for handicapped students has a private connection to deliver their supplementary instruction which they used to receive in the school building, if not in the actual classroom?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">A physical school environment is so much more than learning academic skills (and I include the areas listed above as just a small sample of services provided for disabled students).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">School is a medium for providing social skills for ALL of the students. And remote learning just does NOT compare.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">When you are IRL (in real life) with a room full of classmates, there is "hands on" instruction in tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions that are kept to a minimum over electronic media. (Don't believe me? How many of you adults only "dress up" for the part that the camera has in view?)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">There is observation of interactions between peers and adults that does not occur when people are no longer in the same room.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">And there is exposure to a wide variety of individuals who are different from you, they look different, smell different, speak differently, and have different interests - and you learn how to interact with others who aren't just an extension of how you were raised.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Those are all critical educational skills, not only for disabled students, but all students, especially from an early age. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">How else do we expect our children to learn that there are people in the world who are not the same as them when they no longer encounter them, even if just casually walking past them in a school hallway?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">If you read the link above about PL 94-142, the original provisions were for at least one free meal a day for handicapped students.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">What is not being discussed is that often, the parents of disabled students are unable to provide for these students basic needs sufficiently - food being just the tip of the iceberg.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Yet now we have thrust them into the position of providing supervision of their child's educational program without providing them any training equivalent to even a teacher's aide.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Some of these children have behaviors which even trained professionals have difficulty managing, and that was with the "tag team" approach that gave both parents and teachers time away.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Now these students are full-time in a household that may not be well-equipped to provide a substitute for the public school academically, let alone behaviorally.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Over the past several months I have had conversations with parents of disabled students and they are frustrated and angry that the "remote learning" is not addressing the needs of their child.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Yes, we have a health crisis in our country. But if we allow our most vulnerable student population to become victims to educational malpractice, we are reverting to the "out of sight, out of mind" warehousing mentality that existed half a century ago.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Open schools with CDC guidelines. Give parents a choice if they feel their child is at health risk.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">But allow our children to learn and grow in skills and behaviors and attitudes. All of our children, not just those capable of utilizing technology!</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-24768228672154903572020-07-16T21:55:00.003-04:002020-07-16T21:58:13.802-04:00Sing Me A Song<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Boi1juFK0Wue-tJ_rm4NdxaSQdOVqNqQRPKn6PHrV65w1RVQI0MJ7s4fcK3aOik0FhswS4wsocctRcu_pjT_KQuKGZLBI1THhWK5WXsuL8MwIRThUBkY7ApzWZueBRd4fYcA8ZLFuKVf/s1600/music+notes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="640" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Boi1juFK0Wue-tJ_rm4NdxaSQdOVqNqQRPKn6PHrV65w1RVQI0MJ7s4fcK3aOik0FhswS4wsocctRcu_pjT_KQuKGZLBI1THhWK5WXsuL8MwIRThUBkY7ApzWZueBRd4fYcA8ZLFuKVf/s200/music+notes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I learned that a local band released an album, and was sent the info on where to find it - it has dropped on both YouTube and iTunes.<br />
<br />
I had been given the lyrics to track three several years ago, and was honored to have discussions with two of the band members about the origin for that particular song.<br />
<br />
When injustice occurs, it often has a profoundly far reaching impact that can't be measured or even anticipated.<br />
<br />
Anyone who has ever had any type of contact with the individuals in a case end up dealing with the fallout of a miscarriage of the legal system.<br />
<br />
Each of them must find their own way of working through the pain and frustration, and the origins of this blog were my way of dealing with overwhelming negative emotions.<br />
<br />
What you should realize from the title of this band's album "Underwatertown" is that these young adults have realized that there is a toxic culture in their hometown that has resulted in multiple miscarriages of justice.<br />
<br />
Without further ado, here is this band's interpretation of the <a href="http://www.jonmassey.com/" target="_blank">Jon Massey Case</a> - the single "Buried in the Case":<br />
<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZWM9YvBhfFE/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZWM9YvBhfFE?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-49562665729719933232020-06-28T10:34:00.002-04:002020-06-28T10:34:57.451-04:00Free Speech, Just Not For Me... The Anthem of the Muted Majority<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZu7djaOQweWLAqkyIimDsPmQSWet1dCo1gsn2XfIHh-yUMbURXGeEjE-qWmhkDGu1MldA-pVJSMVvfarEsUfBIi9fWrWObkLf0b31Wuja1aOOWce1IiwTPPRY4uFhXXdy0OdLGvcuH21n/s1600/number.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="696" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZu7djaOQweWLAqkyIimDsPmQSWet1dCo1gsn2XfIHh-yUMbURXGeEjE-qWmhkDGu1MldA-pVJSMVvfarEsUfBIi9fWrWObkLf0b31Wuja1aOOWce1IiwTPPRY4uFhXXdy0OdLGvcuH21n/s320/number.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>"And I feel like a number</b></i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><span style="text-align: center;">Feel like a number</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: center;" /><span style="text-align: center;">Feel like a stranger</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: center;" /><span style="text-align: center;">A stranger in this land</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: center;" /><span style="text-align: center;">I feel like a number</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: center;" /><span style="text-align: center;">I'm not a number</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: center;" /><span style="text-align: center;">I'm not a number</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: center;" /><span style="text-align: center;">Dammit I'm a man" ~Bob Seeger</span></b></i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></b></i></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">Right off the bat, I know that I have already offended some of you reading the lyrics I chose for my introduction.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">This may be your first foray into my blog, or a repeat visit, and that last line may have triggered you.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">Why? </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">Not because of the fear of numbers and math that many people profess.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">Because of my use of a single word: MAN</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">Those of you who know me IRL, know that I am not a man, and those of you who don't, well, now you know too.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">But your overwhelming compulsion to jump on "discriminatory" language has already led you to slot me into whatever negative stereotypes you favor at the moment.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">However, forty plus years later, and the lyrics still fit, regardless of the "gender specific" word used.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">This is sad, because if you peruse my other blog entries you will realize that I have great respect for numbers and wish that everyone would feel comfortable enough to use them in their everyday life.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">For me, personally, to feel like a number in a negative sense is not a good thing.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">Ironically, for all the almost universal dread of mathematics and numbers, our society has become obsessed with quantifying people - usually in a way to avoid human contact.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">The result? I feel as though I no longer have a voice. My conversations about how I really feel on any topic are confined to the people in my life who I trust.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">Otherwise, anyone who disagrees with my point of view declares open season and lumps me in with their preordained dismissive labels.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">Don't believe me? This morning I received a video from a friend of mine, a woman I have known for more years than the Seeger song has been in existence. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc3NnwY_-V8" target="_blank">Click here to see/hear the hate speech from both sides.</a> Warning:<b> NSFW</b>, and even I cringed to hear the language out of these seniors.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">It is my understanding that we are guaranteed "freedom of speech" in the First Amendment to our Constitution. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Nowhere in that amendment is there language limiting that freedom to "only speech agreed to by the listener", yet that has become the norm.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">People who disagree with your point of view are free to hurl hateful invectives at you, become physically agressive towards you, and even attempt to interfere with your job, your residence, your way of life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I no longer feel as though I have the right to express my views, even when confronted aggressively by another person expounding their opinion.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">How has it come to the point where a multitude of individuals like myself feel muted?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Because we have become quantified by our age, our gender, our height, weight, eye color, hair color, shoe size, marital status, race, highest level of education, household income, place of residence, <i>ad infinitum</i>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">We have been slotted into categories that are used by any and all wishing to dehumanize their "opposition" in order to advance their own agenda.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Don't believe me? Rewatch that video above. The hateful phrases being slung freely by both sets of seniors are characteristic of our society in general.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Then watch this one, because it is how many of us silenced individuals perceive ourselves: </span></span></div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Y_jGlTEBUxU/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y_jGlTEBUxU?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How is this relevant? You can throw out all the polls and predictions presented by either side of an issue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The numbers collected are invalid because of the sheer numbers of people who remain silent, fearful of expressing their opinions by the retaliatory activities of those who disagree with them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enough is enough. We are developing a society of Stepford Wives in which diversity is not only devalued, it is penalized.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We complain about the lack of innovation and invention from our country, which used to be in the forefront of the world in those areas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How can we possibly expect to excel when our entire society is focused on <a href="https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/homogeneity" target="_blank">homogeneity</a> - and differences are punished?</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">Wake Up America! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">It is okay to be different!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">It is okay to disagree!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><b><i>IT IS NOT OKAY TO DISENFRANCHISE AND SILENCE PEOPLE THROUGH YOUR HATEFUL WORDS AND RETALIATORY ACTIVITIES!</i></b></span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-7937881811873955812020-06-13T09:58:00.000-04:002020-06-13T09:58:01.454-04:00The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Truth...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZ0e5P-09kQj3ACguCUOwnJdhk-514wV4lM_nA3zmOuK8RC_GGvupYqCzgWmbsjnvqiqeuUNw9ewI-xpr7kO19G-Ox1fz76ODWOpKY65YEFeO1r31uIz0aeW7aP1qA3F1QE_GoY2xVdrN/s1600/img-goodbaduglyFINALV21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="500" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZ0e5P-09kQj3ACguCUOwnJdhk-514wV4lM_nA3zmOuK8RC_GGvupYqCzgWmbsjnvqiqeuUNw9ewI-xpr7kO19G-Ox1fz76ODWOpKY65YEFeO1r31uIz0aeW7aP1qA3F1QE_GoY2xVdrN/s200/img-goodbaduglyFINALV21.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
We are ALL human!<br />
<br />
Part of being human is having free will to make our own decisions.<br />
<br />
Repeat that phrase until it starts to sink in...<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>We are ALL human!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>We are ALL human!</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></b>
Yet something that has been lost in our perceptions of, behaviors towards, and treatment of other humans is that <i>there are no absolutes</i>.<br />
<br />
Good and bad are artificial constructs, and humans are living organisms.<br />
<br />
Part of reality is acknowledging that <i>there are no absolutes</i>, yet our society has become focused on polarization and characterization.<br />
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The "ugly truth" is that our society's ability to interact on a personal level has died an unnoticed death.<br />
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Instead we use snap judgments, appearances, and labels to place people in boxes so that we no longer have to discover who they really are and how they fit into the world.<br />
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Don't believe me? Let's play a game of Family Feud!<br />
<br />
Take out a sheet of paper and list the first ten words that come to mind for each of the following phrases:<br />
<br />
<b>Homeless Person Recovering Addict Convicted Felon</b><br />
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If you were truly honest with yourself, the ten words you listed were ugly and limiting.<br />
<br />
Nothing you listed would possibly allow any person in any of those groups to be productive and successful.<br />
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Each of those three phrases is used by our society to put a member of that group down at the bottom of a well (figuratively).<br />
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Then our subsequent actions become the water source that fills the well and drowns them.<br />
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This is what I refer to when I use the word "absolute".<br />
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It is easy to quantify a person by a label, and that has become the norm in our society.<br />
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Fast food, next day delivery, snap judgments, instant gratification - these are the hallmarks of who we have become.<br />
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More to the point, it is far easier to dismiss a person by quickly tossing them into a category that you have already tried and convicted in the court of your mind.<br />
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We are ALL human!<br />
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Which means that making snap judgments (based on physical appearance, behaviors, or anything else a person does) is no longer acceptable.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>We are ALL human!</b></span><br />
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But in order to become more human ourselves, we need to take the time to learn who a person really is rather than characterizing them in a way that denies their individuality.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>We are ALL human!</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
Don't be an ambassador for "the ugly truth" - revise how you characterize and treat others.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>BE A HUMAN!</i></b></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-58011191586606683832020-06-06T13:04:00.002-04:002020-06-06T13:04:54.610-04:00The Pen is Mightier than the Sword - Part 2 - "What's In A Name?"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidOJqRv4by16EPN-udzCBX5wEz92HAJVKACyRE5cv97SsY1I2E7SCGL1aNyGeZeS8Q3QEfXrllgxqOXxdMPf0Vsi0pQnUbehmpXFQF6E9nEjD4flHo2yJS8xaLAJsx8CYdqZTnbE_BXBRP/s1600/Screenshot+2020-06-06+at+11.30.21+AM+-+Edited+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="229" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidOJqRv4by16EPN-udzCBX5wEz92HAJVKACyRE5cv97SsY1I2E7SCGL1aNyGeZeS8Q3QEfXrllgxqOXxdMPf0Vsi0pQnUbehmpXFQF6E9nEjD4flHo2yJS8xaLAJsx8CYdqZTnbE_BXBRP/s200/Screenshot+2020-06-06+at+11.30.21+AM+-+Edited+%25281%2529.png" width="197" /></a>"What's in a name? that which we call a rose<br />
By Any Other Name would smell as sweet"<br />
~ <u style="font-style: italic;">Romeo and Juliet</u>, William Shakespeare<br />
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And how true this is about roses, but unfortunately <i>roses and humans are far different</i>.<br />
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Although living, a rose does not have free will and is incapable of making choices and changing its nature when it becomes necessary for survival.<br />
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Humans can, and will, adjust any aspects of themselves that they are able, when they realize that happiness and success depend upon that change.<br />
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A human will further their training and education. A human will seek professional help for a problem. A human will stop their substance abuse. A human will reform themself.<br />
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Unfortunately, there are aspects of being human that a person cannot change. Skin color, age, visible disabilities, these are all aspects that are difficult to alter.<br />
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Yet not only are these visible aspects of humanity used to make snap judgements, people use other information to also discriminate against their fellow human beings.<br />
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This human behavior is systemic and institutionalized, and even ingrained into our society at every level, and has been going on for decades.<br />
<br />
Don't believe me? When is the last time that you filled out any type of "official" paperwork when you <b><i>weren't</i></b> asked to indicate your gender and racial background?<br />
<br />
Just as the human race encompasses a broad spectrum of descriptors (race, gender, religion, political affiliation, social background), so does the discrimination.<br />
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Making laws and rules to "correct" the issue is not only unsuccessful, it causes the development of additional problems. (<a href="https://law.jrank.org/pages/24197/University-California-v-Bakke-Reverse-Discrimination-Claimed.html" target="_blank">University of California v Bakke is just one of many examples.</a>)<br />
<br />
For the record, I don't believe that there is "reverse discrimination". I do believe that discrimination occurs when any member of a group treats an individual differently based on not belonging to that group.<br />
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When you attempt to advance one group for opportunities and reduce the availability for others as a result, you are contributing to the problem.<br />
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Yet government agencies, educational institutions, and employers chest thump and give each other "attaboys" for on-boarding easily identifiable "minorities", <i>as long as those minorities aren't a potential problem</i>.<br />
<br />
Ever wonder why we have a serious problem with homelessness, addiction, and criminal recidivism in this country?<br />
<br />
Those populations constitute individuals that transcend any visible or societal quantifiers, and they are discriminated against at a far higher rate than any other "group" you could name.<br />
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The homeless are unable to get housing because they don't have "references" or a current address. They are often unable to gain/maintain employment because of their lack of a stable living situation.<br />
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Addiction is considered a disabling condition, and just as a diabetic has that condition for life, so does an addict. Addicts (as opposed to casual drug users) are covered under the ADA, and are therefore not subject to discrimination in hiring practices when reasonable accommodations allow their employment.<br />
<br />
Most employers won't hire someone they know is an recovering addict, even when that individual will agree to random testing and lengthened probationary periods. I know of one <a href="https://westelcom.com/" target="_blank">company CEO/President</a> that did just that despite positive interviews, references and recommendations from multiple individuals within the company. (Ironically enough, in that instance the company has a number of government contracts.)<br />
<br />
Individuals with a criminal record? Not only can't they find employment and housing, they are unable to escape their poor decisions from the past. Despite our society claiming that they are willing to "let bygones be bygones", anyone with a criminal record, even just a misdemeanor, is often denied on a rental application and a job application. (Unless you are rich or a social media cause celebre - then you find offers falling into your lap.)<br />
<br />
Small wonder that many individuals in these three populations "relapse". They are unable to secure simple things (home, work, stability) that most of us take for granted.<br />
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Even in their daily social interactions, the instant an individual is suspected or identified as being homeless, an addict, or having a criminal record, they are ostracized or treated differently (and not in a positive uplifting way).<br />
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It is impossible to finger point any one <i>group</i> in our society as discriminatory offenders, just as it is impossible to define any one <i>group</i> as the victims.<br />
<br />
Anyone can change their social media profile for an hour or a day. Anyone can brag about the "efforts" they make that last an hour, a day, a week, or (rarely) a month. <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+6%3A5-8&version=KJV" target="_blank">This is not new behavior.</a> Most of these individuals will be on to the next cause within a short period of time.<br />
<br />
Instead, point the finger at yourself. Ask yourself what you can do to change your practices and beliefs. Ask yourself what you can do to help the least of these. Ask yourself how you can <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/you_can_catch_more_flies_with_honey_than_with_vinegar" target="_blank">lead</a></i> others to make a change.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Life Matters! Truth Matters! Behavior Matters!</b></span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-22898567201021241432020-06-05T17:47:00.000-04:002020-06-06T10:08:28.037-04:00The Rule of Three - Liar's Poker<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuO-uO39r3r2qNgtvIKyvZJj6rpxX2Lw0xe30PJLZHz12Un23hyphenhyphenN6j7M-lp6GLftQ0W7Xs7Jmq3sSpCn6sAWH0dYG7P4EgalAdzJoHmJLR1Wcx0Sydx0H11URtZ1b46A0cy2eLbKT9Sjj/s1600/exponent.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="257" data-original-width="356" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuO-uO39r3r2qNgtvIKyvZJj6rpxX2Lw0xe30PJLZHz12Un23hyphenhyphenN6j7M-lp6GLftQ0W7Xs7Jmq3sSpCn6sAWH0dYG7P4EgalAdzJoHmJLR1Wcx0Sydx0H11URtZ1b46A0cy2eLbKT9Sjj/s320/exponent.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Gather round kiddos, because today's math lesson is about exponents.<br />
<br />
Why exponents? Because it directly applies to lying behavior.<br />
<br />
Studies have shown that for every lie you tell, you need to tell three to keep it going or cover it up.<br />
<br />
So you tell one lie.<br />
<br />
Next you tell three lies to cover that first one up.<br />
<br />
For each one of those, you tell an additional three lies.<br />
<br />
The actual equation is 1 + 3^n where the exponent/power is determined by how far out you are from the original lie (which is represented by the 1). The base of three is the number of lies you tell to cover each one lie.<br />
<br />
Example? You tell a lie, then you tell the three lies to cover it up. Now you need an additional three lies to cover each of those. And for each of those, another three lies.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1 + 3 x 3 x 3 = 28 lies</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Now consider that the average person these days has difficulty remembering a phone number, which is only ten digits.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
(About the only number most people remember is 867-5309, and Jenny Jenny isn't going to help you now.)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
By the time most people get to that second round of dissembling, where the total is only ten lies, they are having difficulty keeping track of what they have already said.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
That's when things should start to unravel, and often do in most cases.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Unfortunately, in this day and age of everything being documented and available on social media, the skillful liar will review the original lie and any supporting falsehoods in order to build a coherent, uniform story.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This is especially easy for those in the public eye, as their every breath and gesture is endlessly recorded and analyzed and available on social media platforms.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So although it is easy to see the lie unraveling for an individual you know personally, it isn't always easy to identify the same problem in a public figure.<br />
<br />
Hallmark behaviors that can indicate "rehearsal" in order to cover up/explain a story would be lengthy periods of time before beginning an explanation or rationalization of misstatements, as well as multiple successive "press releases" with additional details and/or clarification.<br />
<br />
In terms of personal behavior - if you don't tell lies, you are able to continue to provide a consistent story.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A37&version=NKJV" target="_blank">Let your word be your bond</a>, lest you become one of the 10-15%.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not that long ago, humankind used to be able to trust a person who took an oath that they were telling the truth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Be that person who is known for their veracity, and it will make your life so much easier.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Truth Matters!</b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-3995250933553080352020-06-05T08:16:00.001-04:002020-06-05T08:16:15.528-04:00The Pen is Mightier than the Sword - Part 1 - Binary Value THE CURRENT MATH PROBLEM<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFSYd6CSgwohJ0nluhKHpVUmjExgEXgymB1S3uSvlErK54X-TlxrVAT7MuZxdXDptCWW8L1yaA8GjDOHwl2AIjeXeUMl7AFg6k-hXVbu-yxiKMNeZ5pEAam5cHsXkqSAr4q_lKjiq8JOK/s1600/crowd.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFSYd6CSgwohJ0nluhKHpVUmjExgEXgymB1S3uSvlErK54X-TlxrVAT7MuZxdXDptCWW8L1yaA8GjDOHwl2AIjeXeUMl7AFg6k-hXVbu-yxiKMNeZ5pEAam5cHsXkqSAr4q_lKjiq8JOK/s200/crowd.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b><i>Based on some of the news headlines this morning, I felt that a second math problem would give a meaningful example of the binary nature of human life.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>The statement "10-15% of all people" is an easy illustration to use.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><br /></b>
A quick review of the math you need to use - it is called the "percent equation" and works like this:<br />
<i><br /></i>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">n = % x t</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
n is the number of people that fit the description</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
% is changed to a decimal (move the decimal point two places to the left)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
t is the starting total population</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Using this information, lets look at a room full of ten people (since ten had been set as a gathering limit under COVID-19 restrictions).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">n = .15 x 10</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Under this equation, that means 1.5 people in that room. Imagine being with a group of people you know very well, and discovering that 1.5 of them fit the description given.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But under the binary nature of life, that actually means two of those people who you know. Think about those people - do you really believe it?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Know your math! </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Know that life matters!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Know that you can bring change!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-82472129023487438302020-06-04T18:52:00.002-04:002020-06-04T19:14:37.936-04:00The Pen is Mightier than the Sword - Part 1 - Binary Value<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUUDMnIGhdXxx5qikDmc7gaxW8ovEgChBInSwErNEPrSTuD33TCeOSvSeOYbLwSXRoqHms3IoGfKPJ45bqZwo4ZJqDhDoY5DNR-_kOHJvqyZAeuOU-S5BNzMCOGPw8pBSSKEm44nImXp2/s1600/sticks-and-stones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUUDMnIGhdXxx5qikDmc7gaxW8ovEgChBInSwErNEPrSTuD33TCeOSvSeOYbLwSXRoqHms3IoGfKPJ45bqZwo4ZJqDhDoY5DNR-_kOHJvqyZAeuOU-S5BNzMCOGPw8pBSSKEm44nImXp2/s1600/sticks-and-stones.jpg" /></a></div>
The biggest myth of all time?<br />
<br />
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."<br />
<br />
This is false!<br />
<br />
Language has a power that transcends time and context and is evidenced by quotes, literature, and even movie lines that are repeated, retweeted, and treasured.<br />
<br />
So when you begin chanting words that you feel are relevant, take the time to examine them for the unspoken context.<br />
<br />
The minute you add any descriptive adjectives, the opposite meaning also arises, and that is part of the power of words.<br />
<br />
A prime example is an airline slogan: "Fly the friendly skies of United!"<br />
<br />
This was a marketing piece of genius. Not only does it convey the impression that United is a pleasant and friendly experience, it also insinuates that any other airline is not friendly.<br />
<br />
Apply this thought process to current events.<br />
<br />
To truly advance the conversations that need to occur, the slogan that people should be chanting right now is the following:<br />
<br />
<i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">LIFE MATTERS!</span></b></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">No qualifiers, no adjectives, no restrictions; no ifs, ands, or buts about it.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Here's a simple math problem similar to ones that I did with my middle school math students early in the school year:</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-weight: 400;"><i>How many people are born each second if there are 360,000 people born a day?</i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">The purpose of this math problem wasn't necessarily to assess their division skills, as they were allowed to think/pair/square </span>(try it themselves, work with a partner, work some more with a group of four, then report back) to solve the problem. They were also allowed to use calculators during the exercise.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The real learning experience was for them to start thinking about their answers to problems. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In this example, 360,000 ÷ 24 hours in a day ÷ 60 minutes in an hour ÷ 60 seconds in a minute = 4.16666667 (it is really 6 repeating but the calculator rounds the number).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After the "square" time, I polled groups for their answer. I then asked them to think about it for another minute and then report back again. Some of the groups decided to use a mixed number instead at this point.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This is the point where the real discussion began. I asked students if there were such a thing as 4.17 (or 4-1/6) of a human, and if so, what did that mean?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Some of the descriptions revolved around being an amputee, but it was as though nobody had ever discussed the fact that life was a binary concept. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A person is either 1 (alive) or 0 (not alive/dead). We continued with a discussion on whether there were any possible conditions that would give a life a fractional/decimal value instead of 1.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I think the saddest part of the discussion that we had in my classroom is that up until this point, most of these developing adults had never been told that a human life had a meaning, a value, which wasn't any less or any more than any other human life, regardless of any qualifiers, adjectives, restrictions; ifs, ands, or buts about it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When was the last time you thought about it from this perspective?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When was the last time that you had this discussion with anyone around you, especially the younger generation?<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">LIFE MATTERS!</span></b></i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
All conversations must begin with this as a starting point.</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-71212495180622913712020-06-02T08:46:00.001-04:002020-06-28T11:22:43.665-04:00The Rule of Three - Choose Wisely<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjt-ekMyREE97HkTq4sv77exWlHErGYfTpcG32LYCsrpHPhxtHiLS12MY94yx4S3hkw5JfFKue7kxJGtmKiK1OVtqYqajPvfdqKIfSkEn0dMfovV7d96ZV8bds9hFebSfqo9NCJyPHzUoV/s1600/choose+wisely.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="378" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjt-ekMyREE97HkTq4sv77exWlHErGYfTpcG32LYCsrpHPhxtHiLS12MY94yx4S3hkw5JfFKue7kxJGtmKiK1OVtqYqajPvfdqKIfSkEn0dMfovV7d96ZV8bds9hFebSfqo9NCJyPHzUoV/s200/choose+wisely.jpg" width="125" /></a>Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the best illustration of this principle.<br />
<br />
At the climax of the movie (the point when all the threads play out, not the end) Elsa and Indy are in the chalice room.<br />
<br />
They are tasked with choosing the correct grail that will grant healing and eternal life.<br />
<br />
Elsa goes first and chooses an ornate grail to give to Walter Donovan.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Choice 1: Do the <u>wrong thing</u>.</i></b><br />
<br />
Donovan is not the archaeologist, so he thinks that the size, the gold, and the gems, mark its importance, drinks from it, and dies.<br />
<br />
Elsa knew that it was a deadly choice, but deliberately chose wrong, and killed a man.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Choice 2: Do <u>nothing</u>.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
The look that Elsa and Indy exchange when this occurs illustrates the second option.<br />
<br />
That is the choice that Indy made when Elsa made her choice. He knew that it was the wrong grail, but did not speak up or stop her.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Choice 3: Do the <u>right thing</u>.</i></b><br />
<br />
And Indy did just that, in choosing the real grail to heal his father, even though it could have been grabbed at any point by any of the others there.<br />
<br />
Our country is at a precipice, and it is precisely because people have either never been taught the rule of three, or they take choices 1 and 2.<br />
<br />
There were four officers at the scene with George Floyd, one did the wrong thing, and three did <i><b>NOTHING.</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
But they weren't the only ones at the scene, and those other people also did <i style="font-weight: bold;">NOTHING</i>. In fact, based on the number of videos and/or photos that surfaced immediately afterwards, they chose to do the <b><i>WRONG THING.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
There were people saying "Stop" and "You're hurting him" and even at least one of the other officers also spoke.<br />
<br />
But none of them <i style="font-weight: bold;">ACTED</i>, which is usually necessary in doing either the right thing or the wrong thing.<br />
<br />
None of the spectators put down their cell phone camera long enough to call 911, step forward to attempt to stop the murder, or any other action that could have led to different circumstances.<br />
<br />
Groups of protesters out on the streets are being converted into violent mobs looting by small actions.<br />
<br />
Had someone actually done something at the scene it might have been <a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Tipping-Point-audiobook/dp/B000OYD8T2/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+tipping+point&qid=1591101062&sr=8-1" target="_blank">the tipping point</a> that would have mobilized at least one of the officers to do the right thing.<br />
<br />
But the time is past for that type of speculation, because everyone at that scene made their choice and propelled history forward to the point we are today.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately we have come to a point in our society also, where Choice 3 has become far more painful than Choices 1 and 2.<br />
<br />
If you choose the wrong thing, there may possibly be negative consequences, however many times those choices become glorified and memorialized and create a social media hero.<br />
<br />
So many people are opting for Choice 2, and do nothing. When things go wrong, these individuals quietly slip away or hang at the fringes, remaining quiet rather than attract attention.<br />
<br />
Choice 3 has become painful - during the riots we have seen multiple images of people being assaulted to the point of death when they try to stop assault, theft, and looting. They become at a minimum the target of screaming and profanity.<br />
<br />
In the "normal world" laws have been developed to protect "whistleblowers" because a person making the right choice can be targeted for job persecution and harassment.<br />
<br />
Moving forward, keep in mind that every time you make a choice, you are making one of three. Let it be the right one!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-37954310874615042352020-05-31T12:33:00.001-04:002020-05-31T12:33:29.743-04:00" The Frozen Chosen"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOcQ5s-fWzp1v4mjzwUKxNqdbtXHowcuCrdu3D31S6j0WZM0E42OL9B3yLbN-cMdgTiVW72w5P_jRUQ50I0z58PzkZWwfIXhRgwmHA_0A5sjXqnpLxp60dYQjawCdrl7b1Vx3F9mvhIcNO/s1600/10th+Mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="794" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOcQ5s-fWzp1v4mjzwUKxNqdbtXHowcuCrdu3D31S6j0WZM0E42OL9B3yLbN-cMdgTiVW72w5P_jRUQ50I0z58PzkZWwfIXhRgwmHA_0A5sjXqnpLxp60dYQjawCdrl7b1Vx3F9mvhIcNO/s200/10th+Mountain.jpg" width="200" /></a>Over half of my life was spent working with members and families of the 10th Mountain Division.<br />
<br />
They survive in every shade of the skin rainbow, every spectrum of the spiritual scale, the span of their diversity is staggering.<br />
<br />
But they key concept is that <b><i>they survive</i></b>.<br />
<br />
They survive life events that would cripple many people, for they experience more than just the births and deaths, marriages and divorces, graduations and new homes.<br />
<br />
They start with boot camp, ten weeks when they leave home and do their initial training in the military.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><b>This is not like going away to college</b> </i>because they can't call home whenever they get lonely, or need money, and they can't leave to go to a concert or a sporting event (or home to get their laundry done and a real meal).<br />
<br />
Their days are filled with physical training that rivals that of the most extreme personal trainer, as well as education in a variety of disciplines.<br />
<br />
And that is where most movies that portray the "Army experience" end. But it isn't truly the end, just the beginning.<br />
<br />
After boot camp comes AIT - Advanced Individual Training. Depending upon the individual soldier's MOS (job description), this can last anywhere from four weeks to a year.<br />
<br />
Now although this segment of a soldier's training is more like college, <i>don't ever lose sight of the fact that a member of the military is considered on duty 24/7/365</i>. They are at work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.<br />
<br />
That not only means that they work that schedule, so do their family members. Once they have signed on the dotted line, they have sacrificed their celebrations and personal life events to serve.<br />
<br />
But the sacrifice doesn't end there.<br />
<br />
Once the solider receives a duty assignment, they move there, often across the country, to a new home, new climate, unfamiliar faces.<br />
<br />
This post is titled "The Frozen Chosen" because Fort Drum, NY has affectionately been renamed that in military circles - "Those who get Chosen, get Frozen".<br />
<br />
Many of the soldiers stationed at Fort Drum have come from far sunnier climates where PT (physical training) gets cancelled for snow on the ground. In NNY, however, it is "business as usual" until the snow is above your waist.<br />
<br />
They weren't aware when they purchased their vehicle that AWD or 4WD was a better option than a nice stereo package, and it makes driving from October to May interesting for them until they get acclimated.<br />
<br />
But those are little things compared to the deployments.<br />
<br />
Most of you can't imagine being separated from your friends and family for weeks, let alone the months these soldiers experience. They are allowed home for a "block leave" (approximately two weeks) every four to six months, and sometimes almost half of that leave is taken up with the travel time.<br />
<br />
They work in areas of the world where contact by phone or technology is limited by resources and time differential, as well as any adverse conditions where they are deployed.<br />
<br />
Still don't realize who these guys are? Just Google 10th Mountain Division and you will see the places that they are currently stationed (and have been continuously for years).<br />
<br />
And now they have been called up, mobilized, and asked to do the unthinkable<br />
<br />
They are now on call to be stationed in their own country, <b><i>putting their lives at risk at the hands of fellow citizens to protect fellow citizens</i></b>.<br />
<br />
These are the brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, aunts and uncles, nephews and nieces and cousins of those both wreaking havoc and being victimized by the destruction.<br />
<br />
They are going to a duty station to deal with situations that they have seen in multiple countries around the world with primitive and oppressive conditions, but this is in their own country.<br />
<br />
Once again, they are putting their lives on the line for their country, but now that life is at risk by their fellow countrymen.<br />
<br />
If this isn't a wakeup call, that our heroes are being asked to serve once more under circumstances none of you would willingly face, then there is no hope for you.<br />
<br />
Enough is enough!<br />
<br />
You have dishonored George Floyd, you have dishonored your neighbors, your employers, your friends with the theft, arson, and destruction.<br />
<br />
Will you now dishonor those who have willingly put their lives on the line for you at home and abroad?<br />
<br />
Think about it!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-1144687363048468712020-05-30T10:21:00.001-04:002020-05-30T10:21:57.893-04:00A Slippery Slope: Flinging Poo and Other Wrongs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXZh9unbqfy00eEmZdbapYS3dHXdSREKvnwp27LP9_gG-DTlTyYvtExJIpO5bwrbVkdXjEDJzDLpTyORwg9-66d4YHx9-194K4LQyvkaMbM6kALLPYfCyOoT38y8W7m1vYRtWdP_hgZzm/s1600/Slippery-Slope.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXZh9unbqfy00eEmZdbapYS3dHXdSREKvnwp27LP9_gG-DTlTyYvtExJIpO5bwrbVkdXjEDJzDLpTyORwg9-66d4YHx9-194K4LQyvkaMbM6kALLPYfCyOoT38y8W7m1vYRtWdP_hgZzm/s200/Slippery-Slope.png" width="200" /></a>The title of this blog entry is in NO WAY meant to trivialize the current events, as they are horrendous beyond description.<br />
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However, none of this should have come as a surprise to anyone.<br />
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To say that you "don't understand" how these events could have deteriorated so rapidly means you simply haven't been paying attention.<br />
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We live in a society where individuals feel free to use social media to threaten, harass, and bully others. This is not limited to children/teens/young adults - even so-called mature adults participate in this.<br />
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Evidence? Look at the "name calling" that occurs after any election. Both the winner(s) and the loser(s) - through their supporters and proxies, if not personally - unleash unlimited vitriol and insults on those who supported the other candidate(s).<br />
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When even our purported leadership has a marked lack of respect for the individuals under their "guidance", why would we expect others to behave any differently.<br />
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Last time I checked, it was nobody's business if or how I voted, and to attempt to discover the specifics and to persecute me or anyone else because of it is inappropriate.<br />
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(Can you imagine being at a second floor level meeting of your peers and hearing the leader of the meeting say "If any of you support 'Candidate X' you can just jump out that window right now!"? I was there.)<br />
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This is just the tip of the iceberg. I work at an establishment that normally has what would be considered a middle to upper class clientele. We are under no obligation to provide restrooms because we do not serve food or beverage.<br />
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Over the past month, on an almost daily basis, the customers have defiled our bathrooms.<br />
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Would you like details? They have urinated and defecated on the floor, wiped feces all over the toilets and sometimes the walls, jammed the toilets with paper towel and then shat on top of that.<br />
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One woman even stepped over a garbage pail to enter and exit the bathroom first thing in the morning (the pail was in the door overnight to allow the floor to dry after cleaning). She decided to throw enough paper towel in the toilet to clog it, rather than using the garbage pail that she couldn't possibly have overlooked.<br />
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Not once has a customer approached an employee and reported that there was a problem with the bathrooms, or that they were sorry for the mess they left.<br />
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We employees have been left to discover the chaos when we have entered the bathrooms to use them.<br />
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Luke 16:10 (KJV) ~ He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.</div>
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How is this applicable? If you can't be appropriate with the little things, you certainly won't be appropriate with the larger issues.</div>
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The ugly truth lurking below the so-called "good life" in America is that we have generations of people who either do not know how to do the "right thing", or just don't want to bother.</div>
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The minute it becomes an issue of choice, too many people will do the wrong thing and choose what will benefit them rather than do what is right.</div>
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Killing anyone is wrong. Taking anything that doesn't belong to you is wrong. Destroying or damaging someone else's property is wrong. Causing harm to others is wrong.</div>
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Until we recognize these simple values and take action to oppose wrong regardless of personal consequences, nothing should come as a surprise.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-78636516131373006032020-05-23T12:31:00.000-04:002020-05-23T12:31:10.509-04:00Who Wants To Predict The Future? COVID-19 Data Forecasting for Beginners<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO7Z4auCZN3JSwQm6s3fWwg1uTJc9e1QlmDYMF_JpBZAyQcF5hSem5Ei1cDd_iEvqkw_og-Vvw1DwVVo2E6PFJtEUxH4HfnR7I8nk4k44E6P7dIsq17sEghwAtDivhLFS4D5_bGyd3_8f3/s1600/May+22+2020+Data+-+Edited.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="1600" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO7Z4auCZN3JSwQm6s3fWwg1uTJc9e1QlmDYMF_JpBZAyQcF5hSem5Ei1cDd_iEvqkw_og-Vvw1DwVVo2E6PFJtEUxH4HfnR7I8nk4k44E6P7dIsq17sEghwAtDivhLFS4D5_bGyd3_8f3/s320/May+22+2020+Data+-+Edited.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Let's get back to some basic math. </div>
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Here is the data from May 22, 2020 as posted on the <a href="https://fdoh.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/8d0de33f260d444c852a615dc7837c86" target="_blank">Florida COVID-19 Website</a>.</div>
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It reveals some interesting information.</div>
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To begin with, the mortality rate of COVID-19 for the State of Florida is 4.4% (2,190/49,451 X 100 - divide the number of deaths by the number of positive cases and multiply by 100).</div>
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The mortality rate for Palm Beach County is 6.1% (311/5,072 X 100). This is the HIGHEST rate for any county in Florida. Yet it has been less than a week since the "defcon" rate for this county was upgraded.</div>
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So how can you prognosticate? Start by the realization that we have become a society so self-centered and focused on the fulfillment of personal desires that the responsibility for the greater good means nothing, and is often considered an inconvenience.</div>
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Combine that with the mobility rate practiced by citizens in their quest for self-enjoyment, and you have a recipe for spread and spike in the Coronavirus in Florida.<br />
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The county immediately to the north has repeatedly had to put in place "protective" guidelines (including closing boat ramps and requiring id for use of public beaches) as a result of the refusal of Palm Beach County residents to take reasonable protective measures.<br />
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Yet rather than behave responsibly, those residents continue to ignore reasonable guidelines (masks, social distancing, basic restraint) and impose their indifference to risk on others.<br />
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We have become an "immediate gratification" society, and if it doesn't happen within minutes of our expectation, we get angry. Look at the success of Amazon Prime as an example - "Next Day Delivery" has fueled an upsurge in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pqsy7V0wphI" target="_blank">"I want it now!" </a>syndrome.</div>
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It should come as no surprise that when there isn't an <b><i>immediate</i></b> upsurge in infection rates or deaths, people become even more lackadaisical in their precautions.</div>
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Let's look at some simple prediction guidelines. </div>
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In terms of time frames, there are no absolutes - <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html" target="_blank">the time from exposure to symptoms has been given as a range of two days to two weeks.</a> And the range from exposure to death can be three to five weeks. </div>
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But these aren't absolutes either, just an approximation given a "perfect world" and laboratory conditions, as well as anecdotal evidence.</div>
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So now let's look at some Florida metrics. Notice how there is a subtle manipulation of the perception right out of the gate. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZnPZul0skE6-z9UE64ACBVn24h8eBcYXuwixoifcJQ-ABOmaipfbx47AemWWdbcF5kL5rejQzlPdiG-3AnyTNH22LWKw6SdM_mvEvJN3y1V5SF4jZ4o_VpB2EpQfKNTk8vH-IUn0Hhny/s1600/FL+Resident+New+Cases.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="452" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZnPZul0skE6-z9UE64ACBVn24h8eBcYXuwixoifcJQ-ABOmaipfbx47AemWWdbcF5kL5rejQzlPdiG-3AnyTNH22LWKw6SdM_mvEvJN3y1V5SF4jZ4o_VpB2EpQfKNTk8vH-IUn0Hhny/s320/FL+Resident+New+Cases.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The data in this histogram below doesn't show ALL of the new Florida cases, just those for individuals identified as Florida Residents. Yet there are many people in Florida that have residency elsewhere.</div>
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What does that mean in practical terms? The actual number of new cases in Florida is far higher than that shown when you add in the "Non Florida Residents".</div>
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Now look at the high data point on the left of the above graph - on April 23 the number was 1.2K, so by extrapolation, there should be a "spike" in deaths anywhere from one to three weeks later, give or take.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkAhA3jispShxOaiHmNCOsVJi4nU-SMEWTCiXSUxNJNohTS2VtBv1a_fbXruegEmZV9Eme3vCBd0eCwIraBwCL-xq05abFwteNmh5WDdD0VPxahlKz-_GecjYuWgHOTDPE3v8BxilSELj/s1600/Screenshot+2020-05-23+at+11.55.52+AM+-+Edited.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="292" data-original-width="451" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkAhA3jispShxOaiHmNCOsVJi4nU-SMEWTCiXSUxNJNohTS2VtBv1a_fbXruegEmZV9Eme3vCBd0eCwIraBwCL-xq05abFwteNmh5WDdD0VPxahlKz-_GecjYuWgHOTDPE3v8BxilSELj/s320/Screenshot+2020-05-23+at+11.55.52+AM+-+Edited.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Voila, on May 4 - a "spike" in the data on the graph. And once again, keep in mind that this data is ONLY those individuals identified as Florida Residents.</div>
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Given the <a href="http://bottomfeedingsharks.blogspot.com/2020/05/this-speaks-for-itself.html" target="_blank">recent termination of the data chief</a> for the <a href="https://fdoh.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/8d0de33f260d444c852a615dc7837c86" target="_blank">Florida COVID-19</a> website I found it quite intriguing to see a "glitch" in the histograms for the Resident Deaths.</div>
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Above is the data posted on May 23, 2020, and below is the data from May 22, 2020.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlc2_8SH9MFFTCL6FkClACPnodI2BdVF_OwRJeLOTZL6Uxy9-0ljHyRnULIXYZv7gO7M1-xHHH-sMf2MYdAErmxHzrQMktXdBybOlaEcjcTlAeVLygLLXJSpTFMFu4N0eC68fABQrzgkc/s1600/FL+Resident+Deaths.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="445" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlc2_8SH9MFFTCL6FkClACPnodI2BdVF_OwRJeLOTZL6Uxy9-0ljHyRnULIXYZv7gO7M1-xHHH-sMf2MYdAErmxHzrQMktXdBybOlaEcjcTlAeVLygLLXJSpTFMFu4N0eC68fABQrzgkc/s320/FL+Resident+Deaths.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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In the graph from May 23, the death data reported for May 22, 2020 is 2, and for May 21, 18.</div>
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Yet ironically enough, the reporting on May 22 had the number of deaths on May 21 set at 2. Somehow, 16 more deaths on May 21 "magically" appeared in 24 hours.</div>
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<i><b>Once again, bear in mind that these numbers are only Florida Residents, not the data for deaths of people in Florida who are not identified as residents.</b></i></div>
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So how can you "predict the future"? Look once again at the histogram below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51C6oBz0TsYBBve7ZuMVcBfzFcaANMcP3bcE6rHtRBQxYU0Rn4R6XxKDfo18KT20e8jpEqW55HNDkkE98fK_Cu8LCdf1eGnc1MtLhiwzu9srhQfpGZo7vuVtwVn5uYeXpt7RxYtvFw9Aa/s1600/FL+Resident+New+Cases.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="452" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51C6oBz0TsYBBve7ZuMVcBfzFcaANMcP3bcE6rHtRBQxYU0Rn4R6XxKDfo18KT20e8jpEqW55HNDkkE98fK_Cu8LCdf1eGnc1MtLhiwzu9srhQfpGZo7vuVtwVn5uYeXpt7RxYtvFw9Aa/s320/FL+Resident+New+Cases.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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There are two more "spikes" in the data as of yesterday. On May 16 there were 1.1K new cases, and on May 20, 1.2K new cases. (In case you aren't sure - K is shorthand for 1000, so 1,100 and 1,200 respectively.)</div>
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Given extrapolation, that means around today (one week after the May 16 spike) there should be a spike in deaths that could last a week or more. There should be a second spike beginning on or around May 27.</div>
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If you look at a calendar, that means there is going to be an overlap of those spikes in death rates. After all, the above two spikes were only four days apart.</div>
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Ironically, the first spike occurred two weeks after Florida entered it's Phase One reopening. This precipitated many individuals ignoring the ongoing request by the governor to continue to practice social distancing and wear masks.</div>
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And this is where "flatten the curve" comes into play. It is intended to reduce the strain on the healthcare system that will be caused by wave after wave of overlapping surges in hospitalizations based on these spikes.</div>
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What is the solution? </div>
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Recognize that "There are no rights without responsibilities," means that although you have the right to freedom, you have the responsibility to not endanger your fellow humans with your flippant behaviors.</div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Mask up, keep your distance, be responsible.</span></i></b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-43331696542243533212020-05-20T00:32:00.001-04:002020-05-20T10:38:54.762-04:00A MATH TEACHER LOOKS AT COVID-19: By the Numbers (This Speaks For Itself)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkidRrWdAPtP4H1H-fV4S5VA0OgP9DQLQeRKsWDQ-n5Zi1z862O2LB8q0Az6p9ShLPXYCphhBf_9rU3UIKWOFEoG0qTT-9BPWTQ67Lgam-vStheVN8EMiBBQz2UehgcU67JfGoo5fkNWUe/s1600/speak-no-evil-monkey.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="256" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkidRrWdAPtP4H1H-fV4S5VA0OgP9DQLQeRKsWDQ-n5Zi1z862O2LB8q0Az6p9ShLPXYCphhBf_9rU3UIKWOFEoG0qTT-9BPWTQ67Lgam-vStheVN8EMiBBQz2UehgcU67JfGoo5fkNWUe/s200/speak-no-evil-monkey.png" width="200" /></a><br />
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Anyone who has ever paid even the smallest amount of attention should be aware that statistics is one of the most fluid and easily manipulated fields of Mathematics.</div>
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Collecting the data is easy. Just count and record.</div>
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But when it is time to verify what you are attempting to prove, or disprove, you need to use some form of statistical computation.</div>
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In analyzing the released data for my earlier blog entries regarding <a href="https://fdoh.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/8d0de33f260d444c852a615dc7837c86" target="_blank">COVID-19 in FL</a>, I had to dig for numbers that may not have been part of the released reports. </div>
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For example, when looking at a certain county directly to the south of me, I determined the <i>percentage</i> of people testing positive, and deaths, based on the actual population of the county, in comparison to the population of the entire state.</div>
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Much to my dismay, the actual rates for both were far higher than when just examining the raw numbers. That meant that those individuals travelling north from their homes to access public amenities where I live were a far greater risk than presented because their likelihood of exposure/infection were a relatively high percentage compared to more populous counties.</div>
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I applaud the <a href="https://www.martin.fl.us/" target="_blank">local county governance</a> for being aware of the threat and responding with a variety of actions, including appropriate <a href="http://www.sheriff.martin.fl.us/" target="_blank">law enforcement</a> activities, designed to limit the influx of those who were trying to bypass restrictions in their own county.</div>
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Meanwhile, another issue has arisen. From this point forward, the numerical data you look at may not be as accurate as one would hope. <a href="https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2020/05/18/censorship-covid-19-data-researcher-removed-florida-moves-re-open-state/5212398002/" target="_blank">Click here for censorship at its finest.</a></div>
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The data chief for the website that I was using as a primary source of numbers is no longer employed there. The rumored cause of her termination is that she wouldn't tweak the numbers.</div>
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Before we move into a discussion of statistics, lets look at some simple math - computing combinations.</div>
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We can quickly summarize some of the simple numerical categories: a) total cases, b) total cases of Florida residents, c) hospitalizations, d hospitalizations of Florida residents, e) total deaths, and f) total deaths of Florida residents. </div>
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For each of these categories, the former data chief had one of three decisions: under report, give the exact number, or over report.</div>
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So there were at least six categories, and three possibilities for each choice. </div>
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But this isn't basic multiplication (6 x 3 = 18) because that doesn't take into account all the possible variations.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Rather, it is: 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 = 729 different possible reasons that her termination may have occurred just using these basic categories.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If you want to speculate, it will take you a while to list all the possibilities that the spin doctors wanted, and then examine other sources to hunt for clues. Let me remind you that this list of categories isn't complete, I just picked the obvious ones quickly visible on the <a href="https://fdoh.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/8d0de33f260d444c852a615dc7837c86" target="_blank">website</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So rather than taking any more time examining the termination issue, lets move on to the issue of statistics. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15.75px;"><b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lies,_damned_lies,_and_statistics" target="_blank">"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." ~Anonymous</a></i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
When I took Educational Statistics as part of my Master's Degree, my professor made it clear that if the data doesn't support your hypothesis/thesis, just try a different statistical analysis. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
For every type of data, there are usually AT LEAST three different formulae that can be used to analyze the numbers, and one of them should work in your favor if you have a valid topic.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If you enjoy the concept of taking a hard look at statistics presented in the media, try this book (one of my favorite authors): <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mathematician-Reads-Newspaper-Allen-Paulos-ebook/dp/B00BAH8HWU/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=A+Mathematician+Reads+the+Newspaper&qid=1589982009&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><u>A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper</u>, by John Allen Paulos</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But meanwhile, think about it - you should realize that every statistic that you have been given to date regarding COVID-19 can now be called into question. Death rates, positive test rates, hospitalization rates...all of it may have been manipulated to provoke an emotional response from you (and probably was).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgyvddCXqS2-aYre1pnSSlJy9PdmJxFhZv9psLkPNAFNPiXf4oSI_u-vtOjvI8CVNOqLfuS53sFXP6CZBajTpPGpIsYWUvwYe5HUXFUv8sdSq5dG-2NPOr5l8-BiXFwSHn5UFYFVcerR5/s1600/IMG-5435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="412" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgyvddCXqS2-aYre1pnSSlJy9PdmJxFhZv9psLkPNAFNPiXf4oSI_u-vtOjvI8CVNOqLfuS53sFXP6CZBajTpPGpIsYWUvwYe5HUXFUv8sdSq5dG-2NPOr5l8-BiXFwSHn5UFYFVcerR5/s200/IMG-5435.jpg" width="175" /></a>Why terminate a data chief? Because if she is giving accurate raw data, there will always be a nerd like me out there who can use it to educate people, and undermine the spin that everyone is trying to put on it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Educate yourself. Learn some basic math skills. Demand accurate numbers.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The numbers don’t lie, people do.</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-24738561515440273202020-05-17T17:44:00.002-04:002020-05-17T17:44:41.895-04:00Open Your...Mind (Not Your Restrictions)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zTeb1L-Vgs46YRMJEddaawv0rNvX41YHd5ZN-_B0dDGGuUQFZQw8_NYZd0KZwxAfO_FrEZcNiw3AvbiQNk-yqVMdLwOH16j2qEubb7AaEwu8bkYA-wkjq1pchQW72cmK1J6NcHatUgeH/s1600/May+17+2020+Data.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="444" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zTeb1L-Vgs46YRMJEddaawv0rNvX41YHd5ZN-_B0dDGGuUQFZQw8_NYZd0KZwxAfO_FrEZcNiw3AvbiQNk-yqVMdLwOH16j2qEubb7AaEwu8bkYA-wkjq1pchQW72cmK1J6NcHatUgeH/s640/May+17+2020+Data.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I just need to put this out there.<br />
<br />
Personal observations?<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Over 60% failure to wear masks and/or social distance. </li>
<li>Walking past signs that say "Mask Required" and ignoring/laughing.</li>
<li>Getting "up close and personal" (two feet or less) with essential employees.</li>
<li>Getting "up close and personal" (two feet or less) with other individuals.</li>
<li>Pretending that COVID-19/Coronavirus doesn't exist and that it is "business as usual".</li>
<li>Increasing number of license plates from states that have higher restrictions.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Be kind, be human, be respectful.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Wear a mask and keep your distance.</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-43447621332998927012020-05-13T10:32:00.004-04:002020-05-15T18:21:36.035-04:00Covidlocks - A Fairy Tale from 2020<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2JBmP0fpbdZ2Mm5C5k8G_hBmwidvf6yzVTaE7NPEI0ulshEWB6g2IteNeclyiXI0vnsyutI7m76vL4nF6nAEW5SWUD_AwbtNI3NUwWC2nGKIg75j3GhBbpPqL_P0H-qiiDeEXdf8aLMh/s1600/IMG-5406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="518" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2JBmP0fpbdZ2Mm5C5k8G_hBmwidvf6yzVTaE7NPEI0ulshEWB6g2IteNeclyiXI0vnsyutI7m76vL4nF6nAEW5SWUD_AwbtNI3NUwWC2nGKIg75j3GhBbpPqL_P0H-qiiDeEXdf8aLMh/s200/IMG-5406.jpg" width="161" /></a></div>
Covidlocks was born sometime in 2019, to the best of her recollection. After all, a young virus like her doesn't have much memory regarding her genesis in a lab.<br />
<br />
When she reached an age when it was perceived that she would be able to survive on her own, she was released to find her way in the world.<br />
<br />
She enjoyed travelling, and so quickly made her way around the world, sampling from all that humanity had to offer.<br />
<br />
In time, she arrived in a new country, and quickly realized that something was different. Her arrival was greeted by hostility, and she found locked doors and shuttered businesses everywhere she went.<br />
<br />
People were keeping their distance from her, and even were wearing masks. She began to find it difficult to travel.<br />
<br />
But still she persisted, and entered in. And then she found that this was a place of contrasts and disputes.<br />
<br />
Despite the fact that from north to south, east to west, and every area in between there were vast differences in climate, speech, and way of life, there were those that wanted to treat everyone identically.<br />
<br />
Even Covidlocks realized that just as fish don't climb trees and cats don't behave logically, expecting to use a single "one size fits all" approach was not going to scare her off.<br />
<br />
So she decided to find a place to stay to further study this diverse society.<br />
<br />
The first place she tried to stay was shuttered tight - windows and doors locked and at first no answer to her knock on the door or ring of the doorbell. The beings within peered carefully out through small gaps in the stacks of toilet paper piled in front of the window - they were masked and gloved and armed with spray bottles of hand sanitizer.<br />
<br />
When Covidlocks loudly asked for a place to stay, they screamed at her to stay away, and immediately began spraying the inside of their window with the sanitizer.<br />
<br />
The second place she approached looked like there was a party in progress. Crowds of people were hugging and touching each other, not a mask or glove in sight, and it was packed wall to wall with all types of organisms.<br />
<br />
Covidlocks spotted a family in the corner that she recognized as members of the Streptococcus clan, and she decided that she'd better find a different place to stay.<br />
<br />
The third dwelling looked fairly normal in comparison to the first two and she decided to take her chances. After knocking on the door, the individuals within opened the door with a request that she remain on the porch while they heard her out.<br />
<br />
Although they were masked, they made sure that they spoke clearly enough that Covidlocks could understand what they said. When she presented her request for a place to stay, they let her know that she could use their guest room that had it's own entrance and bathroom, but that they would appreciate if she did not attempt to use any of the rest of the house.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIZKEVrkeMjL86bSQcu_MQSziPaThwfVovhMGAPBrkeItMND5j2XSYQu8Hzusib_7m0NppUHI9gO2F7f-oh-craNghHtXMqjcezxH5jiOp28Qyzq8yWdLjWs_DBqGZnuFT0pdaRRxw_2_/s1600/IMG-5405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="517" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIZKEVrkeMjL86bSQcu_MQSziPaThwfVovhMGAPBrkeItMND5j2XSYQu8Hzusib_7m0NppUHI9gO2F7f-oh-craNghHtXMqjcezxH5jiOp28Qyzq8yWdLjWs_DBqGZnuFT0pdaRRxw_2_/s200/IMG-5405.jpg" width="168" /></a>After agreeing to the terms, Covidlocks decided to head out to see what else was available. Feeling a bit hungry, she decided to search for a restaurant.<br />
<br />
The first restaurant she approached looked dark and deserted, and when she peered in the windows, she saw the chairs stacked on top of the tables and cobwebs and dust.<br />
<br />
The second dining establishment had tables packed so closely together that the wait staff could barely move between them to deliver food. There wasn't a mask or glove in sight on diners or employees.<br />
<br />
Covidlocks decided to move on, and found a third place to eat. After a brief walk, she found a welcoming location that had both indoor and outdoor seating. She noticed that three out of every four tables inside had the chairs set on top to prevent seating, and outdoors she saw that the tables were placed quite a distance apart. All of the employees were wearing masks, and there was even a box of masks available for patrons to take one if they chose.<br />
<br />
She watched a table leave, and immediately a busboy wearing gloves came over, cleared away all the dishes, and wiped down all the surfaces of the table and chairs with a cloth repeatedly rinsed in a bucket that smelled of bleach.<br />
<br />
Covidlocks sat down and enjoyed a meal, not the best she had ever had, but the level of comfort in the environment made up for the food deficiencies.<br />
<br />
After her meal, she decided to take a stroll to see what recreational amenities were available. First she passed a large skate park, gates locked and signs posted announcing its closure due to Pandemic. Shaking her head in disbelief, she didn't understand how an activity that by its very nature required distance could be considered "unsafe".<br />
<br />
As she continued on her way, she noticed a beach with sunbathers packed towel to towel with not a speck of sand visible. People attempting to walk down the beach, in search of seashells or exercise, found it difficult to wend their way through the crowded bodies.<br />
<br />
Finally, as she passed a public boat launch, where people waited their turn to put their boats in the water to go fishing, a stray gust of wind caught her long golden hair.<br />
<br />
Covidlocks realized that it had been far too long since she had a blow out. She decided to find a salon to tame her unruly locks.<br />
<br />
The first place she approached had a "Newly Reopened!" banner across the front, proclaiming its status. All the chairs inside were full of waiting customers, and there was a line going out the door. Every seat was full and not even the nail techs were wearing masks.<br />
<br />
Covidlocks moved on to find another parlor. The next one, although it had six chairs, only had a single person working, and a sign on the door stating "Regular Customers Only, Call in Advance for an Appointment". A second sign proclaimed "Masks Required and Documentation of COVID-19 Negative Testing Mandatory".<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfviK1TDU4LmoXVRGjJ1OjSaWPyIqdPuynZy_bMkOgiM8JonuYI9D5jtZ95Owk_fdHBa57SGip3vUqgexV-aQnuiOAWYwmiSt0v-ocsrcRQ6AdH0UfJiM22F0s2nOZruT-EfJxtkiIcyU/s1600/IMG-5407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="438" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfviK1TDU4LmoXVRGjJ1OjSaWPyIqdPuynZy_bMkOgiM8JonuYI9D5jtZ95Owk_fdHBa57SGip3vUqgexV-aQnuiOAWYwmiSt0v-ocsrcRQ6AdH0UfJiM22F0s2nOZruT-EfJxtkiIcyU/s200/IMG-5407.jpg" width="170" /></a></div>
Not feeling the love, Covidlocks moved on. She found a third spa that was open, and noticed that as a customer was leaving the beautician was wiping down the equipment and chair with Clorox wipes. As she entered, she noticed that the only chairs in use were spaced a body's length apart, and that all the employees were wearing masks. She made an appointment and was told that she needed to be on time or she would lose her place.<br />
<br />
After her blowout, Covidlocks went back to the place she was staying to relax and contemplate life for a while. She reviewed everything that she had seen and experienced that day, and realized that she needed to FaceTime her Uncle Darwin later.<br />
<br />
Apparently, despite her uncle's belief that nature would provide for adaptation of the fittest, she realized that the "common sense" gene had bypassed around two-thirds of the population.<br />
<br />
Covidlocks realized that in times of difficulty, most people over or under reacted, often to an extreme degree. In their zeal, they attempt to impose their beliefs on everyone else, often with a "one size fits all" approach that is impractical at best.<br />
<br />
Covidlocks knew that the "new normal" was like herding cats. Everyone had their own opinion of how best to proceed and most of it was not rooted in sound beliefs and practices. She lay back on the bed, perceiving that everyone was in for a bumpy ride and would need their rest.<br />
<br />
The moral of this story? "It is time to turn away from self-interest and return to morality."</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-424335855749888292.post-20379772357673194752020-05-07T18:59:00.001-04:002020-05-07T18:59:14.348-04:00COVID-19 As A Metaphor for Social Media Behavior<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJW1ySl8yjgC_FvtAbQ847wNpsf4BIBD7X2nY5BFhbeU7EfK7TS_UhTIIbCDqqKFc0aT8o4Tskjnd35hxwagaGsz-A2QF4qJVCU5fLEVuSG6MCjcwTEwbA03RfP7d1wOwCPkTzlzpH7M37/s1600/1920_171201-social-media-trolling-banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJW1ySl8yjgC_FvtAbQ847wNpsf4BIBD7X2nY5BFhbeU7EfK7TS_UhTIIbCDqqKFc0aT8o4Tskjnd35hxwagaGsz-A2QF4qJVCU5fLEVuSG6MCjcwTEwbA03RfP7d1wOwCPkTzlzpH7M37/s320/1920_171201-social-media-trolling-banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
After an unfortunate social media episode the other day, I came to a realization.<br />
<br />
COVID-19 behaviors are just a public manifestation of what has occurred behind screens and keyboards for over a decade now.<br />
<br />
We live in a society (both here in the USA as well as in quite a few other countries) in which it has become routine, commonplace, and even acceptable to say and do things in a virtual environment which would be considered outrageous and unacceptable in face to face interactions.<br />
<br />
My "aha moment" came about after an individual, <i><b>whom I have never met or interacted with in person or online,</b></i> chose to direct a snarky comment at me in an interchange I entered with two close family members. When I questioned the behavior, a second individual, <b style="font-style: italic;">whom I have never met or interacted with in person or online, </b>informed me that once you comment on social media, you leave yourself open to whatever happens.<br />
<br />
Really? Would either of these two individuals have walked into the middle of a real-world conversation with three family members, after eavesdropping, and directed comments at one of the three whom they have never met?<br />
<br />
I would hope not, but after the public behaviors I have seen exhibited during the COVID-19 coronacrisis, I am no longer sure of the innate common sense of many members of society.<br />
<br />
Rather, in my perception, the social media behaviors which have long been festering behind closed doors and furtive texts and posts have now exploded into everyday life like a pustule. Many individuals are no longer able to distinguish acceptable behavior from flat-out rudeness and this has become evident in how they conduct themselves in public.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLW39KxHNmUcdst91jezgI_Yf2tav6PaGubSKfij03q5UUr0UO8UZ_hBIHeaoiURbp-AtgaTQualOgKGUsZk9hbjA8rVSrhYtp-LTJxYQmhDPcrE9a00EMZhaiyeJz7Txi45A2U069UOc-/s1600/content_alien_chestburster1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="575" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLW39KxHNmUcdst91jezgI_Yf2tav6PaGubSKfij03q5UUr0UO8UZ_hBIHeaoiURbp-AtgaTQualOgKGUsZk9hbjA8rVSrhYtp-LTJxYQmhDPcrE9a00EMZhaiyeJz7Txi45A2U069UOc-/s200/content_alien_chestburster1280.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Remember the scene from Alien? The snarky comments from strangers, the cyber bullying, the inappropriate interchanges have have exploded full bore, with teeth and an insatiable appetite, out of the virtual realm and into real-life encounters.<br />
<br />
Case in point? One of my co-workers is an amazing guy who is always ready to help others and has a vast wealth of knowledge in a number of areas.<br />
<br />
The same night I was "schooled" in having to passively accept being attacked on social media, he was confronted in real life for no apparent reason. He offered to help a couple who were patronizing our place of essential employment. Initially they declined assistance, but then the wife asked him a question. Just as he was attempting to respond, the husband began screaming at my co-worker, liberally using profanity and insisting that his wife leave the store with him.<br />
<br />
He repeatedly informed my co-worker, at an extremely loud volume and peppered with profanity, that he needed to learn "customer service". The irony is that my co-worker was one who bends over backwards to help customers and meet their needs.<br />
<br />
There were several other customers who witnessed this episode and couldn't understand what happened, as the outburst was unprovoked.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident. Patrons in our workplace have refused to follow social distancing guidelines for employees and made statements to the effect of "If you are that f***ing paranoid, stay the f*** at home!", calling employees an a$$ repeatedly for refusing to return stained/damaged merchandise, and otherwise exhibiting socially detrimental behavior.<br />
<br />
One individual insisted on paying in cash, and when told "no" threw a product on the counter, breaking it and propelling parts of it into another customer.<br />
<br />
Another customer, when the restriction on cash was finally loosened, licked his fingers before touching each bill and then tried to press it into the hand of the cashier.<br />
<br />
What immediately comes to mind is the concept that "there are no rights without responsibilities". People have been spewing that they have the "right" to congregate and behave in ways that can contribute to the spread of of COVID-19, without being willing to assume the responsibility for the consequences.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, the consequences in this case can prove fatal to individuals of all ages, whether or not they are immuno-compromised. One of my co-workers whom I am honored to call a friend contracted COVID-19, unable to breath with a high fever. This virus is real and a real threat, not a myth.<br />
<br />
And how does this relate to social media behavior? For years individuals have felt free to post and comment whatever strikes their fancy, regardless of how it could affect anyone. They have relied on the relative stealth afforded by not having to look a person in the face.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, now that has spilled out from behind the keyboards and the screens and is occurring in the real world. Perhaps the enforced "stay at home" blurred the already tenuous boundaries in some of these individuals minds and allowed them to lose all pretense of civility.<br />
<br />
Is this really what we have become as a society? Maybe now is a good time to become introspective and examine how we really would like to be seen as an individual and as part of a bigger organism.<br />
<br />
But somehow, I feel like I am preaching to the choir and my musings will fall on ears that are deaf to the wake-up call that they desperately need.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0