When did I start teaching in China?

Funny, I expect no access to Facebook or MyCrack as school. Facebook is a serious timewaster and MyCrack is filled with bullshit, skanks and annoying people (yes, I still have my account). But blocking Twitter!?! Really? Really!? Really!!
I mostly only created my twitter account so I COULD post to my Facebook from school. Hey, I have things I wanna say during the day. I believe it worked yesterday, but I went to update this morning and ... GONE. Blocked via administrative rules or something. Are you kidding me? How is Twitter something that should be blocked? What next? Blogger?

I guess I should finish this post before they do block it.

President Obama spoke in China recently about how they need to open up the internet and allow free access to more information. There's ALWAYS an inherent danger in allowing access to information, but there's more danger in NOT allowing it - unless you're the one in charge disallowing it so the danger isn't presented to you.
So, I'm slowly feeling like I'm teaching in a little China. FB blocked, MS blocked, Pandora blocked, Twitter blocked. At this point, I expect them to block Faux News, since you'll find more hate and misinformation and danger there than even MyCrack. I'm surprised they aren't blocking google... that would be hilarious.

I'd ask the IT team about it, but frankly, I don't trust there wouldn't be retribution in some form for just ASKING. There's also always the question of "how is this being used for education?" I guess I need to become a follower of some mathematicians to justify the access?

I've only been at a couple school, but I've found the IT teams in high school seem to have a god complex. Block it until it's proven ok... I am Zeus. When I started in the alt-ed program here nearly 3.5 years ago, I wanted a Japanese font installed on my school provided laptop. I wanted it so I could make alternative signs and posts... make a calendar with something different, express numbers a little differently... just have as little fun. I was shot down. "Explain how you can use this for teaching your class" was the essential response. Seriously? Ridiculous! It's a font. It's something outside the box. It ended up being the start of feeling like the I team actually decides how education will work here. I decided to not go over anyone's head, since I don't trust egomaniacs - no telling when they'd just shut down our net access altogether.

Joy. They have returned to making sure those with money have access to what they want. People with smart phones and data plans only need the providers' network and within school, they have access. Because I refuse to pay $30 extra a month for that on my phone, I am denied.

Rant over. I might be silly about this, but I can't be sillier than blocking a micro-blog site.

Extra credit... demands and all.

So, I am a little past my first Geometry class for the day. They have a quiz on some basic constructions. Yesterday I gave them packets for practice. I said "you should make sure you can do all of these and practice them for the quiz tomorrow". Not homework, not a requirement.

Before handing out the quiz, I asked to collect any packets that were completed (in any amount really) and that they can ear some bonus points on the quiz based on how much they completed or tried on the packet. I had at least two in class declare I was being unfair by not telling them it would be for extra credit. Yes... I was chastised for not telling them that the work I strongly suggested they do might count for some bonus points. You know, because some kids today never take responsibility for their own lives - no, we have to do it all for them.

Only a few handed anything in. I was shocked. Those who needed the practice the most didn't bother to practice... and likely it will show on their quiz results. I have a feeling my next block will be much more appreciative of the bonus offer. Hey... someone else getting bonus points will not effect their own grades. But you never know... they can and often do find some reason to complain.

I love my job and I'm loving teaching now in the regular high school, but I'm still baffled by the lack of personal responsibility and accountability.

Cash for Chuckelheads

Let me get this straight - and yeah, I'm a little late, as always - people who bought earth and road unfriendly behemouths are getting bailouts??? First irresponsible homebuyers that bought more house than they could afford with stupid moronic adjustable rates were helped in so many ways it hurt - those of us who waited to be responsible before buying a house - in the mind. Sure, there are foreclosures happening anyway, but so what? Not enough. McMansions and un(der)employed homebuyers alike ruined the housing market.

Blah blah... that's an older blog post or two ago.

So, the deal, or so it appears to me as presented on the news nightly. Vehicle owners who have registered vehicles over the last year that get 18 miles per gallon or less are (have been) given rebates for buying new cars with higher MPG ratings. Details.. I don't care about the details. All I know is that the prices of gas came back down and every asshole with a Hummer gleefully pulled it back out. They won't be trading them in becauase they are too stupid and too asshole-y to get rid of their road menace machines, but every other jerk-off who bought a massive vehicle to, you know, get groceries in, threaten other cars' views on the road, or shine their raised headlights brightly in our eyes via the rear view mirror as they cruise up our asses on the interstate doing 80MPH can buy a new car (do over) to not only save them money, but GET THEM MONEY BACK.

I realize this isn't even about getting metter cars on the road. It's about getting car manufacturures back in business. Sucker people into buying new cars and make it look like the bailed out car makers are actually pulling their weight.

WTF!?!?

Things up front... I am expecting the new homeowner's rebate check in the main within another month or so. It's kinda the same thing, but meant for people who didn't fuck up already and want to do it as right the first time as they can.... oh, and reinvigorate the decaying housing market. Unfortunately, Vermont's market never REALLY crapped out and homeowners tried their damndest to take advantage of buyers - and we found out that you just really cannot trust real estate agents. Did I just say that? Yes I did. Unless you have a contract with an agent for buying your house, they do not have YOU interest at heart, and for a first timer, they borderline criminal (or even violate some ethics codes along the way). Bankers aren't much better. And sellers are lairs.

Ack, WAY off topic.

So yeah, Mr and Mrs "I'm too cool for a fuel efficient car" are getting a break now - a do over. I see many are buying more reasonable vehicles, or is it that the media is only showing those buyers? And what of people who bought the right(er) cars? We bought a Civic. It's not super powerful, but is a good ride. We love it. It's gotten upwards of 38MPG for my interstate commute. We would have gotten a Hybrid Civic, but for the extra 5K they cost and not having moon/sun roofs, it just didn't cut the needs. Current generation hybrids have a good deal more options...a tradein and bonus check from Obama (who I voted for and still really like) would make it a pretty sweat deal... though we paid off the Civic ahead of time, unlike the common debt ridden American.

Welcome to the bail out generation.

Oh, and before and conservative/libertarian jackasses think I'm making good arguments for them... STFU. You're worse for this country than buying out stupid people. Neah!

Almost 6 Weeks Old

The boy is nearly 6 weeks old, so I thought I'd add some thoughts before I forget them.

He doing awesome. He struggled with feeding for a while, frankly being a little too handsy, so we had to consistently swaddle him with his arms at his sides. Thankfully we're able to let him be free most of the time. He goes through fits of being very fussy and crying, but really, it's not too bad. My neice was colicky, so we have it easy in that regard. I find myself laying on the ground staring at him often. He's so cute and the faces he makes while he's sleeping are hilarious. I take pix every day just about, but video is what makes it not look too freaky. It's pretty easy to capture the awkward moments. My phone camera is too damned slow to capture immediate moments, so sometimes when it looks like he's smiling, by the time the camera actually gets the picture, he's moved on to a crooked mouth that makes him look devious at best.

He also seems freakishly strong. He can stand up and hold himself up, even if only for a split second. He rolls over and around. I just hope that means he'll be interested in being active... I'm hoping he'll like running.

The biggest problem? Name. We've still not named him. We cannot agree on a name. It's frustrating and infuriating. I want to name him Strider for a first name, she hates it, but has no counter... just a list. So, we'll argue over it more and eventually figure it out. Thankfully most people have stopped asking. I think they realize that when we pick a name, we'll make it abundtantly clear, likely plastering our facebooks pages with the name, prehaps an ad in the paper, maybe I'll even make a song in the soon-to-be studio downstaris. ;)

We have experienced some surprises, leading to...

Things they apparantly never tell you:

1. There will be times when you're chaging diapers 2-4 times within 20 minutes - there are days when we easily change 12 times or more. He really doesn't like it when his diaper is wet, even thought it's not wet, since the diapers are amazing at storing things away from the skin. The weight though... I can see that being annoying.
2. Hiccups... after almost every feeding and subsequent verticalizing/burping, he has hiccups.
3. Acne!! WTF!?! He's got acne. Poor little guy didn't even get to experience being a pre-teen/tween and he's already got a teen problem?? Damn! I guess it's normal at the 2 and 6 week periods, but this started around 4 weeks... late bloomer or early?
4. How far can they see? We read books so had an idea, but I think more people need to know... when you're making googly eyes at teh boy from 5 feet away, he likely cannot even see you as a blur.

Feel free to add more in the comments. I'll add more when I remember them or they come about.

Come to Daddy

Yesterday at 1446, my son was born. 7lbs 3oz, 18" and healthy. His mom (my wife) is healthy, he is looking comfy right now and I am happy, tired and hungry.

Oddly, I didn't blog about the pregnancy. We kept it "secret" for about 3 months, so I kinda just got used to not talking about it here. I wish I did... updates of the progress, but he won't mind. It was pretty normal until the end when he went breech and there was a very low amount of amniotic fluid. End result was a two week early urgent (but not emergent) Cesarean Section

We're all still spending time in the hospital... mom will be here until Saturday supposedly.

All this and we closed on a house last Friday and I'll be doing the bulk of the moving this weekend. Yeah, didn't really get around to blogging about that either... I'm a bad blogosphere inhabitant... but as you might guess, things have been busy and I've been guarded about some of the info - the house purchase process was not a simple one, with lots of disappointment and trouble and oddities.

It also means I'm out of school two weeks earlier than expected, which is nice, but not really, as I want to make sure my students are good to go for the semester's end. It also means my pole vaulters might be on their own for the rest of the season... though since I sprained my ankle last week... I've been out of pole vault commission anyway.

So, for some this is the pregnancy announcement and the birth announcement all in one. Joy.

Things are good. Time to be afraid I suppose... but I think I'm ready for it all.

Gay Mariage Redux

It baaaaaack. The fight over "gay marriage", that is.

If you follow my blog or any of my public personality postings, you likely already know where I stand - or can guess. It's not even an issue. A gay couple should have the right to marry.

I wrote an essay years ago - I think 1997 or 1998, I can't find it right now, not even on archive.org - about this issue. My stance was pretty much the same back then.

In Vermont, yesterday there were hearings in Montpelier listening to apparently over a thousand people (well, in attendance, not all spoke) opposed to and in support of legalizing gay marriage (in Vermont).

From the news I heard near sobbing from gay people and having to fight for the same right others just have. I hear dumbass ignorant bigots lay out arguments about "it being against god's will". And this time around, the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington pleading to keep those dirty nasty ungodly beings from joining in any such marital fashion. (he didn't say that, I'm paraphrasing his dopey ignorance and bigotry). Many other clergy have stood strong in support of gay marriage already. I couldn't tell if they spoke out yesterday. But what's it really matter? The claim of "against it"-clergy is that it's not what "god intended". Do they also invalidate my marriage? I'm a friggin atheist. I think they are loopy in the first place. I was married in a civil ceremony, not even the mention of a deity or a savior (though I'm sure mom was praying :) ) in the ceremony. Do I not have a marriage? It was utterly and completely outside the church.
They keep spouting a fear that clergy will be forced to marry gays. Grow up and pay some attention. No reasonable person would say that. It's a legal thing, not a religious thing, in my view. The clergy aren't required to even marry their own parishioners if they feel they don't support the marriage in question are they? Right. I think I heard a collective "oh yeah". So how are they suddenly going to be forced to marry a bunch of sodomizing sinners? Hm...

As I would expect... they are full of crap just trying to scare the ignorant masses.
As well with the argument of "jettisoning" the "traditional meaning of marriage that has been culturally accepted for 6 millenia"... yeah, I saw that in the paper. In other words, we have bible literalists telling the rest of us how we are supposed to live and that we must follow their bible's laws. Assholes. This is the U.S. of A., you have a right to freedom of religion and I have a right to freedom from religion. That means keep your crazy out of the public square and I won't tell you how to believe your fairy tales stories. That includes you not being allowed to say that gays can't get married because you are uncomfortable with it, or insecure with your marriage to the point that your tiny mind would actually believe that two men or two women getting married would somehow magically lessen your marriage. Face it, you haven't a leg to stand on with that argument. You're a liar and a fraud.

So, the sheep do as they are told. The faithful (I don't know any atheists/agnostics who are against gay marriage - not to say they don't exist, I've just not met any... who weren't against marriage as a rule - and let this be clear, I know more faithful who are pro-gay-marriage than not) cling to their bibles and lash out at people who are different. Worse yet, they argue things like "we can't let a minority make these changes". Again, who the hell are they? I suppose they are against blacks still too... they are still a minority. How about this, from polls I've seen, bible literalists are a minority. That means you freaks who believe Noah's Ark was a real thing are a minority. Those who believe the world is only 6000 years old... minority. How about we start limiting your rights? Oh yeah, "this is a Christian nation"... so as long as you declare that "jesus christ is your savior" then you are above the law or expectation of equality for all. Shut up! You are poison. You might likely be raising children who are poisoned and will poison the world they way you do. Because this isn't just about gay marriage or gay rights, it's about being a bigot and declaring that your way is the only way. It's about you not realizing that your way might be the right way... for you and yours, but that you have no right to rules others' lives when those others' actions do in fact not impact your life in any way. Gay marriage has no impact on you. It just doesn't. Stop lieing. Stop pretending. Stop. If your marriage is weak enough that another's marriage will ruin its meaning, then you need to end it. You are not ready anyway. My marriage will be stronger knowing that the institute of marriage I have will be shared with a larger group of people who believe as I do... that marriage is about sharing your life, love, and everything in between with another person, with rights, responsibilities, privileges, hopes, desires, families, jobs... everything you have. How can you hold the one single difference between the you and "them" as the litmus for something like marriage? When it comes to human rights, a simple majority rule has no place in deciding who gets to use those rights.

I've insulted a lot of people here, it's nothing uncommon. Feel free to hate me, that would be justified. But hating those I am sticking up for in this is not justified. Supporting gay marriage is supporting marriage and family.

Uni Presies and a Lower Drinking Age

The question I just heard on the TV.. "why are college presidents pushing for lowered drinking ages?"

My simple answer... they don't want to be held responsible for the most entitled, bratty and ill-raised children in a very long time going to higher education and getting screwed up and giving the schools a bad name... or a good name on the "party school" lists.

These presidents don't care about the communities their schools are in.

But they sure do look cool to kids who wanna get their drink on legally - perhaps those presidents preside over schools that are cooler to those needy brats. Boom. Higher enrollments.

And if your argument FOR it is that "if they can die for our country, they should be able to drink"... well, I think 18 is too young to decide your future in a war. It's a false patriotism and encouraging kids to join the military under the guise of "dieing for your country" is sick and twisted and what I'd expect from terrorists and Israeli or North Korean soldiers - and the poor, who also unfortunately probably suffer fro higher percentages of alcohol related deaths, violence and crime.

But I'm straightedge, so who really cares what I think? And I know I didn't have a drop as a student, yet I wasn't a perfect student either. But I also never threw up in a public restroom, trashed a neighbor's yard, walked into some random persons home uninvited - at 3am, and I didn't sexually assault anyone.

To top it off, I read last week how many states/communities are thinking of changing their alcohol sales laws. Sure, the laws are religiously dogmatic relics, but just because the economy is in the crapper... oh wait. See, that's the point. The guise is that it's to generate more income via taxe. I don't buy it one bit. Well, that's not true, I'm sure some view it that way, especially those in Utah thinking about it - Mormon attitudes aside. No, I think it's about making sure people have easy access to one of the essier ways to drown your sorrows without legalizing other drugs. Yeah folks, I think people want us drunk. Progressives with the same ideals would rather we get high instead. either way, they hope we stop thinking for a while and go with the flow.

Everything is big picture - small picture stuff is a cloak.