Where to begin?

So many thoughts rolling around in my head, I don't know where to begin.  This may be a bit of a rambling journey but come on along. 

Beginning today and through Friday quite a varied group of people will be coming to Detroit.  Flocking to the city will be "a hootenanny of pinkos, environuts, peaceniks, Luddites, old hippies, Robin Hoods and urban hunters and gatherers.  In other words, a microcosm of the Obama administration."  This description is courtesy of Nolan Finley of the Detroit News.  Rochelle Riley of the Detroit Free Press asks us not to dismiss "the grassroots activists, idealists, revolutionaries and community organizers" who will descend on us.  Wow, I don't know if I should run for cover or join in on the fun!  If I believe Nolan, this forum "ain't no tea party."  Rochelle tells me "even Tea Party members inquired about space."   Nolan doesn't like this throng of people or the mission he believes them to be on which is "To tear down Wall Street and use the bricks to pave Main Street." Rochelle welcomes them and their desire "To explore, among other things, improving public education and strengthening the working class."  Just goes to show ya there are two sides to every story, who ya gonna believe?

Next rambling thought:  Otis Mathis, (this one's at your request Moon).  According to Reverend David Murray, a DPS board member, at the tender age of 55 Otis just might not have known that fondling himself during his meeting with Detroit Public School Superintendent Teresa Gueyser, might have been offensive to her.  I don't know who the bigger idiot is Otis or the reverend!  Otis is gone from the board, Reverend David Murray should be too don't ya think?  Oh, and Otis blames his lewdness on medical issues and says he needs to pursue treatment.  What?  I would suggest a lobotomy except he talks like he has already had one.

Moving on:  I had a discussion over the weekend about some past news, so I just want to clarify.  Senate Majority Leader, Mike Bishop, and the newly formed Senate Reforms and Restructuring Committee are behind Senate Joint Resolution U which calls for cutting the pay of ALL public employees in the state by 5% and mandating a three-year wage freeze.  I have e-mailed Mr. Bishop in order to find out if indeed the current members of the state legislature will have their pay cut should this become a reality.  Reading the proposal is confusing and it isn't clear how our elected officials will be affected, even though they are public employees.  As to the measure that was already passed that will increase my contribution to the retiree health care fund by 3%, yes, it is the same fund that I already pay 3.6% into, not a separate fund.  And whereas before, I was guaranteed to have the money in this fund work for me upon my retirement, now I am not.  I would like to be wrong, I hope I am wrong, but I have read nothing that indicates that the additional 3% is going into a different coffer.  Now, those who have argued against my rant at what I see as being extremely unfair and simply wrong, have all used the "why should teachers be different?" theory.  I have been reminded that so many others have had their wages cut or have lost jobs, "unfairly."  I have been chastised for my "selfishness" because so many others have it so much worse.  Just in today's letters in the Free Press, Joe from Nashville, wants to know why teachers feel they are above the financial mess the state is in and why we can't learn to live within the framework of the money that's there.  Hmmm, I would think that those who have seen their pay cut, or have lost jobs, would be thrilled that finally a large group of people with some political clout are saying ENOUGH!  Why do those who have suffered financially want others to suffer as well?  Does it somehow justify what happened to them and make them feel better?  Why does balancing the budget have to directly affect the working class people, while the wealthiest people continue to prosper?  I'm just very confused by the reaction I have been getting, I really don't get it.

Okay, that's all folks, at least for now!

Rosemary

How do babies know what love is?

I wasn't thinking of the event I am about to write about as a blog topic, but suddenly I said to myself, this is stuff the world should know.  My daughter-in-law sent me a text about something that my two and a half  year old granddaughter had asked her and her reaction to the response she got.  I couldn't believe it so I called her and got the story.  Sitting at the table eating, the best time to have a conversation by the way, my granddaughter asks of her mommy, "Where's your mommy?"  You see my granddaughter spends a great deal of time with me and her grandpa, but I am her only grandma.  My daughter-in-law, who probably never expected this question so early in her little girl's life stated simply that her mommy had died a long time ago.  Then my daughter-in-law's little daughter put her hand to her own little heart and said, "She's here."  Can you believe that?  How can a two and a half year old know that love is that powerful?  Love is so powerful that my daughter-in-law's mother is in her own daughter's heart, and she will come to know her.  Wow, I get chills just thinking about that!  It does say to me that you are never really gone, not if you have loved or have been loved.  Just thought I would share this beautiful moment in my daughter-in-law's and granddaughter's life.

Rosemary

Doesn't a stop sign mean stop?

I have seen rolling stops, and split second stops, and no stopping at all at stop signs at intersections.  It makes me mad because there is a very good reason for stop signs at intersections, they help to keep cars from crashing into one another and I think that is a pretty good idea.  They also make it much safer for pedestrians to cross from one side of the street to the other, it is less of  a crap shoot so to speak.  So when I read in the newspaper that "It could soon be more costly for people who ignore or deliberately drive around school buses with flashing red lights" I felt irate.  A bus driver in the Plymouth-Canton school district is quoted as saying that cars breeze through her flashing reds on her school bus every day.  What are these drivers thinking?  Are they in such a hurry that breaking the law and putting children in danger is okay because they have to be somewhere?  And if they are in such a hurry, why don't they just leave the house earlier?  But that is actually a whole other blog topic!  Back to drivers who are so selfish that the possibility of injuring a child is not enough of a concern to get them to obey the law.  I just don't get it.  A stop sign means stop, whether it is on a corner or on a school bus, or on an ice cream truck, so here is a very good idea; as your car approaches one, slow down and then STOP!

Rosemary

The Serenity Prayer

 
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

  I actually think I have used this in another blog, I am having a deja vu feeling.  I think these are the most important four lines ever penned, spoken, thought or prayed.  To not be able to change something that is tearing you apart is so painful, and the trying to change what is not in your power to change can make you mad.  Saying "I can't do anything about it" is not enough, what you need is the calm that comes from the faith you have in knowing, "I can't do anything about it, but it will be all right.  When you have an opportunity to be a force in making change happen, when you know it will cost you and you do it anyway, that's when the strength of your faith makes you brave in your stand.  Knowing when you can and when you can't takes years of practice and many mistakes and often much suffering from getting it all wrong.  Yet, all of the errors have afforded you the wisdom to now accept, or to go into battle.  

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

I never knew the rest of this.  My favorite line is:  That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
I mean really, can we ask of Him more than this?  I can't explain where this came from tonight, but I do have someone in mind.  May you all have peace, strength and wisdom as you journey through this life.


Rosemary

Education and Michigan's job pool topics at forum

This is so interesting.  Art Van Elslander, founder of Art Van Furniture, wants to hire 100 salespeople for his 32 stores around the state but can't find qualified applicants.  Who does he blame?  The educational system, of course.  And you know what?  To some degree I agree with him.  He says the applicants lack math, interpersonal skills, listening ability, "The people coming out of schools today simply lack the skills necessary."  Bob Bobb showed skepticism at these remarks, suggesting there should be plenty of college-ready high school graduates to fill the jobs.  State Superintendent Mike Flanagan said that Michigan's education institutions have been resistant to major changes. The state overall must overcome a mentality spawned by a low skill manufacturing heritage that young adults don't need a college education to do well financially.  Let me respond to Art.  I don't know what  has happened to the teaching of basic math skills, (and I am concentrating on the basics here because I don't think you need Algebra to sell furniture).  Many kids today do not have their multiplication facts memorized, and don't understand the concept of division at all.  They also can not problem solve, they can't get around a problem, if the answer isn't right there in front of them, they don't have any clue as to how to proceed.  As to interpersonal skills, well I think most teachers would love to teach interpersonal skills but time is limited due to a curriculum that is so jammed packed with standards and benchmarks, that just trying to cover content is a challenge.  Another reason kids are lacking in interpersonal skills is because they have a lot of interaction with non-persons!  Listening abilities, oh my, if only kids would listen.  Listening is a skill learned and improved upon through dialogue.  I don't think there are enough discussions going on in our classrooms today, and outside of the classroom kids communicate through texting and facebook,  no listening necessary.  Now, on to Bob Bobb.  I wonder if Bob is suggesting that the plenty of college-ready high school graduates work for Art during the summer after graduation and then perhaps part-time while attending college.  Perhaps these ready for college kids are going to get degrees in business and then come back and find employment as managers and higher level executives in the Art Van company.  These are not the kids that Art is able to find apparently, maybe because these kids aren't interested in selling furniture.  Finally, Mike Flanagan, who doesn't want the state of Michigan to lower itself to manufacturing, and insists that all young people need a college degree to be financially successful.  I think the furniture business falls into the manufacturing domain.  I think a good salesperson will be financially successful if he has good basic math skills, good interpersonal skills, and good listening skills.  Does one need to go to college for this?  What am I missing here?
Rosemary