Brushing Away the Cobwebs

"What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now." Author Unknown

Since I (finally) signed up for a Facebook account, names and faces from my past are starting to show up, not necessarily in that order. What I find interesting is that my past students and other friends/colleagues fall into one of three categories: (1) the good, (2) the bad, and (3) the who? I tend to easily recall those students with whom I connected and respected; often they tell me of a lesson we did or a work they read that they remember that had an impact or made sense years later.

When I knew these students, most were teenagers between 14 and 18. Like the letter X (from the bottom up), our separate lives came together, connected for one or more years, and then moved apart, onward and, in most cases, upward to face whatever came next. Their stories are amazing! While I heard from one person who has been teaching for 21 years and another who spent years finding himself, I recall yet another who spent 15 - 25 years finding religion in prison.

If any of these people from my past read this, please feel free to nudge my memory a bit. I am middle-aged (if I live to 124) and need the occasional jog. Over the years, I have crossed paths with literally thousands of students, and those not in the first two categories above tend to blur a little. Physically, you change, so I may not recognize you right off - be gentle and understand. Interestingly, I usually recall with ease those from 20 or 30 years ago, but I have trouble recalling names from the past few years as the closeness we had with our students 'back in the day' has disappeared. It's like the more education "improves," the worse it gets.

Later.

Peanuts

No, I am not talking about the comic strip or the 1957 song by Rick & The Keens (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSZ7autJ4Q8&feature=related). There is another version (perhaps the original - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM1JSa8r3XM). Even The Four Seasons performed the hit, but I couldn't find a video.

Anyhow, I am thinking about the Peanut Corporation of America. the actions of which absolutely explain to me why we are in the economic mess we are in. There are pages and pages of news coverage on the corporation (and the economy), but the media tends to over-analyze! Sometimes the best answers are the simplest - the rest is commentary. One small paragraph buried in a recent news story published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Even in the heat of the nationwide outbreak, (company president Stewart) Parnell seemed more worried about his company’s profits than with food safety, according to regulators and congressional investigators." I mean, doesn't that sum up most businesses' philosophy? Seriously! The people be damned, we need to make more money! It's all about GREEN GREED!

If nothing else, the economic crisis in the US (and world) may put things back in perspective (but I doubt it). IMHO, there is fair profit and there is obscene profit; let's get back to the former! There is no place in my world for corporate excesses (it should be that way in all our worlds).

As an erstwhile hockey fan born and brought up around Boston, I happen to like the Bruins. If I want to attend a game, a box seat would cost me $189.50! Yes, there are binocular seats starting at $16.50, but I get nosebleeds and I really don't care to watch ants playing. Red Sox tickets are $325 a seat (I could sit in the upper bleachers for $12 or stand for $20, but...). The New Hampshire Motor Speedway sounds like a bargain at $110 for a good seat. Good New England Patriots seats cost $169, and you get the idea. When money for most of is tight, TV works - it has to.

More perspective - that's all.

Later.

??????

Just a few questions about the near trillion dollar sellout, uh, sorry, I meant "bailout."

(1) Will this help me and the rest of the "average Americans"?
(2) How?
(3) Where exactly is the money going?
(4) Who will really benefit?
(5) How?
(6) Does anyone really know anything about what "they" are doing with the money?
(7) How will this stop such problems from happening again?
(8) Shouldn't we just let the chips fall where they may?
(9) Are "professional politicians" really the ones we want making the decisions?
(10) Is there any oversight and accountability?

Bonus: With people losing jobs, homes, savings, investments, etc., does anyone really think people are going to start spending again?

Time will tell.

As the old saying goes, "Hope for the best; expect the worst!

Just my opinion.

Later.

Pretty Petty?

No, I am not writing of father Richard and son Kyle pictured to the left (their last name is Petty for those who are not NASCAR fans [their last name is still Petty for those who are NASCAR fans]).

I am speaking of Chrysler Financial. The Ever-lovely Miss Kim (my wife) was reaching the end of her lease on her Dodge Ram truck! We do need a truck to carry more than groceries (unlike some Escalade [Cadillac SUV] owners), so I called Chrysler to see if we could "discuss" the payoff after the lease. The first person I spoke with said he was authorized to offer me $2,900 off the price (woo-hoo). I thanked him and hit the Internet. All things considered, there was nothing comparable out there for the same price. Given the problems that Chrysler is having, I thought I could do a little better, so I called back. The lady I spoke with was pretty firm (an understatement) about Chrysler not offering any discounts, so thanked her and hung up, my ear still burning.

I called the first person back who did tell me the offered price was as good as they could do. Okay, I thought; he sent the paperwork to me after telling me the price was good until February 2nd. The short of it is we did the paperwork, made arrangements through our credit union (5.49 percent!), and sat back to wait.

On February 4th, Chrysler called to tell us our latest payment was overdue. I explained the situation, was told she'd "make a note in my file," and I thought we were good.

Apparently our payoff check was posted February 4th, so it turns out that we weren't fully paid off. Seems the two extra days resulted in our still owing an additional $19.19! Technically, I am sure that's probably legitimate, but insisting on $19.19?

On February 6th, Chrysler called again to tell me our account was overdue (hello right hand). I again explained the situation and another "note" was made in my file (I do expect I'll still get another "payment overdue" call on Monday). I know it will all work out, but to hold out for $19.19...? Pretty petty, I think, but I am sure you'll tell me if I'm wrong.

By the way, Kyle Petty drove a Dodge and his dad also drove a Dodge (among others).

George Whatshisname...

I was just watching George Stephe..., uh, Stephi..., um, Stefan..., I was just watching "This Week" with George (the guy pictured to the left). The opening segment ran nearly twenty-five uninterrupted minutes and featured the CEO of FedEx, the CEO of Google, a couple of politicians, and someone else (possibly; so many of the talking heads sound alike and begin to blend or morph together [gray or navy suits, red or blue striped ties, etc.]). The discussion was all about the current financial crisis and bailout and was actually fascinating to me. I must be growing up because I voluntarily watched the show, and my eyes didn't glaze over when they began droning on.

While the palaver went on and on, I had an epiphany (no, I didn't get any on me). I learned something, something totally unintended and yet profound - it was a moment of practicing what I preached when I was a teacher. No one listened then, so I expect no one will listen now, but it confirms to me that I was right. I realized that I pretty much fully understood every word spoken by the commentator and each guest, but when the words strung together to form sentences that created ideas, my comprehension failed. Let me say that again: I pretty much fully understood every word spoken by the commentator and each guest, but when the words strung together to form sentences, my comprehension failed. All of the "common" words I heard had even more and deeper esoteric meanings than I knew. Because of that, I didn't understand any of the intent of the speakers. It is just like a student who knows every individual word in the text, but when the words work together to form larger, more complex ideas, the student is lost and doesn't get it. That's just the way I felt.

La Zona Muerta (My Inside Joke)

Yes, I live in a Dead Zone, which is why I don't use a cell phone. I have a cell phone, which I know how to turn on, but I don't use it with any regularity. Usually the only time I use it is for 911 calls to report a dead animal on the side of the road or to ask my wife if she wants me to pick up sandwiches (that latter comment often spurred on by the former).

As a result, I don't need an expensive plan with all kinds of features (I don't text, forward, ID callers, play games, etc.). As a sometimes technophobe, I just want easy. Anyhow, I have been over-sold a plan in which I have been given 1,000 minutes to use - a thousand minutes, which means I can talk on the cell phone for some 16.6 hours every month (there are a actually bunch of 6's after the decimal point there, but I didn't want to upset any of those folks who get upset when there are more than two sixes together). Over 16 hours! Wow! To me, that's impressive! I mean, to be able to talk "free" for almost three-quarters of an hour every day without extra charge. Last month, a heavy month, I used a grand total of 37 minutes leaving 963 unused minutes. Wouldn't you think that would count for something?

To the point - the company, U.S. Cellular, has a new website called www.yourinsidejoke.com. Here's my inside joke: I don't think I have ever used more that 60 minutes a month out of a thousand, and I too-regularly find myself on the wrong side of some invisible line where I get hit with extra roaming charges! Once is too much, but it seems to happen whenever I travel more than 30 or 40 miles away (rarely); I never seem to be in a place I can actually use the minutes I am paying for. Funny, huh.

Some Random thoughts

(Maya Angelou)

Well, it's been a while. We have recently endured temperatures as low as 24 below zero, have yet more snow falling as I write this, and the world goes on.

On the plus side, how about Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III, 58, and First Officer Jeffrey B. Skiles, 49, who set down their plane gently enough to keep it afloat while nearby ferries recovered passengers in freezing weather. Those are two guys who did their job to perfection. If everyone just did their jobs with such professionalism, can you imagine how much better the world at large would be! From Maya Angelou: "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." By the way, following the American tradition of rewarding people for doing their job in a public way, there's talk of a statue of him and book deals (of course). By the further way, until he's cleared, he is officially under investigation (another American tradition).

On the other hand, both sides in the Hamas-Israeli conflict have declared a cease fire (as of this writing). To me, the short of it is with regard to Israel: "Damned if they do; dead if they don't." As long as we have fundamentalist anythings, we can't be the world we could (and should). Can you imagine is every country offered its surplus whatever to others in exchange for what it needed? Basic cooperation is what's needed!

The economy. There's no oversight to where the money's going. It's like airlifting billions of dollars to be put on the deck of the Titanic. If I were in office, I'd ask what happened and how can we be sure it never happens again! Of course, I'm not as knowledgeable as those currently in office, so....

Speaking of the economy, I'm torn on this one: Obama's inauguration festivities could cost the taxpayers around $150 million. That's 1.5 percent of $100 billion. Yeah, this one is a big deal, but.... He has raised some $41 million already; why not just limit it to that?

Another one! Arthur Nadel, a Florida hedge fund manager, has disappeared with hundered of millions of dollars. Big surprise there.

Serena Williams won $21 million in prize money but was seen at the Australian Open with a $12 handbag (oooh, the horror, the horror). She says that because of the economy she's not out there buying crazy things. Me? I'm trying to find the best thing to do regarding my wife's truck, which is coming to the end of its lease. I am thinking of starting The Davy Fund.... As there are still many people who can easily afford to contribute hefty sums, please do.

Later.