I am fascinated by how the internet allows individuals to have great influence on society.
This was 10000Pennies' first video posted on Youtube:
The video now has over one million views! That is a great impact on society. Pretty good for a couple hours or a couple days of work.
Too often our society teaches that most people don't matter; that only a few can make a difference.
The reality is most of us could have a greater impression, and be more of a force for good.
We try to teach our children to think big. We also try to teach them that to make a difference they will have to work. Hopefully they'll learn both lessons.
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Technorati tags: influence, impression, impact
Monday, November 23, 2009
Knowledge v. Wisdom
From A.Word.A.Day:
The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.
-Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (1920-1992)
I would go even farther. The saddest aspect of life is that we are losing wisdom that previous generations took for granted.
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Technorati tags: Knowledge, Wisdom, Isaac Asimov
The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.
-Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (1920-1992)
I would go even farther. The saddest aspect of life is that we are losing wisdom that previous generations took for granted.
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Technorati tags: Knowledge, Wisdom, Isaac Asimov
Turning a shortage into a glut
Joanne Jacobs reports that one interesting affect of the current recession is we now have Too many teachers:
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The teacher shortage has turned into a teacher glut, reports AP. Veteran teachers are delaying retirement and new teachers are having trouble finding jobs. Of course, the story features a woman who trained to be an art teacher in Kansas. There are more jobs in math, science and special education and in inner-city schools. Infact, there’s an “extreme shortage” of math teachers, says a job clearinghouse.
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And if we see any kind of jump in the number of parents turning to homeschooling, there will be even more of a glut of teachers.
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Technorati tags: children, education, government schools, children, public school, public education, homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting
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The teacher shortage has turned into a teacher glut, reports AP. Veteran teachers are delaying retirement and new teachers are having trouble finding jobs. Of course, the story features a woman who trained to be an art teacher in Kansas. There are more jobs in math, science and special education and in inner-city schools. Infact, there’s an “extreme shortage” of math teachers, says a job clearinghouse.
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And if we see any kind of jump in the number of parents turning to homeschooling, there will be even more of a glut of teachers.
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Technorati tags: children, education, government schools, children, public school, public education, homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting
How to help your children pass the Marshmellow test
Three years ago I wrote:
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I first heard of the test from Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. The marshmallow test was conducted by Walter Mischel. He would test four year-old children to see if they could not eat a marshmallow that was one the table before them. The results of the test came out ten and twenty years later when they found that the children who had self control and resisted eating the marshmallow were successful in almost every facet of their lives.
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Now and then Janine and I talk about how to help our children pass the marshmallow test.
I like Lili Anderson's ideas on Teaching Your Kids to Delay Gratification. She has six basic steps:
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1) Help children articulate and visualize the benefits.
2) Help children keep the focus that as they grow up, they will be the ones to choose whether or not they can enjoy the great benefits and successes available to those who delay gratification.
3) Help children become more tolerant of discomfort. THIS IS HUGE.
4) Teach children that the discomfort of delaying gratification is temporary.
5) Teach children that the temporary discomfort of delaying gratification is a sign that their mind is being retrained and their comfort zone is being expanded.
6) Give lots of encouragement along the way and celebrate the victories.
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If you want to help your children learn to pass the marshmallow test, check out Lili Anderson's post.
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Anyone read "Government Schools Are Bad for Your Kids: What You Need to Know?"
I came across James Ostrowski's post about his new book Government Schools Are Bad for Your Kids: What You Need to Know.
The press release starts with:
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Buffalo, New York. November 16, 2009. James Ostrowski, prominent libertarian and tea party movement leader, has published his second book, Government Schools Are Bad for Your Kids: What You Need to Know. The book urges parents to pull their children out of the schools to escape crime, drugs, promiscuity, political correctness, indoctrination, and academic mediocrity. “This book provides the tea party movement with a strategic roadmap to restore the Jeffersonian vision of individual liberty that is the very essence of America,” he writes.
Ostrowski was led to write the book out of anger that his own kids’ parish school closed in 2006. At the present rate, private schools are doomed as a poor economy and rising tuitions squeeze out working class parents who are already forced to pay large sums for failing government schools.
The fate of the nation is tied to the future of K-12 education, Ostrowski argues: “The grand result of our experiment with government schools is a population ill-prepared to deal with the present crisis in America. . . . they are utterly unequipped to deal with the harsh new reality that the regime is failing and the nation is in the process of economic collapse.”
Another excerpt: “Government schools are truly the foundation of big government today. They supply the funding and the troops [the teachers unions] and they drum the ideology into your children, five days a week for thirteen years. Finally, they render many children less able to survive without constant support and direction from the government. Their message is that people cannot live in freedom and they fulfill that prophecy with each graduating class.”
After reviewing 50 years of failed efforts to reform the schools through the political process, Ostrowski argues that the only feasible option is direct citizen action: a massive simultaneous withdrawal of children from the schools.
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If you have read the book, could you tell me what you think of it?
I like his conclusion!
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Technorati tags: James Ostrowski, children, education, government schools, children, public school, public education
The press release starts with:
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Buffalo, New York. November 16, 2009. James Ostrowski, prominent libertarian and tea party movement leader, has published his second book, Government Schools Are Bad for Your Kids: What You Need to Know. The book urges parents to pull their children out of the schools to escape crime, drugs, promiscuity, political correctness, indoctrination, and academic mediocrity. “This book provides the tea party movement with a strategic roadmap to restore the Jeffersonian vision of individual liberty that is the very essence of America,” he writes.
Ostrowski was led to write the book out of anger that his own kids’ parish school closed in 2006. At the present rate, private schools are doomed as a poor economy and rising tuitions squeeze out working class parents who are already forced to pay large sums for failing government schools.
The fate of the nation is tied to the future of K-12 education, Ostrowski argues: “The grand result of our experiment with government schools is a population ill-prepared to deal with the present crisis in America. . . . they are utterly unequipped to deal with the harsh new reality that the regime is failing and the nation is in the process of economic collapse.”
Another excerpt: “Government schools are truly the foundation of big government today. They supply the funding and the troops [the teachers unions] and they drum the ideology into your children, five days a week for thirteen years. Finally, they render many children less able to survive without constant support and direction from the government. Their message is that people cannot live in freedom and they fulfill that prophecy with each graduating class.”
After reviewing 50 years of failed efforts to reform the schools through the political process, Ostrowski argues that the only feasible option is direct citizen action: a massive simultaneous withdrawal of children from the schools.
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If you have read the book, could you tell me what you think of it?
I like his conclusion!
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Technorati tags: James Ostrowski, children, education, government schools, children, public school, public education
A key when evaluating proposed changes
From Dan Galvin's Thought For The Day mailing list:
"... it is not enough to show that a situation is bad; it is also necessary to be reasonably certain that the problem has been properly described, fairly certain that the proposed remedy will improve it, and virtually certain that it will not make it worse."
-Robert Conquest
(As quoted in Basic Economics, A Citizen's Guide to the Economy by Thomas Sowell)
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Technorati tags: change, solutions, problems
"... it is not enough to show that a situation is bad; it is also necessary to be reasonably certain that the problem has been properly described, fairly certain that the proposed remedy will improve it, and virtually certain that it will not make it worse."
-Robert Conquest
(As quoted in Basic Economics, A Citizen's Guide to the Economy by Thomas Sowell)
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Technorati tags: change, solutions, problems
Kind of like the passing of the covered wagon
In the mid 1800s many people moved west in covered wagons. The trains of wagons being pulled by oxen would travel for hours each day and circle up at night. Once railroads were built, it was cheaper, easier, and safer to move west on a train. The wagon producing industry died. This is a typical response when new technology is developed and becomes cheaper than existing technology.
Another instances of the effect technology has on current business came to my attention over the weekend. J.C. Penney is turning last page on its Big Book:
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The J.C. Penney Co. Big Book is dead – a victim of shoppers' growing reliance on the Internet.
Plano-based Penney confirmed that its fall/winter 2009 catalog is its last semiannual, telephone-book-size volume.
The Internet has made the 1,000-page shopping venue obsolete, and printing and transportation costs have been rising annually. The move also improves Penney's environmental footprint, reducing its catalog paper use by 30 percent next year.
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It is the passing of another era.
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Technorati tags: technology, change
Another instances of the effect technology has on current business came to my attention over the weekend. J.C. Penney is turning last page on its Big Book:
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The J.C. Penney Co. Big Book is dead – a victim of shoppers' growing reliance on the Internet.
Plano-based Penney confirmed that its fall/winter 2009 catalog is its last semiannual, telephone-book-size volume.
The Internet has made the 1,000-page shopping venue obsolete, and printing and transportation costs have been rising annually. The move also improves Penney's environmental footprint, reducing its catalog paper use by 30 percent next year.
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It is the passing of another era.
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Technorati tags: technology, change
Which is more effective in changing behavior? The Carrot or the Stick?
As parents we are always trying to influence the behavior of our children. We want them to develop new habits and give up old habits. We want them to work harder and be kinder.
Janine and I like Glenn Latham's book The Power of Positive Parenting. He makes a strong case that as parents we will be much more effective if we reward good behavior, than if we try to stop bad behavior.
It is easier to change where a stream goes, than to dam it up. The water wants to go some where.
I was reminded of this when checking out some Youtube videos from a Kim Komando Video of the Day my mother sent me.. I've seen this one a couple times:
But this one was completely new:
Look for ways to encourage your children to keep doing good things. It will be more effective than a constant stream of criticism.
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Technorati tags: changing, behavior
Janine and I like Glenn Latham's book The Power of Positive Parenting. He makes a strong case that as parents we will be much more effective if we reward good behavior, than if we try to stop bad behavior.
It is easier to change where a stream goes, than to dam it up. The water wants to go some where.
I was reminded of this when checking out some Youtube videos from a Kim Komando Video of the Day my mother sent me.. I've seen this one a couple times:
But this one was completely new:
Look for ways to encourage your children to keep doing good things. It will be more effective than a constant stream of criticism.
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Technorati tags: changing, behavior
Short video on problems with Health Care reform
Peter Schiff explains some of my concerns about the current push for health care reform:
Both of my brothers recommended this video.
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Technorati tags: healthcare, reform
Both of my brothers recommended this video.
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Technorati tags: healthcare, reform
Wow! The 2009 Best Halloween Costume Ever!
This is pretty amazing:
I wonder if they'll be generally available for next Halloween?
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Technorati tags: transformers
I wonder if they'll be generally available for next Halloween?
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Technorati tags: transformers
Reminder - send in a post for the next Carnival of Homeschooling
You have just ten hours to send in your entry for the next Carnival of Homeschooling.
This week's Carnival of Homeschooling at be hosted the Norfolk Homeschooling Examiner.
As always, entries to the Carnival of Homeschooling are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Here are the instructions for sending in a submission.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
This week's Carnival of Homeschooling at be hosted the Norfolk Homeschooling Examiner.
As always, entries to the Carnival of Homeschooling are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Here are the instructions for sending in a submission.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
pet peave #27 Update
In my recent post, pet peeve #27, I complained about the big trophies awarded to the girls in our recreational soccer league.
Our middle daughter played soccer in a different league than her sisters. There's a long, sad story about how we ended up with two kids in one league and one kid in another, but I won't bore you with the details.
Anyway, I'm happy to report that the second league got it right. At the end of the season party, each girl was given a small soccer pin and a soccer ball.
Hallelujah!
I was planning on posting a picture, but we've already lost the soccer pin.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education
Our middle daughter played soccer in a different league than her sisters. There's a long, sad story about how we ended up with two kids in one league and one kid in another, but I won't bore you with the details.
Anyway, I'm happy to report that the second league got it right. At the end of the season party, each girl was given a small soccer pin and a soccer ball.
Hallelujah!
I was planning on posting a picture, but we've already lost the soccer pin.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education
Slow Dance
In contrast to my Not Enough Minutes in the Day, here's a lovely poem called Slow Dance* which was written by a David Weatherford, a child psychologist.
*Note: Some of you might recognize this poem from a chain email making false claims about a child with cancer.
Technorati Tags : homeschool , life philosphy , soccer , children , music , education , sports , school , family
*Note: Some of you might recognize this poem from a chain email making false claims about a child with cancer.
SLOW DANCE
Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask "How are you?"
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say "Hi"?
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.
Technorati Tags : homeschool , life philosphy , soccer , children , music , education , sports , school , family
Saturday, November 21, 2009
The harem my wife lets me have
From the A Word A Day mailing list:
A man's library is a sort of harem.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882)
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Technorati tags: library, books
A man's library is a sort of harem.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882)
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Technorati tags: library, books
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Not Enough Minutes in the Day
When we started homeschooling some 11 years ago, it seemed like we had all the time in the world. While our friends were rushing their kids off to school in the morning, we had a nice leisurely start. When our friends were busy all evening with homework and school events, we had stress-free evenings at home.
Somewhere along the line, that all changed. Now with 2 teenage girls, and almost double digit girl, and a yet to be potty trained boy, we are constantly on the go. I don't know how our friends with children in school do it. Since our children don't have the time wasted at school (carpool, standing in line, waiting to have your question answered, study time disrupted by misbehaving students, busy work, dumb projects), you would think that we would have some more free time.
For example, my oldest daughter gets up at 5:45 am and is on the go pretty much until 8 pm at night. Music, church, sports, babysitting jobs, laundry, yard work, housecleaning, doctor's appointment and occupational therapy take up most of their, as well as my, time. I'm not saying that we don't get a break to play and visit friends, but it always seems so rushed, squeezed in between things that should be done.
Today wasn't too bad since soccer season and philharmonic season ended last Saturday. I know that our life would be easier if we didn't do so much stuff, but it is hard to choose what to drop. Last year, none of our kids played soccer. I enjoyed the break but I felt kind of guilty about.
This best sums up my life/homeschool philosophy:
Life is hard and then you die.......so you might as well cram as much stuff in there as you can before you go.
Life is hard and then you die.......so you might as well cram as much stuff (and as many children)in there as you can before you go.
Life is hard and then you die...... so you might as well cram in as many activities with as many children as you can before you go.
Technorati Tags : homeschool , life philosphy , soccer , children , music , education , sports , school , family
Somewhere along the line, that all changed. Now with 2 teenage girls, and almost double digit girl, and a yet to be potty trained boy, we are constantly on the go. I don't know how our friends with children in school do it. Since our children don't have the time wasted at school (carpool, standing in line, waiting to have your question answered, study time disrupted by misbehaving students, busy work, dumb projects), you would think that we would have some more free time.
For example, my oldest daughter gets up at 5:45 am and is on the go pretty much until 8 pm at night. Music, church, sports, babysitting jobs, laundry, yard work, housecleaning, doctor's appointment and occupational therapy take up most of their, as well as my, time. I'm not saying that we don't get a break to play and visit friends, but it always seems so rushed, squeezed in between things that should be done.
Today wasn't too bad since soccer season and philharmonic season ended last Saturday. I know that our life would be easier if we didn't do so much stuff, but it is hard to choose what to drop. Last year, none of our kids played soccer. I enjoyed the break but I felt kind of guilty about.
But, I'm so glad that they all played this year even if it was stressful.
And, I'm glad that my oldest daughter and I can play together in a philharmonic orchestra and a separate band ensemble group even if we have to move the timpani drums because we are the only one in the orchestra with a vehicle big enough (12 seater van) to move them.
And, I'm glad that my younger children play violin even if practice and rehearsals take up so much of our time. (And, I'm planning on starting baby bop on cello as soon as I can find one his size.)
And, I'm glad that my kids are involved with the youth activities at church even if they are sometimes frivolous.
And, I'm glad that we participate in a homeschool co-op and choir even if we have to rush out the door on Friday mornings because I'm the one with the key to the church.
And, I'm glad that my older girls are earning their own money to save for college by babysitting and doing other jobs even if sometimes I have to drive them there.
And, I'm glad that my children are spending time on occupation therapy even if we don't do as much as I would like.
And, I'm glad we do foster care even if the last foster child gave us lice.
And, I'm glad that Baby Bop has the opportunity to go to speech therapy 2-3 times per week, and that we all can see medical specialists (neurologist, pediatrician, ophthalmologist, endocrinologist, dentist and so forth) even if the appointments take up a lot of time.
And, I'm grateful that my children have the opportunity to have pets even if I'm not a pet person.
And I'm grateful for computers and the Internet even if the Internet can be such a time waster and my computer crashed in the middle of this post.
And, I'm grateful to have 4 children and hope to have more even if I'm tired much of the time.
This best sums up my life/homeschool philosophy:
Life is hard and then you die...... so you might as well cram in as many activities with as many children as you can before you go.
Technorati Tags : homeschool , life philosphy , soccer , children , music , education , sports , school , family
Interesting way to view history
Pretty cool: Visualizing empires decline from Pedro M Cruz on Vimeo.
I've asked my oldest two daughters to watch this.
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Technorati tags: education
I've asked my oldest two daughters to watch this.
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Technorati tags: education
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Carnival of Homeschooling is up!
This week's Carnival of Homeschooling is up at A Pondering Heart.
Jocelyn structures the carnival around many of the categories in this years's Homeschool Blog Awards.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
Jocelyn structures the carnival around many of the categories in this years's Homeschool Blog Awards.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
Monday, November 16, 2009
pet peeve #27
My children play recreational soccer. The league doesn't even keep score or have play off. Yet, every year each player gets a huge trophy. For the first few years, we kept the trophies. Now we just take a picture of it and throw it away.
I keep wondering why they insist upon such ridiculous trophies. I image someone in the league is a parent with an only child and thinks that children need excessive praise to develop self esteem. I'm annoyed that we have to pay for those meaningless trophies. I'm not against some sort of recognition for the players' efforts and improvement, but why the pretense to some great award.
This problem of excessive praise is not limited to my soccer league. Parents are the primary culprit, but this practice has been institutionalized at many schools and youth organizations.
Unfortunately, I know a few home educators who fall into this trap. These parents become overly eager to protect their children from any sort of negative feedback and use homeschooling as a way to insulate the child from anyone who could burst his little bubble. You can spot them easily at park day: the children are whiny and the parents are perpetually upset because their little Suzy didn't get the attention she deserves.
A recent book, Kids are worth it!: giving your child the gift of inner discipline, documents how excessive praise actually lowers self-esteem. "Congratulating children on all accomplishments has created a generation of praise junkies: undermotivated kids who are addicted to acknowledgment."
I couldn't agree more. Now, how do I get the soccer league to embrace the idea?
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education
I keep wondering why they insist upon such ridiculous trophies. I image someone in the league is a parent with an only child and thinks that children need excessive praise to develop self esteem. I'm annoyed that we have to pay for those meaningless trophies. I'm not against some sort of recognition for the players' efforts and improvement, but why the pretense to some great award.
This problem of excessive praise is not limited to my soccer league. Parents are the primary culprit, but this practice has been institutionalized at many schools and youth organizations.
Unfortunately, I know a few home educators who fall into this trap. These parents become overly eager to protect their children from any sort of negative feedback and use homeschooling as a way to insulate the child from anyone who could burst his little bubble. You can spot them easily at park day: the children are whiny and the parents are perpetually upset because their little Suzy didn't get the attention she deserves.
A recent book, Kids are worth it!: giving your child the gift of inner discipline, documents how excessive praise actually lowers self-esteem. "Congratulating children on all accomplishments has created a generation of praise junkies: undermotivated kids who are addicted to acknowledgment."
I couldn't agree more. Now, how do I get the soccer league to embrace the idea?
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Reminder - send in a post for the next Carnival of Homeschooling
You have just thirty four hours to send in your entry for the next Carnival of Homeschooling.
The Carnival of Homeschooling at be hosted by Jocelyn at A Pondering Heart.
As always, entries to the Carnival of Homeschooling are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Here are the instructions for sending in a submission.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
The Carnival of Homeschooling at be hosted by Jocelyn at A Pondering Heart.
As always, entries to the Carnival of Homeschooling are due Monday evening at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Here are the instructions for sending in a submission.
----------
Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education, Carnival of Homeschooling
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Go vote at the 2009 Homeschool Blog Awards
You have till November 21 to vote for the Homeschool Blog Awards.
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education
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Technorati tags: homeschooling, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education
New approach for getting Baby Bop to sleep
Currently our church meets in the afternoon, during Baby Bop's nap time. Normally we take him to church and then put him down for a late nap afterwards.
Recently Janine took him to church, I was going a little later. I was surprised to see Janine driving up the driveway. Baby Bop had fallen asleep. We moved him to his bed, and he started to wake up. I sat in the rocking chair next to him, and he settled down a bit. I waited. He just laid there, but wasn't falling back asleep. After a few minutes I went and got my scriptures. I came back to his room and read a few chapters. Baby Bop was still half awake. I decided to read a chapter out loud. He was asleep before I finished the chapter.
I have done this once since and it also worked like magic.
Hopefully we aren't training him to fall asleep when he hears the word of God.
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Technorati tags: Baby Bop
Recently Janine took him to church, I was going a little later. I was surprised to see Janine driving up the driveway. Baby Bop had fallen asleep. We moved him to his bed, and he started to wake up. I sat in the rocking chair next to him, and he settled down a bit. I waited. He just laid there, but wasn't falling back asleep. After a few minutes I went and got my scriptures. I came back to his room and read a few chapters. Baby Bop was still half awake. I decided to read a chapter out loud. He was asleep before I finished the chapter.
I have done this once since and it also worked like magic.
Hopefully we aren't training him to fall asleep when he hears the word of God.
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Technorati tags: Baby Bop
Izzy Lyman is blogging again!
About five years ago I started reading various blogs on homeschooling. The Homeschooling Revolution by Isabel (Izzy) Lyman was one of the first I ever read. She did a great job covering homeschooling news. Isabel also wrote a book of the same name, published nine years ago.
Two years ago she stopped blogging.
Just recently I found out she has started blogging again!
She has a new topic to blog about. The Castillo Chronicles "advocates for immigration reform, as well as the preservation and promotion of a shared American language and culture and heritage."
It is good to see her blogging again.
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Technorati tags: Castillo Chronicles, Isabel Lyman, Izzy
Two years ago she stopped blogging.
Just recently I found out she has started blogging again!
She has a new topic to blog about. The Castillo Chronicles "advocates for immigration reform, as well as the preservation and promotion of a shared American language and culture and heritage."
It is good to see her blogging again.
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Technorati tags: Castillo Chronicles, Isabel Lyman, Izzy
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Four percent - do you think this is high or low?
Rasmussen Reports that Just 4% Say Most Politicians Keep Their Campaign Promises:
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Some folks may be surprised that the number is this high, but only four percent (4%) of U.S. voters say most politicians keep their campaign promises.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 76% say the majority of politicians do not keep the promises they make on the campaign trail. Nearly one-out-of five voters (19%) aren’t sure.
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A question I have is given that most voters don't believe politicians will keep their promises, why do so many politicians keep getting reelected? Do voters think "Well I know he is lying to me, but I like the things he says." Or do voters think "Maybe this time he'll keep his promises." Or is there something else going on?
We need to remember campaign promises, remind the politicians and then vote them out when they don't keep their promises. If we keep their feet to the fire, then they'll stop lying to us, at least stop lying so much to us.
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Technorati tags: politicians, campaign, promises
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Some folks may be surprised that the number is this high, but only four percent (4%) of U.S. voters say most politicians keep their campaign promises.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 76% say the majority of politicians do not keep the promises they make on the campaign trail. Nearly one-out-of five voters (19%) aren’t sure.
----------
A question I have is given that most voters don't believe politicians will keep their promises, why do so many politicians keep getting reelected? Do voters think "Well I know he is lying to me, but I like the things he says." Or do voters think "Maybe this time he'll keep his promises." Or is there something else going on?
We need to remember campaign promises, remind the politicians and then vote them out when they don't keep their promises. If we keep their feet to the fire, then they'll stop lying to us, at least stop lying so much to us.
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Technorati tags: politicians, campaign, promises
What is the justification again for Teachers Unions?
Study finds that Teachers' unions don't provide more pay:
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Teachers' unions have little impact on a school district's allocation of money, including teacher pay and spending per student, according to a study published this month in the Journal of Labor Economics.
Using data from school districts in Iowa, Indiana and Minnesota, Cornell economist Michael Lovenheim compared district spending trends before and after each district became unionized. He also compared trends between union and non-union districts. Specifically, his analysis looked at teacher pay, spending per student, number of teachers employed and student-teacher ratio.
"My results indicate unions have no impact on teacher pay, either in the short or long run," Lovenheim writes. "I also estimate little effect on per-student expenditures, particularly in the long-run."
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The only valid justifications I'm aware of for Teachers' Unions is they protect the teacher from abuse, improve working conditions and increase the salary of teachers.
I wonder how many teachers would want to stay in their unions if they knew the unions only took their dues, but didn't help with the salary?
(Hat tip: Friends of Dave)
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Technorati tags: children, education, government schools, children, public school, public education, Teachers Unions
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Teachers' unions have little impact on a school district's allocation of money, including teacher pay and spending per student, according to a study published this month in the Journal of Labor Economics.
Using data from school districts in Iowa, Indiana and Minnesota, Cornell economist Michael Lovenheim compared district spending trends before and after each district became unionized. He also compared trends between union and non-union districts. Specifically, his analysis looked at teacher pay, spending per student, number of teachers employed and student-teacher ratio.
"My results indicate unions have no impact on teacher pay, either in the short or long run," Lovenheim writes. "I also estimate little effect on per-student expenditures, particularly in the long-run."
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The only valid justifications I'm aware of for Teachers' Unions is they protect the teacher from abuse, improve working conditions and increase the salary of teachers.
I wonder how many teachers would want to stay in their unions if they knew the unions only took their dues, but didn't help with the salary?
(Hat tip: Friends of Dave)
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Technorati tags: children, education, government schools, children, public school, public education, Teachers Unions
Paul Jacobs on Not Robbed Until Proven Guilty
Paul Jacobs writes about an abuse where the police will take property, but sometimes never file charges. Not Robbed Until Proven Guilty starts with:
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You are “innocent until proven guilty” in America, with one big exception: Under civil forfeiture laws, police don’t have to prove that a crime has actually been committed in order to seize your property. And once your boat or car is stolen by your government, the burden falls to you to prove your stuff is innocent.
Police departments are getting rich from the loot they seize from folks never convicted of a crime. As the Institute for Justice argues, civil forfeiture laws provide an ugly incentive for police “to enforce the laws in ways designed to maximize forfeiture income rather than to minimize crime.”
Now a challenge has reached the U.S. Supreme Court. Alvarez v. Smith concerns six people whose property was seized by Chicago police, though three of them were never charged with a crime.
The Institute for Justice, the Cato Institute, the ACLU and the Reason Foundation have filed amicus briefs arguing that due process was denied.
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You know this is a serious problem when the Cato Institute and the ACLU are on the same side.
I hope the Surpreme Court rules agains the Chicago police.
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Technorati tags: forfeiture, laws
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You are “innocent until proven guilty” in America, with one big exception: Under civil forfeiture laws, police don’t have to prove that a crime has actually been committed in order to seize your property. And once your boat or car is stolen by your government, the burden falls to you to prove your stuff is innocent.
Police departments are getting rich from the loot they seize from folks never convicted of a crime. As the Institute for Justice argues, civil forfeiture laws provide an ugly incentive for police “to enforce the laws in ways designed to maximize forfeiture income rather than to minimize crime.”
Now a challenge has reached the U.S. Supreme Court. Alvarez v. Smith concerns six people whose property was seized by Chicago police, though three of them were never charged with a crime.
The Institute for Justice, the Cato Institute, the ACLU and the Reason Foundation have filed amicus briefs arguing that due process was denied.
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You know this is a serious problem when the Cato Institute and the ACLU are on the same side.
I hope the Surpreme Court rules agains the Chicago police.
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Technorati tags: forfeiture, laws
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