Poll

Creating Fine Upstanding Citizens

I know that having jails and prisons is good for the economy. You need people to plan them and build them. Then you need staff to oversee them and guard the prisoners. Then you need staff to counsel and treat the prisoners. Then you need aftercare programs for when prisoners are released.

It seems though, that we could do away with the societal stress if we revamped our educational and social system to improve the parenting skills of potential mothers and fathers. Teach children from an early age about how to resolve issues, be a productive citizen, and raise children in a thoughtful, attentive, and moral way.

I think we just assume children will grow up knowing how to handle themselves, how to handle others, and how to make it through the world on their own. But we end up with kids who hang with the lowest element of society because their single parent doesn’t know how to teach them that they are worth more than that.

With Barack Obama as president, many people are thinking the future of black people will change. The mere fact that he is president won’t help anyone. If he is seen as an example of how to be a motivated contributing person in the American society, then we will all benefit when others (black, white, or anything else) see that only their hard work and drive will help them.

There are plenty of people in society we can use as examples of good people. And plenty at the other end of the spectrum. A lot of imprisoned people got there because they did not know their options, did not think they could succeed, or didn’t know how to make an honest life for themselves. It’s a cyclical thing, their parents didn’t know how to do it either an didn’t expose their kids to anything better than what they knew.

I think schools should step in and try to work more with kids on the social aspect of things rather than the abstract algebra and history they teach. While knowing all the presidents might make me well-rounded, if I don’t know how to budget so I don’t depend on a credit card, what will happen to me?

U2 & the Presidential Inaugural Concert

I had thought Bono would promote his own political agenda during U2’s Presidential Inaugural Concert appearance, and so he did. “This is not just an American dream. Also an Irish dream, a European dream, an African dream … an Israeli dream … and also a Palestinian dream.” How dare he, not even a US citizen, take that stage and say the US should help with the Israeli/ Palestinian conflict. He should have gone up there only to do what he is asked and paid to do, sing hit songs. He should not stand on a stage in front of millions of Americans who are suffering with job losses, retirement and savings fund losses, a bad economy, a continuing racial divide, the hard choice of what necessities their income is going to be directed to, and ask them to shift their focus to a conflict that does not concern them.

Bono has so much money he’s never known that choices are faced by millions in every country every day. He’s made millions of dollars from fans that go to U2 concerts and buy their merchandise, so much more money than many families, American, Irish or other, have. The US ‘superpower’ country made him and his 3 bandmates into rich superstars and all he can do is come here asking for us to do more. The US is not the world’s mother, having to go into every conflict and solve it as though they are parenting little children. The US spends its military resources and time in countries that benefit us. Israel and the Palestine have no resources we need. Go to the UN and ask that collective of countries to help.

The purpose of the Presidential Inaugural Concert was to bring America together, to impart the feeling that a good change is coming, that all Americans should come together, work together, strive together. It was for America to feel good about America, to know that our next president is going to bring the concerns of the US citizen to work with him every day. Many people were asked to sing, many people could have also used that stage as a pulpit, but only one selfish person did not understand that it was not the time or place to voice his social/political views.

Happy New Year!

Hey, it’s 2009! The last year you’ll be able to wear those 2009-framed glasses!

A couple of year’s ago, I decided 2009 would be the year I would move somewhere new. I thought it would take a few years to research where I was interested in living and expand my work skills so I could more easily find a job. But now that it’s 2009, I don’t feel like making a major move just yet.

I applied for a new job recently. I anticipated not hearing from anyone too soon because of the holidays, but about I got a call for an interview  about a week after I submitted my resume. That was 10 days ago. I was the first one interviewed and was supposed to meet two people but one cancelled due to weather.  The woman I met with seemed very enthusiastic about my resume. I guess it takes time, but I am disappointed that I haven’t heard back yet, not even to schedule to met with the other person.

There is a lot that needs to be done to our house to make it something people would want to buy. Everything needs updating. I don’t move fast on these things because I don’t want to have to deal with smarmy salesmen and their pitches. Plus I hate to part with the money.

I am thinking the next move is to a town in the next county so that I can move up to a job slightly above the one I hope to get at some point. The next county is closer to more major cities and the state capital, so my earning should increase, but then housing costs will increase also.