So on Thursday, my coworker Gina and I went to see Kay Pranis speak. Kay is the OG of restorative justice and and all around cool lady. A cool quote that she used is "Crime is a wound and justice is healing". With that in mind, here are some notes from our discussion on restorative justice.
First Kay started talking about isolation and disconnection leading to some wrongdoing that causes harm to someone. When someone in the community is harmed this is also a harm to the community. As a result of this harm there is a response to this harm. Usually this response focuses on the person that committed the harm. Oftentimes, focus is so much on the person that committed the harm that the person that was harmed is neglected. As a result of the focus on the harmer and the neglect of the harmed, this can lead to greater isolation and disconnection.
Restorative justice focuses on an intervention in the response to the harm caused. This interventon should strengthen the community, create new or strengthen existing relationships, connect the community to a shared vision, and build skills to listening.
So then we started to explore what types of intervention leave the community stronger than before the incident. We discussed making amends, peer mediation, a capacity for the community members to self regulate without coercive force so there is less of a reliance on authority figures, an inclusive intervention, and finally an intervention that is a safe space to share stories and break down social distance.
In the restorative framework, Kay talked a bit about the responsibilities that the community has,
1) The community must rally around the one harmed.
2) The community must support the person who caused harm in making amends.
3) The community must attend to its own healing.
4) The community must pay attention to the pattern and what that says about the community.
In the traditional justice framework the question is what do we do to the harmer. In the restorative framework, the question is what does the harmer need to do to create peace. A lot of the discussion we had was focused on creating a community and framework where people could be heard and when they are heard they are more open to looking towards solutions.
At the end of it all, I was really excited to see a circle in action. But I'll have to wait to get a training. I really want to institute this at my school. Right now, when a student is a problem or does something that harms a person or the community, they either are dealt with by their CTM or they have a staff meeting where they appear before all of the teachers with their parents. They are supposed to only get one staff meeting and after that they go. Restorative justice circles would be an intermediate step between CTMs and staff meetings. This would be a way to take the pressure off of teachers but also give students more of a buy in to the school. Circlekeepers would do peer mediation and discipline would be be less authoritarian. We'll see how this works and I'll keep posting as more happens.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
A black president!!!??? I feel like I'm in a modern day version of Blazing Saddles.
Now that I've had more time to reflect on things, it's pretty amazing. Obama is part of the democratic revolution that has been and is taking place all over the world. For a country with a population that is 75% white and a very racist history to elect a black man to the highest office is pretty cool. While it is pretty cool in racial terms what Obama has achieved, in terms of policy I still have many problems with him.
Here's an article by one of my favorite reporters Jeremy Scahill on the team that Obama has selected so far to surround himself with.
Here's the thing... if Obama really wants to change shit up then bring in some people that would actually be a sign of that. With regards to the wars, why not tap Barbara Lee to be the Secretary of War. My bad "Defense". Why not tap Bernie Sanders? John Lewis? Cynthia McKinney? Sheila Jackson Lee? Could you imagine Ralph Nader as Secretary of the Treasury? You can believe that there would be a lot more transparency and this bailout would play out a whole lot differently.
One of the most important pieces of political/economic advice I ever learned was, "Follow the money". With that in mind, here are the list of Obama and McCain's top campaign donors. Then compare this to the companies receiving money from the federal bailout. With this in mind, I'm not so confident about the financial system getting "fixed". Another thing with the Federal Bailout is that the process is already nontransparent. Dirty ass financial companies getting tons of money out of the American people and nothing being done to fix the problems that got us into this situation. Just give them more and more money.
During the election, a lot of friends asked me what would make me vote for a Democrat. There's actually something that someone could say to me that would make me want to vote for them. Tell me that you are going to cut the military budget. Just a little. Instead of 1 trillion dollars a year for the military... how's about 850 billion dollars instead. $900 billion? $950 billion? Something! Boys with their toys are dangerous.
People have been guzzling the Obama Kool-Aid and I'm worried that they won't pay attention to politics like they did under GWB. That's the thing with GWB... he got people involved! Obama gets points for being the first black president... but that's where it ends cuz his policies aren't so different from historic US foreign policy. Is the US going to stop being an imperialist power? That would be some change that I could get behind.
Now that I've had more time to reflect on things, it's pretty amazing. Obama is part of the democratic revolution that has been and is taking place all over the world. For a country with a population that is 75% white and a very racist history to elect a black man to the highest office is pretty cool. While it is pretty cool in racial terms what Obama has achieved, in terms of policy I still have many problems with him.
Here's an article by one of my favorite reporters Jeremy Scahill on the team that Obama has selected so far to surround himself with.
Here's the thing... if Obama really wants to change shit up then bring in some people that would actually be a sign of that. With regards to the wars, why not tap Barbara Lee to be the Secretary of War. My bad "Defense". Why not tap Bernie Sanders? John Lewis? Cynthia McKinney? Sheila Jackson Lee? Could you imagine Ralph Nader as Secretary of the Treasury? You can believe that there would be a lot more transparency and this bailout would play out a whole lot differently.
One of the most important pieces of political/economic advice I ever learned was, "Follow the money". With that in mind, here are the list of Obama and McCain's top campaign donors. Then compare this to the companies receiving money from the federal bailout. With this in mind, I'm not so confident about the financial system getting "fixed". Another thing with the Federal Bailout is that the process is already nontransparent. Dirty ass financial companies getting tons of money out of the American people and nothing being done to fix the problems that got us into this situation. Just give them more and more money.
During the election, a lot of friends asked me what would make me vote for a Democrat. There's actually something that someone could say to me that would make me want to vote for them. Tell me that you are going to cut the military budget. Just a little. Instead of 1 trillion dollars a year for the military... how's about 850 billion dollars instead. $900 billion? $950 billion? Something! Boys with their toys are dangerous.
People have been guzzling the Obama Kool-Aid and I'm worried that they won't pay attention to politics like they did under GWB. That's the thing with GWB... he got people involved! Obama gets points for being the first black president... but that's where it ends cuz his policies aren't so different from historic US foreign policy. Is the US going to stop being an imperialist power? That would be some change that I could get behind.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Why I'm not voting for Barack Obama
I like Barack Obama. He seems like he's a nice guy. He appears that he really loves his wife and 2 kids. He was born in Hawaii like myself. I prefer him over McCain. But I'm still not voting for him. Here are my reasons why.
First off, I should note that I live in California. In the world of the electoral college, all of California's votes will go to the winner of the popular vote. So let's look at some history and some facts.
In 2000, Al Gore won California by over 11%. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_in_California,_2000 It was in this election that Ralph Nader was running on the Green Party ticket and won 3.76% of California's votes. Ralph and the Green Party won a bunch of votes, but the Democrats still easily took California.
In 2004, the Democratic propaganda machine came out in force against Ralph Nader and 3rd parties. California voters feared a repeat of 2000 and 2nd Bush term. Greens backed David Cobb and Ralph was a write-in vote. Democrats fielded John Kerry as their candidate and he easily won California. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._presidential_election,_2004,_in_California I find it interesting that votes for Ralph and the Green Party combined totaled less than 1% of popular votes, yet John Kerry beat Bush by only 9.81%. This is less than what Gore beat Bush by even when Ralph was at his strongest.
In California, the number of registered Democrats surpass the number of registered Republicans by 11.6%. http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ror_090508.htm Click on the PDF for historical voter registration statistics. This year, Californians and especially young voters are very excited about Barack Obama. The statistics, the history, and the energy are all in favor of Barack Obama. If he doesn't win California... then the Democrats will really need to evaluate their party.
Just last weekend I was in Ohio. In one day in Ohio I saw more McCain and Obama ads than one month in California. The Democrats don't put any money and energy into winning California because they know that they will win it.
With that in mind, I believe that the Democrats need to re-evaluate their party. I abhor being threatened to vote Democrat (A vote for a third party is a vote for John McCain. It's the lesser of two evils). Talk about the issues and stop threatening me for my vote. When it comes to many important issues, I do not agree with Barack Obama. I'm not going to get into the McCain and the Republicans because I am soooooo far in disagreement with them on so many issues.
Barack has said that he wants to withdraw troops from Iraq and move them to Afghanistan. Then if Al Queda and Osama are in their sights and Pakistan is unable or unwilling to get them, Obama is willing to attack and kill them. Can you imagine if the Chinese said that they wanted to get Uighurs on US soil and if the US was unable or unwilling to get them for them, the Chinese would do it themselves? Can you imagine the same scenario with Russians and Chechnyans on US soil? The Sri Lankans and Tamil Tigers? The UK and the IRA? Israel and Palestinians? The Mexicans and Zapatistas? I could go on but then I'd have to look up groups on wikipedia and it's a pain.
When it comes to nuclear proliferation, Obama claims to want to reduce nuclear proliferation. Yet he has also spoken on creating a missile defense shield. That shield would lead to greater nuclear proliferation as countries sought to increase their capabilities to overwhelm the shield. The dirty little secret is that you can put a cheap ass mylar sheath on the warhead and it will cover the heat signature so that a missile shield can't find it. However, if the US creates a missile shield, China will likely increase their nuclear arsenal. China's increase will lead to an increase in Russia and India's. India's increase will lead to an increase by Pakistan. And on and on with this crazy fucking Mutually Assured Destruction dance of Shiva. A missile shield is an irresponsible position that contradicts his professed goal of reducing nuclear proliferation.
At no time has Obama spoken on cutting the US military budget. The US is currently spending approximately $1 trillion a year for all defense related purposes. In 2005, the US military budget was almost as much as the rest of the world's defense spending combined. Why aren't we talking about cutting the military budget? War is a racket! THE MILITARY DOESN'T NEED MORE MONEY!!! BUT EVERY OTHER SECTOR SURE DOES!!!
Gay marriage is one of the issues where Republicans and Democrats can come together. They both oppose it. WTF??? Let people get married, be happy and be legitimized under the law and their faith or lackthereof. It's as simple as that. Don't continue with the treatment of people as second class citizens.
When it comes to the economy, I have very little faith in the Democrats as they presided over NAFTA and the WTO. Ross fucking Perot was right when he talked about the giant sucking sound of American jobs heading to Mexico. Now that sucking sound has extended to the world. Republicans have continued Democrat policies. Obama has never talked about seriously reviewing and changing the policies of NAFTA and the WTO.
When it comes to Wall Street bailouts, Obama and McCain are both talking about Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. How come no one is talking about credit default swaps (CDS) and the roughly $60 trillion dollars in unregulated money? AIG and Lehman brothers probably wouldn't have tanked if it wasn't for massive amounts of unregulated CDSs. How serious is Obama about regulating the financial system when no attention is given to CDSs?
When it comes to the draconian death penalty, Obama is for it. This is an unjust policy that has a racial bias based on a justice system that is imperfect. I don't want the state executing anyone when there is even the remotest possibility that it could execute the wrong person. And we know that people have been exonerated and released after being on death row. How many people were executed that could have been exonerated? I don't know, but I don't want to take the chance.
When it comes to healthcare I was happy to hear Obama say that it was a right for people. I actually agree with that. However, he's not talking about universal healthcare for all like most industrialized countries have. If healthcare is a right...shouldn't it be a right for everyone regardless of their situation? Shouldn't Obama be pushing for universal healthcare?
When it comes to education Obama isn't telling me the things I really want to hear. How about fully funding students through college so that everyone can benefit from a college education? How about cutting the military budget in half and giving that half to public education? Why are we cutting classes and programs? Let the arts and sciences flourish motherfuckers! Then we wouldn't have so many narrow-minded undereducated dumbasses that will cause the future structural unemployment of America!
Here's where I insert my problem with America section. McCain is right. Americans do need to serve. But my generation is rather selfish. What can I say, we grew up in the Reagan years and its rubbed off on our kids! Service has negative connotations. It sounds like I won't get paid or I'll be underpaid. It sounds like I'll have to deal with ungrateful bastards. It sounds like something you do for a little while until you get a real job. It sounds like there's a master on the other side of my service. It sounds like an inferior subservient position to be in. It would be so much easier to vote and put all my political energy into that than to make that one component in utilizing all my political energy. We tell people they are wrong for doing what they believe to be right and instead tell them to do what represents the least change from our comfort zone. I completely believe that is it wrong to tell a person to not vote for their ideals and their "promised land" but rather to vote for that which is most politically expedient. It is better to vote for the greater good than for the lesser of two evils. Aren't the issues supposed to be important??? While Obama's stances on the issues are closer to mine than McCain's, he and the Democratic party do not stand on the issues on the side of greater justice for all in all things.
Don't get me wrong. I'll be happy if and when Obama wins. A black guy from Hawaii in the WHITE house? That's fucking hilarious, ironic, and cool to think about all in one. But I have to vote on the ISSUES , where I believe America should be, and Barack is not enough change for me. Tickle my balls and tell me some shit that I want to hear!
First off, I should note that I live in California. In the world of the electoral college, all of California's votes will go to the winner of the popular vote. So let's look at some history and some facts.
In 2000, Al Gore won California by over 11%. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_in_California,_2000 It was in this election that Ralph Nader was running on the Green Party ticket and won 3.76% of California's votes. Ralph and the Green Party won a bunch of votes, but the Democrats still easily took California.
In 2004, the Democratic propaganda machine came out in force against Ralph Nader and 3rd parties. California voters feared a repeat of 2000 and 2nd Bush term. Greens backed David Cobb and Ralph was a write-in vote. Democrats fielded John Kerry as their candidate and he easily won California. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._presidential_election,_2004,_in_California I find it interesting that votes for Ralph and the Green Party combined totaled less than 1% of popular votes, yet John Kerry beat Bush by only 9.81%. This is less than what Gore beat Bush by even when Ralph was at his strongest.
In California, the number of registered Democrats surpass the number of registered Republicans by 11.6%. http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ror_090508.htm Click on the PDF for historical voter registration statistics. This year, Californians and especially young voters are very excited about Barack Obama. The statistics, the history, and the energy are all in favor of Barack Obama. If he doesn't win California... then the Democrats will really need to evaluate their party.
Just last weekend I was in Ohio. In one day in Ohio I saw more McCain and Obama ads than one month in California. The Democrats don't put any money and energy into winning California because they know that they will win it.
With that in mind, I believe that the Democrats need to re-evaluate their party. I abhor being threatened to vote Democrat (A vote for a third party is a vote for John McCain. It's the lesser of two evils). Talk about the issues and stop threatening me for my vote. When it comes to many important issues, I do not agree with Barack Obama. I'm not going to get into the McCain and the Republicans because I am soooooo far in disagreement with them on so many issues.
Barack has said that he wants to withdraw troops from Iraq and move them to Afghanistan. Then if Al Queda and Osama are in their sights and Pakistan is unable or unwilling to get them, Obama is willing to attack and kill them. Can you imagine if the Chinese said that they wanted to get Uighurs on US soil and if the US was unable or unwilling to get them for them, the Chinese would do it themselves? Can you imagine the same scenario with Russians and Chechnyans on US soil? The Sri Lankans and Tamil Tigers? The UK and the IRA? Israel and Palestinians? The Mexicans and Zapatistas? I could go on but then I'd have to look up groups on wikipedia and it's a pain.
When it comes to nuclear proliferation, Obama claims to want to reduce nuclear proliferation. Yet he has also spoken on creating a missile defense shield. That shield would lead to greater nuclear proliferation as countries sought to increase their capabilities to overwhelm the shield. The dirty little secret is that you can put a cheap ass mylar sheath on the warhead and it will cover the heat signature so that a missile shield can't find it. However, if the US creates a missile shield, China will likely increase their nuclear arsenal. China's increase will lead to an increase in Russia and India's. India's increase will lead to an increase by Pakistan. And on and on with this crazy fucking Mutually Assured Destruction dance of Shiva. A missile shield is an irresponsible position that contradicts his professed goal of reducing nuclear proliferation.
At no time has Obama spoken on cutting the US military budget. The US is currently spending approximately $1 trillion a year for all defense related purposes. In 2005, the US military budget was almost as much as the rest of the world's defense spending combined. Why aren't we talking about cutting the military budget? War is a racket! THE MILITARY DOESN'T NEED MORE MONEY!!! BUT EVERY OTHER SECTOR SURE DOES!!!
Gay marriage is one of the issues where Republicans and Democrats can come together. They both oppose it. WTF??? Let people get married, be happy and be legitimized under the law and their faith or lackthereof. It's as simple as that. Don't continue with the treatment of people as second class citizens.
When it comes to the economy, I have very little faith in the Democrats as they presided over NAFTA and the WTO. Ross fucking Perot was right when he talked about the giant sucking sound of American jobs heading to Mexico. Now that sucking sound has extended to the world. Republicans have continued Democrat policies. Obama has never talked about seriously reviewing and changing the policies of NAFTA and the WTO.
When it comes to Wall Street bailouts, Obama and McCain are both talking about Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. How come no one is talking about credit default swaps (CDS) and the roughly $60 trillion dollars in unregulated money? AIG and Lehman brothers probably wouldn't have tanked if it wasn't for massive amounts of unregulated CDSs. How serious is Obama about regulating the financial system when no attention is given to CDSs?
When it comes to the draconian death penalty, Obama is for it. This is an unjust policy that has a racial bias based on a justice system that is imperfect. I don't want the state executing anyone when there is even the remotest possibility that it could execute the wrong person. And we know that people have been exonerated and released after being on death row. How many people were executed that could have been exonerated? I don't know, but I don't want to take the chance.
When it comes to healthcare I was happy to hear Obama say that it was a right for people. I actually agree with that. However, he's not talking about universal healthcare for all like most industrialized countries have. If healthcare is a right...shouldn't it be a right for everyone regardless of their situation? Shouldn't Obama be pushing for universal healthcare?
When it comes to education Obama isn't telling me the things I really want to hear. How about fully funding students through college so that everyone can benefit from a college education? How about cutting the military budget in half and giving that half to public education? Why are we cutting classes and programs? Let the arts and sciences flourish motherfuckers! Then we wouldn't have so many narrow-minded undereducated dumbasses that will cause the future structural unemployment of America!
Here's where I insert my problem with America section. McCain is right. Americans do need to serve. But my generation is rather selfish. What can I say, we grew up in the Reagan years and its rubbed off on our kids! Service has negative connotations. It sounds like I won't get paid or I'll be underpaid. It sounds like I'll have to deal with ungrateful bastards. It sounds like something you do for a little while until you get a real job. It sounds like there's a master on the other side of my service. It sounds like an inferior subservient position to be in. It would be so much easier to vote and put all my political energy into that than to make that one component in utilizing all my political energy. We tell people they are wrong for doing what they believe to be right and instead tell them to do what represents the least change from our comfort zone. I completely believe that is it wrong to tell a person to not vote for their ideals and their "promised land" but rather to vote for that which is most politically expedient. It is better to vote for the greater good than for the lesser of two evils. Aren't the issues supposed to be important??? While Obama's stances on the issues are closer to mine than McCain's, he and the Democratic party do not stand on the issues on the side of greater justice for all in all things.
Don't get me wrong. I'll be happy if and when Obama wins. A black guy from Hawaii in the WHITE house? That's fucking hilarious, ironic, and cool to think about all in one. But I have to vote on the ISSUES , where I believe America should be, and Barack is not enough change for me. Tickle my balls and tell me some shit that I want to hear!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Chinchero in a day
I don't know why it is, but when we travel or on vacation I wake up really early. I mean before AL early. When we are at home, I sleep in. On this particular morning, I popped 2 ibuprofen and set my timer for 5 hours to take the next 2.
When traveling in Peru, you have to make sure your US dollars are immaculate. I mean perfect perfect. Depending on the person working the exchange, they won't accept bills that got a small little rip. In my case, they wouldn't take my $100 that had a small little hole in them. So I exchanged our money and came back to the hotel and was told that our tour was waiting for us at the Plaza de Santo Domingo. I got AL going and we made our way to the the plaza, but there was no bus. We waited around with AL going back and forth to the hostel to call our agency lady inquiring about the bus. I went around to each bus with my receipt asking if they were the ones. We kept being told that the bus was there, or was going to be there, but nothing. We waited for over and hour and I was getting pissed off. Finally, s
ome local police decided to help us. I like the Peruvian female officer uniforms with their mini skirts and knee high leather fuck me boots. The two officers ended up taking us to the iperu on Avenida del Sol and from there those people contacted the tour . Once the iperu steps in then you get service. Our travel agency lady showed up there with one of the ladies that works the buses that do the tour. Apparently, we were told the wrong place to wait for them. If we wanted to meet up with our tour, we had to take a taxi to where they were. It would cost us 40 NS or $14 to do that. Well, I still wanted to do the tour and we had no other plans for that day, so we took it. Our taxi driver was this cool Quechua guy named Eduardo and he talked to us in Spanish while he drove us. He explained some of the Incan philosophy and showed us the difference between a llama and an alpace. Also, he told us the difference between an alpaca suri and alpaca huaynaca. The latter produces the best wool and is on the Peruvian money and flag. We finally met up with our bus and luckily they hadn't even done anything yet. From there we went to Pisaq to visit an Incan Ruin. Incan walls are amazing. They have huge stones and the rocks are held together without mortar. 
Note the smooth curves and the rock that is made to be a corner of two walls coming together. High up in Pisaq, I was also surprised to find this amazing aqueduct that the Incans used for water and for their purification rituals. Pisaq also had this beautiful terracing built on the sides of mountains that last to this day. Much like the Mayans, it is a marvel how they move these huge rocks to the middle of nowhere. However, I think the Incans are crazier cause they did it in high altitude on top of mountains. All I can think whenever I see such amazing structures is that someone had to be exploited to make those things. Cause my lazy ass would not be having it. I 
would be thinking you want me to move what??? Because you say you are the incarnation of God??? Yeah... I don't think that I could have been an Incan. After Pisaq, we went to Ollantaytambo which was really impressive. The Incans planned their cities based on their sacred animals. For example, Machu Picchu is based on the condor design. Ollantaytambo is built on the design of 2 llamas, a baby llama and a mother llama. It was an incredibly beautiful structure. The picture to the lower right is of Ollantaytambo. The picture below it is of a fountain at Ollantaytambo. If there is one symbol that represents the Incans then this picture of the fountain is an example of that symbolism. Notice the 3 step pattern along the outside and inside of fountain. This is called the Chakana and represents the 3 sacred planes of heaven, earth, and the underworld. Each of these sacred planes has an animal that represents that plane. The underworld is where the snake lives. The earth is where the puma lives and the heavens is where the condor lives. This symbol was pretty much found throughout all the Incan s
ites that we visited. Hiking in Peru is hard. Especially when we found out that Cuzco and the Sacred Valley is at a higher altitude than Machu Picchu. It's funny cause everyone thinks that Machu Picchu is so high up, but Cuzco is higher. I figured that once I hiked Cuzco, then Machu Picchu would be a breeze...so to speak. From Ollantaytambo we went to Chinchero to check out an Incan ruin that had a Spanish Cathedral built over it. The picture below the fountain is of the Cathedral. It's crazy because you can see where the Incan ruins end and the Spanish Cathedral begins so perfectly. The picture below the fountain is of the Cathedral in Chinch
ero.On our bus ride, AL and I talked to these two cool young nuns from the states. They were in their 20s and we talked a bit about liberation theology and its impact on Latin America. They also talked about the declining enrollment of nuns in the US. The median age for nuns in the US... 71 years old. That's median folks. Anyways, they were doing missions in Peru and they were saying that it was cool for them because in Peru there were many girls their age and younger becoming nuns.
Just visiting those three sites and getting lunch took the whole day and we got back at 7 pm at
night. We were wiped out by then...but what an experience.
When traveling in Peru, you have to make sure your US dollars are immaculate. I mean perfect perfect. Depending on the person working the exchange, they won't accept bills that got a small little rip. In my case, they wouldn't take my $100 that had a small little hole in them. So I exchanged our money and came back to the hotel and was told that our tour was waiting for us at the Plaza de Santo Domingo. I got AL going and we made our way to the the plaza, but there was no bus. We waited around with AL going back and forth to the hostel to call our agency lady inquiring about the bus. I went around to each bus with my receipt asking if they were the ones. We kept being told that the bus was there, or was going to be there, but nothing. We waited for over and hour and I was getting pissed off. Finally, s
ome local police decided to help us. I like the Peruvian female officer uniforms with their mini skirts and knee high leather fuck me boots. The two officers ended up taking us to the iperu on Avenida del Sol and from there those people contacted the tour . Once the iperu steps in then you get service. Our travel agency lady showed up there with one of the ladies that works the buses that do the tour. Apparently, we were told the wrong place to wait for them. If we wanted to meet up with our tour, we had to take a taxi to where they were. It would cost us 40 NS or $14 to do that. Well, I still wanted to do the tour and we had no other plans for that day, so we took it. Our taxi driver was this cool Quechua guy named Eduardo and he talked to us in Spanish while he drove us. He explained some of the Incan philosophy and showed us the difference between a llama and an alpace. Also, he told us the difference between an alpaca suri and alpaca huaynaca. The latter produces the best wool and is on the Peruvian money and flag. We finally met up with our bus and luckily they hadn't even done anything yet. From there we went to Pisaq to visit an Incan Ruin. Incan walls are amazing. They have huge stones and the rocks are held together without mortar. 
Note the smooth curves and the rock that is made to be a corner of two walls coming together. High up in Pisaq, I was also surprised to find this amazing aqueduct that the Incans used for water and for their purification rituals. Pisaq also had this beautiful terracing built on the sides of mountains that last to this day. Much like the Mayans, it is a marvel how they move these huge rocks to the middle of nowhere. However, I think the Incans are crazier cause they did it in high altitude on top of mountains. All I can think whenever I see such amazing structures is that someone had to be exploited to make those things. Cause my lazy ass would not be having it. I 
would be thinking you want me to move what??? Because you say you are the incarnation of God??? Yeah... I don't think that I could have been an Incan. After Pisaq, we went to Ollantaytambo which was really impressive. The Incans planned their cities based on their sacred animals. For example, Machu Picchu is based on the condor design. Ollantaytambo is built on the design of 2 llamas, a baby llama and a mother llama. It was an incredibly beautiful structure. The picture to the lower right is of Ollantaytambo. The picture below it is of a fountain at Ollantaytambo. If there is one symbol that represents the Incans then this picture of the fountain is an example of that symbolism. Notice the 3 step pattern along the outside and inside of fountain. This is called the Chakana and represents the 3 sacred planes of heaven, earth, and the underworld. Each of these sacred planes has an animal that represents that plane. The underworld is where the snake lives. The earth is where the puma lives and the heavens is where the condor lives. This symbol was pretty much found throughout all the Incan s
ites that we visited. Hiking in Peru is hard. Especially when we found out that Cuzco and the Sacred Valley is at a higher altitude than Machu Picchu. It's funny cause everyone thinks that Machu Picchu is so high up, but Cuzco is higher. I figured that once I hiked Cuzco, then Machu Picchu would be a breeze...so to speak. From Ollantaytambo we went to Chinchero to check out an Incan ruin that had a Spanish Cathedral built over it. The picture below the fountain is of the Cathedral. It's crazy because you can see where the Incan ruins end and the Spanish Cathedral begins so perfectly. The picture below the fountain is of the Cathedral in Chinch
ero.On our bus ride, AL and I talked to these two cool young nuns from the states. They were in their 20s and we talked a bit about liberation theology and its impact on Latin America. They also talked about the declining enrollment of nuns in the US. The median age for nuns in the US... 71 years old. That's median folks. Anyways, they were doing missions in Peru and they were saying that it was cool for them because in Peru there were many girls their age and younger becoming nuns.Just visiting those three sites and getting lunch took the whole day and we got back at 7 pm at
night. We were wiped out by then...but what an experience. Monday, August 25, 2008
Pisco Sour, dealing with hustlers, and peruvian prices
The plane flight to Peru wasn't that bad. TACA airlines is far superior to anything in the US. They were giving out not bad for airplane food breakfast omelets and free alcohol drinks. It was about 5 hours to San Salvador, which has the dubious distinction of having the highest murder rate per 100,000 people. After a 2 hour layover, it was a 4 hour flight to Lima. At Lima, we were picked up by the Hotel San Antonio Abad for free. The accommodations were ok...some of the thinnest walls in the world. We were tired from traveling so we decided to et some food and then pass out. Lima has the hustle and bustle of an industrializing city with the air to go along with it. Still not as bad as China or even Havana. We ate at an overpriced Italian restaurant with mediocre pizza and tried yuca fritas served with mayo. It was here that AL tried and fell in love with the national drink of Peru, the Pisco Sour. It's a limey tasting drink with frothy egg whites on top of it...totally to her tastes. American franchises I noticed in Miraflores. Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Papa John's and Starbucks were everywhere.
The flight to Cuzco from Lima was really expensive. $802.00, but there is no direct flight to Cuzco from he Bay. You have to go through Lima. Cuzco is high up in the mountains and yours truly is prone to motion, altitude, and whatever other sickness is out there. So to deal with it, I followed local customs and traditions...coca. In the tea form and the candy form. It's a lil energizer. AL really liked the pick me up but I didn't feel any huge difference. I blame it on my 20s.
When we got to our hostel in Cuzco, we were met there by a hustler. The taxi driver actually handed us off to him and told us that the guy would take care of us. AL and I figured he was working for the Hostel with the way he came in and ordered tea for us and sat us down at the table. He started talking to us and wrote up a list of things for us to do in the short time we were in Cuzco. He also reserved train tickets to Aguas Caliente for us. Anyways, the duded wanted to charge us $900 to do a tour of the Sacred Valley, take a train to Aguas Caliente and all the tourist stuff. I was like "No Way! Too Expensive!" Then he started lowering him price to $700. All the warning signs were going off so I had to ditch the guy. I said I had to go to my room and settle in 1st. There we checked prices in Lonely Planet and came back down to the guy to say no way. Then he wanted $225 for each of us. I said no and the guy started getting belligerent. He started asking me if I was an adult or was I a serious person. So now the guy was starting to insult me. I told him to cancel the ticket and he said it was impossible. Yeah, right! I said let's go the train station and he said he wanted $50 per person to go to the train station. I laughed and said no way. Now the dude was really pissing me off. So I said let's go tot he tourist agency on Avenida del Sol and see if the prices were right, knowing there was no way he'd go to the government agency. We started to walk that way and on the way I stopped a white guy and asked him if he'd been up to Machu Picchu and how much did he pay. The guy was part of a tour, but he was saying the price on his ticket was $8. I knew that was too low but a lot better sounding than $225. After that, I knew the guy's hustle was completely blown. I got that wonderful feeling that I get when someone's gig is up. Then I was all about going to the tourist agency. Dude sarted cursing at me and it brought a smile to my face. Sweet Schadenfreude.
So when we got to the train station we could only get on a train from Ollantaytambo which is a little Incan city 2 hours away from Cuzco. Tickets from there to Aguas Caliente were $129 for the both of us. Wayyyyy better deal. The lady at the train counter also told us that there were already tickets in our name and they would have to be canceled and the guy would have to pay a 10% cancellation fee. Sweet Sweet Schadenfreude! The guy lost money talking to us.
To tour the Sacred Valley in Cuzco you have to buy a general ticket which cost 130 Nuevo Soles or roughly $46. Travel Tip: Things get cheaper and more negotiable for the same service the farther you are from the main tourist area. The Plaza de Armas is the main area and so I checked out prices there and walked away from that area. One of the things about Cuzco is that it's really high up in the mountains. 10,800 feet. I have never popped more ibuprofen in my life. We found a place called mapi trek peru that cost 60 NS or about $21. Once again, way better than the $25 per person our hostel was going to charge us and infinitely better than what the hustler wanted.
The flight to Cuzco from Lima was really expensive. $802.00, but there is no direct flight to Cuzco from he Bay. You have to go through Lima. Cuzco is high up in the mountains and yours truly is prone to motion, altitude, and whatever other sickness is out there. So to deal with it, I followed local customs and traditions...coca. In the tea form and the candy form. It's a lil energizer. AL really liked the pick me up but I didn't feel any huge difference. I blame it on my 20s.
When we got to our hostel in Cuzco, we were met there by a hustler. The taxi driver actually handed us off to him and told us that the guy would take care of us. AL and I figured he was working for the Hostel with the way he came in and ordered tea for us and sat us down at the table. He started talking to us and wrote up a list of things for us to do in the short time we were in Cuzco. He also reserved train tickets to Aguas Caliente for us. Anyways, the duded wanted to charge us $900 to do a tour of the Sacred Valley, take a train to Aguas Caliente and all the tourist stuff. I was like "No Way! Too Expensive!" Then he started lowering him price to $700. All the warning signs were going off so I had to ditch the guy. I said I had to go to my room and settle in 1st. There we checked prices in Lonely Planet and came back down to the guy to say no way. Then he wanted $225 for each of us. I said no and the guy started getting belligerent. He started asking me if I was an adult or was I a serious person. So now the guy was starting to insult me. I told him to cancel the ticket and he said it was impossible. Yeah, right! I said let's go the train station and he said he wanted $50 per person to go to the train station. I laughed and said no way. Now the dude was really pissing me off. So I said let's go tot he tourist agency on Avenida del Sol and see if the prices were right, knowing there was no way he'd go to the government agency. We started to walk that way and on the way I stopped a white guy and asked him if he'd been up to Machu Picchu and how much did he pay. The guy was part of a tour, but he was saying the price on his ticket was $8. I knew that was too low but a lot better sounding than $225. After that, I knew the guy's hustle was completely blown. I got that wonderful feeling that I get when someone's gig is up. Then I was all about going to the tourist agency. Dude sarted cursing at me and it brought a smile to my face. Sweet Schadenfreude.
So when we got to the train station we could only get on a train from Ollantaytambo which is a little Incan city 2 hours away from Cuzco. Tickets from there to Aguas Caliente were $129 for the both of us. Wayyyyy better deal. The lady at the train counter also told us that there were already tickets in our name and they would have to be canceled and the guy would have to pay a 10% cancellation fee. Sweet Sweet Schadenfreude! The guy lost money talking to us.
To tour the Sacred Valley in Cuzco you have to buy a general ticket which cost 130 Nuevo Soles or roughly $46. Travel Tip: Things get cheaper and more negotiable for the same service the farther you are from the main tourist area. The Plaza de Armas is the main area and so I checked out prices there and walked away from that area. One of the things about Cuzco is that it's really high up in the mountains. 10,800 feet. I have never popped more ibuprofen in my life. We found a place called mapi trek peru that cost 60 NS or about $21. Once again, way better than the $25 per person our hostel was going to charge us and infinitely better than what the hustler wanted.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Steven Colbert and the Cookie Monster
My favorite Sesame Street character is the Cookie Monster. It's his voice, his crazy eyes, his love of cookies. This skit has to be one of my favorite comedy bits I've seen in a long time.
http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=174545
http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=174545
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Update on my student graduating
Great news! I just found out yesterday that my CTM is going to be school Valefuckingdictorian. I'm so ridiculously jazzed. It's like the prodigal son. He was lost and now he has returned. He is going to give a speech at the graduation and everything.
One of the qualities that helps in teaching is compassion. To train in compassion, I went vegetarian. This was a precept of my religion so it really helped me spiritually and in teaching. A quality that helps with compassion is empathy. Empathy is very important in working with kids when they are hurt, but it's even better when the kid does well. To be with someone's suffering is very important, but to share in someone's joy...that rocks!
So this Friday I get to share in the joy of my students graduating and my CTM being the valedictorian. Graduation is what teaching is all about. Whether it's the joy of getting rid of kids that get under my skin or the joy of seeing kids graduate when the deck was stacked against...I'm a happy man!
One of the qualities that helps in teaching is compassion. To train in compassion, I went vegetarian. This was a precept of my religion so it really helped me spiritually and in teaching. A quality that helps with compassion is empathy. Empathy is very important in working with kids when they are hurt, but it's even better when the kid does well. To be with someone's suffering is very important, but to share in someone's joy...that rocks!
So this Friday I get to share in the joy of my students graduating and my CTM being the valedictorian. Graduation is what teaching is all about. Whether it's the joy of getting rid of kids that get under my skin or the joy of seeing kids graduate when the deck was stacked against...I'm a happy man!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
End of the fucking year
Hell yeah! 2 more days till the school year is ovah! Then I'm teaching the summer bridge program and then it's off to Peru and Brazil. AL and I are going to Machu Picchu and then to Salvador and Rio. We were supposed to go to Paraguay but AL's dad backed out and then her mom didn't want to go. Then it was like...what the fuck is there to do or see in Paraguay. So I decided we should go to Peru and check out Machu Picchu.
AL is really excited to go to Brazil. We have both been dancing samba de gafieira, afro-brazilian samba, and capoeira, so she's juiced to go. This summer I got 5 weddings I'm going to be going to. People are either having babies or getting married. Either way it means my cheap ass is going to have to shell out money for something.
I got 2 students graduating. I'm proud of them both but one of them I'm really proud of. He comes from a crazy family and environment and at one point he was talking about dropping out. Then he turned everything around and started to excel. It's good when a student does well but it's even better when the student completely changes. It's seeing and being a part of that change that makes my job wonderful. It's what makes me get up in the morning and happy to be doing what I'm doing.
It's good that we're having break too cuz I was starting to not like kids. Nothing like the summer to recharge my batteries and make things better.
AL is really excited to go to Brazil. We have both been dancing samba de gafieira, afro-brazilian samba, and capoeira, so she's juiced to go. This summer I got 5 weddings I'm going to be going to. People are either having babies or getting married. Either way it means my cheap ass is going to have to shell out money for something.
I got 2 students graduating. I'm proud of them both but one of them I'm really proud of. He comes from a crazy family and environment and at one point he was talking about dropping out. Then he turned everything around and started to excel. It's good when a student does well but it's even better when the student completely changes. It's seeing and being a part of that change that makes my job wonderful. It's what makes me get up in the morning and happy to be doing what I'm doing.
It's good that we're having break too cuz I was starting to not like kids. Nothing like the summer to recharge my batteries and make things better.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
De Facto Head of the Department
My friend and co-worker J.D. left for a job at district offices for almost twice the amount of money. I don't blame him...I mean twice??? As a result, I am now de facto head of the department. And I'm mad sick with power!!!!!!!!! MOOOHAAAA! MOOOOHAAAAA!
Over the summer, I plan on reorganizing the department and putting my thumbprint on it. I get to do things my way now. I really enjoyed working with J.D. but now it's my thang. I get to focus the department and standardize it the way that I've been wanting to. I'm going Qin Emperor style. Standardize and bury the scholars.... ok the first part not the second.
I'm also excited because now I'm going to start teaching Political Econ, American government and US history. It's on like Donkey Kong. I'm most excited for political economy because I love talking finance with the kids. Yes I'll be talking about the international global economy, but I also want to teach basic financial literacy to the kids. I was never taught basic financial literacy and had to learn it all by myself. I know for the most part that my students aren't taught it either as I've talked about it in class and they were just mystified. I firmly believe that being aware and taking control of your finances is a self-empowering political action. Understanding your own finances will also help you understand the world's finances. Investing your money in guns and not your education is going to royally fuck you...the parallels to the US go without saying.
I also think that teaching different classes will reinvigorate my pedagogy. I've gotten comfortable in my curriculum but now I'd like to try something else. More work...no accompanying raise! Gotta love it!
Over the summer, I plan on reorganizing the department and putting my thumbprint on it. I get to do things my way now. I really enjoyed working with J.D. but now it's my thang. I get to focus the department and standardize it the way that I've been wanting to. I'm going Qin Emperor style. Standardize and bury the scholars.... ok the first part not the second.
I'm also excited because now I'm going to start teaching Political Econ, American government and US history. It's on like Donkey Kong. I'm most excited for political economy because I love talking finance with the kids. Yes I'll be talking about the international global economy, but I also want to teach basic financial literacy to the kids. I was never taught basic financial literacy and had to learn it all by myself. I know for the most part that my students aren't taught it either as I've talked about it in class and they were just mystified. I firmly believe that being aware and taking control of your finances is a self-empowering political action. Understanding your own finances will also help you understand the world's finances. Investing your money in guns and not your education is going to royally fuck you...the parallels to the US go without saying.
I also think that teaching different classes will reinvigorate my pedagogy. I've gotten comfortable in my curriculum but now I'd like to try something else. More work...no accompanying raise! Gotta love it!
Friday, May 02, 2008
Sad for my boy
WTF? When it rains it pours. My one kid. The one that wanted to join a gang and that I talked out of it. The one with a good heart but very little self control. He's been acting out again. He was talking shit to teachers and being disrespectful. We were going to suspend him, but I couldn't get a hold of his parents so that we could send him home. Then he started crying and saying that he wanted to talk to me. Since we were only testing right now I went into one of the therapist's room and talked to him while she took over the testing for me.
His dad has cancer. And his family is poor and won't be able to pay for any serious treatment. He's melting down and wants to say fuck it all to everything. 99.99% of the time that a kid is acting out it's because he is unhappy and there is something going. Kids don't want to be assholes and angry it's just that they don't know how to deal with their emotions. They haven't lived long enough to gain the discipline and self-awareness to control themselves. What a shitty break. His reaction is understandable, though not acceptable. It ain't right to take your shit out on others.
But he doesn't have the luxury of being able to melt down and fall apart. I told him that the last thing that his dad needs is to have to come up to the school and deal with his shit. Fuck it all is how children act. Unfortunately, he has to step up to the plate and start acting like a man. He needs to be strong for his family. Everyone is having to deal with this issue. Mom and sister don't need to have to see him fall apart while the dad is dying. He is forced to grow up faster than he wants to. I'm sad for him and sad for his family.
This situation once again highlights the problems with the American medical system. Truthfully, it's not a system. If you don't have the money, you don't have the care. And good hardworking people that are scraping by get left behind. It is shameful and disgraceful. In the richest country in the world, everyone should be taken care of. It's not like there isn't enough to go around.
No one should have to feel hopeless because they don't know how they are going to take care of their family members. It's hard enough to have to deal with cancer, you shouldn't have to deal with if you'll be able to pay for the treatment for cancer.
His dad has cancer. And his family is poor and won't be able to pay for any serious treatment. He's melting down and wants to say fuck it all to everything. 99.99% of the time that a kid is acting out it's because he is unhappy and there is something going. Kids don't want to be assholes and angry it's just that they don't know how to deal with their emotions. They haven't lived long enough to gain the discipline and self-awareness to control themselves. What a shitty break. His reaction is understandable, though not acceptable. It ain't right to take your shit out on others.
But he doesn't have the luxury of being able to melt down and fall apart. I told him that the last thing that his dad needs is to have to come up to the school and deal with his shit. Fuck it all is how children act. Unfortunately, he has to step up to the plate and start acting like a man. He needs to be strong for his family. Everyone is having to deal with this issue. Mom and sister don't need to have to see him fall apart while the dad is dying. He is forced to grow up faster than he wants to. I'm sad for him and sad for his family.
This situation once again highlights the problems with the American medical system. Truthfully, it's not a system. If you don't have the money, you don't have the care. And good hardworking people that are scraping by get left behind. It is shameful and disgraceful. In the richest country in the world, everyone should be taken care of. It's not like there isn't enough to go around.
No one should have to feel hopeless because they don't know how they are going to take care of their family members. It's hard enough to have to deal with cancer, you shouldn't have to deal with if you'll be able to pay for the treatment for cancer.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
update on a former student
Sometimes this job is too hard on my heart. So my former CTM. The 49.5 one. The soft as warm butter one. When it rains it pours...
A while back this kid told me he had a girlfriend. At first I didn't believe him. Turned out it was true. And she wasn't bad looking. When he showed me her picture, I set him up for the old diss.
"Hey, she's pretty good looking...what's she doing with you?" It was perfectly timed. Everyone in the room laughed. He laughed at it. It made him feel good that I validated the looks of his girl that he got in front of everyone and I cut down his looks which made it even cooler that he was with her. This fool was so in love. He asked me to correct/read a love poem that he wrote to her. The poem was such a teenage love letter. It started with "You are my..." It was the full, wholehearted, unreserved, unabashed love that teenagers in love for the first time can only have. That compounded with his painfully sad home life made his time with her even more important and powerful.
At one time he got the girl pregnant and they lost the baby. The boy was totally fucked up by the whole thing and I probably wasn't as sensitive and understanding about his situation. Then his family pulls him from the school and he just sits around cuz he wasn't really gonna go to adult school. The kid has no academic skills. Is mentally and emotionally underdeveloped because of his home life and being picked on through most of his life. The kid had to be 6'5 or so and he would get picked on. He would come to school sometimes wearing the same clothing and sometimes smelling. Well his girlfriend got sick and died in her sleep. I know this kid well enough to know something of his heart. He is a fucking mess right now. I found this out second hand from one of his friends on Tuesday.
When I see and know kids that have no skills, nobody taking good care of them at home, no direction, and just lost, it weighs heavy on my heart. This world is an incredibly painful, sad, and unfair place. I thank God for all that I have and am angry at men for the world that we have created.
When I talk to people about the problems in innercity education, they often want to attribute the problems with the kids to the parents. It's always the parents' fault. While parents are sometimes to blame, that is only one analysis, albeit an important one. I personally blame society. It's on all our hands and on all our heads. Everyone that is alive has a part in making this society a more just and equitable society. The kids are fine. It's the adults that are fucking things up. We are not making a world that includes people and allows them to be a part of a community and society. We are not properly socializing our families, communities, society, and the world. Instead we destroy communities and families and people at the bottom are left with few means. In treating people less than human and not including and socializing them, we create people that act anti-social and destructive.
This kid was not properly socialized. His environment was too rough for him and he was too soft for most places. He was starting to be social at my school, but now I worry that he has no "safe" space to be a kid. I want to somehow get him to at least hang back out at our school (Counter to school rules) and maybe get involved with the mural project going on upstairs in the school. I like that my school provides that space for kids. But realistically, I doubt and wonder if that will really happen. It is hard for me to accept when I think that there really isn't hope for some kids.
A while back this kid told me he had a girlfriend. At first I didn't believe him. Turned out it was true. And she wasn't bad looking. When he showed me her picture, I set him up for the old diss.
"Hey, she's pretty good looking...what's she doing with you?" It was perfectly timed. Everyone in the room laughed. He laughed at it. It made him feel good that I validated the looks of his girl that he got in front of everyone and I cut down his looks which made it even cooler that he was with her. This fool was so in love. He asked me to correct/read a love poem that he wrote to her. The poem was such a teenage love letter. It started with "You are my..." It was the full, wholehearted, unreserved, unabashed love that teenagers in love for the first time can only have. That compounded with his painfully sad home life made his time with her even more important and powerful.
At one time he got the girl pregnant and they lost the baby. The boy was totally fucked up by the whole thing and I probably wasn't as sensitive and understanding about his situation. Then his family pulls him from the school and he just sits around cuz he wasn't really gonna go to adult school. The kid has no academic skills. Is mentally and emotionally underdeveloped because of his home life and being picked on through most of his life. The kid had to be 6'5 or so and he would get picked on. He would come to school sometimes wearing the same clothing and sometimes smelling. Well his girlfriend got sick and died in her sleep. I know this kid well enough to know something of his heart. He is a fucking mess right now. I found this out second hand from one of his friends on Tuesday.
When I see and know kids that have no skills, nobody taking good care of them at home, no direction, and just lost, it weighs heavy on my heart. This world is an incredibly painful, sad, and unfair place. I thank God for all that I have and am angry at men for the world that we have created.
When I talk to people about the problems in innercity education, they often want to attribute the problems with the kids to the parents. It's always the parents' fault. While parents are sometimes to blame, that is only one analysis, albeit an important one. I personally blame society. It's on all our hands and on all our heads. Everyone that is alive has a part in making this society a more just and equitable society. The kids are fine. It's the adults that are fucking things up. We are not making a world that includes people and allows them to be a part of a community and society. We are not properly socializing our families, communities, society, and the world. Instead we destroy communities and families and people at the bottom are left with few means. In treating people less than human and not including and socializing them, we create people that act anti-social and destructive.
This kid was not properly socialized. His environment was too rough for him and he was too soft for most places. He was starting to be social at my school, but now I worry that he has no "safe" space to be a kid. I want to somehow get him to at least hang back out at our school (Counter to school rules) and maybe get involved with the mural project going on upstairs in the school. I like that my school provides that space for kids. But realistically, I doubt and wonder if that will really happen. It is hard for me to accept when I think that there really isn't hope for some kids.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Ain't been this sick since I can remember
On the 11th, I was at school and my coworker Joseph said that he hasn't been so sick in years. I thought nothing of it until the end of the day. At the end of the day, everyone was going out for drinks to celebrate a coworker's bday. I felt like shit. I went home and passed out. On Saturday and Sunday I was too fucked up to go anywhere. Like a fool, instead of taking more time off I went to school on Monday through Thursday. Then I realized on Friday that I couldn't do it. I took Friday off and spent that day and the weekend alternating between coughing and sleeping. I coughed so often and so hard that I lost my voice.
So there I was at school today unable to talk. Physically, I feel better. But I still got a hacking cough and I can't talk. At this compromised time I also got an eczema breakout too. On my face no less. When it rains it pours. Being a teacher without your voice is somewhat emasculating. It's hard to get people's attention when you can't talk that loudly. To get kids' attention I have to bang a stick on the table. It's pretty bad. Then speak in a barely audible whisper to say a few words about whatever topic we are discussing. Not the ideal situation for me at all. Since I knew we were doing seminars in class. I printed out signs with questions on it for the kids. In class I just held up the questions and had the students discuss things.
I am tired of being tired. I am sick of being sick. I'm meta tired and meta sick. Whatever viral infection I got is an assfucking kicker. I haven't been this sick in I don't remember when. Usually when I don't feel so well I get over it in a day or so. This is kicking my ass.
So there I was at school today unable to talk. Physically, I feel better. But I still got a hacking cough and I can't talk. At this compromised time I also got an eczema breakout too. On my face no less. When it rains it pours. Being a teacher without your voice is somewhat emasculating. It's hard to get people's attention when you can't talk that loudly. To get kids' attention I have to bang a stick on the table. It's pretty bad. Then speak in a barely audible whisper to say a few words about whatever topic we are discussing. Not the ideal situation for me at all. Since I knew we were doing seminars in class. I printed out signs with questions on it for the kids. In class I just held up the questions and had the students discuss things.
I am tired of being tired. I am sick of being sick. I'm meta tired and meta sick. Whatever viral infection I got is an assfucking kicker. I haven't been this sick in I don't remember when. Usually when I don't feel so well I get over it in a day or so. This is kicking my ass.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
The Olympics in China
The Olympic torch went through San Francisco today. Gavin Newsome pulled an Operation Fortitude on everyone. This is a high profile controversial issue for China and the world.
Let me start by saying, I absolutely support the desire of the Tibetan people for their independence from China. But I also think there is a demonization of China going on. There's nothing China is doing the US hasn't done. Ask the native Americans. Yes, I wish China didn't work with Sudan. I also wish my school's SIMPLE IRA with American Funds didn't invest in Sudan either. Yes I wish China didn't sell arms to fucked up countries, but I also wish the US wasn't the largest arms dealer in the world. The West wants to control China like it did in the late 1800's. The West knows that China is a sleeping giant. Better to have as much leverage and influence in the development over that giant as possible.
I think there is a Shangri-la-ization (I know I'm making up words) of Tibet and all thing Tibetan. While I'm down with the desire of the Tibetan people I'm not a fan of the Dalai Lama. I don't like feudal theocrats. Theocrats sucks whether they are in Iran, the Vatican, Tibet, or anywhere else. Children picking personal objects is no basis for a system of government. Tibetan Buddhism is very en vogue right now. It's the TM of the moment.
Tibetan sovereignty is important but so is Hawaiian sovereignty. China invades and takes over Tibet 1950. US overthrows the Hawaiian government 1893 and makes Hawaii a state 1959. People are making this more of an issue because of the demonization of China and the exoticization of Tibetan Buddhism and the Dalai Lama.
Let me start by saying, I absolutely support the desire of the Tibetan people for their independence from China. But I also think there is a demonization of China going on. There's nothing China is doing the US hasn't done. Ask the native Americans. Yes, I wish China didn't work with Sudan. I also wish my school's SIMPLE IRA with American Funds didn't invest in Sudan either. Yes I wish China didn't sell arms to fucked up countries, but I also wish the US wasn't the largest arms dealer in the world. The West wants to control China like it did in the late 1800's. The West knows that China is a sleeping giant. Better to have as much leverage and influence in the development over that giant as possible.
I think there is a Shangri-la-ization (I know I'm making up words) of Tibet and all thing Tibetan. While I'm down with the desire of the Tibetan people I'm not a fan of the Dalai Lama. I don't like feudal theocrats. Theocrats sucks whether they are in Iran, the Vatican, Tibet, or anywhere else. Children picking personal objects is no basis for a system of government. Tibetan Buddhism is very en vogue right now. It's the TM of the moment.
Tibetan sovereignty is important but so is Hawaiian sovereignty. China invades and takes over Tibet 1950. US overthrows the Hawaiian government 1893 and makes Hawaii a state 1959. People are making this more of an issue because of the demonization of China and the exoticization of Tibetan Buddhism and the Dalai Lama.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
42+6.5=49???
I got this one African American kid in my CTM that I let into the school January last year. This kid is about 6ft 3in and about 250lbs. Soft as warm butter. In his interview, he started crying and he just mumbled the whole time. He talked about getting picked on at other schools. Family was not without its drama. He came to us 15 years old with 10 credits and .15 GPA.
His first quarter he earned 17 credits out of a possible 20. Over the summer he earned 5 credits. His second quarter, he earned 10 out of 20. This last quarter, he earned 6.5 credits. Academically, he just did worse and worse. He's 16 years old and he still has freshman credit. When I asked him to add his 42 total academic credits to the 6.5 hours he earned this last quarter, he paused and said 49. F-O-R-T-Y N-I-N-E! Not even 49.5. Forty Nine. I asked him "say again?" He rethought it and said 49 again.
Socially, he is doing great. He has friends that he hangs out with and he isn't picked on. I've even seen him tease other kids in the way teenage boys do when they are friends with someone.
But what do I do when a kid is improving in one area but getting worse in another? At the end of the day, I'm teaching at a school not a club for kids to hang out at.
Update April 9th: The kid's parent pulled him from the school. They are going to try and put him in an adult school nearby. I wished they would have talked to me about this. They just went and did it. He's got no skills. He's soooo not an adult. My school was somewhere he was safe and socialized. His love for school could have been used to motivate him.
His first quarter he earned 17 credits out of a possible 20. Over the summer he earned 5 credits. His second quarter, he earned 10 out of 20. This last quarter, he earned 6.5 credits. Academically, he just did worse and worse. He's 16 years old and he still has freshman credit. When I asked him to add his 42 total academic credits to the 6.5 hours he earned this last quarter, he paused and said 49. F-O-R-T-Y N-I-N-E! Not even 49.5. Forty Nine. I asked him "say again?" He rethought it and said 49 again.
Socially, he is doing great. He has friends that he hangs out with and he isn't picked on. I've even seen him tease other kids in the way teenage boys do when they are friends with someone.
But what do I do when a kid is improving in one area but getting worse in another? At the end of the day, I'm teaching at a school not a club for kids to hang out at.
Update April 9th: The kid's parent pulled him from the school. They are going to try and put him in an adult school nearby. I wished they would have talked to me about this. They just went and did it. He's got no skills. He's soooo not an adult. My school was somewhere he was safe and socialized. His love for school could have been used to motivate him.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Learning from my students and their culture
Went to the World Affairs Council with 4 students. The speaker was the Ambassador to the United States from Sudan. The man is controversial because he states that the situation is over exaggerated. This guy was good. Slick Dick motherfucker. He could talk his way up, down, and around a subject. Real good at making interesting but inexact analogies. So he was real interesting to listen to and watch in action. He'd be a pimp if he lived in the ghetto. He did a dry run with the students and then he did the same bit with the World Affairs council.
Everyone else in the room was completely quiet and respectful. The room was predominately white upper middle class and . Here I come with 2 African American girls, 1 Vietnamese girl, and 1 Latina. One of my African American students just couldn't sit and listen to his BS a second time around. She kept making sighs of disgust and other distracting noises. At one point this upper middle class white high school girl in dress and demeanor hands back a note that says, "Dude, let make him seem impolite and not us." BTW, the word "not" was underlined. At one point I even calmed my student down.
After I got to think about it more though I am really proud of my student and ashamed of myself. I was just sitting and enjoying watching this smooth motherfucker run his game on the audience and the audience just sat there. Questions were written on a card and moderated. In Philly the guy had chairs thrown at him. The man is a mouthpiece of an undemocratic/unrepresentative authoritarian crazy ass regime (I'm not talking about putting anyone on any axis of fill in the blank) and people are just sitting quietly and listening to this guy talk. I think a part of that silence was the upper middle class white old men and some women culture. My student comes from a culture of resistance. Make some noise. Don't just sit there. The king has no clothes. He was silver tongued. And then everyone else and I clapped for the presentation at the end of it. Absurd! Both of my students couldn't have been more tuned out and disgusted. They may not have had a lot of background knowledge but they knew enough to not just be cool with a man trying to run one on everyone.
Everyone else in the room was completely quiet and respectful. The room was predominately white upper middle class and . Here I come with 2 African American girls, 1 Vietnamese girl, and 1 Latina. One of my African American students just couldn't sit and listen to his BS a second time around. She kept making sighs of disgust and other distracting noises. At one point this upper middle class white high school girl in dress and demeanor hands back a note that says, "Dude, let make him seem impolite and not us." BTW, the word "not" was underlined. At one point I even calmed my student down.
After I got to think about it more though I am really proud of my student and ashamed of myself. I was just sitting and enjoying watching this smooth motherfucker run his game on the audience and the audience just sat there. Questions were written on a card and moderated. In Philly the guy had chairs thrown at him. The man is a mouthpiece of an undemocratic/unrepresentative authoritarian crazy ass regime (I'm not talking about putting anyone on any axis of fill in the blank) and people are just sitting quietly and listening to this guy talk. I think a part of that silence was the upper middle class white old men and some women culture. My student comes from a culture of resistance. Make some noise. Don't just sit there. The king has no clothes. He was silver tongued. And then everyone else and I clapped for the presentation at the end of it. Absurd! Both of my students couldn't have been more tuned out and disgusted. They may not have had a lot of background knowledge but they knew enough to not just be cool with a man trying to run one on everyone.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
On the stepping down of Fidel Castro
Much of America is turned against Fidel Castro. The propaganda machine has done a remarkable job, because many who don't know anything about US international relations history are able to recite a few negative things about Fidel. It's almost like a US cultural literacy test. But here's the thing... I agree with some of the criticisms of Castro. But I also agree with some of the good things that he did. So I was talking about it with AL, I asked her where would she rate him on a scale of world leaders. Hitler and Gandhi being the extremes. Mostly good or mostly bad? She said mostly good and that's where I'm at too.
The thing that Castro achieved in Cuba was that he set the floor. He set the floor for Cuba so that all leaders that follow cannot go under that floor. I hope Literacy and Health Care will be his legacy to Cuba. I mean a teacher climbs a mogote twice a week in Vinales to teach one student. Castro brought inclusion of the campesinos into society. In comparison to other neighboring Caribbean countries there is less crass disparity. No one is starving to death, city folk are hustling...but no one is starving. People in the country and the city look healthy. Castro has done a lot improve the general quality of life for the greatest number of people.
The problem is the ceiling. It's too low and the floor's too high. And the doors are closed to the building and they won't let you out. This can completely stifle the creative nature of people. Beto wants to travel to Brazil and dance in the Carnaval parade, but he never will under the present Castro/post-Castro regime.
Don't nationalize shit! Or if you do, know that the corporations and their US government sponsors are going to try and get you. Mohammad Mossadeq nationalized Anglo Iranian oil and he got the Showtime at the Apollo hook from the Dulles brothers. Castro took some shit from US corporations. It was on Cuban soil and was the riches of the country. But those Fruit people mean business and I am so serious.
It's not like Castro invaded and occupied a foreign country either. He was born and bred in Cuba and the scope of his power was largely confined to Cuba. He didn't have the out of area capability that the US has.
Castro. He did a lot of fucked up things and a lot of good things. But all in all, I'd say he did more good than bad.
The thing that Castro achieved in Cuba was that he set the floor. He set the floor for Cuba so that all leaders that follow cannot go under that floor. I hope Literacy and Health Care will be his legacy to Cuba. I mean a teacher climbs a mogote twice a week in Vinales to teach one student. Castro brought inclusion of the campesinos into society. In comparison to other neighboring Caribbean countries there is less crass disparity. No one is starving to death, city folk are hustling...but no one is starving. People in the country and the city look healthy. Castro has done a lot improve the general quality of life for the greatest number of people.
The problem is the ceiling. It's too low and the floor's too high. And the doors are closed to the building and they won't let you out. This can completely stifle the creative nature of people. Beto wants to travel to Brazil and dance in the Carnaval parade, but he never will under the present Castro/post-Castro regime.
Don't nationalize shit! Or if you do, know that the corporations and their US government sponsors are going to try and get you. Mohammad Mossadeq nationalized Anglo Iranian oil and he got the Showtime at the Apollo hook from the Dulles brothers. Castro took some shit from US corporations. It was on Cuban soil and was the riches of the country. But those Fruit people mean business and I am so serious.
It's not like Castro invaded and occupied a foreign country either. He was born and bred in Cuba and the scope of his power was largely confined to Cuba. He didn't have the out of area capability that the US has.
Castro. He did a lot of fucked up things and a lot of good things. But all in all, I'd say he did more good than bad.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
La Vida Loca
I have this student who's been with me since I started at school. In his ninth and tenth grade year I used to call him goofy. He was a goofy ass kid that played around too much but he had a good heart and was truthfully a sweet kid.
Lately, there's been a change. Now the kid's in the 11th grade and the hormones are raging. He's got a girlfriend at school and they are constantly making out. I joke to him that I rarely see his face anymore and mostly it's just the back of hers.
But that isn't the real problem. His new girl and her friends (which have become his friends) are involved in a Mexican gang. He's been coming to school wearing the colored t-shirt, the belt, the one glove, the whole nine. He was telling me that he was having problems at home and that his mom and dad got into a fight and he had to step in between them against his dad. He's having a lot of problems at home and he's running to this girl and her friends to get away from it. Now I find out that he's been talking about being jumped in. I've talked with him numerous times but his behavior just keeps getting worse and worse. If he gets jumped in it's for life. To get jumped out...well he might not make it through that. The thing is that the kid doesn't have it in him to be a gang member. He's too soft. He's 16 years old, got both parents who take care of him well enough that he doesn't have a job, he hasn't grown up in the life, and he's just a nice soft hearted kid. A kid like that would get tested on the streets like he's never been tested before and would have to act twice as crazy to get respect. Twice as crazy = twice as stupid and 1000 X more likely to get killed.
A lot of kids talk to me about gang life and I ask every single one of them "Why do Nortenos hate Surenos?" or "Why do Surenos hate Nortenos?" Very very few can answer me. It usually just boils down to "Because they are different colors." Hey that a great fucking answer. Kids that don't even know the history of the beef wanting to kill each other. A lot of the kids that are in the life don't want to be in it either. They just have all their friends in it and they don't know what to do. I tell all my kids the same thing... the last thing that we need is more colored kids killing each other and destroying families.
But I don't know what to do with this kid. He's young, he's horny, he's getting some ass for the first time in his life, he doesn't want to be at home cuz he's fighting with his dad. I can't compete with that. Shit, I went through much of the same thing. If it wasn't for martial arts, I would have gotten into waaaay more trouble. When we talk one on one, he's cool. When he steps out the door though he's got to put on the act. This act is going to get him killed and I feel helpless because I can't seem to get him to turn away from it.
Lately, there's been a change. Now the kid's in the 11th grade and the hormones are raging. He's got a girlfriend at school and they are constantly making out. I joke to him that I rarely see his face anymore and mostly it's just the back of hers.
But that isn't the real problem. His new girl and her friends (which have become his friends) are involved in a Mexican gang. He's been coming to school wearing the colored t-shirt, the belt, the one glove, the whole nine. He was telling me that he was having problems at home and that his mom and dad got into a fight and he had to step in between them against his dad. He's having a lot of problems at home and he's running to this girl and her friends to get away from it. Now I find out that he's been talking about being jumped in. I've talked with him numerous times but his behavior just keeps getting worse and worse. If he gets jumped in it's for life. To get jumped out...well he might not make it through that. The thing is that the kid doesn't have it in him to be a gang member. He's too soft. He's 16 years old, got both parents who take care of him well enough that he doesn't have a job, he hasn't grown up in the life, and he's just a nice soft hearted kid. A kid like that would get tested on the streets like he's never been tested before and would have to act twice as crazy to get respect. Twice as crazy = twice as stupid and 1000 X more likely to get killed.
A lot of kids talk to me about gang life and I ask every single one of them "Why do Nortenos hate Surenos?" or "Why do Surenos hate Nortenos?" Very very few can answer me. It usually just boils down to "Because they are different colors." Hey that a great fucking answer. Kids that don't even know the history of the beef wanting to kill each other. A lot of the kids that are in the life don't want to be in it either. They just have all their friends in it and they don't know what to do. I tell all my kids the same thing... the last thing that we need is more colored kids killing each other and destroying families.
But I don't know what to do with this kid. He's young, he's horny, he's getting some ass for the first time in his life, he doesn't want to be at home cuz he's fighting with his dad. I can't compete with that. Shit, I went through much of the same thing. If it wasn't for martial arts, I would have gotten into waaaay more trouble. When we talk one on one, he's cool. When he steps out the door though he's got to put on the act. This act is going to get him killed and I feel helpless because I can't seem to get him to turn away from it.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Making goals
So I came back from the New Year's break wanting to have the kids make resolutions. But then I decided that instead of resolutions I would have the students make goals. Resolutions are broken all the time. So we read about making goals and I had students focus on making S.M.A.R.T. goals. S.M.A.R.T. being specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timebound.
I had students make lifetime, 25 years, 5 years, 1 year, 6 months, 1 month, and daily goals in 6 different areas. The areas are family and home, spiritual and ethical, social and cultural, financial and career, physical and health, and mental and educational. I told students that they had to have 3 copies. One for me, one that they keep with themselves, and one that they physically posted up on my back wall. I feel that the physical act of posting up their goals will give them more pride and ownership of the goals. When it came time for the goals to be due I got one student turn it in on time. Now 3 weeks later I am still getting some laggers. I realized after doing the assignment that it brought up some powerfully strong emotions with some of my students. Students were forced to confront their lives and oftentimes look at all the obstacles that are in the way of their success. After reading through some of the goals it became very easy to see that many students are lost. It's not that I was expecting kids to know exactly what they wanted in their lives. God knows that when i was their age I had no clue. But I was hoping that the assignment would force them to think about their lives. And for many it seemed that it was the first time that they did really think about it. I wanted them to understand that if they have goals then they need a plan to get them to their goals.
I also tied in metacognitive exercises with the assignment as a way for students to understand metacognition and apply it to their lives. It's not just enough to think about things. They have to evaluate how things are going with their plans and make changes as needed.
I had students make lifetime, 25 years, 5 years, 1 year, 6 months, 1 month, and daily goals in 6 different areas. The areas are family and home, spiritual and ethical, social and cultural, financial and career, physical and health, and mental and educational. I told students that they had to have 3 copies. One for me, one that they keep with themselves, and one that they physically posted up on my back wall. I feel that the physical act of posting up their goals will give them more pride and ownership of the goals. When it came time for the goals to be due I got one student turn it in on time. Now 3 weeks later I am still getting some laggers. I realized after doing the assignment that it brought up some powerfully strong emotions with some of my students. Students were forced to confront their lives and oftentimes look at all the obstacles that are in the way of their success. After reading through some of the goals it became very easy to see that many students are lost. It's not that I was expecting kids to know exactly what they wanted in their lives. God knows that when i was their age I had no clue. But I was hoping that the assignment would force them to think about their lives. And for many it seemed that it was the first time that they did really think about it. I wanted them to understand that if they have goals then they need a plan to get them to their goals.
I also tied in metacognitive exercises with the assignment as a way for students to understand metacognition and apply it to their lives. It's not just enough to think about things. They have to evaluate how things are going with their plans and make changes as needed.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Unhappy Holidays and Dance Dance Revolution
The last week before the break I told all my students that they needed to hold it together and take care of all their shit before the break. Unfortunately, I had students melting down left and right. I finally realized what it was.
The holidays can be a rough time for a lot of people. If you don't have a good family life or a lot of money then the holidays can be a depressing time. During the break, people are supposed to get together with their families and give and get presents. The holidays are the time of conspicuous American consumption. Lots of businesses really rely on the holidays to keep their businesses going. If you are living at a group home like a number of students then you aren't hanging out with your family. You also won't be getting a lot of presents. If your family is filled with jerks and/or drug addicts then you won't be getting a lot of presents. If you see everyone around you getting stuff and showing off their new presents, it's a stark reminder of what you don't have. Sometimes, students and people aren't consciously aware of the depression brought on the holidays and they just act out.
When school got out on Friday, we had a lot of students just hanging out around the school. When I was in high school and there was a break the last place I wanted to be was at the school. Like many of my students, sometimes I started the break early on Thursday and skipped Friday. But the students' desire to stay just shows how much the students need and like my school.
Friday before break was a minimum day so I busted out the Dance Dance Revolution to play with kids. I cannot tell you the response that Dance Dance Revolution has among the students. At one point I must have had 50 some odd students in my class watching kids do Dance Dance Revolution. There is this one student that we have who is completely socially awkward and somewhat mentally unstable. The best thing for this kid is a safe place and proper socialization. He got on the Dance Dance Revolution and when he was done the entire classroom erupted in cheers for him. Knowing this kid's history I'm sure that this was the first time he'd ever had a group of people cheering for him. It was an incredible experience to be a part of.
The holidays can be a rough time for a lot of people. If you don't have a good family life or a lot of money then the holidays can be a depressing time. During the break, people are supposed to get together with their families and give and get presents. The holidays are the time of conspicuous American consumption. Lots of businesses really rely on the holidays to keep their businesses going. If you are living at a group home like a number of students then you aren't hanging out with your family. You also won't be getting a lot of presents. If your family is filled with jerks and/or drug addicts then you won't be getting a lot of presents. If you see everyone around you getting stuff and showing off their new presents, it's a stark reminder of what you don't have. Sometimes, students and people aren't consciously aware of the depression brought on the holidays and they just act out.
When school got out on Friday, we had a lot of students just hanging out around the school. When I was in high school and there was a break the last place I wanted to be was at the school. Like many of my students, sometimes I started the break early on Thursday and skipped Friday. But the students' desire to stay just shows how much the students need and like my school.
Friday before break was a minimum day so I busted out the Dance Dance Revolution to play with kids. I cannot tell you the response that Dance Dance Revolution has among the students. At one point I must have had 50 some odd students in my class watching kids do Dance Dance Revolution. There is this one student that we have who is completely socially awkward and somewhat mentally unstable. The best thing for this kid is a safe place and proper socialization. He got on the Dance Dance Revolution and when he was done the entire classroom erupted in cheers for him. Knowing this kid's history I'm sure that this was the first time he'd ever had a group of people cheering for him. It was an incredible experience to be a part of.
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