Author Archive - tracy

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My Two Cents: Reforming Education in America

Read Tod's post and Jason's comment before you read this, please. Jason, your complaint is not unique to schooling. Any time marketing exists it exists in a world in which consumer is not educated; in fact, they are counting on it. Thus we have things like McDonald's. At the same time market pressure is the most responsive and pliable type of reform initiative. For instance, for the exactly two point three seconds that everyone remembered (a la non-research based docu-drivel) just how disgusting McDonald's food really is they drastically changed their menus. That was nation-wide; hundreds of thousands of store almost over night all because of a little market pressure. Show me a neighborhood that has any consumer educated enough to make a "rational" decision about what to friggin eat for lunch and I'll show the Garden of Freaking Eden. Jason took a pot shot at charter schools and it's true that as a class they suck. However, it has been proven, in economics and biology that without competetion weakness sets in. Charter schools provide much needed competition to bolster the otherwise festering public schools. If you don't believe me, just take a close look at the Dayton Public School system. They aren't perfect, far from it, and many of the charter schools around are just downright scary; but DPS has improved leaps and bounds since the rise of charter schools in the area. The truth is, the only good thing this country has as a true instrument of change in capitalism, capitalism, capitalism. If that means that some kids end up at the McDonald's of education I'm all for it. Because I gotta tell you, as a former insider on both sides of the desk, the system we've got right now is deeply infected and is suffering. It could be that a hard shot of consumer choice would be enough to shock it into health and I'm inclinded to believe it.

You Really Are as F-ed Up as You Think You Are

Recently it came to my attention that you are insecure. You are convinced that there is something freakishly wrong with you; that there is something so wrong with you that sets you apart from every other person in the universe. You have been in many situations in your life wherein you felt unwanted or unwelcome; like you just didn't fit it in, you horrible freakish outcast, you. You have felt as insignificant as can be. And you are absolutely right. There are approximately six billion insecure freaks floating around out there and you are definitely one of them. There is nothing so special or remarkable about you as to separate you from the one universal plight of humanity: being human. So you have two choices, the next time what's-her-name is talking down at you or the next time what's-his-name is giving saying things in that disparaging tone you can shrink inside your lonely little shell and feel absolutely worthless, or you can grab humanity by the nutsack and give that poor lonely soul opposite you a great big hug. And I say, hug on, my brother, hug on, my sister, hug on!

On terrorism and pregnant women

While watching a special the other night on the up-coming five year anniversary of 9/11 I found myself overwhelmed with all that our government has achieved in preventing another terrorist attack in this country. However, one comment in particular resonated with me. It was pointed out that in order for us Americans to ever be completely safe our government has to be completely on top of terrorism 100% of the time, while the terrorists only have to get it right once. For instance, that one guy with the bomb in his shoe; it's a relief to me to know that no one will ever be able to sneak other bomb onboard an airplane for as long as the literally millions of Americans that fly on airplanes every year are required by federal mandates (passed merely years after his attempt) to traipse about barefoot in airports. Err .. I meant, for as long as the literally millions of Americans that fly on airplanes every year are required to traipse about barefoot with liquid-free carry-ons. Unless of course that those liquids are neither medication nor baby food; because no one would ever feed a bomb to their baby. Or would they ... ? Now, as any freedom-loving, baby-kissing, loved-one-lost-in-the-War-on-Terror-consoling politician will tell you, these terrorist are evil, evil people who have no regard for human life and will stop at nothing to send the U.S. into a fear-stricken panic. And as I traipsed barefoot and liquid-free down this terrorist-free train of thought, it occurred to me, as if in a vision from Osama himself, the next plight of those infamous terrorist: plant a bomb inside a pregnant woman. This is a plan whose shear evil lack of regard for all human life is matched only by it's simplicity and ease of execution. Think about it: no one would ever suspect an expecting mommy to harbor such vileness and cruelty towards anyone. I mean, they can't even see their own toes! As an added bonus, it's not like the airport security is going to think to go rooting around in the whoo-ha's of every bun-toting-oven that waddles barefoot through their check-points. Plus, it's not like the terrorists will care that somebody's soon-to-be-mother gets blown to smithereens; after all, according to the popular media, as far as terrorists are concerned, women are only one step above cattle anyway. And thus, I believe it to be imperative to our national safety that we no longer allow pregnant women on airlines, trains, buses or in any other highly populated public venues, such as stadiums, concerts, and, most importantly, hospitals. If you disagree with me, you are an enemy of freedom and you are personally spitting on the graves of the thousands of men and women that have died fighting for this country.