What is this?

7.21.2008

On to the NEXT chapter!

Well, Joe and I sold the house, said goodbye to our laid back Milwaukee lifestyle with readi-access to great beer (micros, not Miller). We are both living with our wonderful parents!!!

Next step - I need to find a job, then we will get the house.

Short post...stayed tune.

7.14.2008

Cellphone etiquette - necessary?

I am in Subway ordering my $5 footlong veggie, it's not really busy but the customer in front of me is on her phone. From the sounds of it, she was speaking another language. The Subway worker was trying to be patient asking her the same questions over and over again about her sandwich. I starred at her, trying to give her the none verbal - "can you concentrate here?" but it did not work. I passed her up and got my sub. I told the worker helping me that that is very rude.

After I left I thought, can a worker refuse to help someone who is on their phone and not paying attention? Should I have said something since the workers did not feel like they could call her out on her rudeness?

7.05.2008

Lakefront Brewery - Cream City Pale Ale (CCPA)




photo taken from: http://www.lakefrontbrewery.com/ales.html

I have tasted many Lakefront beers and my personal favorite is Cream City. This is a pale ale with a slight caramel taste from the malt and slight bitter taste. Of course this is not for everyone but if you have tried this you should also try the organic ESB, first fully organic beer ever made.

P.S. Lakefront has been rated the number 1 tour in Milwaukee...you can even go on a Friday night and also have a fish fry!

7.01.2008

Stop pushing kids through

What is annoying to me is students who get pushed through the system when they should clearly not be graduating to the next level.

First of all, if they have not worked at the current level why would he/she work at the next? Then the next teacher has to take more time out to help this student, which ends up being wasted time since the student obviously does not care about school.

Second of all, parents need to step up to the plate! If their child is failing, they need to re-evaluate what they are doing to help their child pass. Parents made the decision to have kids, they need to realize that educating their child is partly their responsibility.

Third, administrators need to back their teachers and make parents responsible. If traditional behavior plans do not work (detentions, suspensions) then think outside the box - community service. This child is costing the district money by wasting teachers time and affects other students education - so they should give back to the district. I am sure the custodians have plenty of jobs they could do - or something.

What if the parents refuse to do anything except enable their child to continue to be a problem at school and fail multiple classes... well I have already talked about tax credits being associated with students grades. Another radical proposal is if the student is held back a year, the parents have to pay a certain amount. Yes, pay for public education - if they have to repeat a year because of behavior and/or grades.

Do I have kids yet? No, but if my parents could get me through school then other parents can do it also. I went to summer school, grounded, no TV in my room, loss of phone priveldges (which was HUGE to me) and etc. Nowadays, there are even MORE things to take away from kids - but that does not seem to happen for the majority of poor students (that I have seen).

What are parents afraid of?