Domestic Psychology

But this is what you wanted

// April 7th, 2011 // No Comments » // people

Democrats in America are frustrated, aggravated and annoyed. We have a President who isn’t refusing to support, endorse or vote on anything the Republicans demand. Our President is constantly trying to reach a compromise exactly like he said he would when we elected him. While he keeps doing what we said we wanted, we are not happy. I don’t want legislation that supports the plutocracy, fuels class warfare are promotes the wishes of the American Taliban. I only got what I wanted.

Republicans in America are frustrated, aggravated and annoyed. They have a President who is a Socialist, Muslim, immigrant and almost certainly the anti-christ. Nothing he supports, endorses or votes on could possibly be anything but evil. So, even though the President keeps saying yes to Republican demands, every yes is something they no longer want. When he does what they want, they are not happy. They want to say no to Democrats more than they want Democrats saying yes to them. They only got what they wanted.

If only there was someone sensible who could sit with the squabbling children and help them figure out solutions. Teachers used to be able to do that. Too bad we are driving the good teachers away with our national teacher blame game. The unexperienced replacement teachers don’t have time to help anyone. They are too busy teaching students how to score well on standardized tests so that they can continue teaching students how to score well on standardized tests. We only got what we wanted.

Noah voted

// August 11th, 2010 // No Comments » // kid quotes, politics, teenagers

Until they invent a “family” sized voting machine that all the children can squish together and watch, the children take turns accompanying us to the voting machine. Last week, Noah was my voting buddy.
“Why isn’t it a touch screen?”
“Where’s the keyboard?”
“How old is this machine?”
“What if you don’t like either one?”
“If only one person is running, why do they put them on there?”
“You want ME to push the big button? Is that legal?”

This year, our school system has decided two of the school days will have special themes. One is Constitution Day and the other is Civics Education Day. Either day will be the perfect day to put voting machines in the schools and let all students turn the dial and ask questions. Have a school-wide election about a relevant issue, like selling ice cream during lunch. Let’s raise a generation of of voters.

local elections – school board version (pt 2)

// July 23rd, 2010 // 3 Comments » // politics, school

If you live in the 9th district, your School Board choice can be narrowed down to one simple question. If you want to continue with the representation you have now, Bratton is your candidate. If you want something different, Trainor is your candidate. If you live in a cave and don’t know that both of your candidates are well-known figures in the Knox County education community whose careers speak for themselves, then consider the candidates’ responses to the following question.

Should school foundations be allowed to fund specific classes? Bratton’s response was that it wouldn’t be fair to allow that, because it would create have and have not schools. In other words, if we can’t have it, nobody can have it. Trainor stated that if foundations can help schools keep from losing classes, they should be able to do so.

Neither candidate stated that the current funding already gives disproportionately to schools from lower SES communities to balance the communities that can afford to provide more themselves. Why would you cripple the schools that are getting less government resources from using the community resources that eliminate them from additional government funding? That’s like shooting yourself in the foot because shoes don’t fit on your hands. Moreover, why wouldn’t any School Board member have the maturity and intelligence to allow each and every school to be the best that it can be?

The 9th district needs a School Board representative who cares about all schools and all students. That representative needs to be Trainor.

local elections – school board version

// July 22nd, 2010 // No Comments » // politics, school

If you live in Knox County’s seventh district, your choice for School Board is Sepesi or Warwick. Both seem like good people with sincere motives. Because of their career histories, both are going to be clear and quick thinkers if there is a crisis. If you want to save vo-tech programs, Warwick is your candidate. If you think your district is getting the budgetary short straw, Sepesi is your candidate.

Based on their responses at the most recent forum, both candidates are facing a steep learning curve. The “Race to the Top” money is not what they think it is. It is going to be like rain in the desert that evaporates before it touches your skin. No volume of weather reporters saying that it rained is going to change the fact that you are still thirsty.

Saving the vo-tech programs is admirable, but highly unlikely. Realistically, profit and non-profit groups are the future of vocational training. Getting more money into your district is admirable, but skip the politics of board member vs board member and work to get new business in your district and existing businesses in your schools.

Elect either one. The results will be nearly identical.

signed, Captain Obvious

// February 17th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // politics, television

Dear <- insert name of politician here ->,

Do not go on <- insert name of entertainment program here ->. The publicity you get will not help you. There really is such a thing as bad publicity. The show’s host will mercilessly mock you and everyone watching will laugh. I will laugh at you, instead of with you. Carefully edited clips will saturate the web as your name becomes synonymous with clowns or worse. That is not going to help your career.

Every time that I laugh at your appearance on that show, I also feel a pain in my stomach. A pain of disappointment. I don’t want to dismiss you as a politician. I want to believe that no matter what letter is after your name, you take your work seriously. I want to believe that even when I disagree with your political decisions, you are acting with the best interests of all your constituents in mind. I want, no, I need to respect you as a politician and a person.

Have too much dignity and self respect to subject yourself to interviews by comedians. Every minute spent fixing your makeup and bantering for the live audience’s giggles is time that should have been spent working to make a difference. Please do not appear on <- insert name of entertainment program here -> while the working poor are paying your salary. Get back to work on the job you were elected to do.

Not my cup of tea

// February 8th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // politics

Embarrassed this happened in TN:

“Eavesdropping on the Pajamas Media livestream is interesting stuff.

Bridget Geegan Blanton of Smart Girl Media was just asked how she handles those awkward moments when she’s volunteering at a voter registration drive and a Democrat tries to register to vote with her.

“The law requires me to give (a voter registration form) to anyone who asks for it,” she said. “But I’m not legally obligated to mail it in.”

In any case, she said, Democrats shouldn’t approach her booth in the first place. She signals her intentions by hanging an American flag before every event. “That should tell them whose side I’m on.”

h/t KnoxViews

Dear Harold Ford Jr,

// February 2nd, 2010 // No Comments » // politics, television

This didn’t help.

no unbiased politics here

// September 19th, 2009 // 3 Comments » // parenting, politics

Tommy is taking a political science class this semester. I have avoided discussing the class with him, because he needs to learn concepts instead of opinions. That was a mistake. Today, he made a post on his blog that is really a cry for help with his first politics paper. Here is an excerpt: “The reason that the south always votes republican goes back to the period of Reconstruction after the Civil War. It was LBJ who signed the Civil Rights bill. He was a republican himself, and since then, the republicans have pretty much always had the black vote. The white vote is generally republican, mostly because Southerners tend to vote the way their parents vote, which is almost always republican.”

After I removed my jaw from the keyboard, I asked Tommy the source of his information. He “just knows” that it is true. There’s only one person who has been discussing politics with Tommy this semester. Politically, that person is the polar opposite of me. I think it’s safe for me to discuss politics with Tommy now.

Dear schools,

// September 5th, 2009 // 5 Comments » // parenting, politics, school

Please allow my children to watch the President’s speech to students on Tuesday at noon. I believe that it is important for students to be encouraged to do their best. I think that the office of President deserves respect and recognition. If my child’s class will not be watching the speech, please let me know asap so that I can make arrangements for them to watch it elsewhere.

Cathy

The elementary school will NOT be showing the President’s speech to students.

we need disclaimers

// May 27th, 2009 // No Comments » // blogging, politics, TN

Since our state legislators’ reaction to news is to pass measures of support on the very least effectual issues, I propose all Tennessee bloggers, letter writers and columnists add some standard disclaimers at the bottom of their work. How about:

*The appropriate response to this information is not time and expense creating a measure of support. Please take actions that will actually improve the quality of life for people instead.

It just needs a symbol to use as a replacement for the entire sentence since our legislators just skim the news instead of researching it. For example, the only thing they needed to do in this particular case was to help a family gain citizenship. I think our legislators should have to pay for one of the teachers who fell under the budget axe this year to supervise the legislators’ behavior. If a teacher can keep middle school students focused on their work, they can certainly handle a bunch of elected officials who have been reduced to adolescent behavior. “Mr. Representative, You stop fidgeting and pay attention to the project that the rest of the group is discussing. Ms. Representative, don’t make me call your constituents.”