tales from the rock

step 1:  do something that you’d rather not get caught doing

step 2:  keep doing it

eventually, a mistake will be made!

if tiger gets caught, ANYONE can get caught….

wow - a little over a year has gone by, let’s check the news.  Furlough Fridays are the hot topic, with the big bad state vs Joe Aloha and his kids.  forced to balance a bleeding budget, Gov Lingle cuts budgets across the board, forcing the schools to essentially shut down for 17 additional days a year.  it’s not enough to cover the gap, but it’s a horrible first step.I think it’s pretty obvious no one wants this.  lots of bullshit being thrown about the furlough days being used as a bluff the Gov didn’t flinch at, etc.  bottom line is, the state only has so much to spend, and right now, all the dept budgets combined exceed that total.think of the keeeeeds! - you say.  prioritize the schools and kids first.  save their budget, and cut other ‘non-essential’ programs.  well folks, if you think it’s that easy (or transparent), it would have been done.first of all, what’s non-essential?  I’m sure there are tons of weird looking line items, and of course a lot of pork in there too (what’s the Gov’s redecorating budget for the year?).  the problem is, most of what goes on is important to SOMEONE, and that someone may have kids too (if they aren’t kids anyway).attack the pork then! the simple fact is, when you have to find 10’s of millions to balance, you have to start with the sword before you move to the scalpel.  payroll and related expenses are at the top of that list, right next to facility operational costs.why not furlough on days schools are already off, like holidays or instructional prep days.  this would be better for the kids since it saves instructional days, but it hurts the teachers twice over, since now they have to work the same amount AND give up pay, and also does not allow you to shut a facility down saving those operational costs.2 things to recognize there - NO ONE is blaming the teachers individually (although as a union, there are definitely fingers a plenty), so asking them to take it up the ass FOR THE SAKE OF THE KEEEEDS is just wrong.  the other thing is that facility operation is more than custodians and electricity.  think of all the things you need if you own a house - insurance, consumables, maintenance, etc.  it doesn’t end with your mortgage and electric bill.so much anger!  let’s protest!  well, what the fuck are you protesting exactly?  it’s not like the Gov is just choosing not to print the money we need to operate the schools.  you know how you get more?  raise taxes - who’s in favor of that?  I’m no elephant, but at some point, taxing the populace becomes counterproductive.  cutting non-essential services?  if you aren’t actually in school, which service would you like to give up?  road repair?  trash collection?  (I recognize some of these examples are city and county issues, but the point is, no one is really willing to give up ANYTHING).so what do we do?  I know what I would do - start applying to private school!  only half joking there, but seriously, this is not a problem that solves itself overnight.  even with all the funding they need, the state has done a shitty job of educating the kids.  again, a complicated picture here since it relies on parental support, and classrooms full of non-disruptive kids, but if you could choose between optimal learning conditions, and a fucking crapshoot every day, I think the choice is clear.for those of you who think rims on your car is more important than education, and it’s all the state’s fault for failing you here, this is what I suggest - come up with a solution first, THEN complain.  if you look around the nation, no one else runs their schools like we do.  if we were top 10 in education, then maybe it would be something to hang on to, but we’re like 47th out of 50 - hardly something we need to be investing in.  for all those that think only the poorer districts would get left behind if we went to a more traditional operational model, fuck you too - all studies show that while the ‘poor’ schools suck, it’s not simply because they are poor.  it’s because the support system around the learning is lacking. look at what a rural school can do with something the community supports, like football.as it is, most if not all public schools have to fundraise to operate.  along with a more localized operational and fiscal model, formalize this effort also.  the ‘best’ fundraising efforts I have seen are the most structured.  these aren’t kids selling candy bars for $2.  they set school goals, and have family quotas.  these efforts can be rolled up into a district level.  if it were easier to support the ‘learning’ part of the educational budget, I would, and the rhetoric says most people would to.  no one likes new taxes because of the stigma, and the inefficiency, but money is the only thing that solves this problem.  still afraid of inequality creeping into the picture - don’t punish those willing to ante up I say.  setup some kind of luxury tax if you like - ask for a percentage of fundraising over a certain amount help fund schools less successful in their efforts.my mom (public school teacher for like 80 years) have this argument all the time - I shouldn’t thing private schools are ‘better’, and ‘look, you came out ok’.  well, times are different, and maybe ok isn’t enough for me.  fact is, the public school system in hawaii is fucked - I choose to not risk my kids in it.bottom line, public schools on the rock are covered in gravy - I’d do whatever I could to avoid them!

btw - this was front page news on MSNBC.com.

2 questions

1. where the fuck are Revs. Jackson and Sharpton? this situation is cantankerously unacceptable!
2. I’d like to know what role those devious kids at the P had in this!

well, j9 is about to birth the spawn of tom.  false alarm last night, but it is clear it will happen soon.

coincedentally, the wife and I babysat the twinners last night while mom and dad went to a wedding.  I am again reminded of the different parenting styles, and wonder how great an effect it has on young kids.

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not getting much stronger, not losing much weight, but definitely healthier based on BP, resting pulse, body fat, etc.  thought I’d outline the workout in case anyone wants to follow along. 

this workout is based on 3 sessions a week, but since I can’t depend on that, I do a whole circuit every trip.  I need to get everything done in 60-90 minutes (shower included), and it’s important to keep going to keep the heart rate up. (more…)

wow - over 1 month. what the hell have I been doing…. actually, with so much inspiration, I have been doing a lot.

first of all, Tombo’s constant renovation work got me off my ass and I finally started doing my guest bathroom. the horrible existing condition forced me to gut the entire thing - everything out except for the old bathtub, which I had refinished. unlike Tombo, since I have to go into work everyday, and also have to take care of the baby after work, I only have a few hours a week to get anything done. I have managed to finally get the new tile floor in (sans grout - maybe tomorrow). That’s really the hardest thing. It should all start to move quickly now. after this, maybe start the kitchen, or the horrible landscaping project. ugh. probably still looking at 2 years of work before the house is livable.
been kind of thinking about going back to school again. G-money’s action has inspired me to do something with my career again. the current job at the P doesn’t really take me anywhere in the CS field, so I was thinking I might as well try and get a Ed Tech masters or something. probably be pretty easy compared to CS masters, and ultimately, I don’t really care what I learn - I just want to say I have a masters degree.

oh, and by the way - fuck Time Warner Cable, and the worst fucking DVR every made.

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I’m not sure when exactly I took this exam, but I’m pretty sure it was the spring of 1991. the college board website says the test format was changed in September 1991, but based on the sample tests and transcriptions I found on the web, all they do now is choose better questions that test not only language and basic functional processing skills, but also put emphasis on the cross over with math, general science, business (supposedly), and engineering (not sure what this means). My test used Pascal as the programming language - it changed to C++ in 1999, and then to Java in 2004. I don’t think the language really makes any difference, and at worst, reinforces the idea that tests/interviews should focus on language minutiae, instead of analysis and problem solving skillzzzz.
here is the test, best I can transcribe as text (maybe I’ll scan some stuff later). for the record, I had a 5 on the A test, and 3 on the B test.

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so I was writing about Tad Fujikawa, and how he’s doing well. then I used that to bring up Michelle Wie, and how even though for all intents and purpose she is doign well, perception is that she is not. I even went so far as to blame her daddy for it all. when I passed the 500 word mark, I knew I would never be a sports reporter. here is the abridged version.

Taddy Boy - still a fresh faced amatuer, so we celebrate his accomplshments that come amidst no expectations. game wise, it’s clear he has it. the Sony open performance was good, and the Pearl Open win was better, but his real crown jewel right now is his US Open qualification that came LAST YEAR. I’d explain it, but I’d start using lots of words again.

Michelle Wie - top 10 world ranking, top 10 money list. this on only 8 tournaments a year. that is good. as a pro though, we have expectations, so no wins equal problem. even bigger problem - she is self appointed as the next greatest golfer in the world, and yet apparently is backsliding. looks like she is a head case, and no matter what happens, she has someone or something else to blame. daddy has dumb excuses that shouldn’t exist when you have $10Mill in the bank, and his general lack of golf knowledge is well past annoying.

to remain celebrated (as in celebrity), you have to ride the wave of public perception. by building on his successes and following the path of el Tigre, Taddy is setting himself to be a star that the public is waiting for. Wiesy however, is doing it her own way, and not really succeeding (yet). she’s invoked the biggest names in the history of the game, while simultaneously dismissing the current great right in front of her. when you do it differently, you risk facing the wrath of the people. great rewards come with great risk though - thats the only way it happens. what I don’t see right now though is some sign that she has a plan.

when crazy Mr. Williams was raising his tennis prodigys, that’s all you heard from him - “it’s going according to plan”. he set lofty goals, worked them hard, and they shocked the world. with Michelle right now, I think the thing the puts the worst taste in peoples mouths is the idea that she is cashing in or selling out. I don’t think this is true - she is making the money that only she can right now (like Anna K.)

I love to watch the Jordans, and Tigers, and Annikas of the world do what they do. heres to hoping she breaks through and dominates the game. not so much for her success, but I’d be afraid to see what happens if the rhetoric continues past the patience of the people.