tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205715122024-03-23T13:56:06.439-04:00In-Flight ReadingLife, love, faith, hope.....lamentations and salutations. Where all are welcome, and indeed, necessary; but NO ONE is superior. But mostly...this is where I speak from.
CHECK THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR ALL KINDS OF COOL NEW FEATURES!Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.comBlogger567125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-63935690505345185742015-02-22T14:30:00.001-05:002015-02-22T14:30:54.011-05:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In this culture, thin walls are one
thing, hearing your neighbors pee is quite another. I figured I couldn’t go too
long before something truly noteworthy occurred, and it has; I am moved into
the studio apartment I was promised when we still contemplated Martha being
here. And it was worth the wait, although I admit I had pretty much written off
the prospect of it. Clean, quiet, and subject to Mr. Park’s endless
fussing-over. Good God, the man’s married, you’d think Mrs. Choi still found
something to look forward to in her wifely duties, but maybe not. And as much
of a prick (albeit an HONEST prick,) as he is as a boss, I can’t imagine being
married to him. But, I can ride out my eight months in place like this, hell
yeah! Quiet, clean, elegant (dare I use the word,) and air-conditioned. It’s
all I’ll be needing, thanks. At this pace, in this place, the “Rabbit Hole”
will just be a long, descriptive dream, save for the faces, those who you never
know if you’ll pass again. I expect I may be eating out more frequently,
there’s a shitload of restaurants in this part of town, (Dongbaek2-gil, to be
exact,) but we’ll see. I’ll survive till payday, and since Julie and Katie (two
of the Korean teachers,) are now in Booyong, *everything* got moved, although I
did get a new range, so I can boil and fry to my heart’s content. The other
part of the Korean teachers being in Booyong is that I’ll have no trouble
getting my mail. But overall, thanks be to God, because I know He’s played His
part, as he always has in looking out for me. I’ll take it however it comes. I
do sort of silently hope the expectation isn’t on me to stay past my contract
date (by too much, anyway,) ‘cause whether Mr. P. likes it or not, I have a
life to continue with, great start and big change, though, this has been. God
has been the reason all of this has even begun to work, and I will praise Him
endlessly. For whatever it’s worth, this journal is becoming more of an
intellectual and emotional blotter pad, more than a nameless travelogue. The
thoughts have been ranging from silly, here in my nice, new digs, (nice as this
place is, I hope I don’t end up like Jack Lemmon in “The Apartment” now,) to,
am *I* going to be some Korean kid’s favorite teacher? Could I be? Is it
possible? Anything is possible, I suppose, but I’m not here to be cool, I’m
here to each, and get on with my life. I am not brave; I simply cannot bear the
thought of falling down again. It’s too hard to keep getting up. There. I’ve
said it, and I meant it. And when this is all over, I can only presume that I
will know my place in the world, and maybe less will seem strange, by
comparison. It’s all about what we learn, and what we strive to pass on, and
pay forward—some of which is just plain, old, hope. Maybe the faith in others
to step out on the bridges of their own soul. Before I set out, I remember
telling Martha that this was the bridge to my future, and she said, “are you
sure it’s not one of those rope bridges, that threatens to kill you?” or
something to that effect, and I think I said, “it very well might be,” which
was probably more honest than any other response I could have given. But, of
course, life’s a journey, not a destination. Thank you, Steven Tyler.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I got a call from Martha, saying
dad had stents put in the blocked arteries in his heart. His great, big,
somehow-over-time-it-got-that-wonderful heart. And sad as I would ever be if
dad passed away, I know what he truly got out of life, and somehow or other it
was all damn good. Four fantastic grandkids, at least one happy marriage, (near
as we can all tell,) and bona-fide success as a man, as an employer, and as an
individual. If I’m half that, by the measure of others when I die, I will have
done well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Of course, here I am in Korea.
Probably the biggest story I will ever tell in life, and a lead-in to a lot of
the rest of the stories. The rest of the story—it reminds me of how much dad
loved Paul Harvey; and Roger Whittaker, and burnt peanuts. I miss him right
now, as the rain falls, on and on. I know dad has been interested in my trip,
and I know if he dies, he will be there, watching over me. And the only way I’m
left to be inspired, is to simply take care of myself, and those around me.
Call it a legacy, call it what you will, I want the chance to be as great as my
dad. Pray God I can, and know I can; and not miss important chances, or the
small moments. Take the important steps, say the important words, and go till
you’re spent. But always, ALWAYS…..spend wisely.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“The Cobra shuddered and shook as
it launched, as though it were having some huge mechanical orgasm.” It stands
alone as the first reasonably creative thought I’ve had in a while. Hmm. And
could I be, in the infamous words of Elwood Blues, “On a mission from God,”
minus the criminal desperateness and destruction, or is it more like Ophelia’s
dad in “Hamlet;” “To thine own self be true?” More of the latter, really, I
suppose.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I found a few shows on cable from
the Food Network back home, a British version of Motor Week, and the usual
Korean assortment of baseball, infomercials, soap operas, and men whose attire
would have them considered to be masquerading as pimps in America. None the
less, I’m reasonably serene again. The weather is an evil, rainy, mess, and
scheduled to go on for quite a while this way, as I’m told. It also occurs to
me that I’m getting about as deep into this culture as anyone in my position
can. I have no inner access to the average Korean family, which would be
interesting, although if my boss and his little tribe are any indication, I’m
really not missing much, except for them being the most unspeakable variety of
neat freaks. Michelle, Mr. Park’s youngest daughter, is charismatic and
intelligent, and Mrs. Choi seems resigned to her position as chief cook and
bottle washer. And the man himself? He works, he cooks, he cleans…he seems
ultimately to want a way out of the whole mess now, and I guess I don’t blame
him. But, of course, we’re all still here, needing him to be responsible. And
until that changes, nothing else stands to. Oddly familiar, and perhaps that’s
the rub, really. So, here I am; ultimately on a mission trying to infect one of
these kids with the simple ability to think outside the box. Have I succeeded?
*Will* I succeed? Can I succeed? As I have stated, only time will tell. If one
of them leads the next great movement in art, or gives us a vaccine for AIDS, hell,
even the next Corvette, that will truly be telling. If one leads the great
Korean women’s movement, or finally reunifies Korea again, that, too, will be
great. But pride, rampant consumerism and shameless aping won’t take you very
far.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And nothing, or no one, it seems,
is immune from hair coloring, after seeing the Cockapoo with the
green-and-yellow-dyed ears. I sincerely wish I could see something that
inspired me, and filled me with wonder; I’d fill the rest of this book if I
did. Instead, I seem to be a source of amazement, and amusement. And I’m not
asking anyone to think like me, good God, one of me is enough. But just to get
one of them to think for themselves, that would be the greatest blessing of
all. For just one to say “Let’s try it this way,” that would be truly cool. I
have seen hop of it, but precious little. Is being here and trying enough? I
feel like it makes *me* better, but what of them? What of all my future? I know
only in living it out. I have small hopes, Wendy, who has been known to dress
up her diary pages with drawings of women, all very nicely done, Sharon, of
course, who is unrelentingly Sharon, and all those who WANT to know. If I get
them excited about learning,, even just in the time that I have them, that’s
good. Then, too, there are the Graces and Totos, whose great success has been
in letting the world see who they really are. Perhaps all is not truly lost. I
just wish it weren’t quite so rare, or so seemingly stymied by the world at
large. At least the world around them. Is it odd that I should see no harm in
looking <i>through</i> this whole
experience, rather than <i>at</i> it? Chief
among things is a fear I have now conquered, something in life I have now lived
out, and will continue to, as long as I am here. What am I truly to know of
that I cannot fully grasp? I know I must rise to the challenge of making myself
understood, and I will, so much as I am able to in 7-or-so months. Truly, I
feel better about the people I have me, (mostly,) and just being able to say I
achieved this. It would indeed be nice to see if there’s more to Korea than
what I’ve seen, (I hope there is,) but we’ll see. I can’t say more. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
To get through, I got two important
things—an Elvis CD, and a Sinatra CD. And on the Elvis CD is a quote from him
saying “Ambition is a dream with a V-8 engine.” I like that. And the thought crossed my mind that many of
the people I admire are referred to as “The King,” as I sit here listening to
Elvis in my Richard Petty t-shirt. B.B. King, too. And if ambition is what
Elvis say it is, what is passion? All of that unrealized? Unfocused? Just a
fire in your gut? Can I hope to infect others with my passion? My
joie-de-vivre? I know it doesn’t seem like it at times, but I’ve gotten in
front of kids, and it’s like an audience, and I do explode in a lot of ways—is that
passion? Wanting so much to teach these kids what you know, not accepting anything
less than their full attention and effort? Is that so wrong? And am I now
asking as many questions as I answer? Who knows. I feel, I give, I want of
myself. That matters. And believing that the world could, and should be better.
We, for the most part, could all care more, and love more, and I do my bit, as
much as I am able. What is passion worth? Nothing else happens without it.
Nothing. Good or bad. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Even in all that, I’m starting to
hate the way Strattera makes me feel—I still can’t stay 100% composed, the way
my Adderall makes me feel. Damn Korean laws. I like my art, and my passion, and
my feeling, and my sense of myself, but the truth is, I can do more if I’m
focused, and peaceful, and composed. Period. And I need to. A lot of what I have
to say, I’ve already said; probably most, actually.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Judging by the unrelenting
dog-and-pony show by all the candidates, it seems to be election time here in
Iksan. Koreans love nothing so much as an event, big or small. Store openings,
as I have discussed before, with the American music, dancing hootchie-girl
Koreans (seemingly all of them are like, 32-AAs, but, hey, what are you gonna
do besides put on more make-up?) and hype by the trainload. You know the
routine. So election time has every candidate with a troupe of dancers,
balloons, and FACE PAINTING FOR THE KIDS! Just kidding; actually, the face
painting is for the campaign volunteers. And the soccer freaks, although Team
Korea is unlikely to make it past very few of the European or South American
teams. Koreans love to have something to get behind, apparently, even if only
for a little while. Maybe that’s it, although I’ve probably spouted before that
Korea just seems to have a total lack of continuity. It’s one thing to the next,
<i>ad infinitum</i>. <i>Ad nauseam</i>, perhaps.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I was also out again last night
with some of my fellow Iksan ESL teachers at the Red Rock, where all the ESL
teachers hang out. Where everybody knows your name; sort of like <i>Cheers</i> in a fun-house mirror. It was
dish-to-pass night, celebrating the fact that the owner of the place put a
barbeque grill on the roof, mostly. Yeah; it’s like that. It was a lot of fun,
I made this rice-and-sausage concoction that I just kind of threw together. It
went over okay. Bald Neil, the other Scots, the Canadian Brigade, and a few of
us scattered Mi-Gugs. (Americans. That’s the Korean for us.) Russ wasn’t there,
more than anything I think he’s just counting the days. I can’t say as I blame
him, and I know I’ll probably get there myself.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I think to myself after watching
the news, and seeing technology, that I’m not really cutting-edge here, at any
point; as a matter of fact, judging by what I see, English is to them about
having the foresight to realize that life exists beyond Korea. But that,
perhaps, is why I sometimes feel so out-of-place—this whole country isn’t about
language, or the arts, or anything similar—it is math, and science, and
computers, and computer games. You can achieve rock-star status playing video
games here; no, seriously, that’s true. And here I am, writing by hand, in a
huge book, with nothing but a pen. I’m surprised there’s no Korean law banning
such an act. And it doesn’t excuse everything, or everyone I have encountered
thus far, but it does shed some light on things. And I know my place, such as
it is. But once again, this isn’t about me, or even them, necessarily, it’s
about my future, and my peace of mind. My hope of feeling as though I haven’t
wasted my life up to this point. Although perhaps I have, and I’m just looking
to make sense of it all. And that runs deeper than anything.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
All of this, too, does nothing to
diminish how happy I am with myself, but none the less, it hammers on the
awareness of where and how I need to be. Which has all been discussed. I pause
to wonder at the net effect of inconstancy—I mean, I realize that even in
America, kids change teachers every year (hopefully,) and fully expect to. And
I suppose it would seem unnatural NOT to change, what would be unnatural is if
a child DID anchor themselves to you. One might suspect that the child had
nothing TO anchor to in life, which would be worse. But what expectations does
that create in us? Might we then take infidelity as some trickle-down effect,
and think nothing of it? Is there something in the idea that whatever intellect
we cultivate should make us smart enough to be civilized, and know right from
wrong, and know what must change and when? I don’t know. Perhaps no one does,
or ever will.<o:p></o:p></div>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-26378688104568929212014-12-18T16:23:00.002-05:002014-12-18T16:23:46.251-05:00A Mechanic's stories can now be told (well, not all of them, but some of the good ones.)<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
SAY WHAT?!</div>
<div>
1) Engineers may be creative, and good at coming up with new ideas, but their grammar, in many cases, is not what you'd expect. One of my favorites (and probably one of the only stories I will ever be able to tell from being at Roush Industries,) involves a term which is apparently fairly common for engineers; "Thermal Event." To the rest of us, a "Thermal Event" is an electrical fire. And, frankly, it sounds more to me like something you'd take a package of bratwurst and a six-pack of Leinies to; "Oh, look dear, the Johnsons have invited us to their next thermal event. Where's the sunblock?"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2) Engineering semantics is also at the root of one of my other favorite stories. When I was a technician at Bill Cook Imports in Farmington Hills, MI, we used to get a lot of work from the Nissan Technical Center, which wasn't too far away. I was handed a work order once, which read, verbatim, "When someone is in the back seat, they rattle." My immediate response to the service writer was, "Well, tell them to shut the hell up, then!" Apparently that wasn't the nature of the problem.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3) One of the only other stories from Roush I can probably talk about was an overheard conversation between two engineers about a '93 Cobra, which was, at that point, serving as the test mule for the 347-cubic-inch engine.One of them said, "yeah, something's not right with it. It's not making very much power. Used to be, if you shoved it in second gear and nailed the throttle, you'd be sideways." Yes power is a drug, I guess. Well....I KNOW, really</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
4) As a dealership technician, you get any number of strange compaints. Some of them you can fix, some of them you can't. One of my all-time favorites is still the customer with a Lincoln Navigator whose complaint was, "excessive noise with the sunroof OPEN." Huh?! Sorry, my magic wand is out being detailed at the moment, I guess you're just gonna have to deal with it. And, yes, I *did* take our in-house glass guy for a ride, just to make sure it wasn't REALLY obnoxious. It wasn't. To say nothing of the customers who come in with "vehicle vibrates over 90 mph." Unh-huh. And you're paying the ticket when I test drive it, is that right?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
5) One of my other favorite engineering tales involves a Technical Service Bulletin for Viper GTS coupes. It seems the engineers didn't account for fuel tank accessibility when they designed the car. Solution? Have a technician cut a 2'x4' HOLE behind the seats, and create an "access panel." I kid you not. This is the factory-approved solution to this problem. All I can say is that I wouldn't want to have been the service writer, trying to explain this to a customer; "Mr. Phillips? Hi, John Smith at XYZ Dodge. Um, the good news is, we'll be able to replace the fuel pump in your Viper, but we're going to have to create an "access panel" first. How? Well, um, we have to gut the interior, and cut a huge hole behind the seats first, to get the tank out....yes, that's right.....Mr. Phillips....hello?"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
6) A dealership General Sales Manager had me install aftermarket wheels and tires on his personal 7-series BMW, because, in his words, "it floats like a turd in a punch bowl." Perhaps the strangest euphemism on record, I think.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
MEN WILL BE BOYS</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I was a used car technician, and did a lot of new-car preps in my time. And I have news for you; you will never drive your car harder than your technician already has.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1) One of my favorites was driving the then-brand-new Nissan 350Z. Preliminary inspection is done, time to take it out for the test drive. And thrash it a little. Called a friend when I was on the test drive. One of the first things out of her mouth? "How fast are you going?" "A-buck-ten, a-buck-fifteen, maybe, why?" "Okay, call me back when you SLOW DOWN, okay?!" Yeah, that.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2) The 1989-1992 Ford Probe GTs were some of the wickedest, nastiest little cars made in that period. And cursed with hellacious torque-steer that would punt you into the next lane, if you weren't careful. One of the other dealers I worked at sent a trade-in Probe GT to auction, after finding out it was $1,200 or so to fix the non-functioning alternator. Which meant I had to get it from dealer to auction house (across town,) on one battery charge, or risk embarrassment when someone had to come get me, in the days before cell phones. I had that car deep into triple-digits along the way, and have frankly never been so scared, but I made it to my destination. With no tickets. Mission accomplished. I think they were shocked.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3) Other used cars go to auction because, well, they're hoopties. They're barely worth what the dealer has in them, and getting the money back out of them will require prayer. Like the '86-ish Buick Riviera I drove to auction once that shook like a massage chair on Meth at freeway speeds. Most unpleasant. Or the dealer owner who had me drive one of his 1954 MG-TDs to auction, because I was one of the few people in the dealership who had experience with a crash-box manual transmission. Understand, an MG-TD has about the same horsepower as a similar-era farm tractor, and numerically-high gearing, meaning at 55 mph on the freeway, the engine is spinning at about 5000 rpm or so. with no permanent side windows it makes an enormous, ear-splitting racket, in combination with a side-to-side motion guaranteed to ensure seasickness every time a semi passes by. And doing the gymnastics required to get my six-foot-two-inch body into this car....it wasn't fun. There was also the Sales Manager's '73 454 Corvette he wanted to take to auction; it was hell keeping it reined under 80 mph on the freeway, combined with the C3 Corvette's "sitting-in-a-packing-crate" view from the interior, and the terrifying 3/4"-or-so dead spot, right in the middle of the steering wheel. How did y'all survive these things?!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
4) Other vehicles famous for that panic-inducing side-to-side motion? Ford Bronco IIs and Jeep CJ5s come immediately to mind. Older Fox-body Mustangs with Michelin's infamous TRX tires were terror-inducing because of their nasty tendency to slide all over the place on a surface that wasn't bone-dry. At which point they were unbelievable, but when you grow up in Wisconsin, like I did, that doesn't happen nearly often enough. And don't get me started on backup alarms; the ones that beep frantically if you get even REMOTELY too close to something around you. It probably saved my hide a few times in Porsches, but I still hate them.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
PERSONAL BESTS</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Some cars are just amazing in and of themselves, for whatever reason. I love Mazda Miatas, probably because I can FEEL what they're doing. Driving doesn't get much more sensory than in a Miata.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1) For sheer size and mass, nothing will ever compare to an H1 Hummer. Nothing. This car takes up just about all of whatever lane you're driving in, and God Forbid you ever have one on a two-lane road. Stop, and compromise will inevitably ensue.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2) "Sweet Spot" cars are few and far between; the ones that are not so outrageously powerful or handling-endowed that they're trying to kill you at every turn, but do their jobs on the most unbelievable levels. The two I have encountered thus far were a '96 Mercedes 300E, and an early-model Lexus IS300. There are a lot of GOOD cars out there, and the memorable drives still include many. The Porsche Boxster S (which I'd take over a Carrera in a minute, simply because on the stick-shift models, my leg doesn't smack the steering wheel on a Boxster.) BMW 540 and 740s. The BMW M-Roadster. The BMW 318ti I drove that was blessed with a Jackson Racing supercharger, and other tweaks. What a ride that was. The Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, although, in spite of its slingshot zippiness, I could have done without the vague (and that's being kind,) 6-speed shifter, and the torque-steer that's maybe only slightly less vicious than that of the early Probe GTs. Speaking of Probe GTs, the '93-'96 models were unspeakably slick with a glassy grace in every move and function.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
More later.</div>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-57764891551268860542014-07-17T12:55:00.003-04:002014-07-17T12:55:56.414-04:00Ever just felt the wind totally sucked out of you? Just completely out of breath from everything that's gone on in your life? So far this year, I have been through two bouts in the household with pneumonia, two deaths in the family (my father-in-law, and my dad, within weeks of each other,) My mother decided she wasn't getting enough attention, so she scheduled her "birthday" (her real birthday is in January,) in April, while we were still in the midst of carrying out my father's memorial wishes. I still haven't forgiven her for that. We've all gone crazy lately, in the words of Elton John.<br />
<br />
Anyway, after about eight years of my father's dementia, probably another five or so of my father-in-law's and all the drama and intricate little details that go into all of that, I'm physically and mentally exhausted. To say nothing of what Asperger's does. It's exhausting. The following is an excerpt from another blog on just exactly who it is that is affected.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Recently I encountered a problem while collaborating with a group therapist with whom I share a patient. My patient has progressed quickly in therapy, as do many adults on the spectrum. However he did not start off as stereotypically autistic. In fact, initially he presented as many of my patients do: shy, articulate, witty. Good eye contact. Appropriate affect. Typical posture, gait and gesturing.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">It took a few sessions to realize this fine gentleman suffered mightly with the symtoms of Asperger Syndrome, which he kept well managed and thoroughly hidden. Contrary to the stereotyoes of adults on the spectrum, my patient displayed no "meltdown" behavior, was keenly (TOO keenly) aware of people's reactions to him and exhibited no bizarre special interests or encyclopedic knowledge of vaccuum models.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">In fact, "Joe", as we'll call him, socialized quite well. He seemed quietly confident and wry, intelligent and perceptive. People responded well to him, really liked him, though probably none of them would describe him as a close friend. No one realized - in fact he often went without realizing - that his baseline anxiety approached panic on a regular basis. As soon as he was out of bed, existential angst was his constant companion. His difficulty managing his thoughts made rudimentary conversations minefields to be navigated. And navigate he did, dodging social errors with the same fright and determination one might actually dodge mines. After even minor social interactions he routinely found himself exhausted, and would retreat to soothing, isolated activity: sculpture, writing, woodworking. Not conversation with his wife.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Diagnosing this man was problematic. He truly did not fit the criteria for Asperger Syndrome. In fact, the only person to suspect he was on the spectrum was his wife, who puzzled endlessly about this curious man. He seems so sensitive and kind, she would say. Yet he ignores my birthday and hangs up before saying goodbye. He's so charming with others, yet so silent at home. He never misses a deadline at work, yet cannot remember to give our dog his heart medication.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Partners of people on the spectrum are drawn to what they can sense is inside their partner. Yet they feel shut out, left pining for connection with this special person who remains unreachable. It can be a confusing relationship, and one that can easily lead to resentment.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">So what was the problem I ran into with the collaborating therapist? She found it hilarious - outrageous! - that Joe had been diagnosed with Asperger's. When Joe would make an insightful comment during group session, this group therapist and members would share a hearty laugh, rolling their eyes that this sensitive man had been diagnosed as autistic. When Joe would tear up recounting his wife's rage and disappointment, he'd hear "So Mr. Autistic is shaking because his wife got angry! Ha ha! Shouldn't you be indifferent and focusing on dinosaurs?" (I'm sorry to say this is a direct quote.) The general public, even many clinicians, cannot believe someone like Joe can be autistic. His social deficits are so well hidden that he has convinced the world his autism does not exist. And he has perhaps convinced himself.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">One person remains unconvinced. His wife. After a long day of running what he terms his "social program", feigning natural banter and hiding anxiety, he is exhausted. His wife comes home to a man who has retreated to isolation as a desperate attempt to find peace and rest.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">I'd like to write more about this "hidden autistic" phenomena. Someone must. Adults on the spectrum are often too good at convincing others they are fine, have no emotions, are robotic. This is never the case, and the illusion can be dangerous to long-term mental health for autistics and their partners alike.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Yes, I know it's problem year.....and it's caused it's share of problems; a lot of hand-wringing over what happens when my wife can no longer work, which will probably be sooner rather than later. Although we did have a very nice vacation/honeymoon up in the Soo and St. Ignace; it will be 10 years in November. I also did something incredibly stupid in the aftermath, which I shall not get into, exactly, and to you, Martha Jane, I am sorry to the very core of me. I don't know why I did what I did, but I will never do it again, promise. Which I realize does nothing when the life is sucked out of you, as well, and there's no relief in sight. I promised to always love you, and take care of you, and I swear to God, I will. I love you too much to leave you hanging. But my weird is off-the-charts, frankly, and I know that. I couldn't survive in a normal job, so it'd be a question of getting the right one. Whatever that is. Jobs, maybe more, Hell, I don't know. What I don't want to be is constantly looking for a job, because I'm forever in the wrong one, because that has its pitfalls too. Sorry if this seems like such an ordeal, quite honestly, IT IS. Between a hernia, kidney stones, having thrown my back out once, Vasovagal Syncope, sleep deprivation, dehydration.....you get the picture. This ain't gonna be like getting a job when we were kids. I wonder for myself if I could actually pass a drug screen, God only knows. I'll try, but ya gotta be patient. Easier said than done, I know. Just give me a modicum of credence. A little faith in me goes a long way, that's just they way my mind works. I agonize over all the things I seemingly can't control, either; fat lotta good it does me. Mostly just makes my anxiety worse.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">So in case you're wondering why I'm such a babbling bucket on nonsense right now, it is mostly a mind which nothing will allow to stop, and circumstances that aren't helping matters any. A little peace and quiet would do wonders. In fact, it did, really, unfortunately, we had to come back and go back to work. Or at least you did, at the moment. Here's the bottom line, though; trying to SEEM like a relatively normal person is EXHAUSTING to me. I mean, I actually have to consciously remind myself to maintain eye contact with people. All those things you do without even thinking, all those social cues and quirks and conventions that are just natural....I have to CONSCIOUSLY THINK ABOUT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM. Which is brain-drain, plain and simple. Kindly think about that, the next time it crosses your mind to chide me about when I'm not being my most socially acceptable. All I'm thinking sometimes is that I'd just like my damn brain to stop buzzing. My ears to stop ringing. My hands and feet and legs to be still. and yes, I realize my of my personality is exhausting to everyone else I come in contact with. Sorry. You try being me. It ain't as easy as it looks.</span></span>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-72891377596889312392014-05-10T09:35:00.000-04:002014-05-10T09:35:03.457-04:00It's been a hell of a long couple months in my world. We (and by we, I mean my brother and sister as well,) said goodbye to my dad, who was probably one of the heroes of all of our lives whether we were willing to admit it or not. This, of course came after years of fighting Lewy Body Dementia, 5 or 6 bypasses and manifold other medical maladies. I'm kinda surprised he put ten years on his brothers, even if they weren't exactly the best years he ever could have experienced. He's at peace now, and I'm really tired, not tired like my stepmother, who was as dedicated to this man as I could ever imagine a woman being. But I did my best. And, of course, it was great to see all the cousins and others, even if we do seem to be getting together more and more often at funerals. Funerals; they're not just for grieving any more. Especially not amongst the Klobucar/Babich/Tomacs. We see how much the kids have grown, and plan when we're going to get together and drink again. It's a Klobucar thing, you wouldn't understand.<br />
<br />
Speaking of kids, my own daughters were in attendance yesterday, dressed to the nines, and my oldest actually talked to me, and gave me her new phone number. Sydne wasn't quite there yet. That's okay, I'll wait; she knows I love her. She's fifteen. 'Nuff said. I also learned recently that Michigan is one of the stats in which marital infidelity is a felony; meaning had I had the money and inclination to fight it, I conceivably could have put my ex behind bars and commandeered my children, but of course, those were luxuries I didn't have, and pretty much still don't. I comfort myself with the fact that Karma is a bit*h, and marital infidelity is normally not a one-shot-deal. I fully expect that not if, but WHEN it happens again, whoever else is involved will be not nearly so charitable. So, mixed emotions, and a lot of weight lifted off my shoulders, but definitely more positive. I'm still tired from a hellishly long winter, and it may be a while before I completely recuperate, but as usual, it's a "keep your head up" thing. Par for the course. If I could go one-under, I'd be thrilled.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-63942673817525841342014-02-26T12:07:00.001-05:002014-02-26T12:07:42.808-05:00I had a long discussion last night with a Cherokee friend of mine about aspects of religion, which, of course, turned out to be a comparative anatomy lesson between Native American culture, and Judeo-Christian religion. I answered his questions the best way I knew how, being both Catholic and of Jewish ancestry myself. The upshot of his questioning, which included questions about the comparative place and history of Jesus, and what he had done to get himself crucified, (I answered the he responded to King Herod that he was the King of the Jews, and Herod being the paranoiac control freak that he was, then figured that Jesus was a threat to his power, and felt the need to have him eliminated to maintain control.) and the real nature, creation story of the bible, were completely at odds with Native culture, which essentially has no Bible-esque holy book. The Bible was basically written by the prophets and other writers, although frankly it was a little difficult explaining that the nature of the Bible was fairly dogmatic, and that a lot of Biblical teaching was teaching by parable and example; also that the Old Testament and New Testament Gods were of vastly different temperaments. I tried to explain that Jesus was God-incarnate so that He, as God would have a better idea of what it was like to be human, and experience fear, temptation, anger, etc.....all those things that make us human. Let's face it; The Bible is basically a lot of do's and don'ts, that, depending on your specific religion, and how you view the world, govern how you view the world, what your specific religion is, and other matters. You know if you're Jewish, you're not going to eat pork or seafood, hold the Sabbath holy, and never get a tattoo; to say the very least. The same goes for the tenets of other religions. The bottom line of his questioning was about why the nuns and priests in the boarding school he had attended relatively briefly were such seemingly mean-spirited people. What you come to in a case like this, (and if you've never heard about the Indian boarding schools, which operated from the 1800s up until about 1980, have a look here for starters,)http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16516865 or search on Facebook for a man by the name of Warren Petoskey, is that the boarding schools in particular were less about education and more about indoctrination, and stripping Native Americans of their culture, heritage and language. I think any right-thinking Christian or Jew would agree that this should not have been the goal of the schools, but basically was. Government agencies were empowered to remove Native children from their homes and take them to boarding schools frequently without their consent or knowledge. (Remember that there was frequently a language barrier between the parents and government agents; the agents spoke English, and frequently the Native parents didn't, so they had no idea why their children were suddenly gone.) Why did this all happen? That I couldn't explain, and probably never will be able to, simply because it wasn't a part of my culture. Obviously it wasn't a period in history that anyone who considers themselves a Christian should be proud of, but there it is. If I got things wrong, feel free to rebuke me, but I hope I was on the right track. I think the real point is, is that the dichotomy of the cultures in question is so vast that there will never be any way to fully reconcile what Judeo-Christian religion is and how it compares to Native culture, where the is no aspiration to a Heaven, afterlife, or paradise of any kind. the goals of religion and Godliness should be good; but given the nature of free will, frequently that is not the case.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-61511849381896192852013-10-29T13:57:00.001-04:002013-10-29T13:57:21.432-04:00Y'know...I haven't known how to go about this, but I'll be honest. I've made a lot of wrong decisions in my life. Ones I have, quite frankly paid dearly for. But that's just it; I was WRONG. No excuses, I made my choices, and whoever sees fit to hold them against me, well, I wish you wouldn't, but that's your mind, not mine. I made choices to be happy. I made choices that ended up in my having a better life; one I could deal with more easily. I ain't what you'd call "normal", but then again, who is? And would it really be good if you were? I have been wrong, and if I wronged you, I apologize from the bottom of my heart. Beyond that, I can't do anything but do my best, fix what I can, and move on. The past is the past, it is what it is, and if that's not good enough, well, I don't know what else to tell you. I'm not sacrificing my happiness, my sanity, or my capacity to live and do just to make others happy. And from now on, negativity is OUT, as much as possible. I simply cannot deal with it. I know what I have done, and not done, I know the children that I brought into this world, and who I would take a bullet for, if necessary. I love my wife, and pray that God grants me every possible moment I can have with her. I love all my friends. All of them. and for the first time in a long time, I'm reasonably happy. Things could always be better. But the truth is, you make your calls. And if you're honest and upright, you stick with them, and pray that God gives you a chance to make some of the ones that you didn't before. If nothing else....don't wish for more money, a bigger house, or any of that crap; wish for enough days so that you have a chance to have all the chances that God will allow. Wish for loving, understanding and benevolence. And always...ALWAYS....live like you mean it.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-67309273333773171232013-07-18T17:49:00.001-04:002013-07-18T17:49:27.793-04:00Has it been that long?! Yes, indeed, it's been 30 years since I graduated from high school. In what seems like a flash, I already have one of my children who has done the same. un-freaking-believable. If you missed some of those 30 years, and indeed, many probably have, especially if you haven't been keeping up on Facebook or Twitter, here's the recap; I have two daughters, Sydne and Shelby, who I love dearly, but who haven't spoken to me, for whatever reason in years. I suspect they might at some point, but at this point I just feel good being happy in my own skin. My ex-wife, Lisa, kicked me to the curb in 2003, and frankly....no great loss. I loved her at some point, but the truth is, I never would have met Martha had I not been single again. THAT, as it turns out, would have been a great loss. Martha has put many, many, more than I can count sometimes, songs in my heart. She understands my jokes. And even if it is not necessarily her nature, she has grown to love my cars, sanctioned one of the greatest experiences of my life (teaching in Korea, which changed my life indelibly,) and has pounded more dents out of my weary soul than you can imagine. In short, Martha has repainted my entire universe. Well......Martha and another dear friend of mine from the immediate post-Lisa period named Ge-Anne Bowdoin, who managed to get my soul running again. Ge-Anne lives in Georgia, and there was a period during which...well...it was a tough call about what to do with my life. In case you were wondering why my Facebook profile picture was a Phoenix for a while, hopefully now you understand a little better. And maybe only the guys will understand this, but...well...we as guys have all seen cars with so much motor that we thought to ourselves, "man, if that thing ever hooked up all the way, it would snap in half!" Which I guess is how I really feel some days. So blowing a little smoke is okay, if it keeps you from breaking in half. Which, by any standard, is bad. Who the hell knows where I've been?! Hell, I don't even know some days. It has taken a lot of noise, smoke, heartache and disaster to get to where I am today, but the plain fact is....I'M HERE. And I am probably better than I have ever been before, even if am excruciatingly weary. Many days, many miles, many gains, many losses...many discoveries, but a vastly improved overall state of affairs for me personally. Hopefully, I can keep this going for as long as humanly possible, and then die, totally spent, with little more than a smile on my face nothing could possibly erase. I agonize over if the dementia that has plagued a father I didn't know as a man for nearly long enough, is headed my way. I would wish more than anything to just die with my wits about me. If that means not living to be 90, so be it. I have herein cleared a great deal out of my soul, and God knows I will never make everyone happy. But starting with me being happy, and hoping there's enough time to get some more accomplishments in....I'd say that's pretty good, no?Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-54306728779508348132013-07-01T15:44:00.001-04:002013-07-01T15:44:09.617-04:00Milwaukee StopsA friend said she was going to Milwaukee for 5 weeks. Given that I grew up there, I figured maybe I still knew a few places, so I checked them out, as much as possible. So...from my memory....the best places in Milwaukee.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kopp’s Frozen Custard <a href="http://www.kopps.com/">http://www.kopps.com/</a>
several locations. When in Milwaukee, you MUST try frozen custard SOMEPLACE,
and there are several chains in town.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gille’s Frozen Custard <a href="http://www.gillesfrozencustard.com/">http://www.gillesfrozencustard.com/</a>
information on the website. One of the other good frozen custard joints in
town.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Take in a Brewers game at Miller Park <a href="http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/mil/ballpark/index.jsp">http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/mil/ballpark/index.jsp</a>
nothing like baseball, if you’re so inclined.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Milwaukee Public Museum <a href="http://www.mpm.edu/?gclid=CP279Z76jrgCFbE-MgodwnkARg">http://www.mpm.edu/?gclid=CP279Z76jrgCFbE-MgodwnkARg</a>
a really good science and arts museum located downtown.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Milwaukee County Zoo <a href="http://www.milwaukeezoo.org/">http://www.milwaukeezoo.org/</a>
Not the same since the long-ago demise of Samson, the Lowland Gorilla, but
still fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
George Webb’s Restaurants, all over town <a href="http://www.georgewebb.com/">http://www.georgewebb.com/</a>
diners like you grew up with. The burgers are amazing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Villa Terrace <a href="http://www.cavtmuseums.org/">http://www.cavtmuseums.org/</a> One of the
more amazing and beautiful houses you will ever see, now a museum and sometime
theater in the summer. Also an astonishing view of Lake Michigan off the rear
terrace.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Milwaukee County War Memorial Center <a href="http://www.warmemorialcenter.org/">http://www.warmemorialcenter.org/</a>
also near the lakefront, an absolutely beautiful place. A definite must-see.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Harley-Davidson Museum <a href="http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/HD_Museum/museum.html">http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/HD_Museum/museum.html</a>
the factory used to be not too far from where I lived as a child, but they have
since moved operations to other places. The museum is the best Harley stop in
Milwaukee.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Miller Brewery Tour <a href="http://www.millercoors.com/Brewery-Tours/Milwaukee-Brewery-Tour.aspx">http://www.millercoors.com/Brewery-Tours/Milwaukee-Brewery-Tour.aspx</a>
another icon of a trip to Milwaukee, and a staple of my father’s itinerary for
out-of-towners for ages.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Safe House <a href="http://www.safe-house.com/">http://www.safe-house.com/</a>
an icon of Milwaukee bars. Make sure you know the password. And don’t be fooled
by outward appearances.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Usinger’s <a href="http://www.usinger.com/">http://www.usinger.com/</a>
In my opinion, you simply could not go to Milwaukee without going to Usinger’s
for some of the finest sausage you will ever taste. A spot perhaps best saved
for the end of the trip, when you can get some bratwurst to take home, or they
ship anywhere in the country.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Old Town or Three Brothers Serbian Restaurant<a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60097-d471739-Reviews-Old_Town_Serbian_Gourmet_House-Milwaukee_Wisconsin.html">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60097-d471739-Reviews-Old_Town_Serbian_Gourmet_House-Milwaukee_Wisconsin.html</a>
<a href="https://plus.google.com/111882515297477978806/about?gl=us&hl=en">https://plus.google.com/111882515297477978806/about?gl=us&hl=en</a>
yet another foodie stop not to be missed. They probably have stuffed cabbage
and it is wonderful.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mitchell Park Conservatory (the Three Domes) <a href="http://county.milwaukee.gov/MitchellParkConserva10116.htm">http://county.milwaukee.gov/MitchellParkConserva10116.htm</a>
if you’re into flora at all, the Domes are the most amazing sight you will ever
see. Plants from every corner of the world, all in their own natural
environments. Stunning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Marcus Center <a href="http://www.marcuscenter.org/">http://www.marcuscenter.org/</a>
formerly known as the Performing Arts Center, The Marcus Center is the Home of
the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and great live theater. Another Milwaukee
landmark.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
WHERE TO STAY, IF YOU HAVEN’T DECIDED; THE MARC PLAZA <a href="http://www.historichotels.org/hotels-resorts/hilton-milwaukee-city-center/history.php">http://www.historichotels.org/hotels-resorts/hilton-milwaukee-city-center/history.php</a>
A stunning Milwaukee hotel, full of history.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
WHERE TO SHOP; THE GRAND AVENUE<a href="http://www.grandavenueshops.com/">http://www.grandavenueshops.com/</a>
Right in downtown Milwaukee, one of the most beautiful malls you will ever find
yourself in, I promise. Mayfair Mall is kind of a drive (in Wauwatosa,) but it
was our mall of choice when I was growing up. One of the first shopping malls
ever built, formerly open-air, and may still have ice skating, but I don’t
know. <a href="http://www.mayfairmall.com/">http://www.mayfairmall.com/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
THE FOLLOWING IS A MAYBE; GO IF YOU THINK YOU CAN LIVE WITH
THE SMELL. THE TANNERY DISTRICT. <a href="http://www.december.com/places/mke/album/galluntannery.html">http://www.december.com/places/mke/album/galluntannery.html</a>
Word from the web information is that this is now a historical district, so I
could be wrong. Check with a local before proceeding.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, if you happen to be driving on the freeway, and roll by the Red Star Yeast plant.....roll up your windows. FAST!</div>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-2089566582391610182013-06-24T14:55:00.001-04:002013-06-24T14:55:48.067-04:00I read something I couldn't believe; something that simply made me cringe. the Germans, the culture, along with we Americans that has done more to bring automotive joy to the masses than any other country in the world has, in the words of Road & Track Magazine, "fallen out of love" with driving. Come again?! The country that gave us BMW sports sedans and diabolical automotive pleasures like the original Porsche Turbo, is suddenly blase about cars? Apparently there's a bit more to it than that; the expectation of the Germans is that the future will be full of mile after mile of ribbon-like asphalt, and.....drivers who aren't really necessary. Hold the phone; how is THAT supposed to be possible? We have a little taste of it so far, with things like "intelligent" cruise control, lane-deviation systems, and other electronic trickery that already make the driver something only barely-short of a motoring accessory, and apparently, the plan is to take this further. To the point where the driver IS unnecessary. Which is REALLY scary, if you ask me. We've already determined that if you're focused on your cell phone, your driving takes a metaphorical back-seat, and the carnage it has produced to this point is shocking to the point where we have laws against texting and driving in many places. So, yes, this goes way beyond the concept that driving should be some sort of visceral thrill (although to a certain segment of the population, it still makes one helluva difference if it is,) this says that driving should be about YOU knowing the rules, and YOU being an educated, conscientious driver. Put down your go#%^&*(-ned cell phone, and pay attention to what you're supposed to be doing behind the wheel; concentrating on your driving. And as much as we here in America are monitored, surveilled, and constantly kept an eye on by The Powers That Be here in 2013, first of all, I sincerely doubt our highway infrastructure is in the shape it needs to be in for such a venture to even get off the ground. Second, of course, is the ever-present question, "what if something in this high-priced technology goes REALLY wrong?!" The results of such a disaster if this ever occurred would be nothing short of seismic. And being a participant in a study that seeks to do exactly that, well.....the information that this study collects already tells these examiners where my car goes, how long it's there, etc, etc, etc...... Like we already don't have enough of a lack of privacy? And aside from what I said before about driving being a visceral experience to some of us, in times up until now, (and as we are re-discovering now, what with all the carnage from people texting and driving,) is that driving is and SHOULD be, something that requires all the attention you can give it, simply for your own well-being. To Hell with the "infotainment" systems, that require you to scroll through multiple menus, or whatever, to turn the air-conditioning down; put the knob BACK on the dashboard! Never mind that we've created a culture, outside of metropolitan areas like New York City, (where you'd expect there to be a limited interest in cars,) where a teenager would rather have a iPhone 5 than a car. Sorry, but, when it comes from gettin' from point-A to point-B, and you're in a place where the only other option is what we in America laughingly refer to as "mass transit", there ain't an app for that. Cars have been good to, and good for America; they were at the center of the American industrial economy (make what you will of that,) for the better part of 100 years. Being blase about them simply doesn't serve us as a nation. Judge our current non-industrial economy if you need proof. At this point, I will speak for animals, many of whom now have been run over by hybrid vehicles because they didn't HEAR them. I am not making this up, this is a real problem. Remember Diane Keaton, from <i>Annie Hall</i>? She admitted on a late-night talk show that she ran over one of her dogs in her hybrid Lexus, because the dog didn't hear her vehicle backing up. Same goes for blind people; there have already been numerous recorded instances of blind people being struck by hybrid vehicles, because they had no sense that they were even there. Say what you want for a Hemi Cuda, but you wouldn't have the same problem with one of THEM in the intersection! I'm all for anything that truly makes driving a better experience, but for all our sakes, driving needs to continue being a totally active appropriately sensory experience; trying to make it less simply means that the idiots, and Big Brother, finally get their wish when it comes to controlling us.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-24094850262746284362013-06-12T13:23:00.001-04:002013-06-12T13:23:55.749-04:00Other people's cars. I've had encounters with more of them than I care to count, frequently driving them to auction, as I did a dealership owner's '54 MG-TD; I managed this because I was one of maybe two people in the dealership who could manage a non-synchromesh "crash box" without destroying said gearbox in the process. It was one of the most terrifying rides of my life. Y'see MG-TDs are blessed with only slightly more horsepower than your average farm tractor, and only a four-speed gearbox, plus numerically-high rear-end gearing. What does this mean? First of all, it means that the top speed is in the mid-60s; at the 55 mph I was cruising at, the engine was screaming along at around 5000 rpm. So....loud, no side windows, (the side curtains were behind me, and since it wasn't raining, I didn't feel like stopping to put them on,) and a pronounced buffeting by crosswinds, especially when a semi rolled by. The gymnastics required to manuever my 6-foot-plus frame behind the gigantic steering wheel of this thing was no picnic, either. Other cars, it seems, wanted to kill me as well; another dealership General Sales Manager was sending his '73 Corvette to auction, and once again, I got drafted, I think simply on pure faith on the part of the manager. This beast's 454-cubic-inch big-block was chomping at the bit, but I had to keep it reined under 80 mph to avoid coming home with any unpleasant surprises, if you know what I mean. Worse than that was about a 3/4-inch-or-so "dead spot" in the middle of the steering wheel; move the wheel in this range, and it would have absolutely NO effect on vehicle direction. Your brain is just going, "oh, God, I'm gonna die." Obviously I didn't. And having driven other 70s-era Corvettes, I forgot this is pretty much standard for them. Silly me. I've driven Porsche Carreras, Turbo models included, a BMW M-Roadster, (essentially a Mazda Miata on steroids,) a full-on, military-grade H1 Hummer, perhaps the most senselessly wide vehicle I have ever been in in my life, many BMW and Mercedes sedans, (the athleticism of BMW sedans is most assuredly NOT overrated,) and an '86-or-so Buick Riviera that shook like a Magic Fingers bed at freeway speeds. I drove an '89 Ford Probe GT with a bad alternator that was going to auction; to get it all the way to its destination before the battery went flat required me to post triple-digit speeds all the way there. And being a Probe GT of that era, I also had to mind the torque steer, an inbred condition of powerful front-wheel-drive cars that threatens to punt you into the next lane involuntarily when you nail the throttle. And whomever approved the interior ergonomics of 90s-model Range Rovers should dragged out and shot; the dashboard is strewn with so many dials, icons and other incomprehensible detritus, you need to sit down with the owner's manual before you ever touch it. Never mind the power window switches. Common sense dictates (to most of us, anyway,) that the button closest to the driver's window is the one that will open said window. Not the case here; touch that one, and it is the driver's-side REAR window that will slide gently down. The one BEHIND that one opens the front window. 2000-ish Lincoln Town Car Cartier-L's, the extended-length ones frequently used by limousine companies, have controls for the passenger's side front seat in the rear center arm rest, which seems almost diabolically elitist. More? Subaru's early-90s SVX, their earliest attempt at a sports car, had only a small PORTION of the window that rolled up and down. Americans, sensing that getting their three Big Macs and two large fries from the drive-through should not be a "call 911" experience, stayed away in droves. Other experiences? The red SAAB convertible, and a trip from Grand Rapids to Lansing on a perfect spring day, that inspired my novel (I'll get it out someday, I swear.) A '69 Buick Riviera I was taken to task for driving without a dealer plate, after about a week of driving it to lunch. Resplendent in duct tape and white house paint, that thing still pulled like a train with its big, burly 430-cubic-inch, 4-barrel V8. Complete with chrome air cleaner lid. Those were unquestionably the days. I have taught in Korea. I taught my daughters to roller skate, which I considered to be a basic, important life lesson--if you fall, you get back up again and keep trying. And now, particularly with a father who has Lewy Body Dementia, and has not much memory left of his life's achievements, I would not change a moment of anything I have done. Because I fear the time will come when I am the same way; a mostly-scooped-out pumpkin of a human being who cannot even giggle at the ride he has taken, because he doesn't recall very much of it. Your activism serves the world, but it does not change the fact that you will die. You don't know when, or where, or how, so it's still best, in my opinion to have something in your life to giggle about, or be proud of, or simply say, "I did that," as you wait in line at St. Peter's Gate. (I expect there will be a queue there; some things just seem unavoidable.) Live well. Live every day as a blessing, because it is. Take chances. Because even in the event that you don't remember any of it, someone else might. Bloodlines and good stories. There ain't much else in the end.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-54129967538317456302013-05-29T16:16:00.001-04:002013-05-29T16:19:03.242-04:00I cannot avoid this any longer. In my own life, and in the lives of other people I know, a parent or guardian's causal activism is, perhaps unwittingly, but definitely unwillingly, foisted upon an adolescent. News flash; adolescents, particularly adolescent boys, don't give two sh*ts about your causes. They care about other adolescents, and (these days,) computers, video games, probably girls, if that happens to be their orientation....and there is so much going on inside their bodies, that, well, I don't really wonder at a lot of the bad behavior I see in middle schools. It irritates the sh*t out of me, don't get me wrong; but if teenagers aren't allowed to get enough sleep, and if you can't bend a little on your personal integrity to give them a little leeway, a little inkling that you really DO understand, or at least CARE about their situation, well, the consequences are not on me. Although I must say this out loud, and, mom, I don't mean it in the wrong way, things like riding to Washington D.C. non-stop with a bunch of sweaty, half-in-the-bag feminists was not fun. I probably resented it, and your causes, for a long time, because I didn't feel like *I* was being paid attention to. I'm all grown-up now, and I'm sorry if this seems offensive to you, but there it is. I also have stacks of information from my Master's pursuit to say that, no, a teenager's brain is nothing like an adult's even if their bodies may trick you into thinking otherwise. Oh, and by the way; your kids are probably NOT all that bad comparatively speaking. I've subbed at Washtenaw Juvenile Correctional; I've seen the hard cases; very few of the kids I've seen outside the walls are there; if they are, they've been identified. Their problems are things like absent fathers, parents with minimal parenting skills or substance abuse issues. Yours are probably just kids. They're not anything like we were, and that's probably another problem. No matter what, the world is not the same as it's ever been before. I have seen things, and youth to hopeful for, and many that will probably be awesome people, if they were just given the chance to grow up in a semi-stable environment, with some semblance that their needs took some precedence over yours. If not.....it's gonna be a long ride all around.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-84283323847057002782013-03-07T17:48:00.002-05:002013-03-07T17:48:41.244-05:00A while back I mentioned a little girl in Dearborn Schools who was troubled, and troubling in this particular contact with her, because her father was off fighting somewhere, and I hypothesized that it didn't really matter who he was fighting for, this was just a kid who missed her daddy. It dawned on me while I was driving to work this morning, that this particular state of affairs is probably not unusual in this day and age. For whatever reason. Dad's never been in the picture. He's in Afghanistan fighting. Divorce. Drugs. Prison. God only knows, in many cases. Makes me wonder how to respond in some instances, where the student's behavior isn't what it should be. Or do I need to be strong for their own good? As much as some of them probably hate me for it. It also occurs to me, given the events that have happened in....God, the last 10 years or so now in schools.....being in education isn't as safe as it used to be, for anyone concerned. That's really sad. Of course, given the allegations that have arisen about the Catholic church, and everybody else, who IS one to trust? Who have we EVER been able to trust? Truly and deeply? If a new society was to ever have any mantra, "passion and trust" should be it. That's probably not likely to happen, and maybe I am just on my little one-man crusade, tilting at windmills, but it seems crucial to me for the existence of a proper culture. And truly, I understand in my own mind that not everyone needs to be a Nuclear Physicist, a doctor, or yes, even a teacher; although I still believe in my own mantra, "Rabbi, Sonsaengnim, TEACHER," that it should fall in there somewhere, but c'mon, shouldn't we stabilize our culture, merely in the interest of giving our young people a genuine reason to have some passion, instead of simply expecting cultural write-offs and rap stars? There are 450 potential playing jobs in the NBA, 1,696 in the NFL, and 750 in Major League Baseball. For a grand total of 2,896 potential playing jobs among the three leagues. You do the rest of the math. Better yet, believe in math (and science.) Period.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-42770034013001131892012-08-28T11:38:00.002-04:002012-08-28T11:38:32.795-04:00I admit it. The older I get, the more disgusted I'm getting with things in general. I went to a casino for the first time in my life; it smelled like an ashtray, and I failed to really understand the games. Plus, being a control freak, (or maybe just the way I am,) "luck" is an alien concept. I despise guessing games. And, no, frankly, I DON'T wanna know about your fuc*ing politics, I have my own views, thank you very much. I haven't really understood music since the early 90s, cars, well, since I worked on them last, which has been about seven years now. My life has changed so much, my 20-year-old self wouldn't even recognize me, for better or worse. I have more years behind me than I do in front of me. Mostly I'm tired. Really, really, tired. I jumped off a metaphorical cliff having gone to teach for a year in Korea. It went well, mostly. I did good, I loved it, and it changed my life. But I've essentially been watching my father slowly die for eight years now. And still rueing the fact in the blink of an eye, the man I once knew was gone, mostly. I don't know what people think when they see me for the first time, and I wish I did. I feel alien, and, dare I say it, profoundly Jewish, even though I'm not, really. Not by religion, anyway. I hate the fact that my children don't seem to want to know me, at least not right now. I'm tired of waiting, of paying money, waiting for things to change....all the rest of the rubbish. The new age of "knowing people," (social networking, etc.) is alien to me. I suppose there's something to be said for change, sometimes it's good, but generally speaking, the way the world has gotten just seems insane to me. Does it mean anything that I'm blogging about this? It means that print media as I was trained for it, as I knew it.....is gone. If I really have anything to say, this is how I say it, and I know it. I'm tired of the supposedly "entitled", and self-precious sons-of-bitc*es who litter creation and then wonder what the hell the problem is. It couldn't <i>possibly</i> be them, right? Yeah, whatever. I have done what I have done, I have struggled to be of benefit to the world, despite the fact that there are frequent instances where the world doesn't seem to give a sh*t. By the same token, I am lucky. Or blessed. More so than the people who died at 23 from a gunshot to the head. Or died at 38 from a massive heart attack. But I still just don't really "get" the world; and I'm despondent that it's not really going to get any better before I get my first AARP card, which will be in not-that-fuc*ing-long. So, on I will go, and I will continue to try, tired as I am. But I'm telling you right now, when my God comes for me, no matter who He happens to be, I'm not putting up a fight. I have already. In this life.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-67804367589233848572012-08-08T12:07:00.001-04:002012-08-08T12:07:12.293-04:00I just returned a DVD to the library, one I've been wanting to see; yet another car-culture video, but this time a documentary about the late Formula One driver Ayrton Senna. It has been touted in the press as a video not to be missed. I can truly confirm this. The thing is, though, it puts a point on a lot of other truths. Namely, that life here in 2012 is not nearly what it has been, even in my lifetime. Just to fill you in, the late 80s and early 90s were a time in Formula One, and other forms of racing where going faster was less about the talent of the driver and team, and more about the extent of your on-board electronic controls; at least for a time, before the FIA, the governing body in Formula One, realized that the cars were becoming such that you could plug almost anyone into the seat of one of the Formula One cars of this era, and grab a championship. And after the FIA banned, for example, electronically controlled suspensions, it became apparent once again who the truly gifted teams and drivers were. It was interesting to note that Senna's McLaren Honda team was rather alarmed in this period by the ascendancy of Benetton-Ford's young driver, a fellow by the name of Michael Schumacher, who, to date, has won the Formula One World Championship seven times, and has been tagged as one of the greatest drivers ever. "He's not supposed to be winning in THAT," you could almost hear them audibly say, "he's gotta have his trial-by-fire, just like everybody else." And in some cases, it really was trial-by-fire, as in the case of Niki Lauda, who while practicing for the 1976 German Grand Prix, was involved in an accident and severely burned and disfigured. Returning to my point, life in general here in 2012 seems to be considerably "away from the edge," so to speak. As a by-product of the economy, it seems to be the sanest thing to do, but....well....where's the fun in THAT?! And what does it prove? In prior periods, even in periods of great economic distress, advances were, none-the-less made via that ATTEMPT to move forward; we NEEDED to push the boundaries, and see what was out there. It mattered that we tried. This time, we seem to be so overtaken by the fear of failure, that advances will very likely be long in coming. And the last thing we need, with all due respect to computer and software manufacturers, is a faster computer, or a more awesome cell phone. In the final analysis of Senna, the verdict was that the Williams-Renault Senna was driving when he died in 1994 was, shall we say, "artificially" competent; strip away the electronic controls, as the constructors were forced to after the FIA ban on such devices, and the Williams was basically a second-rate car. Perhaps I should play Devil's Advocate to myself for a moment, and say that living safely IS the only sane thing to do at times. Do people always need to die to prove a point? Perhaps not, but it still means something that someone needs to take the risks and find out where the boundaries are. And is greatness still defined in the same way as it ever was? Getting back for a moment to Michael Schumacher, he and Senna were beginning to duke it out in the late 80s and early 90s, thus Schumacher proved his mettle in "overlapping" eras, so to speak. Schumacher has been talented both with and without massive doses of electronics, and with horsepower at his disposal that has fluctuated over the years. The question has been asked of Schumacher regarding how great he would have been in the era of Fangio, Nuvolari and Bernd Rosenmeyer in the 30s, 40s and 50s, and, of course, we shall never know. Except to say that genuine talent is genuine talent, whether or not you disguise it behind a mask of electronic controls, no matter what the point of those controls may be, either for safety, or to go faster. The point was made at the end of the movie that there has not been a single death in Formula One racing since Senna's demise in 1994. Can we say that for all forms of racing? No, we only need to look as far as the death of Dale Earnhardt, Sr. at the 2001 Daytona 500 to prove that is not the case. And lap records, for example, for Germany's Nurburgring, are still standing from the 1970s and 80s. The most recent record among race cars is from 2009, and was well over 8 minutes. (The Nurburgring is a 12+-mile course.) Oddly, among production vehicles, the Radical SR8 is the record-holder, at a tick under 7 minutes. What DOES it all mean? Is our edge still there? Are our purposes merely different in a new age? Could be. Given what the world was like in the 70s and 80s among production cars, especially as compared to now, it seems almost impossible to say.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-4925357299465800412012-07-23T13:11:00.000-04:002012-07-23T13:11:37.869-04:00Having been on Twitter for a little while now, I'm finding that the latest thing in artist funding is what's referred to as crowdfunding. Essentially the cyber-method of banging your tin cup loud enough, hoping that you can get enough people with five or ten bucks, because apparently, you'd have to be something just short of an artistic god to elicit any patronage from the people who really DO have a lot of money. And then probably kiss a lot of a*s to make it happen. I have never seen why it should have to be like this for artists, writers, and other creatives. What prevents Americans in particular from supporting the arts in some kind of organized way? Why are there starving artists? And I guess according to NPR, there are such things as starving lawyers these days; people who, have paid for a law school education, end up working at Starbuck's. While some might say that is poetic justice, in a sense, it is indicative, I think, of a larger dysfunction; in a right-thinking world, even if all the journalists were freelancers and bloggers, we'd still all be getting paid. I, for one, put a lot of money and sweat into my journalism-school education. Should I be doing this? I could definitely hope for more. Michaelangelo would have NEVER gotten anything done if he had to resort to crowdfunding. He'd be spending all his time attempting to raise money, and awareness about himself. But no. He had PATRONS; consistently rich, presumably consistently happy customers who put the buzz out about him, and made him an artistic rock star in his era. Think of that expression alone; rock star, an ARTIST whose fame and fortune are so super-powered it's become a word in our lexicon to describe ANYONE who is as such, no matter what they do. "Oh, in the world of professional video-gaming, he's a rock star." WHAT?! Apparently, we've given it all away, and working together is the only way we can ever hope to get any respect backPetehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-77140610283076118622012-07-21T16:16:00.002-04:002012-07-21T16:20:16.639-04:00This is primarily for the benefit of my many new Twitter followers. In 2006, I did what I considered to be a totally sanctioned, emotional and intellectual Swan Dive when I went to teach English as a Second Language in South Korea, after seven years of being a mechanic. Building a future out of faith, and almost thin air. It's almost magical. I thank the presence of mind of my wife, and salute one of my Twitter followers (she knows who she is,) because they were there with me every step of the way. Thank you. And now I realize that almost any creative effort, no matter who you are, or what your situation is, is the same variety of Swan Dive; it is an attempt to literally create a financial, emotional and intellectual reality, out of NOTHING! If you have never done this before, you have no concept of how hard it is, or how much energy it takes. It can be draining, life-sucking and utterly dispiriting. It can also be your raison-d'etre, and usually is. So I salute you, all of you. I feel your pain, I know what your going through, and I know how your work, your magnum opus, whatever form it may take, is like having a child. You put just as much in, and you hope to get just as much out. You do it for love, and pride and money, and because it is what your soul is made of. And it's okay, really. Don't ever give up; make your dream your reality, no matter how much it takes out of you. And to borrow from AC/DC, for those about to rock, I salute you.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-80045673648734229142012-07-17T13:21:00.003-04:002012-07-17T13:21:34.460-04:00<br />
<h1 style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 6px; text-align: left;">
I've hammered about a lot of things when it comes to teaching. This is one of those, "I'm glad somebody else is saying/thinking it now" moments. How many times have I heard from students, (mostly in districts and schools that I suspect a lot of teachers don't want to be in the first place,) "I haven't had a regular teacher all day!" or teachers who go where the money is, or use some other seemingly-suitable excuse to bail on their students, sometimes in the middle of a term. I talked before about a math class in one high school I was in that had been through two or three regular teachers by the time I got there, and this was in December or January. Is it any wonder students have no faith in teachers?! Teacher competence, I think, is less of an issue than just purely having the heart for it.</h1>
<h1 style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 6px; text-align: left;">
<br /></h1>
<h1 style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 6px; text-align: left;">
<br /></h1>
<h1 style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 6px; text-align: left;">
Substitute Teaching Undergoes New Scrutiny</h1>
<div class="byline" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 6px; text-align: left;">
By <a href="http://www.edweek.org/ew/contributors/jackie.zubrzycki_5678713.html" style="color: #336699; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Jaclyn Zubrzycki</a></div>
<div class="usertoolbox-top" style="float: right; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 6px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: 150px;">
<div class="welcome-box" id="divWelcomeBox" style="background-color: #e8eff7; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 153, 153); color: #993300; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px 0px 22px; padding: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px 2px 3px 4px;">
Premium article access courtesy of Edweek.org.</div>
<div class="free-link" style="background-color: white; margin: 3px 0px 0px; padding: 3px 0px; text-align: center;">
Read more <a href="http://www.edweek.org/ew/section/free-content" style="color: #336699; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">FREE content</a>!</div>
</div>
<div class="usertoolbox-container" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="usertoolbox-title" style="background-image: url(http://www.edweek.org/images/user-tool-bg.gif); background-position: 50% 0%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; height: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<img alt="Article Tools" class="article-tools" src="http://www.edweek.org/images/spacer.gif" style="background-image: url(http://www.edweek.org/images/article-tool.gif); background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: none; height: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 133px;" /></div>
<ul style="border-bottom-color: rgb(229, 229, 229); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(229, 229, 229); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin: -5px 0px 0px 18px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 1px 0px 0px 8px;"><a href="http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/07/18/36substitutes_ep.h31.html?tkn=WOVFmyGdEgf6Z7%2Fos5IAqyW%2F2xuu%2BD%2F%2BmjfY&cmp=clp-edweek" style="color: #336699; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Print" height="16" src="http://www.edweek.org/images/tool-print.gif" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="21" />Printer-Friendly</a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 1px 0px 0px 8px;"><a href="http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/07/18/36substitutes_ep.h31.html?tkn=WOVFmyGdEgf6Z7%2Fos5IAqyW%2F2xuu%2BD%2F%2BmjfY&cmp=clp-edweek" style="color: #336699; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Email" height="16" src="http://www.edweek.org/images/tool-email.gif" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="21" />Email Article</a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 1px 0px 0px 8px;"><a href="http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/07/18/36substitutes_ep.h31.html?tkn=WOVFmyGdEgf6Z7%2Fos5IAqyW%2F2xuu%2BD%2F%2BmjfY&cmp=clp-edweek" style="color: #336699; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Reprint" height="16" src="http://www.edweek.org/images/tool-reprint.gif" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="21" />Reprints</a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 1px 0px 0px 8px;"><a href="http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/07/18/36substitutes_ep.h31.html?tkn=WOVFmyGdEgf6Z7%2Fos5IAqyW%2F2xuu%2BD%2F%2BmjfY&cmp=clp-edweek#comments" style="color: #336699; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Comments" height="16" src="http://www.edweek.org/images/tool-comments.gif" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="21" />Comments<span id="articleCommentCount" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span></a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 1px 0px 0px 8px;"><span class="share-twitter" style="display: block; height: 20px; margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" class="twitter-share-button twitter-count-horizontal" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets/tweet_button.1340179658.html#_=1342545057697&count=horizontal&counturl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edweek.org%2Few%2Farticles%2F2012%2F07%2F18%2F36substitutes_ep.h31.html&id=twitter-widget-0&lang=en&original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edweek.org%2Few%2Farticles%2F2012%2F07%2F18%2F36substitutes_ep.h31.html%3Ftkn%3DWOVFmyGdEgf6Z7%252Fos5IAqyW%252F2xuu%252BD%252F%252BmjfY%26cmp%3Dclp-edweek&size=m&text=Education%20Week%3A%20Substitute%20Teaching%20Undergoes%20New%20Scrutiny&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edweek.org%2Few%2Farticles%2F2012%2F07%2F18%2F36substitutes_ep.h31.html%3Fcmp%3DSOC-SHR-TW&via=educationweek" style="height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 112px;" title="Twitter Tweet Button"></iframe></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 1px 0px 0px 8px;"><span class="share-facebook" style="display: block; height: 20px; margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px;"><pas:pluck_reactions_recommend plckarticletitle="Substitute Teaching Undergoes New Scrutiny" plckfblikeattributes="action="like" layout="button_count"" plckrecommendonkeytype="article" plckrecommendonurl="http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/07/18/36substitutes_ep.h31.html?cmp=SOC-SHR-FB" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="pluck-reactions-recommend" id="pluck_reactions_recommend_303064" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<a class="pluck-reactions-recommend-like" href="http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/07/18/36substitutes_ep.h31.html?tkn=WOVFmyGdEgf6Z7%2Fos5IAqyW%2F2xuu%2BD%2F%2BmjfY&cmp=clp-edweek#" style="background-image: url(http://sitelife.edweek.org/ver1.0/pluck/reactions/recommend/images/button_bg.png); border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: 1px solid rgb(179, 177, 170); color: #999999; display: block; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; height: 14px; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 2px; text-decoration: none; width: 64px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://sitelife.edweek.org/ver1.0/pluck/reactions/recommend/images/vote_yes_inactive.png); background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: block; float: left; height: 16px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 3px; padding: 0px; width: 16px;"></span>Like</a></div>
</pas:pluck_reactions_recommend></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 1px 0px 0px 8px;"><div class="sponsor-tool" style="color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 7px 0px 0px; padding: 3px 0px; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<div class="ad-wrapper" style="padding: 0px;">
</div>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class=" fb_reset" id="fb-root" style="background-image: none; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px; cursor: auto; direction: ltr; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-shadow: none; visibility: visible;">
<div style="height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -10000px; width: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<iframe id="fb_xdm_frame_http" name="fb_xdm_frame_http" src="http://static.ak.facebook.com/connect/xd_arbiter.php?version=9#channel=f25b2d721&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edweek.org&channel_path=%2Few%2Farticles%2F2012%2F07%2F18%2F36substitutes_ep.h31.html%3Ftkn%3DWOVFmyGdEgf6Z7%252Fos5IAqyW%252F2xuu%252BD%252F%252BmjfY%26cmp%3Dclp-edweek%26fb_xd_fragment%23xd_sig%3Df28f55e44%26" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></iframe><iframe id="fb_xdm_frame_https" name="fb_xdm_frame_https" src="https://s-static.ak.facebook.com/connect/xd_arbiter.php?version=9#channel=f25b2d721&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edweek.org&channel_path=%2Few%2Farticles%2F2012%2F07%2F18%2F36substitutes_ep.h31.html%3Ftkn%3DWOVFmyGdEgf6Z7%252Fos5IAqyW%252F2xuu%252BD%252F%252BmjfY%26cmp%3Dclp-edweek%26fb_xd_fragment%23xd_sig%3Df28f55e44%26" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></iframe></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
The mythology surrounding the substitute teacher is not a pretty one: Paper airplanes, lost learning, bullying. But as schools collect more information about teacher absenteeism and its consequences, districts and schools are exploring ways to professionalize substitute teaching—or experiment with alternative ways of coping with teacher absences.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
"Almost everyone appreciates at a gut level that what happens in the regular teacher's absence is not often something to brag about. It's kind of an underbelly, one of the darker secrets of what happens in public education," said Raegan T. Miller, the associate director for education research at the Center for American Progress, a think tank in Washington that is among several national groups and schools currently studying the issue.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
While substitute teachers are largely seen as occasional pinch hitters for full-time teachers, statistics show that students spend a good chunk of their time in school with them. The Washington-based National Council on Teacher Quality <a href="http://www.nctq.org/nctq/research/1190910822841.pdf" style="color: #336699; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">estimates</a><a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html" style="color: #336699; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img align="middle" alt="Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader" border="0" height="16" src="http://www.edweek.org/media/images/pdf.gif" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="16" /></a> that the average teacher misses between six and 10 days of school per year. And some research now links high rates of teacher absence to lower-than-expected achievement results for students.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
That has led a growing number of educators to call for creating a more professionally prepared substitute-teaching workforce.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
"We ought to be looking at professionalizing substitute teachers to make sure kids are experiencing high-quality instruction throughout their time in school," said Linda Davin, a senior policy analyst at the National Education Association, which has been studying efforts around the country to professionalize, support, and better compensate substitute teachers for a forthcoming brief.</div>
<h2 style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;">
A Glimpse at the Data</h2>
<div class="right" style="float: right; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">
<div class="inset-story" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 5px 7px 5px 5px; width: 280px;">
<div class="inset-header" style="color: #993300; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px;">
By the Numbers</div>
<div style="padding: 0px 0px 11px;">
<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Who's in the Classroom</b></div>
<div style="padding: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div class="visually_embed" data-category="Education" rel="infographic" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #303030; font-family: Arial; height: 305px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: 0px; width: 280px;">
<img class="visually_embed_infographic" data-id="0" rel="http://visually.visually.netdna-cdn.com/BytheNumbersSubstituteTeachers_500486c063f49.jpg" src="http://visually.visually.netdna-cdn.com/BytheNumbersSubstituteTeachers_500486c063f49_w280.jpg" style="border: 0px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: 0px;" /></div>
<div style="padding: 0px 0px 11px;">
</div>
<div class="inset-footer" style="font-size: 9px; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 0px;">
SOURCES: Center for American Progress; National Council on Teacher Quality; STEDI.org</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
The findings linking student achievement to teacher absences emerged from a 2007 paper by Mr. Miller and fellow researchers Richard J. Murnane and John B. Willet, who were all then working at Harvard University. They suggested that students whose teachers missed 10 or more days in a school year saw significantly lower test results than peers whose teachers were absent less often.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
The U.S. Department of Education's office for civil rights followed up on those results by including teacher absenteeism in its 2009-10 data collection for the first time. The 2009-10 data, which were released this spring, captured the proportion of teachers who are absent more than 10 days in the 7,000 districts and 72,000 schools it surveyed (excluding approximately 600 schools whose figures were deemed to be iffy.) That analysis suggests that 37 percent of teachers were absent more than 10 days in 2009-10, though an inconsistency in the way the question was phrased means that some districts may have included absences due to professional development in their figures.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
Districts are also getting more access to data about teacher absenteeism as they move to automated or computerized systems for assigning substitute teachers and monitoring attendance like <a href="http://www.aesopeducation.com/" style="color: #336699; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Aesop</a>, a commercial attendance-management program.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
The federal data and the data from school systems have already shed some light on trends in absenteeism; in many districts, for instance, it's been reported that schools serving disadvantaged students have higher rates of teacher absenteeism and have a harder time filling those classrooms with qualified substitutes. In Knox County, Tenn., for instance, the district has often struggled to place substitutes in its city schools, according to Kathy Sims, the executive director of human resources.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
Using computerized programs means substitute teachers can even use smartphone apps to accept subbing jobs and pick up lesson plans. Ms. Sims said the technology helped her district notice which substitutes were regularly turning down assignments. But the systems also have a potential downside: Teachers are more likely to call out sick if they do not have to speak to a principal directly, said the Center for American Progress' Mr. Miller.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
But, of course, teachers are absent, "for the same reason as any other professional," Mr. Miller said, whether due to family situations, emergencies, or professional development. They may even suffer higher-than-average rates of illness because of their high, on-the-job exposure to children's illnesses.</div>
<h2 style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;">
Vital Role</h2>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
Though the importance of teachers in student performance is widely agreed upon, the<a href="http://stedi.org/subs/resources/how-to-become-a-substitute-teacher/requirements-for-substitute-teachers-by-state/" style="color: #336699; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">qualifications</a> of the substitutes who fill their roles when teachers are absent vary widely, said Geoffrey G. Smith, the director of <a href="http://stedi.org/" style="color: #336699; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">STEDI.org</a>, a substitute-training institute sponsored by Utah State University. In some states, a substitute teacher need only clear a criminal-background check, while in the states of Washington and Iowa, substitutes need to be certified teachers. Some states, including Louisiana and Montana, allow districts to set their own requirements. The NEA's Ms. Davin said that uniformly higher standards for becoming a substitute teacher would help ensure that students are taught by qualified professionals.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
The NEA also points to instances where better compensation, professional development, and administrative support for substitute teachers have improved the substitute pool, and calls for expanding these practices in an upcoming brief. In Montgomery County, Md., substitutes who cover at least 45 days over the course of a semester receive a bonus. In Oregon, the legislature set the minimum salary for substitutes at 85 percent of that of an average beginning teacher, and substitutes cannot be paid for less than a half day. In other districts, substitute teachers with teaching degrees are paid more than noncertified substitutes.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
In a weak economy, many districts do not have to scramble to find substitutes, said Mr. Smith. They may draw from a pool of retired teachers or people lookingfor temporary employment. But while Mr. Smith said that "training is the most important thing a sub can receive prior to entering," many districts do not train their substitutes.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.nctq.org/p/tqb/viewStory.jsp?id=31384" style="color: #336699; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">According to the NCTQ</a>, only 24 percent of districts in a sample of more than 100 surveyed by the organization require substitutes to have a teaching or substitute-teaching certificate. Most districts do not require evaluation of substitutes.</div>
<h2 style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;">
Training Subs</h2>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
Until 2010-11, substitute teachers in Knox County only had to complete paperwork and meet with a representative from human resources, said Ms. Sims. The district began requiring more-extensive training in 2010-11 that requires all potential substitutes who lack education degrees to pass an assessment. The training mandate caused the number of substitutes in the city's pool to decrease by about half, as potential subs had to pay for their training, but Ms. Sims said that fill rates actually increased, and principals' and substitutes' job satisfaction rose that year. "We have a more qualified pool," Ms. Sims said.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
Angela M. Dicke, the coordinator for the <a href="http://www.ssco.org/ocst/index.html" style="color: #336699; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Ohio Center for Substitute Teachers</a>, a program that offers training to prospective substitute teachers in that state, said that such training was generally welcomed by substitutes. "Subs have told us that the pay is fine," she said. "What they're really wanting is recognition and to know that what they're doing is the right thing to do."</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
She said her organization's training program, required by some Ohio districts, saw "physicians, career-changers, and a lot of realtors" come through en route to a career in substitute teaching, and that the training often helped weed out those who discovered that substitute-teaching would not be a good fit. "They need to learn about liability, about classroom management, about policies and procedures," she said. "It requires a different set of skills than being a regular classroom teacher." Substitute-teaching is a "lonely profession," said Ms. Dicke. "It's kind of an overlooked partner in education. So our goal here is to really professionalize the aspect of being a substitute teacher. It isn't a babysitting job—you need a toolkit."</div>
<h2 style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; text-align: left;">
Nontraditional Models</h2>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
Some schools seek to avoid the revolving cast of substitute teachers altogether by having in-building substitutes or, in some cases, not employing substitutes at all.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
Invictus Prep and Harlem Village Academy in New York City and KIPP Will Academy in the District of Columbia are among the contingent of charters that do not employ substitute teachers at all, instead relying on teachers to cover for one another during prep periods.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
For charter schools with specific school cultures, that may make sense, said Jonathan Travers, a director at Education Resource Strategies, a Boston-based nonprofit working with urban schools. "The more specific and strong the school culture is, the greater the premium there's going to be on managing who's in the building as tightly as can be," he said.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
Prospect Hill Academy, a charter school in Cambridge, Mass., employs a different strategy. Teachers are expected to cover one another's classes, but the school also employs three full-time substitutes who are familiar with the school's culture. "This is something that might not have made it through a collective bargaining agreement, but most teachers understand it philosophically," said the head of school, Jed F. Lippard.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
Though employing full-time substitutes is more expensive for the school, having familiar adults in the classroom—whether a full-time substitute or full-time teacher covering a class—"preserves high expectations for kids in terms of engagement and behavior andit creates a culture of accountability for colleagues. When you know that your colleague's responsible for covering classes, it makes teachers more accountable for thoughtful, rigorous lesson planning," said Mr. Lippard.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
Charter schools aren't the only schools looking to avoid putting students with adults they don't know. In Knox County, Ms. Sims said her office had recently proposed a system that would establish several permanent substitutes who would be tied to schools within a single region. "It would cost more—but the benefits would be that we'd have trained, high-quality substitutes that know the schools in the region, and the students get to know them, the principals get to know them."</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
Individual school culture largely determines the rates of teacher absenteeism and the success or failure of substitute teachers, said ERS' Mr. Travers. Schools can combat the learning loss by focusing on improving other aspects of school culture, he said. "Maximizing teacher morale and attendance and structuring teacher roles and teacher teams well is probably a better means to the same end" of combating the learning loss that takes place when teachers are out, Mr. Travers said. "It has so many other positive externalities."</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
But what happens when teachers are absent is important, Mr. Miller said. "We have this pretty well-understood idea now that teachers really matter—teachers are the most important school-based driver of student achievement," he said.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
That means professionalizing substitute-teaching matters, too, said the nea's Ms. Davin. "We need to make sure kids are experiencing high-quality teaching throughout their education experience, even when the regular teacher is out."</div>
<div class="story-footer" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">
<div style="padding: 0px 0px 11px;">
Coverage of policy efforts to improve the teaching profession is supported by a grant from the Joyce Foundation, at <a href="http://www.joycefdn.org/Programs/Education" style="color: #336699; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">www.joycefdn.org/Programs/Education</a>.</div>
</div>
<div class="vol-issue-pages" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; margin-top: 15px; padding: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: left;">
<span class="gray-label-plain" style="color: #949494; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Vol. 31, Issue 36, Pages 1,16</span></div>
<div class="relatedcontent" style="border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 3px 0px 0px; text-align: left;">
<div class="promo-header" style="border: none; color: #993300; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">RELATED STORIES</span></div>
<ul class="related-stories" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 18px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px;"><a href="http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/09/21/04hiring.h31.html" style="color: #336699; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">“Some Districts Rethink Last-Minute Teacher Hiring,”</a> <span class="gray-label-plain" style="color: #949494; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">September 21, 2011.</span></li>
<li style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px;"><a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/teacherbeat/2009/06/klein_gets_a_jump_on_atr_place.html" style="color: #336699; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">"Movement Afoot on N.Y.C. Reserve-Pool Placements?,"</a> <span class="gray-label-plain" style="color: #949494; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(Teacher Beat Blog) June 18, 2009.</span></li>
<li style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px;"><a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/teacherbeat/2009/02/nd_to_consider_rolling_back_su.html" style="color: #336699; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">"N.D. to Consider Rolling Back Substitute Teacher Requirements,"</a> <span class="gray-label-plain" style="color: #949494; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(Teacher Beat Blog) February 5, 2009.</span></li>
<li style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px;"><a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/teacherbeat/2008/11/substitute_teaching.html" style="color: #336699; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">"Teacher Absenteeism,"</a> <span class="gray-label-plain" style="color: #949494; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(Teacher Beat Blog) November 10, 2008.</span></li>
<li style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px;"><a href="http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/09/12/03subs.h27.html" style="color: #336699; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">“Policies Allow Districts to Cut Corners With Substitutes,”</a> <span class="gray-label-plain" style="color: #949494; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">September 12, 2007.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="relatedcontent" id="rcomm" style="border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 3px 0px 0px; text-align: left;">
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-70785881301696682252012-07-16T12:18:00.003-04:002012-07-16T12:18:41.298-04:00I haven't really had very much to write about lately, but boy, it can come around like a Catamaran. (if you've never sailed a Catamaran, don't try it the first time by yourself. You'll drown.) Last weekend was the first time myself, my brother and sister have all been in the company of my dad since, like, EVER. It's been a long time, anyway. Certainly one of the first times since dad--God, it's been a looooong time anyway. And despite the fact that everyone played nice, at least nice enough not to want to attempt to kill each other or anything, (I'm not convinced it'd be worth it, myself,) a lot is still smoldering. Which frankly, really sucks. The man is in the grips of dementia, whatever's done is done. And dwelling on the past is not going to fix anything. Mostly, I wanna believe I have lightened my emotional load considerably. I don't need the stress. Never mind the fact that my sister SMOKES; yes. The older sister Miss Vegetarian/Triathlete/Mitral Valve Prolapse sugery SMOKES. I was stunned. Drinks, eats meat, the whole nine yards. The only thing I don't think she's totally given up on is the idea that my father sucked. Well, be that as it may, yeah, he was a workaholic....generally speaking was he perfect? NO. But forget it; I'll be real surprised if he makes it to Christmas. Well, maybe Christmas. New Year's may be a question mark. He's going downhill pretty rapidly. and I'm also aware that I'm probably in no real position. Also don't get the wrong impression here, I love my brother, and my sister, but quite frankly, none of our perspectives on our childhoods is the same, nor will they ever be. I didn't grow up the same way they did, they don't live in my skin, and I don't live in theirs. Anyone can make any judgement that they care to, but it doesn't change an individual's, ANY individual's perspective. So my message here is the same as what I just said. Forget yesterday, because dwelling on it is not going to change a motherfu**ing thing.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-72686734737958317942012-03-29T15:32:00.000-04:002012-03-29T15:32:31.322-04:00Let me explain some whys and wherefores, because I really don't think some people quite "get it;" first of all, my career satisfies me for many reasons, despite the fact that it frequently drives me as insane as it would any other person. Chief among the reasons, is just being a divorced dad. My daughters were my LIFE, for a long time, and they were taken from me. Teaching is compensatory; if it wasn't for what I do, frankly, I'd probably have been found hanging from the end of a rope a long time ago. The fact that it pays the bills (such as it does,) is just icing on the cake. Why do I do it the way I do it? Precisely because the paperwork, and the regulation, and everything else that's involved with being a "real" teacher, (despite the fact that I feel I really am, I'm just in a different classroom every day,) is positively stifling. I work frequently because the regular classroom teacher is stuck in a meeting. Not doing what they're really there for, frequently (best case,) not doing what really makes them burn. Puts the fire in them.<br />
<br />
As for ESL, I have always loved languages. Working in Dearborn, working in Korea, working anywhere, being anywhere where languages besides English are being spoken is like music to me. It bends my ear, yes, in a way no car ever has, and I've heard cars that sent shivers down my spine with their exhaust notes. That's it, in a nutshell. I'm a gun-for-hire because it works for me. I imagine there's probably certified teachers who do what I do precisely to be so liberated, crazy as that sounds. Beyond that, y'know what? I'm pretty fu*kin' happy right now. Which is not to say that life is not work, believe me, it is. but I don't feel like I'm sinking unless someone is trying to push me down. Why is it that sometimes the hardest thing to do is simply be yourself?Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-22587838888215909342012-03-22T16:05:00.000-04:002012-03-22T16:05:34.795-04:00<a href="http://www.languagetrainers.co.uk/blog/2007/09/24/top-10-hand-gestures/">http://www.languagetrainers.co.uk/blog/2007/09/24/top-10-hand-gestures/</a><br />
<br />
If you're gonna use your hands, know what you're saying. In some places, not knowing could be the bigger risk.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-81194812548043875472012-03-09T16:28:00.000-05:002012-03-09T16:28:04.421-05:00I have managed six years of subbing without having to actively break up a fight. Until today. And among a couple of sixth graders, in a mostly-Arabic school. I'm still twitching as I write this. What the hell are we teaching our kids? How are we living that makes them NOT able to "use their words," as we teachers try to pound into them at every opportunity? And why, when they do "use their words," does it eventually cause fists to fly the way it did today? Are we sending the right message? I don't really suspect I'll get in trouble for doing what I did, which in the end was simply making sure that the aggressor got down to the office to serve her discipline the way she should have. Education is my business, not having to play enforcer, although I find myself put in that situation an awful lot. What the hell is going on? And discipline is getting harder to maintain, year by year, even in districts with shrinking class sizes. And anyone who knows me personally, knows I am no "shrinking violet;" I got involved so nobody got hurt any worse than they already had, which was minimal. I don't consider bruised egos to be a major malady, at least not compared to contusions. As you might have guessed, I don't feel good about this. I had a million things going through my head on the ride home, from the altercations that I had myself growing up, (few, but there were some,) to the part in "Bullitt" where Steve McQueen's Architect girlfriend walks into the middle of a murder scene, and wonders how the hell he can do his job day after day. And at the end of "Bullitt," of course, Frank Bullitt comes home (driving her car after his was wrecked in the mother of all chase scenes,) finds her sleeping and takes his holster off before going into the bedroom. Overall......what I experienced today.....Job hazard, or cultural side effect? I can't tell at this point.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-35762226719493790342012-03-04T15:34:00.002-05:002012-03-04T15:39:51.610-05:00I've talked to a lot of people lately, several of them I haven't talked to in quite some time. My sister in Colorado, who has to have open-heart surgery to have heart valve repaired, chose a hospital close to home to have the operation done. Despite whatever I have felt with regard to her in the past, and it hasn't always been positive, I wish her nothing but the best of experiences and a speedy recovery to her jam-packed life. One of my high school buddies, who I haven't been in contact with for at least a year, called the other day and filled me in on how everything was going. Apparently his 77-year-old, Tennessee-born widower father has found love again, and been remarried for about a year and a half now. I say, good for him. I have friends who are at the other end of the marital-bliss spectrum, and I won't call them out, only hope for their future happiness. Me? I'm afloat. Not much more to be asked at this point. More details as they arise, as always.<br />
<br />
And one more time, probably one of the all-time best car ads ever:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cpi2IAec9Ho" width="560"></iframe>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-55670467080991866992012-02-15T16:40:00.000-05:002012-02-15T16:40:58.795-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dOpG5Lq4BvU/TzwjrTBPOzI/AAAAAAAABAM/CiL2E3Hmwnc/s1600/get-attachment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dOpG5Lq4BvU/TzwjrTBPOzI/AAAAAAAABAM/CiL2E3Hmwnc/s320/get-attachment.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>As hilarious as I thought this was, I couldn't get it to upload to Facebook, and make it stick, leading me to believe that Mr. Zuckerberg has some kind of hidden agenda, and is more interested in controlling speech in his little world, all the while suckering the small-minded with FarmVille (which I despise, BTW,) and other such madness. It's still a free country, Mark. I can express whatever the he*l I feel like expressing, and you being a media monster doesn't mean it won't happen. If I didn't have so many friends (relatively speaking,) on Facebook, frankly I'd just chuck the whole wretched mess. Maybe I will. Maybe I'll wait. But still, this is hilarious; can'tcha just see the phone call?! "Saturday wedding? nope, sorry, can't do it. No, I mean, like ever! We're busy on Saturdays!" And, yes, this is real. It's a place in Ann Arbor; an Episcopal Church and Jewish Temple. I hesitate to call it niche marketing, seems more like a convoluted real estate compromise. Anyway, if, in the future, I just chuck Facebook altogether, it's not because of anything anyone did, it's because Mark Zuckerberg is turning out to be one of the most see-through a*sholes ever born.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-82405369407837723002012-01-21T15:16:00.001-05:002012-01-21T15:16:56.565-05:00Props to a friend of mine from Deviant Art, who also happens to have a blog here. There's not a vast number of women who just dig cars outright, for their own pleasure and purposes, and meanings. I give it up to the ones who do. Check her page out, "LilBlueHorse," as she's known on DA, is one of a kind.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://carsandsparkles.blogspot.com/">http://carsandsparkles.blogspot.com/</a> <br />
<br />
And I did the following as a tribute to the recently-passed father of an Odawa Native American friend of mine. And before anyone gets all bent out of shape, yes, I know that the totem pole is primarily an Inuit device, but it brings the piece together with a sense of family and culture, at least from my perspective. If you don't agree, feel free to say so.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zZ4Z2t0DuP0/TxscymQPgZI/AAAAAAAABAE/F9htLsCja_Q/s1600/394997_2531647930651_1237089750_32070668_2008414059_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zZ4Z2t0DuP0/TxscymQPgZI/AAAAAAAABAE/F9htLsCja_Q/s320/394997_2531647930651_1237089750_32070668_2008414059_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571512.post-16742198634421330872012-01-12T16:06:00.002-05:002012-01-12T16:06:36.447-05:00<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EsEeFWfpJRQ" width="560"></iframe><br />
Issac Newton, Albert Einstein....if nothing else, I guess I'm in good company.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13981023462068647553noreply@blogger.com0