What's Up with Anne & Drew

What's Up with Anne & Drew: "startegist but I did stay at a holiday in express last night. :) "

Yahoo! News - Pentagon to Retire Carrier, Buy Fewer Ships -- Report

Yahoo! News - Pentagon to Retire Carrier, Buy Fewer Ships -- Report

Last time I checked we were in a war on terror.

Not that I am a spendthrift or anything but does cutting all this military spending really make sense when we are in a war in Iraq and also have a war on terror going on? I am no military startegist but I did stay at a holiday in express last night. :)

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Anne and Drew wish everyone a Very Happy Holiday and a Great New Year!

Now go spend time with people that you love!

The Flu Strikes Anne and Drew

We have been fighting and losing to the flu for the last 10 or so days. Yup we got the bug and we are not happy campers. Between medicine, tissues, and the twenty hours of sleep on Thursday we have turned the corner on this ugly beast. At least we got it before Christmas.

Anne is finishing this semesters work and I am all done with the courses I needed for the PACE ICB program. HOORAH! We are sending out christmas cards next weekend and we are almost all done Christmas shopping. We will be making holiday goodies for everyone at work as is our tradition. Hope all is well and now that we can stand up let the blogging begin!

Evil Laughing!!!

The New York Times > New York Region > Court Panel Says New York Schools Need Billions More

The New York Times > New York Region > Court Panel Says New York Schools Need Billions More


Here is something interesting, money for New York City Schools. This is the latest in the court settloement that requires New York State to come up with Moola for NYC. Where they are getting the 5.6 billion is anyones guess. Perhaps now the kids can have books to take home?

The New York Times > Education > Bill Clears Way for Government to Cut Back College Loans

The New York Times > Education > Bill Clears Way for Government to Cut Back College Loans

After all why bother trying to help people become more educated and get their families ahead. I would think that a sound policy would embrace making education as easy as possible. Does anyone remember the GI bill? That ushered in one of the best times in American history.

Call you Sentor or Congresssman and tell them to restore this funding ASAP! The job you save and the Social Security you save just might be your own.

Protect Every Child

Protect Every Child

Please take a few seconds to help promote this bill. It is important for education.

Sleepless blues. . .

Anne and I are again singing the sleepless blues. Between classes, the drive to NYC, classes for each of us for graduate school-- we get very little sleep. We are looking forward to veterans day so we can sleep way in and maybe even turn into normal people again. I am working at IS 52 with Anne and I am also working the after school Platform Learning program.

Sleepless blues. . .

The new Math and Social Studies Web Site

Check out the new Math and Social Studies Web site as it develops at

Digital Schools

http://www.digitalschools.org

ugg 

2004 Election and I am off to work the polls

NYTimes.com 2004 Election GuideI am working the polls on Election day and I am voting for KERRY.

Why am I voting for Kerry. People ask me if it is because I am worried about the loss of American jobs? People ask me if it is because I am worried about our soaring trade deficit, or personal debt? Some ask if it might be because I am worried that we are in Iraq when we should be focusing our energies on eliminating terrorism? Some say it is because I belive a woman has the right to choose.

Yes yes yes yes!

The New York Times > Science > Environment > Big Arctic Perils Seen in Warming, Survey Finds

The New York Times > Science > Environment > Big Arctic Perils Seen in Warming, Survey Finds

One huge reason we should all be getting out to vote this year is the United States almost drug like consumption of oil. These resources come from unrealiable places as we all know and effect our balance of trade by exporting our wealth to other nations. By using home grown technologies and alternative methods of running our cars--like hybrids we could go a long way to help the environment and increase our wealth.

Please take a moment to think about who would help us in that directioni as you head to the polls this Tuesday.

The Main Causes of the Great Depression -- Are they similar today?

The Main Causes of the Great Depression


Take a look at this article and see if many of the same factors contributing to the great depression exist today. For certain there are many factors that do not exist today--largely as a result of the efforts of FDR in the 1930's. Yet I am struck by the underlying political and economic forces as described in this article.

What the. . . .

I spent the first 3 weeks of this year working at IS 164, and then I was excused from the school. I was told by my principal on the way out on a Wednesday that I would not be needed as the last hired from my school--I had no seniority. I then found a new job at IS 52 where I am working now.

Sadly, the principal at IS 164 Ms. Carrillo called me back after I had been at IS 52 for a couple of days to ask me back. Since I had already made a promise to IS 52 I could not go back to IS 164. I will miss the kids at IS 164--and I wish them the best of luck. They can always contact me regarding anything they need for high school Math, or social studies.

The new digital schools is under construction and contains both a math and social studies component. The weather is warm here in New York--Indian summer. We are off of school this Monday.

Hey All. . .

Well the year is on with a bang. Anne is at IS 52 and I am at IS 164. Anne has been made the Social Studies chair and is now busy as all heck. I received a grant to create a web site for kids in New York City relating to math--whew. We are both feeling healthy if not tired. My mom and dad are doing well and the leaves are starting to change on the trees here in New York.

We had our first cold night here yesterday and you can feel fall in the air. Eric, my brother, is busy as all get out with the election coming up and we are all praying that things stay calm here in New York. Our friends Howard and Stacy have announced their wedding set for next year and we could not be more excited.

Gus the dog is dong well and he is now adjusting to his new sleeping quarters outside of our room. It has improved our sleeping patterns and his. He can now get water as he pleases.

MSNBC - Judge orders all Bush records released

MSNBC - Judge orders all Bush records released

With all the talk about military records it is hard to tell that we have lost and continue to lose thousands of high paying factory and customer service worker jobs. We don't notice that the trade and current account deficit that is funded by other countries continues to rise further weakening the prospects for our childrens future. We lose sight of the fact that more people are going without health insurance, and can no longer afford to buy the house in the area in which they grew up.

Mr Pecunia's IS 164 Math Web Site

Mr. Pecunia's Math and Social Studies Web Site

The Mr. Pecunia web site is now open and ready for viewing. As the year moves on you will be able to find all the resources you need when I am not in school 24/7 to help you be the best in math.

WGBH.org Back-to-School Resources for Teachers and Students

WGBH.org Back-to-School Resources for Teachers and Students

Ahh back to school. Today was the first day with my new principal at IS 164. So far things look good. The first positive step was a meeting on the first day that started with an agenda and muffins. The agenda was great and very professional. In addition to the agenda we were given informational packets on new school thoughts from our summer retreats and a general vision by the new principal.

Another great development was the overview of the new diciplinary procedures and codes of our newly restructured school. Suplloies have begun to be distributed and classes room were partially distributed today. On the down side schedules are not yet available to teachers and not all teachers have rooms assigned. This slows down the process of getting the classrroms ready for Monday.

Looks like we are having total inclusion classrooms with no ranking or classification of students by class or number. This should prove very interesting and I am looking forward to seeing how this will play out in the classroom. This is also potentially a positive development!

It was great to see everyone, and it is funny how it seemed so long ago just this morning that I saw everyone--especially since we all fell into the groove so quickly.

I am looking forward to the year with promise.

MSNBC - Clinton surgery called a success

MSNBC - Clinton surgery called a success

Our best wishes go out to former President Clinton and his family. We are so happy that his problem was caught so early and that the doctors were able to get him in and fixed right away. Speaking as someone who worked on his first campaign, and ended up following him down to Washington, DC we will be looking forward to the bed side chats during the campaign. Go Bill!

Don't question the President Bush or else! 

Vote! 

Killer wave lying in wait

Printer Friendly Version - Killer wave
lying in wait

Ok never mind anything I have ever said in this blog and RUNNNNNN!!!!!!! :)

Leaving Seattle

After a great vacation in Seattle Anne and I are heading back to New York City this Tuesday. Thanks dad for taking the time to pick us up at the airport. The weather was great here in Seattle and we had a great time seeing everyone. We missed seeing Sol and Sharai and that was a big disappointment. Well perhaps they can come out to New York.

Yesterday, Anne's dad bought a new lawnmower--exciting I know. We are celebrating Anne's dad's birthday today since we will not be here when it happens. Anne's mom has left already for Reno and a family get together so we have been here with her dad alone for the last four days.

One of the great things about vacation is getting to the gym every day which I did manage to do. Woohoo! Crap my brother has to work the Convention something we hoped he would not have to do in New York City.

See you in New York!

Relaxation?

Anne and I headed out for some much needed R&R in Washington State. We are here for the entire month. Feels weird relaxing after all the wrok this year.

Jen Anne and I went to see the Manchurian candidate and that is highly recommended. It was good to see Jen and we will be seeing her again.

We met Bob Parrish Jr's new girlfriend Robbin and she is just great. We are headed out to see the Yankees just really beat the Mariners this Saturday and plan on heading out to see their home in Puyallup later this week.

We saw our friends Naraen and Kahvita--they just bough a house in Ames lake over on what they call out here the east side. They seem busy getting into the lives of homeowners. We hope to see them again before we leave.

Todd and Becca have a great little ranch just outside Issaquah. It is a place with a big barn, many outbuildings and a home. So far they have two ponies, two geldings, and two stalions. That is addition to the four dogs and one cat! They bought a truck and a 40 horsepower tractor. We went to dinner and checked out the stars and falling meters last night.

We are looking forward to getting back to working with the kids in the fall and hope everyone is well.

The ecomomy has just replaced the job you lost three years ago!

AT A CHEAPER MORE COST EFFICIENT WAGE --uggh!
 
Hourly Pay in U.S. Not Keeping Pace With Price RisesBy EDUARDO PORTERPublished: July 18, 2004
he amount of money workers receive in their paychecks is failing to keep up with inflation. Though wages should recover if businesses continue to hire, three years of job losses have left a large worker surplus.
"There's too much slack in the labor market to generate any pressure on wage growth,'' said Jared Bernstein, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal research institution based in Washington. "We are going to need a much lower unemployment rate.'' He noted that at 5.6 percent, the national unemployment rate is still back at the same level as at the end of the recession in November 2001.

Even though the economy has been adding hundreds of thousands of jobs almost every month this year, stagnant wages could put a dent in the prospects for economic growth, some economists say. If incomes continue to lag behind the increase in prices, it may hinder the ability of ordinary workers to spend money at a healthy clip, undermining one of the pillars of the expansion so far.
Declining wages are likely to play a prominent role in the current presidential campaign. Growing employment has lifted President Bush's job approval ratings on the economy of late. According to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll, in mid-July, 42 percent of those polled approved of the president's handling of the economy, up from 38 percent in mid-March.
Yet Senator John Kerry, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, is pointing to lackluster wages as a telling weakness in the administration's economic track record. ``Americans feel squeezed between prices that are rising and incomes that are not,'' Mark Mellman, a pollster for the campaign, said in a memorandum last month.
On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that hourly earnings of production workers - nonmanagement workers ranging from nurses and teachers to hamburger flippers and assembly-line workers - fell 1.1 percent in June, after accounting for inflation. The June drop, the steepest decline since the depths of recession in mid-1991, came after a 0.8 percent fall in real hourly earnings in May.
Coming on top of a 12-minute drop in the average workweek, the decline in the hourly rate last month cut deeply into workers' pay. In June, production workers took home $525.84 a week, on average. After accounting for inflation, this is about $8 less than they were pocketing last January, and is the lowest level of weekly pay since October 2001.
On its own, the decline in workers' wages is unlikely to derail the recovery. Though they account for some 80 percent of the work force, they contribute much less to spending. Mark M. Zandi, chief economist at Economy.com, a research firm, noted that households in the bottom half of income distribution account for only one-third of consumer spending.
Nonetheless, coming after the bonanza of the second half of the 1990's, the first period of sustained real wage growth since the 1970's, the current slide in earnings is a big blow for the lower middle class. Moreover, the absence of lower income households could also weigh on overall economic growth - putting a lid on the mass market and skewing consumption toward high-end products.
"There's a bit of a dichotomy," said Ethan S. Harris, chief economist at Lehman Brothers. "Joe Six-Pack is under a lot of pressure. He got a lousy raise; he's paying more for gasoline and milk. He's not doing that great. But proprietors' income is up. Profits are up. Home values are up. Middle-income and upper-income people are looking pretty good."
Tales of tight budgets at the bottom are springing up across the country. "I haven't had a salary increase in two years, but the cost of living is going up," said Eric Lambert, 42, a father of three who earns $13 an hour as a security guard at 660 Madison Ave. in Manhattan.
Silvia Vides, 43, who earns $11 an hour in a union job as a housekeeper at the Universal City Sheraton hotel in Los Angeles, said, "Sometimes I don't know how I pay the bills and food and rent." She has cut back on all nonessential expenditures and she is four months behind on payments on $4,000 in credit-card debt.

Their woes are a product of supply and demand for labor. From 1996 through 2000 when employers were hiring hand over fist, real hourly wages of ordinary workers rose by 7.5 percent. Those for leisure and hospitality workers rose 9.6 percent, and retail workers' climbed 8.9 percent. The raises continued even as the economy slipped into recession in 2001 and businesses began to shed workers.


From 2001 to 2003, 2.4 million jobs were eliminated, as businesses sharply reduced their work forces, refusing to hire back even as demand started picking up. Over a million of these jobs have been regained this year.
Yet with the lowest number of people employed as a share of the population since 1994, there is still a plentiful supply of unused laborers looking for jobs.
As the rise in energy prices in the earlier months of this year led to rising inflation, pushing prices in June up 3.2 percent from the same month of last year, the lackluster job market has left workers in a weak position to demand more money.
"Since last November, we've had a pickup in hiring and a pickup in hours worked in virtually all of our businesses," said David Pittaway, a senior managing director at Castle Harlan, an equity investment company that owns everything from Burger King franchises to a shipping company.
But there is clearly still a lot of slack. When Castle Harlan advertised in the newspapers to fill 70 to 80 positions at a Morton's restaurant it opened in early July in White Plains, 600 to 700 people showed up.
Ms. Vides in California ticks off the items of a rising cost of living. She pays $850 a month for a one-bedroom apartment in Panorama City, $25 more a month than last year. The cost of a bus pass rose $10, to $45 a month. The electricity bill is much higher and food costs more. "I've got to do miracles with my salary," she said.
So Ms. Vides said she was outraged that the hotels negotiating a new contract with her union were offering annual raises of 40 cents to 45 cents an hour each year for the next five years. The raise in 2004 would be about 4 percent, just enough to keep up with the 4 percent rise in prices in Los Angeles over the last year. "This is miserly," said Ms. Vides, who said the union wants $1.25 this year and $1.50 next.
Colleen Kareti, president of the Los Angeles hotel employers' council, which represents the hotels, argued that negotiations had not yet gotten down to bargaining over wages. But she pointed out that times are hard for the hotel business, too. "It's been pretty bad for the last three years. We're nowhere near the levels of business where we were in 1998 through 2000," Ms. Kareti said.
Some economists warn that if wages remain depressed for a long time they may end up weighing on the economy. "The recovery will likely continue on despite the travails of lower-income households, but it cannot flourish," Mr. Zandi said.
So far, spending has been fueled mostly by debt, as consumers took advantage of bedrock-low interest rates to whip out their credit cards and refinance their mortgages. But as interest rates rise to keep inflation in check, continued growth in consumer spending will depend more on jobs and wages.
Spending is still holding up, led by strong corporate profits as well as higher salaries and bonuses at the upper end of the income distribution. But the lagging earnings at the bottom end are making for a somewhat lopsided expansion.
The upper echelons of consumer spending, at places like Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom department stores, are reporting gangbuster business. "I'm surprised by how well we've sold high-priced fashion at this stage," said Pete Nordstrom, president of Nordstrom's full-line stores.
But at the other end, sales at stores open at least a year at big-box discounters like Target and Wal-Mart have disappointed, while sales of used cars are declining year over year, government figures show. "We're not seeing the traffic, not even the same volumes of sales calls," said Richard Cooper, a sales manager at Jones Ford in Charleston, S.C.
Wages at the bottom should eventually recover, as businesses continue hiring to meet growing demand. The question is how fast. "As unemployment slides down, more of the benefits of growth should flow to the working class," Mr. Bernstein said. "But not until we reach truly full employment are they likely to see their earnings rise at a level closer to that of productivity."

What the %$^&%^&*

If we put the logging intereted governors in charge of logging. . .

What could be next? Maybe we could put the the chemical companies and coal producers in charge of the EPA. The Pharm companies in charge of the FDA. What's next the oil companies in charge of government?

HEY WAIT A MINUTE!

White House Proposal Would Leave Forest-Use Decisions to Governors
By FELICITY BARRINGER

Published: July 12, 2004


ASHINGTON, July 12 — The Forest Service today proposed scuttling a Clinton-era rule, which put 58.5 million acres of national forest largely off-limits to logging, mining or other development, in favor of a new system that leaves it to state governors to seek greater or fewer strictures on the construction of logging, mining, recreational or other roads on federal forest land.

The announcement, made by Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman in Boise, Idaho, a state where ideological opposition to the Clinton rule was most pronounced, was a signature moment for the Bush Administration's environmental policy.

After three years of gradually retreating from the sweeping preservationist rule, which covered about 30 percent of the 191 million acres of national forests and was embraced by environmentalists, the administration decisively rejected it and substituted a patchwork process that makes state officials the moving force in decisions of whether to log or to conserve forest lands.

In her press conference today, Secretary Veneman portrayed the Bush administration's proposal both as a way to avoid the tangle of litigation provoked by the Clinton rule and a way to enhance local participation and federal flexibility in determining the use of national forest land. Final decisions on state petitions will be made by the Forest Service.

But a broad spectrum of environmental groups — including some usually sympathetic to the Bush administration — voiced outrage and disappointment at the announcement. "This doesn't ensure that a single acre of roadless area gets protected," said Marty Hayden, legislative director of Earthjustice, one of several groups that are defending the Clinton-era rule in Federal court.

"Everything could be up for grabs," he added.

Jim Range, a former senior Republican congressional staffer who in 2001 helped establish the Forest Road Working Group, issued a statement today saying that the loss of the Clinton-era protections was a disappointment.

"The current regulation established an important degree of certain protection to these valuable areas, which provide important fish and wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities for American hunters, anglers, campers, hikers, and others," Mr. Range said in a prepared statement.

"The new process by which state governors can submit new roadless area protection plans will perpetuate the uncertainty associated with this issue and may lead to a substantial reduction in the level of protection that roadless areas are afforded."

The proposal, which will be open to public comment for the next 60 days, includes a provision for an 18-month moratorium on new activity, during which time changes to the current roadless designation could be made only with the approval of the Forest Service chief, Dale Bosworth.

One timber sale, involving 665 acres of land in the Tongass National Forest, was approved by Mr. Bosworth last week. The Tongass, a West Virginia-sized swath of rock and timber in southeastern Alaska, had separately been exempted from the Clinton rules protections by an earlier decision.

The new proposal would allow Alaska's governor to petition for further logging efforts. The 12 states most affected by the roadless controversy, which contain 56.6 million acres, or 97 percent, of all roadless areas in the country, are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Dirk Kempthorne, Idaho's Republican governor, appeared with Secretary Veneman at today's news conference and said of roadless protections: "There's a right way and a wrong way to make that determination. Today the Federal government and the Bush administration is doing it the right way. We now have a roadless process that can be accomplished by respecting state sovereignty."

In a later conference call with reporters, New Mexico's Democratic governor, Bill Richardson, said of his state's 1.1 million acres of roadless forest: "These are areas that the federal government should manage consistently from state to state." Today's announcement, he added, "is another abdication" of federal responsibility.

Uggh. . .

Anne and I have been doing nothing but working on papers and taking classes. We are very much looking forward to our vacation in August in Seattle. Each and every day we spend almost all of our time working on papers and getting school work done. To be sure it is worse for Anne because she has been saddled with taking a gifted and talented certification for the fall that increased her workload by two graduate classes. She already had two to take by the end of July. We are both taking two month long graduate courses in July. So we are not getting any tans or R&R.

On the plus side we have been getting a little more sleep--that no doubt makles us easier to be around :). The weather has cooperated and temperatures and humidity have been much lower than usuall. Right now I can hear people lighting off fireworks like crazy in celebration of the fourth of July. One other good thing is that over the past week I have been able to make it to the gym plenty!

On the fourth we will be walking in the Somers Parade, and attending a party at our good family friends home Betty and Werner Hengst. Betty and Werner own a few Montessori schools in the area--and in fact I was one of her earlier students. Then we will be back in the evening to work on school work.

My brother the Secret Service agent is likely somewhere making sure we are safe for the 4th of July! Stay safe Eric!

Hope all is well with everyone.

Here is a picture of Anne's cousin who was killed in Iraq. 

Anne's Cousin Killed in Iraq Good Friday Comes Home

Anne's Cousin was killed in Iraq on good Friday. Here is the account of the return of his body.

The following is Marine Lieutenant Colonel Strobl's account of escorting the remains of Lance Corporal Chance Phelps. It's a long and beautifully written and it deserves to be read in it's entirety. It's about Valor, Honor and Respect. Thanks to Jarhead Dad for sending it to me.

23 Apr 04 – The enclosed article was written by LtCol M.R. Strobl USMC who is assigned to MCCDC Quantico, VA and served as the officer who escorted the remains of PFC C. Phelps USMC from Dover AFB, DE to his home. PFC Phelps was assigned to 3d Bn, 11th Marines – an artillery unit functioning as a provisional infantry battalion during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM 2. PFC Phelps was killed in action from a gunshot wound received on 9 Apr 04 during combat operations west of Baghdad. He was buried in Dubois, WY on 17 Apr 04.




TAKING CHANCE

Chance Phelps was wearing his Saint Christopher medal when he was killed on Good Friday. Eight days later, I handed the medallion to his mother. I didn’t know Chance before he died. Today, I miss him.

Over a year ago, I volunteered to escort the remains of Marines killed in Iraq should the need arise. The military provides a uniformed escort for all casualties to ensure they are delivered safely to the next of kin and are treated with dignity and respect along the way.

Thankfully, I hadn’t been called on to be an escort since Operation Iraqi Freedom began. The first few weeks of April, however, had been a tough month for the Marines. On the Monday after Easter I was reviewing Department of Defense press releases when I saw that a Private First Class Chance Phelps was killed in action outside of Baghdad. The press release listed his hometown—the same town I’m from. I notified our Battalion adjutant and told him that, should the duty to escort PFC Phelps fall to our Battalion, I would take him.

I didn’t hear back the rest of Monday and all day Tuesday until 1800. The Battalion duty NCO called my cell phone and said I needed to be ready to leave for Dover Air Force Base at 1900 in order to escort the remains of PFC Phelps.


Before leaving for Dover I called the major who had the task of informing Phelps’s parents of his death. The major said the funeral was going to be in Dubois, Wyoming. (It turned out that PFC Phelps only lived in my hometown for his senior year of high school.) I had never been to Wyoming and had never heard of Dubois.
With two other escorts from Quantico, I got to Dover AFB at 2330 on Tuesday night. First thing on Wednesday we reported to the mortuary at the base. In the escort lounge there were about half a dozen Army soldiers and about an equal number of Marines waiting to meet up with “their” remains for departure. PFC Phelps was not ready, however, and I was told to come back on Thursday. Now, at Dover with nothing to do and a solemn mission ahead, I began to get depressed.

I was wondering about Chance Phelps. I didn’t know anything about him; not even what he looked like. I wondered about his family and what it would be like to meet them. I did pushups in my room until I couldn’t do any more.

On Thursday morning I reported back to the mortuary. This time there was a new group of Army escorts and a couple of the Marines who had been there Wednesday. There was also an Air Force captain there to escort his brother home to San Diego.

We received a brief covering our duties, the proper handling of the remains, the procedures for draping a flag over a casket, and of course, the paperwork attendant to our task. We were shown pictures of the shipping container and told that each one contained, in addition to the casket, a flag. I was given an extra flag since Phelps’s parents were divorced. This way they would each get one. I didn’t like the idea of stuffing the flag into my luggage but I couldn’t see carrying a large flag, folded for presentation to the next of kin, through an airport while in my Alpha uniform. It barely fit into my suitcase.

It turned out that I was the last escort to leave on Thursday. This meant that I repeatedly got to participate in the small ceremonies that mark all departures from the Dover AFB mortuary.

Most of the remains are taken from Dover AFB by hearse to the airport in Philadelphia for air transport to their final destination. When the remains of a service member are loaded onto a hearse and ready to leave the Dover mortuary, there is an announcement made over the building’s intercom system. With the announcement, all service members working at the mortuary, regardless of service branch, stop work and form up along the driveway to render a slow ceremonial salute as the hearse departs. Escorts also participated in each formation until it was their time to leave.

On this day there were some civilian workers doing construction on the mortuary grounds. As each hearse passed, they would stop working and place their hard hats over their hearts. This was my first sign that my mission with PFC Phelps was larger than the Marine Corps and that his family and friends were not grieving alone.

Eventually I was the last escort remaining in the lounge. The Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant in charge of the Marine liaison there came to see me. He had Chance Phelps’s personal effects. He removed each item; a large watch, a wooden cross with a lanyard, two loose dog tags, two dog tags on a chain, and a Saint Christopher medal on a silver chain. Although we had been briefed that we might be carrying some personal effects of the deceased, this set me aback. Holding his personal effects, I was starting to get to know Chance Phelps.

Finally we were ready. I grabbed my bags and went outside. I was somewhat startled when I saw the shipping container, loaded three-quarters of the way in to the back of a black Chevy Suburban that had been modified to carry such cargo. This was the first time I saw my “cargo” and I was surprised at how large the shipping container was. The Master Gunnery Sergeant and I verified that the name on the container was Phelps’s then they pushed him the rest of the way in and we left. Now it was PFC Chance Phelps’s turn to receive the military—and construction workers’—honors. He was finally moving towards home.

As I chatted with the driver on the hour-long trip to Philadelphia, it became clear that he considered it an honor to be able to contribute in getting Chance home. He offered his sympathy to the family. I was glad to finally be moving yet apprehensive about what things would be like at the airport. I didn’t want this package to be treated like ordinary cargo, but I knew that the simple logistics of moving around a box this large would have to overrule my preferences.

When we got to the Northwest Airlines cargo terminal at the Philadelphia airport, the cargo handler and hearse driver pulled the shipping container onto a loading bay while I stood to the side and executed a slow salute. Once Chance was safely in the cargo area, and I was satisfied that he would be treated with due care and respect, the hearse driver drove me over to the passenger terminal and dropped me off.

As I walked up to the ticketing counter in my uniform, a Northwest employee started to ask me if I knew how to use the automated boarding pass dispenser. Before she could finish another ticketing agent interrupted her. He told me to go straight to the counter then explained to the woman that I was a military escort. She seemed embarrassed. The woman behind the counter already had tears in her eyes as I was pulling out my government travel voucher. She struggled to find words but managed to express her sympathy for the family and thank me for my service. She upgraded my ticket to first class.

After clearing security, I was met by another Northwest Airline employee at the gate. She told me a representative from cargo would be up to take me down to the tarmac to observe the movement and loading of PFC Phelps. I hadn’t really told any of them what my mission was but they all knew.

When the man from the cargo crew met me, he, too, struggled for words. On the tarmac, he told me stories of his childhood as a military brat and repeatedly told me that he was sorry for my loss. I was starting to understand that, even here in Philadelphia, far away from Chance’s hometown, people were mourning with his family.

On the tarmac, the cargo crew was silent except for occasional instructions to each other. I stood to the side and saluted as the conveyor moved Chance to the aircraft. I was relieved when he was finally settled into place. The rest of the bags were loaded and I watched them shut the cargo bay door before heading back up to board the aircraft.

One of the pilots had taken my carry-on bag himself and had it stored next to the cockpit door so he could watch it while I was on the tarmac. As I boarded the plane, I could tell immediately that the flight attendants had already been informed of my mission. They seemed a little choked up as they led me to my seat.

About 45 minutes into our flight I still hadn’t spoken to anyone except to tell the first class flight attendant that I would prefer water. I was surprised when the flight attendant from the back of the plane suddenly appeared and leaned down to grab my hands. She said, “I want you to have this” as she pushed a small gold crucifix, with a relief of Jesus, into my hand. It was her lapel pin and it looked somewhat worn. I suspected it had been hers for quite some time. That was the only thing she said to me the entire flight.

When we landed in Minneapolis, I was the first one off the plane. The pilot himself escorted me straight down the side stairs of the exit tunnel to the tarmac. The cargo crew there already knew what was on this plane. They were unloading some of the luggage when an Army sergeant, a fellow escort who had left Dover earlier that day, appeared next to me. His “cargo” was going to be loaded onto my plane for its continuing leg. We stood side by side in the dark and executed a slow salute as Chance was removed from the plane. The cargo crew at Minneapolis kept Phelps’s shipping case separate from all the other luggage as they waited to take us to the cargo area. I waited with the soldier and we saluted together as his fallen comrade was loaded onto the plane.

My trip with Chance was going to be somewhat unusual in that we were going to have an overnight stopover. We had a late start out of Dover and there was just too much traveling ahead of us to continue on that day. (We still had a flight from Minneapolis to Billings, Montana, then a five-hour drive to the funeral home. That was to be followed by a 90-minute drive to Chance’s hometown.)

I was concerned about leaving him overnight in the Minneapolis cargo area. My ten-minute ride from the tarmac to the cargo holding area eased my apprehension. Just as in Philadelphia, the cargo guys in Minneapolis were extremely respectful and seemed honored to do their part. While talking with them, I learned that the cargo supervisor for Northwest Airlines at the Minneapolis airport is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserves. They called him for me and let me talk to him.

Once I was satisfied that all would be okay for the night, I asked one of the cargo crew if he would take me back to the terminal so that I could catch my hotel’s shuttle. Instead, he drove me straight to the hotel himself. At the hotel, the Lieutenant Colonel called me and said he would personally pick me up in the morning and bring me back to the cargo area.

Before leaving the airport, I had told the cargo crew that I wanted to come back to the cargo area in the morning rather than go straight to the passenger terminal. I felt bad for leaving Chance overnight and wanted to see the shipping container where I had left it for the night. It was fine.

The Lieutenant Colonel made a few phone calls then drove me around to the passenger terminal. I was met again by a man from the cargo crew and escorted down to the tarmac. The pilot of the plane joined me as I waited for them to bring Chance from the cargo area. The pilot and I talked of his service in the Air Force and how he missed it.

I saluted as Chance was moved up the conveyor and onto the plane. It was to be a while before the luggage was to be loaded so the pilot took me up to the board the plane where I could watch the tarmac from a window. With no other passengers yet on board, I talked with the flight attendants and one of the cargo guys. He had been in the Navy and one of the attendants had been in the Air Force. Everywhere I went, people were continuing to tell me their relationship to the military. After all the baggage was aboard, I went back down to the tarmac, inspected the cargo bay, and watched them secure the door.

When we arrived at Billings, I was again the first off the plane. This time Chance’s shipping container was the first item out of the cargo hold. The funeral director had driven five hours up from Riverton, Wyoming to meet us. He shook my hand as if I had personally lost a brother.

We moved Chance to a secluded cargo area. Now it was time for me to remove the shipping container and drape the flag over the casket. I had predicted that this would choke me up but I found I was more concerned with proper flag etiquette than the solemnity of the moment. Once the flag was in place, I stood by and saluted as Chance was loaded onto the van from the funeral home. I was thankful that we were in a small airport and the event seemed to go mostly unnoticed. I picked up my rental car and followed Chance for five hours until we reached Riverton. During the long trip I imagined how my meeting with Chance’s parents would go. I was very nervous about that.

When we finally arrived at the funeral home, I had my first face to face meeting with the Casualty Assistance Call Officer. It had been his duty to inform the family of Chance’s death. He was on the Inspector/Instructor staff of an infantry company in Salt Lake City, Utah and I knew he had had a difficult week.

Inside I gave the funeral director some of the paperwork from Dover and discussed the plan for the next day. The service was to be at 1400 in the high school gymnasium up in Dubois, population about 900, some 90 miles away. Eventually, we had covered everything. The CACO had some items that the family wanted to be inserted into the casket and I felt I needed to inspect Chance’s uniform to ensure everything was proper. Although it was going to be a closed casket funeral, I still wanted to ensure his uniform was squared away.

Earlier in the day I wasn’t sure how I’d handle this moment. Suddenly, the casket was open and I got my first look at Chance Phelps. His uniform was immaculate—a tribute to the professionalism of the Marines at Dover. I noticed that he wore six ribbons over his marksmanship badge; the senior one was his Purple Heart. I had been in the Corps for over 17 years, including a combat tour, and was wearing eight ribbons. This Private First Class, with less than a year in the Corps, had already earned six.

The next morning, I wore my dress blues and followed the hearse for the trip up to Dubois. This was the most difficult leg of our trip for me. I was bracing for the moment when I would meet his parents and hoping I would find the right words as I presented them with Chance’s personal effects.

We got to the high school gym about four hours before the service was to begin. The gym floor was covered with folding chairs neatly lined in rows. There were a few townspeople making final preparations when I stood next to the hearse and saluted as Chance was moved out of the hearse. The sight of a flag-draped coffin was overwhelming to some of the ladies.

We moved Chance into the gym to the place of honor. A Marine sergeant, the command representative from Chance’s battalion, met me at the gym. His eyes were watery as he relieved me of watching Chance so that I could go eat lunch and find my hotel.

At the restaurant, the table had a flier announcing Chance’s service. Dubois High School gym; two o’ clock. It also said that the family would be accepting donations so that they could buy flak vests to send to troops in Iraq.

I drove back to the gym at a quarter after one. I could’ve walked—you could walk to just about anywhere in Dubois in ten minutes. I had planned to find a quiet room where I could take his things out of their pouch and untangle the chain of the Saint Christopher medal from the dog tag chains and arrange everything before his parents came in. I had twice before removed the items from the pouch to ensure they were all there—even though there was no chance anything could’ve fallen out. Each time, the two chains had been quite tangled. I didn’t want to be fumbling around trying to untangle them in front of his parents. Our meeting, however, didn’t go as expected.

I practically bumped into Chance’s step-mom accidentally and our introductions began in the noisy hallway outside the gym. In short order I had met Chance’s step-mom and father followed by his step-dad and, at last, his mom. I didn’t know how to express to these people my sympathy for their loss and my gratitude for their sacrifice. Now, however, they were repeatedly thanking me for bringing their son home and for my service. I was humbled beyond words.

I told them that I had some of Chance’s things and asked if we could try to find a quiet place. The five of us ended up in what appeared to be a computer lab—not what I had envisioned for this occasion.

After we had arranged five chairs around a small table, I told them about our trip. I told them how, at every step, Chance was treated with respect, dignity, and honor. I told them about the staff at Dover and all the folks at Northwest Airlines. I tried to convey how the entire Nation, from Dover to Philadelphia, to Minneapolis, to Billings, and Riverton expressed grief and sympathy over their loss.

Finally, it was time to open the pouch. The first item I happened to pull out was Chance’s large watch. It was still set to Baghdad time. Next were the lanyard and the wooden cross. Then the dog tags and the Saint Christopher medal. This time the chains were not tangled. Once all of his items were laid out on the table, I told his mom that I had one other item to give them. I retrieved the flight attendant’s crucifix from my pocket and told its story. I set that on the table and excused myself. When I next saw Chance’s mom, she was wearing the crucifix on her lapel.

By 1400 most of the seats on the gym floor were filled and people were finding seats in the fixed bleachers high above the gym floor. There were a surprising number of people in military uniform. Many Marines had come up from Salt Lake City. Men from various VFW posts and the Marine Corps League occupied multiple rows of folding chairs. We all stood as Chance’s family took their seats in the front.

It turned out that Chance’s sister, a Petty Officer in the Navy, worked for a Rear Admiral—the Chief of Naval Intelligence—at the Pentagon. The Admiral had brought many of the sailors on his staff with him to Dubois pay respects to Chance and support his sister. After a few songs and some words from a Navy Chaplain, the Admiral took the microphone and told us how Chance had died.

Chance was an artillery cannoneer and his unit was acting as provisional military police outside of Baghdad. Chance had volunteered to man a .50 caliber machine gun in the turret of the leading vehicle in a convoy. The convoy came under intense fire but Chance stayed true to his post and returned fire with the big gun, covering the rest of the convoy, until he was fatally wounded.

Then the commander of the local VFW post read some of the letters Chance had written home. In letters to his mom he talked of the mosquitoes and the heat. In letters to his stepfather he told of the dangers of convoy operations and of receiving fire.

The service was a fitting tribute to this hero. When it was over, we stood as the casket was wheeled out with the family following. The casket was placed onto a horse-drawn carriage for the mile-long trip from the gym, down the main street, then up the steep hill to the cemetery. I stood alone and saluted as the carriage departed the high school. I found my car and joined Chance’s convoy.

The town seemingly went from the gym to the street. All along the route, the people had lined the street and were waving small American flags. The flags that were otherwise posted were all at half-staff. For the last quarter mile up the hill, local boy scouts, spaced about 20 feet apart, all in uniform, held large flags. At the foot of the hill, I could look up and back and see the enormity of our procession. I wondered how many people would be at this funeral if it were in, say, Detroit or Los Angeles—probably not as many as were here in little Dubois, Wyoming.

The carriage stopped about 15 yards from the grave and the military pall bearers and the family waited until the men of the VFW and Marine Corps league were formed up and school busses had arrived carrying many of the people from the procession route. Once the entire crowd was in place, the pallbearers came to attention and began to remove the casket from the caisson. As I had done all week, I came to attention and executed a slow ceremonial salute as Chance was being transferred from one mode of transport to another.

From Dover to Philadelphia; Philadelphia to Minneapolis; Minneapolis to Billings; Billings to Riverton; and Riverton to Dubois we had been together. Now, as I watched them carry him the final 15 yards, I was choking up. I felt that, as long as he was still moving, he was somehow still alive.

Then they put him down above his grave. He had stopped moving.

Although my mission had been officially complete once I turned him over to the funeral director at the Billings airport, it was his placement at his grave that really concluded it in my mind. Now, he was home to stay and I suddenly felt at once sad, relieved, and useless.

The chaplain said some words that I couldn’t hear and two Marines removed the flag from the casket and slowly folded it for presentation to his mother. When the ceremony was over, Chance’s father placed a ribbon from his service in Vietnam on Chance’s casket. His mother approached the casket and took something from her blouse and put it on the casket. I later saw that it was the flight attendant’s crucifix. Eventually friends of Chance’s moved closer to the grave. A young man put a can of Copenhagen on the casket and many others left flowers.

Finally, we all went back to the gym for a reception. There was enough food to feed the entire population for a few days. In one corner of the gym there was a table set up with lots of pictures of Chance and some of his sports awards. People were continually approaching me and the other Marines to thank us for our service. Almost all of them had some story to tell about their connection to the military. About an hour into the reception, I had the impression that every man in Wyoming had, at one time or another, been in the service.

It seemed like every time I saw Chance’s mom she was hugging a different well wisher. As time passed, I began to hear people laughing. We were starting to heal.

After a few hours at the gym, I went back to the hotel to change out of my dress blues. The local VFW post had invited everyone over to “celebrate Chance’s life.” The Post was on the other end of town from my hotel and the drive took less than two minutes. The crowd was somewhat smaller than what had been at the gym but the Post was packed.

Marines were playing pool at the two tables near the entrance and most of the VFW members were at the bar or around the tables in the bar area. The largest room in the Post was a banquet/dinning/dancing area and it was now called “The Chance Phelps Room.” Above the entry were two items: a large portrait of Chance in his dress blues and the Eagle, Globe, & Anchor. In one corner of the room there was another memorial to Chance. There were candles burning around another picture of him in his blues. On the table surrounding his photo were his Purple Heart citation and his Purple Heart medal. There was also a framed copy of an excerpt from the Congressional Record. This was an elegant tribute to Chance Phelps delivered on the floor of the United States House of Representatives by Congressman Scott McInnis of Colorado. Above it all was a television that was playing a photo montage of Chance’s life from small boy to proud Marine.

I did not buy a drink that night. As had been happening all day, indeed all week, people were thanking me for my service and for bringing Chance home. Now, in addition to words and handshakes, they were thanking me with beer. I fell in with the men who had handled the horses and horse-drawn carriage. I learned that they had worked through the night to groom and prepare the horses for Chance’s last ride. They were all very grateful that they were able to contribute.

After a while we all gathered in the Chance Phelps room for the formal dedication. The Post commander told us of how Chance had been so looking forward to becoming a Life Member of the VFW. Now, in the Chance Phelps Room of the Dubois, Wyoming post, he would be an eternal member. We all raised our beers and the Chance Phelps room was christened.

Later, as I was walking toward the pool tables, a Staff Sergeant from the Reserve unit in Salt Lake grabbed me and said, “Sir, you gotta hear this.” There were two other Marines with him and he told the younger one, a Lance Corporal, to tell me his story. The Staff Sergeant said the Lance Corporal was normally too shy and modest to tell it but now he’d had enough beer to overcome his usual tendencies.

As the Lance Corporal started to talk, an older man joined our circle. He wore a baseball cap that indicated he had been with the 1st Marine Division in Korea. Earlier in the evening he had told me about one of his former commanding officers; a Colonel Puller.

So, there I was, standing in a circle with three Marines recently returned from fighting with the 1st Marine Division in Iraq and one not so recently returned from fighting with the 1st Marine Division in Korea. I, who had fought with the 1st Marine Division in Kuwait, was about to gain a new insight into our Corps.

The young Lance Corporal began to tell us his story. At that moment, in this circle of current and former Marines, the differences in our ages and ranks dissipated—we were all simply Marines.

His squad had been on a patrol through a city street. They had taken small arms fire and had literally dodged an RPG round that sailed between two Marines. At one point they received fire from behind a wall and had neutralized the sniper with a SMAW round. The back blast of the SMAW, however, kicked up a substantial rock that hammered the Lance Corporal in the thigh; only missing his groin because he had reflexively turned his body sideways at the shot.

Their squad had suffered some wounded and was receiving more sniper fire when suddenly he was hit in the head by an AK-47 round. I was stunned as he told us how he felt like a baseball bat had been slammed into his head. He had spun around and fell unconscious. When he came to, he had a severe scalp wound but his Kevlar helmet had saved his life. He continued with his unit for a few days before realizing he was suffering the effects of a severe concussion.

As I stood there in the circle with the old man and the other Marines, the Staff Sergeant finished the story. He told of how this Lance Corporal had begged and pleaded with the Battalion surgeon to let him stay with his unit. In the end, the doctor said there was just no way—he had suffered a severe and traumatic head wound and would have to be med’evaced.

The Marine Corps is a special fraternity. There are moments when we are reminded of this. Interestingly, those moments don’t always happen at awards ceremonies or in dress blues at Birthday Balls. I have found, rather, that they occur at unexpected times and places: next to a loaded moving van at Camp Lejeune’s base housing, in a dirty CP tent in northern Saudi Arabia, and in a smoky VFW post in western Wyoming.

After the story was done, the Lance Corporal stepped over to the old man, put his arm over the man’s shoulder and told him that he, the Korean War vet, was his hero. The two of them stood there with their arms over each other’s shoulders and we were all silent for a moment. When they let go, I told the Lance Corporal that there were recruits down on the yellow footprints tonight that would soon be learning his story.

I was finished drinking beer and telling stories. I found Chance’s father and shook his hand one more time. Chance’s mom had already left and I deeply regretted not being able to tell her goodbye.

I left Dubois in the morning before sunrise for my long drive back to Billings. It had been my honor to take Chance Phelps to his final post. Now he was on the high ground overlooking his town.

I miss him.

Regards,
LtCol Strobl

A great deal of effort is being expended to convince us all that the outsourcing of jobs under the rubric of free trade is a good thing. I would like to discuss some of these arguments.
Our labor force is not better trained, harder working, or more innovative than our foreign competitors. The argument that we will create new jobs in highly paying fields simply is not true. We have no comparative advantage or superiority in innovation. To assume that we are inherently more creative than our foreign competitors is both arrogant and naive. We are currently empowering our competition with the resources to innovate equally as well as we. Consider the number of new non-native Ph.D.s that leave our universities each year; consider our low rank in the education of mathematics and the sciences; and consider the large number of international students enrolled in our most difficult technical degree programs at our most prestigious universities.
Most of our best, high-paying jobs can be exported.
doctors (even surgeons)
mathematicians
accountants
financial analysts
engineers
computer programmers
architects
physicists
chemists
biologists
researchers of all types
Our trading problem is an externality
An externality exists in economics any time there is a separation of costs and benefits, and the decision maker does not have to incur the full cost but receives the full benefits of the decision. The fact is, there is no economic force, no supply and demand equilibrium, no rational decision process of either business or consumer, that will make an externality go away. Classic examples of externalities are when a business dumps toxic waste into a nearby river and the downstream residents incur the costs of cancer. The business is able to lower its costs and pass those lower costs on to its customers, and never pay for the treatment of the cancer patients. We have laws in this country against dumping and pollution because they are externalities -- they require a legislative solution.
Cost reductions and other benefits provide a strong incentive to outsource jobs. A company that decides to move its production overseas cuts its costs in many ways, including the following:
Extremely low wage rates
The circumvention or avoidance of organized labor
No Social Security or Medicare benefit payments
No federal or state unemployment tax
No health benefits for workers
No child labor laws
No OSHA or EPA costs or restrictions
No worker retirement benefits or pension costs
Besides cutting costs, there are other benefits to exporting jobs, including the following:
Tax incentives provided by our government
Incentives from foreign governments
The creation of new international markets for the company's products (which ultimately empowers the company to turn a deaf ear to this country's problems and influence)
The continued benefits of our legal system and the freedoms that we provide
The net effect of all of this is lower costs, higher revenue, higher profits, higher stock prices, bonuses for management, and the creation of wealth for a subclass that benefits from low taxes at the expense of the rest of us.
The costs of the decision to outsource are not borne by the decision maker. As a society and as a country, we experience many costs from outsourcing, including the loss of jobs, social costs, higher costs of raw materials and loss of national sovereignty. Loss of jobs reduces the tax base, creates high unemployment benefit costs, and raises the cost of government retraining programs. Displaced, unemployed workers have higher rates of child and spousal abuse, alcoholism, bankruptcy, divorce, etc. As China and India and other large populations grow, they demand huge quantities of oil, gas, steel and other basic raw materials. These costs are born by all of us -- every time we fill our gas tanks, for example. And as a nation, we lose our ability to make independent decisions that are in our best interest when we are dependent on foreign debt and foreign manufacturing. This is a classic externality.
 

President Bush is out jogging one morning and notices Little Hannah on the street corner with a box. Curious, he runs over to Little Hannah and says, "What's in the box, little lady?"

Little Hannah says, "Kittens, they're brand new kittens."
Bush laughs and says, "What kind of kittens are they?"
"Republicans," says Little Hannah.

"Oh that's cute," he says and goes on his way.

A couple of days later, Bush is running with Colin Powell and he spies Little Hannah with her box just ahead.
Bush says to Colin, "You gotta check this out," and they both jog over to Little Hannah.
Bush says, "Look in the box Colin, isn't that cute? Look at those little kittens. Hey, kid, tell my friend Colin what kind of kittens they are."

Little Hannah replies, "They're Democrats."

"Whoa!" Bush exclaims in total surprise. "I came by here the other day and you told me they were Republicans. What's changed?"
"Well," Little Hannah explains, pointing into the box. "now, their eyes are open."
 

Hey all from Somers! We are putting together grades for the fourth quarter and getting ready for the end of the year. Hope all is well with everyone. 

People always ask me what it looks like in Somers. Here is a picture taken very close to our house showing the New York City drinking water supply. Row boats and fishing are allowed--and as you can see it is very quiet and peacefull here in Somers. 

Republican Convention Agenda Released!

10:00am: Opening Ceremony: Pat Boone accompanies Lee Greenwood singing "I'm Proud to be an American" during raising of the confederate flag.

10:05am: Vote on Motion to go into Closed Session (If motion fails, Justice Antonin Scalia to announce that all media must turn off audio and video recording devices).

10:30am: Katherine Harris speaks on "Are Elections Really Necessary?"

10:45am: Trent Lott - "Re-segregation in the 21st Century"

11:00am: Announcement: Lincoln Memorial Renamed for Ronald Reagan

11:10am: Phyllis Schlafly speaks on "Why Women Shouldn't Be Leaders"

11:30am: Rush Limbaugh - "Just Say No To Drugs"

11:45am: Ann Coulter's Tribute to "Joe McCarthy, American Patriot"

12:00 noon: Singing of "God Bless America" and big screen projection of "Blue Angels"
fly-over

12:04pm: Lunch Break - steak with vegetable sides of ketchup and relish, yellow cake

12:30pm: Oliver North - "Never Trade Arms with Terrorists"

1:00pm: Reps. Doolittle and DeLay speak on the GOP congressional agenda.

1:30pm: Group cheer -- Global-warming-schmobal warming!

1:35pm: GOP's Tribute to Tokenism, featuring Colin Powell and Condi Rice

2:00pm: Accounting for Beginners -- "Tax Cuts are Good for Deficit Reduction"

2:30pm: Labor Secretary Elaine Chao speaks on "Economic Growth Through Job
Exportation"

3:00pm: Newt Gingrich speaks on "The Sanctity of Marriage"

3:30pm: Unveiling of "The Guide to Imperialism" by the Heritage Foundation

4:00pm: Announcement: Ronald Reagan to be added to Mt. Rushmore

4:15pm: "Stomp on Poor People" Happy Hour (guided sight-seeing buses leaving for
Harlem every 10 minutes)

6:00pm: Dinner Break: Texas-Style Endangered Species Barbeque

7:00pm: John Ashcroft leads Ceremonial burning of the Bill of Rights (Note to
convention hall staff - make sure statue of Justice is fully clothed)

7:15pm: George W. Bush video tribute "Higher than a Kite: Portrait of a Fighter
Pilot"

7:30pm: Vote on Motion to put image of Ronald Reagan on one dollar bill
Keynote Speech by Dick Cheney (Exact time TBA, depending on his arrival from secret bunker)

8:00pm: "Kiss Ass" session with Christian Coalition

8:30pm: Workshop on government-corporate relations by Dick Cheney

8:45pm: Log Cabin Republicans Encounter Session -- Coming to Terms with Your Self-
Hatred

9:00pm: Assault Rifle Raffle

What's Up with Anne & Drew

Heading out to support Kerry this weekend at some $250 lunch shindig with my dad wil let everyone know how it goes

Junk food in the classroom!

Does anyone have any thoughts on this?


Schools strive to dump junk food

By Noreen Gillespie
The Associated Press


STEVE MILLER / AP
Seventh-grader Stephanie Aurora, 12, right, enjoys a salad as classmate Niko Taylor, 13, center, has a cheeseburger and tater tots for lunch at Nathan Hale School in New Haven, Conn.


NEW HAVEN, Conn. — At Nathan Hale School, candy bars are confiscated. Bake sales are frowned upon. The vending machines don't carry soda — only water, milk or juice.
This is a "junk food-free school," an early phase of a districtwide initiative to fight childhood obesity. It's where third-graders have salads if they don't like the main course, and where seventh-grade girls take Pilates after school.

Nationwide, many schools are reconsidering their vending-machine offerings and changing their lunchroom food lineup. But New Haven, an urban district on Connecticut's shoreline, is particularly committed.

"There isn't a candy bar in this school," said principal Kim Johnsky as she surveys the maze of lunch tables.

Nathan Hale, a K-8 school, is the first to go completely junk-free. Next fall, the program will expand to all schools.

Vending-machine choices will be overhauled: Baked chips will replace fried, granola will replace cookies. Cafeterias in elementary and middle schools have already rolled out baked versions of things such as chicken nuggets and French fries, and fried foods will be gradually phased out of high schools, too.

The program doesn't stop in the cafeteria.

The district has started cooking classes for parents and infuses regular science classes with nutrition lessons. Building renovations include designs for larger gyms to encourage physical activity.

Even the bake sale, a traditional source of fund raising for classes and parent organizations, is being discouraged in favor of plant sales and penny drives.

The poverty rate in the school district is so high that the system has a universal free-lunch program. The district doesn't have hard data on how many students are obese, but officials say a significant number of its 20,400 students have diabetes.

Nationally, about 15 percent of children and adolescents between 6 and 19 are obese, according to government figures.




Dr. Stephen Updegrove, a medical adviser for New Haven schools and one of the primary architects of the district's policy, said one goal is to create a "ripple effect" from the school to community.

But the program has met some resistance, particularly among school officials who fear that healthful eating will result in unhealthy budgets.

The junk food- and soda-stocked vending machines pull in up to $10,000 in extra income for some of the high schools each year, and some schools fear income won't be as high with more healthful snack options.

"That's considerable, considerable dollars," said District Superintendent Reginald Mayo, who is looking for ways to make up the lost revenue.

Susan Fiore, a nutrition specialist with the state Department of Education, said: "We can't guarantee they won't lose money, but maybe the payoff is worth it. There's a lot of research out there that kids who eat better learn better, and that's a pretty easy sell."

A separate program will work with 10 local school systems to create nutrition policies. For example, teachers start rewarding students with something other than candy, and birthday parties might mean extra recess instead of cupcakes, Fiore said.

"It's slow," she said. "There's a lot of ingrained things that take time to change. You talk about not having cupcakes at birthday parties, and people freak out."

Meanwhile, in the cafeteria at Nathan Hale, the new lunches are getting mixed reviews.

Angela Cable, 9, is happy with the salad option.

"I'm not a vegetarian, but I don't eat a lot of meat," she said. Seventh-grader Stephanie Aurora is more blunt. She wants soda, and doesn't like the tuna that is on her salad.

The new food choices aren't her favorite, she said, "but they're OK."

MSNBC - At least 9 U.S. troops killed in Iraq attacks

MSNBC - At least 9 U.S. troops killed in Iraq attacks

First let me say that I have the utmost respect for our troops fighting in the gulf--and elsewhere. These men and women have been tasked in Iraq with an extremly difficult task in Iraq. They have been asked to accomplish this task since the beginning without proper support and or troop strength required to accomplish the task. This is not my opinion but the opinion of the pentagon generals that the president chose to ignore. Now we are paying the price of that arrogance compunded by the arrogance of a President Bush's bravado and go it alone startegy that left out the rest of the world. Istead of building a coalition and getting buy in from the UN Bush has wated the goood will the United States got and deserved after the events of 9-11. It is sad that so many of our men are dying under these cercumstances and I only wonder if the price could have been lower had better decisions been made. My heartfelt thanks to the men and women.

Ya Don't Say

Outsourcing No good for Country -- Ya don't say!

From the pages of duh comes this interesting article on outsourcing from our friends at the conglomerate of Microsoft, NBC et al. This is a pretty good one on adding up al of the thoughts that have been going on on this issue. Perhaps this is the reason Bush has pulled all his advertising spending out of ohio? He must know that there is no way he can win on jobs on that state--which has lost so many manufacturing jobs. Thank goodness that Bush has managed to create many retail and WalMart jobs to replace those that are lost. Guess it is best to keep the troops in Iraq until after the election too since that would further hurt the unemployment numbers. Let me know of your thoughts via e-mail.

Drew

MSNBC - Cheney to pitch nuclear reactors during China trip

MSNBC - Cheney to pitch nuclear reactors during China trip

Let's nuke up China and help turn around this crazy trade deficit thang. Well thank God we are sending the brains of the Bush White House to China. Cynicaly I wonder if the Oil crowd in washington is doing this because China's growing demand for world oil is causing peple to talk about hybrid cars and conservation here at home. That type of thing could certainly hurt the Bush's and Cheney's pocketbook couldn't it.

Of course, setting up a bunch of nuclear reactors in China could help out American industry by allowing us to build some of that capacity in China. Plus we could show them how to build a huge wate site in a mountain. Likely it would send soe dollars and jobs home but what if the American compaies just decide to make all the parts for the reactors right in China? And what if instead of using American know how they decide to hire far cheaper help from the out of work Rusian scientists of the former Soviet Union block?

Based on the recrd of this administration in creating high paying jobs here in the United States, I have my doubts. How come they keep focusing on other peoples infrastructure like China and Iraq--inst4ead of building up the United States' capacity? That is a question we should all think about when we cote this November.

MSNBC - Iraq rocked by fiercest fighting since war?s end

MSNBC - Iraq rocked by fiercest fighting since war?s end

Welcome to MSN.com

Welcome to MSN.com

Drew and Anne are going to be parents. Yes it is true Anne is officially and 100% pregnant! More to follow!

does this bother anyone?

How is it we could invade a country like Iraq, but do nothing about other areas of the world where perhaps arguably we have atrocities happening on an even higher level? While the argument has been made that terrorists were supported in Iraq the truth is that terrorism is given its support by other countries with more religious natures. Let me be more explicit about this for a moment. An invasion of Afghanistan or pressure on Saudi Arabia (who might have made a mistake when it said the religious clerics could be in charge of education--duhh!) , perhaps even an argument could be made that terrorism could best be handled by eliminating the causes of terrorism. Just a thought--but erhaps we could really address the endemic causes of religious strife, borders enacted under colonial rule, or even GASP, the palestenian Israeli conflict. My hat is off to the current Israeli leader for trying to handl,e the situation. Let me know what you think.

3/19/04 -- Federal Rules for TeachersAre Relaxed -- Education Week

3/19/04 -- Federal Rules for TeachersAre Relaxed -- Education Week

I don't know about anyone else but I feel more relaxed already. It's not the overcrowded classrooms, lack of textbooks, lack of computers, lack of copying and other supplies. Don't those things lower the acheivement of our kids?

Yahoo! GeoCities

Yahoo! - Your Home on the Web

Ok so this has been a very exciting begining to the week. My kids get geometry which begs the question why? With everything else they seem to struggle. The simple and obvious answer is that geometry is visual. Duhh! Perhaps sice they grasped this so well looking at the subject from a visual standpoint makes sense as I develop the lesson plans for other subject areas in math as well.

I will try to bring up in my Masters Program Class at PACE on Tuesday evening.

Mr. Pecunia's IS 164 Math Page

Mr. Pecunia's IS 164 Math Page


Forgive me it has been at least two weeks since my last blog. I have been crazy busy with the kids, lesson plans, and setting up things for the internet. Hope everyone is doing well.

The Record on the Economy

Some quick finds on the economy of the United States:

Nationally, 3 Million Jobs Lost; Unemployment Rate Up 39 Percent. The national unemployment rate in December 2003 was 5.7 percent, up from 4.1 percent when Bush took office in January 2001 and a 39 percent increase. Nationally, the economy has lost nearly 3 million private sector jobs under Bush. [Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov]

Nationally, Workers’ Wages and Salaries Are Stagnant. In the third quarter of 2003, America's gross domestic product surged at a rate of 8.2 percent and corporate profits grew at an annual rate above 40 percent. But during this same period, wages and salaries grew by less than 1 percent. Furthermore, in the six months that ended in November 2003, income from wages rose just 0.65 percent after inflation. [Department of Commerce, 12/23/03; New York Times, 12/31/03; Charleston Gazette (West Virginia), 1/2/04]

Bush Proposed to Eliminate Overtime for 8 Million Workers. Bush proposed regulations that would end eligibility for overtime pay—a critical source of income—for 8 million workers by reclassifying them as managers, administrative workers or professional employees. In addition, Bush's Department of Labor issued advice to companies in its explanation of the proposal on strategies to avoid paying overtime. Among these were cutting workers' base pay to subtract extra overtime pay costs and cutting workers' hours to strictly enforce a 40 hour work week. The non-partisan Economic Policy Institute called the proposal “pure special-interest politics with complete disregard for the democratic process.” [Akron Beacon -Journal, 12/5/03; EPI, 7/03, www.epi.org; New York Times, 7/1/03; AP, 1/6/04]


The manufacturing industry has lost 2,472,000 jobs nationwide since Bush took office in January 2001. Employment for this key sector of the American economy is at its lowest level since October 1958. Of the nearly 3 million private sector jobs lost under Bush, manufacturing losses account for 86 percent. [Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov]
George W. Bush: Record of Failure on the Economy

The Numbers Tell the Story of Failure
• Three Million: Since George W. Bush took office, America has lost 3 million jobs.
• Every Month: Manufacturing jobs have been lost every single month of the Bush Presidency.
• Eight Million Deficits: Even in the 26 months since the recession ended -- a period where under typical recovery circumstances we would have created over 7 million jobs -- we lost one million jobs. That’s an eight million jobs deficit.
• One Million: One million jobs have been outsourced since President Bush took office.
• 50 Percent Higher: Health care costs have increased 50 percent since 2001 when Bush took office.
• 33 Percent Higher: Unemployment has increased 33 percent since Bush took office.
• $10,368: American families will pay $10,368 in interest on the debt by 2014.
• 68,853: The increase in number of Americans in Florida who are unemployed since George W. Bush took office.
• 56,000: Number of manufacturing jobs lost in Florida since Bush took office.

Teaching

Teaching in NYC is one of the most difficult and rewarding things that you will ever do. I teach seventh grade Social Studies in a under performing school at the northern tip of Manhattan. The school has 97% free lunch and is primarily made up of Dominican immigrants. My students are all bi-lingual but speak English exceptionally well. I love my students, even though I want to strangle them on some days. J I attend Fordham University, which is exceptional. You do not get to choose your university and I hear that the experiences vary widely.



The application process was pretty basic. You had to do a 5 minute lesson (keep it very simple). I did Haiku poetry. Other people did introduction to fractions using 10 M&Ms. Then you are given a scenario that the school is failing and parents want answers on how you will fix it. You discuss solutions in a group and decide on the top three solutions. Then everyone must write a letter to the parents. I found this to be the worst part because there are no word processors. Think about your organization first and then write as fast as you can, there isn’t much time. The last part is an individual interview. They are looking for people who don’t quit easily and believe that all students can learn. I hear the applications are down this year, so if you don’t stick your foot in your mouth you are in.



The Fellows program and the NYC Department of Education are Extremely disorganized. I did get paid but my husband hasn’t been paid yet (he started in December). It took them four months to get me health insurance and I am still not on direct deposit. They change their mind all the time. At the beginning of the year, they informed me that I had to teach in the workshop model twice a week and last week they decided that I didn’t have to. The Board of Ed came to visit and cared more about my bulletin boards than my teaching. It is a crazy system and you just have to not get too worked up about it. Focus on your students and you will be fine.



The summer program is very intensive and only prepares you minimally for the real experience. Then they kind of desert you. The most important determinant of your experience will be the actual school in which you teach. You do have some choice in that. Make sure that you have a supportive administration. Also, you need to realize that you will not be teaching middle-class suburban kids. Your classes will never be perfectly quiet with students raising their hands and doing all of their work. They may truly want to learn but many have such horrible things going on outside. One of my students lives in a shelter in Queens and commutes almost two hours each way. Others have parents who are drug users or just don’t give a damn. You can become a surrogate parent to them. You just have to be consistent, firm and committed. Don’t make excuses for them and demand quality work. Most will come around and the rest will at least try more. On most days, I really feel that I have found my calling. On others, I just try to regroup and attack it from a different angle. My students are learning a lot. My husband has had a similar experience. He teaches eighth grade math in Washington Heights. His students are a little rougher and older than they should be (literally and figuratively). The hardest part is realizing just how little they actually know. The system has really let them down. That is where you come in…



Just know that it is probably one of the toughest jobs you will ever do. Also, learning to teach is a process and you will not be super teacher on your first day. Though, you can do a pretty good job. Just keep working and it will all start to fall into place. My husband got an email from one of his students thanking him for being such a great teacher and for caring so much. It came on a day in which he had felt like a failure. My mentor came to watch me teach and several students shouted “You’re a great teacher Mrs. Pecunia! You don’t need a mentor”. It felt good to hear but I was also grateful to have a mentor to help me improve even more.



Understand that the job of teaching continues long after the last bell rings. Lesson planning, phone calls and grading take a couple of hours a night. You will find your free time significantly limited. The next time someone mentions all the time I get off, I swear I will smack them! The graduate coursework isn’t overly strenuous. I already have a Master in Policy Analysis and found the coursework to be a lot easier. However, it can be difficult to juggle everything. Just be organized.

Tribnet.com - News

Tribnet.com - News

So this is good!. Just how we can justify all of the job losses and outsourcing as good is just insane. Can anyone please explain to me what the heck George is thinking!

Conservative Republicans Push for Slowdown in U.S. Spending

Conservative Republicans Push for Slowdown in U.S. Spending

Thank god someone is starting to notice our huge budget deficit. Perhaps while we are at it we can talk about the hige trade deficit as well. A study yesterday revelead that the jobs that are starting to be replaced in New York pay about 30% less than the old jobs we lost in the factory shut downs and outsourcing. If this process continues over the next decase it could effectively eliminate the bulk of the "middle class" in New York.

Perhaps it is time for a change in leadership--are you listening Mr. Bush?

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND

When it comes to educating our children, George W. Bush says one thing and does another. Every budget he has proposed since signing the Act has undercut the goals and implementation of the law.

Every Child Left Behind: Three Years of Unfunded Mandates
The President Has Repeatedly Broken His Promise to Provide Federal Support for Education. In the two years since the President signed the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, none of his budgets have come close to meeting the level of funding authorized in the Act. The FY 2004 budget submitted by President Bush fell $9 billion short of the amount authorized for 2004 and his FY 2003 budget fell $7.2 billion short of approved funding. [Office of Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, 6/9/03; Associated Press, 2/24/03]


Federal Education Reform Taxes State and Local Governments With Unfunded Mandates. In February 2003, the bipartisan National Governors Association voted unanimously to label Bush's No Child Left Behind Act an unfunded mandate, along with special education, homeland security and Medicaid. A November 2003 survey of nearly 2,000 superintendents and principals found that 9 in 10 viewed No Child Left Behind as an unfunded mandate. States and localities have struggled to keep up with the new requirements. Between fiscal years 2002 and 2004, education spending in 35 states was unable to keep pace with increases in inflation and enrollment. [The Wallace Foundation, www.wallacefoundation.org; Education Week, 1/7/04]

Bush Failed to Provide Purchasing Power For His No Child Left Behind Act. The FY 2004 funding failure is $1.4 billion below what would be required to maintain 2003 purchasing power next year. Bush's FY 2003 budget proposal was little better, falling $7.2 billion short of funding approved for FY 2003 in the original legislation. [Office of Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, 6/9/03; National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), 2/03; CongressDaily, 2/3/03; National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), 2/5/03; New York Times, 2/5/03; Washington Post, 4/1/03]

Bush Fails To Support Children From Low-Income Families, the Centerpiece of No Child Left Behind. The President's budgets since the enactment of No Child Left Behind have repeatedly failed to fund Title I funding, the key federal mechanism for educating poor children and encouraging reform at the state and local level. The President's FY 2003 budget was $ 4.6 billion short of that authorized by his own No Child Left Behind Act. Bush's FY 2004 budget called for $6 billion less in Title I funding. The President has already admitted that his new FY2005 budget set to be released shortly will fall $7 billion short of the amount authorized, meaning that 4.6 million children nationwide will not receive the education the President promised them. [Congressional Quarterly Weekly, 12/13/02; House Appropriations Committee Minority Staff "President Bush's FY 2004 Budget, Department of Education, A Preliminary Analysis, 2/3/03; Office of Democratic Senate Leader Tom Daschle, 1/7/04; Associated Press, 1/8/04]

Bush Administration Inaccurately Claimed Budget Increases In Title I Funding. The Washington Post reported that the Education Department distributed a fact sheet that claimed "if President Bush's 2004 proposed education budget is enacted, Title I funding will have increased 41 percent since No Child Left Behind was signed into law." In fact, "when the 'No Child Left Behind' legislation was signed in January 2002, spending on the Title I education program was $10.35 billion (Bush had requested $9.06 billion). The president's proposal for 2004 is $12.35 billion, a 19 percent increase." Even this falls fall short of what Bush's program promised [Washington Post, 4/8/03; www.nclb.gov]

Bush Administration Spends Fifty Times More on Tax Cuts Than Increased Education Spending. Federal tax cuts over the past two fiscal years totaled $478 billion, while Department of Education spending increased $9.4 billion -- a ratio of more than 50 to 1. Overall spending by the Department of Education increased from $56.2 billion in FY 2002 to $60.4 billion in FY 2003 to $61.4 billion in FY 2004 (projected) leaving a total of $9.4 billion in additional spending over the past two fiscal years. During that same period the federal government handed out $186 billion in tax cuts in FY 2003 and $292 billion in FY 2004 for a total of $478 billion in lost tax revenue. [www.ctj.org; www.ed.gov]

Funding Shortfalls Undermine the Goals of No Child Left Behind
Despite A Mandate In "No Child Left Behind" To Qualify All Teachers, Bush's Budget Cut Teacher Quality Programs. Bush's FY 2004 budget proposed $3.1 billion for teacher quality programs, 7.9% ($268 million) below 2003 enacted levels. A year earlier, Bush proposed freezing teacher quality initiatives for the 2003 budget. Yet Bush's own No Child Left Behind Act called for every teacher to be have obtained a state certificate or license to teach by 2005. [House Budget Committee Minority Staff, 3/9/03; House Appropriations Committee Minority Staff "President Bush's FY 2004 Budget, Department of Education, A Preliminary Analysis, 2/3/03; House Democratic Staff of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 2/5/02]

Important "No Child Left Behind" Programs Were Eliminated In Bush's FY 2004 Budget. Important programs for comprehensive school reform, rural education, dropout prevention, school counseling, training teachers to use technology and a program to provide resources to reduce class size were all eliminated from Bush's FY 2004 budget. Each program was part of Bush's own No Child Left Behind Act. [www.ed.gov; Office of Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, 6/9/03]

Bush Refuses to Fund Vital School Modernization Projects. In 2002, President Bush fought for the repeal of a new federal initiative to modernize America's schools and provide safe, modern places to learn for all children. His budget plan fails to include any dedicated resources to address the $127 billion backlog in school repairs. America's schools are, on average, 42 years old; nearly 25,000 public schools, almost one-third of all public school buildings, are in a serious state of disrepair. As a result, more than 15 million students learn in facilities that have substandard heating, ventilation, plumbing, and roofing systems. [National Center for Education Statistics, How Old Are America's Public Schools?, 1/99, www.nces.ed.gov; GAO Report, School Facilities, 3/00; American Institute of Architects, Good Enough for Congress?; www.e-architect.com; House Democratic Staff of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 2/5/02]

Bush Turns His Back on Military Families In a Time of Sacrifice
Bush Cited "Obligation" to Children of Military Families. "Our men and women in service put their lives on the line to defend our freedom," Mr. Bush said. "We have a special obligation to rebuild the schools that educate their children. As president, I will ensure that this obligation is met." [New York Times, 8/22/00]

Bush's Budget Would Cut $200 Million From Impact Aid, The Program That Helps Fund Education For Children In Military Families. Bush's 2004 budget cut $200 million from Impact Aid, a program that helps military children receive a quality education. While Bush requested $1.2 billion for the entire Impact Aid program, most of that funding when to non-military groups. The military portion of Impact aid would fall in Bush's budget from $635 to $435 million. These cuts were not the only ones Bush had in store for military families. Bush's latest tax cut failed to extend a child tax credit to 200,000 low-income military families. Military housing programs were cut from $10.7 to $9.2 billion and veterans benefits were cut an astonishing $14.6 billion over ten years. [House Appropriations Committee, Minority Staff, 6/17/03, 6/16/03; Washington Post, 6/17/03]

MSNBC - No proof links Iraq, al-Qaida, Powell says

MSNBC - No proof links Iraq, al-Qaida, Powell says

Wow what a surprise!

Seems the real link between al-qaida and terrorists was Bin Laden not Saddam--go figure :)