HOWEVER OR BECAUSE

Tutoring is a favorite thing for me to do.  I am now working with a lady who is back in school to regain a new profession.  She's having some problems with language and math.  We are working together 2 or 3 days a week in those areas.

One of the things she had never learned in school was not to use However or Because to start a sentence. It doesn't seem to be a rule any more; why I don't know.  In fact, we come across the usage frequently in her practice books.  Teaching to the test, which is what most teachers have to do in this day and age, does not give you much time to actually teach the skills necessary for reading and writing.

I know Charlie Crist has had some flack about vetoing the teacher merit evaluation but it is probably one of the best things he has done while in any office for the State of Florida.  He and Jeb Bush, in my opinion, have really messed with the Educational System in this state.  My question is "How can you make decisions about ANYTHING that you have not experienced or about which you have no first-hand knowledge?"  Leave it to your advisors?  This is probably what is being done, but as we all know GIGO-Garbage In; Garbage out. If they are advised by people who have axes to grind, so to speak, or don't really know anything about the classroom or teaching, then you get poor decision-making tactics and lousy laws.

Why should a teacher be paid on student performance?  No one else's salary is done this way.  If my surgery doesn't go well, do we withhold the Hospital's payment?  If my car doesn't perform correctly, is the mechanic sued or the car?  Most people are paid on "their" performance.  And, while I'm complaining, why must we have the idiotic tests anyway?  Tests only tell us what someone doesn't know; not what they do know.

Most European countries have two strains of learning - If you want to go to college, you take certain qualifying tests, if you pass them, you stay on the "strain of learning" that leads to college level classes; then move into college almost as an additional "level of learning" much like here when students move from Junior High to High School.  If you don't want to go to college, you take the "strain of learning" leading to some sort of trade or apprenticeship. I personally think this makes much more sense than the way we try to cram all students into the "molds of learning" we have in the United States.  But, again, no one asked me.

It's time to retire my soap box once again and go to bed (total waste of time).  Tomorrow is another day and God is still in control.  I am grateful for this.  But one more thing I've noticed - What about the earthquakes and volcanic activity we have had?  Anyone read Revelations lately?

Longer

For some reason, this April 7 was harder than usual for me.  It took several days to get back to my "normal," activities, whatever those happen to be.  The "normal" line keeps moving in my world, so it's hard to tell where it is at any given time.  Time marches on and I'm back up to "doing" and "moving" in my spaces.

Wiener is having some health issues in that she has a "rash of some sort" from a mysterious unknown allergic reation.  She really needs a bath, which she will get tomorrow as she has an appointment on Friday with a new vet.  My previous vet has moved to Emergency "vet things" whatever that happens to be, and a friend recommended a new vet that I'm going to visit.  Her other vet was about an hour away and extremely expensive.  This change is probably good.  I look forward to meeting him.

I went to a new dermatologist this passed week and I also have a rash on my shoulders and chest.  It is a mysterious, unknown allergic reaction to an undiagnosed substance.  Sounds familiar doesn't it?  Maybe we both should either see the vet or the dermatologist together.  Decisions; decisions.  I'll just ask for additional meds from the vet.  That should take care of everything.

ONCE AGAIN

It's been another year without Tom; eight altogether now.  The "wound" is not so raw; it just aches.  Not a day goes by that I don't think of him and what might have been.  I know God loves me and wants the best for me, so why wasn't Tom that "good" that I needed.  As my friend's grandson used to say, "I can't know."

Wednesday I will do my usual "hiding" thing somewhere by myself and try to get through the day one more time.  I'll try to remember the events of THAT day; my friends; the numbness; the police; my sons; and, I'll get through it again.  And, I'll go on.  My biggest question is "Why not me?"

WHAT TO DO?

The old adage that you really don't get involved until it affects you is true. With resigning from my former job, I had to reassign my health insurance. What a mess of paperwork!!!  That is not why I'm upset.  I went to pickup 4 prescriptions yesterday and they wanted me to pay almost $300.00. That is with two different insurance companies supposedly covering me.  What is with that?

Not only do I not want to pay that much, I won't pay that much for pills that I don't even want to take in the first place.  No wonder Americans can't afford to be sick.  THAT IS JUST WRONG!!!

We are the richest nation in the world.  We feed and clothe every other nation in the world.  We send money and supplies to everyone else and can't even take care of our own people. It is a crime.  Where does it stop?