Take to the sky on a natural high.....

Loving you til' the day I die.

We have all heard that song at one point or another, haven't we? Not to mention the myriads of "love theme" songs, ranging from love is grand, to love is lost, and the unrequited loves. It is a worn out subject in songs and literature alike. And why should it not be? It is what gets us up in the morning. So I am not complaining, well, not really.

Unlesssssss of course, I hear songs with codependent love themes. And mind you, codependency isn't love. It is a mental illness. So as a 34 year old who can just change the station, why do I care? Well, perhaps young people do not know the difference and that there is my main concern.

Take this gem here for example, the latest of the "I'm jack shit without you" jams. It's cute. It's catchy. There are girls, drinks, and more drinks, and girls, some dudes, and plenty of club hopping. It probably seems really cool to most young people. Most young people probably "relate" to the song which to me, is so sad and disturbing.

No one should have to stay "high" for any reason ( hello, drug problems in our nation people), and if you feel like you would have to degrade yourself and harm yourself because you can't "let someone go", then in all actuality you never "loved" that person to begin with.

Um, you kinda sorta have to love yourself first.

And that is SO important, for everyone. It is important for adults and minors alike.

LOVE YOURSELF!

Then, when ( and if ) that person leaves your life you can still take care of you. You can go around singing things like " I take Yoga to keep you off my mind, and quite frankly I'll be just fine."

Sure, love lost hurts. Sometimes it hurts a whole hell of a lot.

But it is what makes us grow and evolve as human beings. Numbing yourself is depriving yourself of great personal truths that will make you a better person. And do we not want to be great people?

So in conclusion,

If you have a daughter, or son, bumping this kind of music....just please nudge them.

Show them what real love is.

Truthdig.com

I just discovered this blog via KPFK and I have fallen in love with it. There are multiple columns by various scholars and journalists. I just read an article by Mike Rose, who is faculty at UCLA in the Education department.

He wrote an excellent article titled "Questions that Education Reformers are not asking" and he said something that I have been thinking for days and days and its nice to see someone else publish it: We don't have a culture in America that emphasizes and promotes intellectual thought.

If businesses are going to align themselves with education and school districts, and if our educational system is going to continue to focus on "pumping out good little workers" then these same businesses have a responsibility to change how they advertise and shape entertainment for quick bucks. Advertisements and entertainment which value appearances over substance, material aims over creative thought and critical thinking. All of this B.S. trully shapes young peoples minds and character and this effects adults as well! GRANTED, just watch MTV. Retard central.

Granted, he didn't really mention what other motivations businesses have, such as privatizing education, but I do agree that we have to revamp our reasons for sending kids to school in the first place. What happened to the love of learning, being a unique individual, and thinking critically? The new catch phrase that is smothered all over new reforms is "21st Century Skills", which is mainly aimed at creating people who will do well in a office.

This is a crazy time in our history right now, even though a lot of people are just glazed over mentally.

The 60s are coming back people. And I CANT WAIT.

The Blame Game-Scapegoating Teachers

I just read a great article in this months CTA magazine that says everything myself and other teachers have been thinking and discussing, however this is the first time I have actually seen it in print in such a straight forward manner.

"The Blame Game" reveals the real reason why teachers are being scapegoated for the problems in public education: To attack unions in the effort to destroy them so they no longer exist, therefore turning schools over to the private sector with the agenda to run them like a business.

BAM. There. In print. Thank you.

Its crazy because my step dad, who has taught for how many billions of years, has been saying this forever and a day.

The article also mentions, that the other main reason is to take attention away from REAL SOCIAL ISSUES, like "poverty, housing, unemployment, health care, immigration( CTA Vol.15 Issue 2 pg. 28)."

The article debunks myths from the new movie "Waiting for Superman", which paints the (in reality ineffective) charter school as the hero. In a country where supposedly numbers means sooooo much in Education and rating teachers, its just so funny that real statistical data which shows that charter schools fair NO BETTER than traditional public schools goes ignored, completely.

Its also disappointing that Oprah had a show all about the film and silenced a real teacher who was asked to speak on the show and give a real teacher perspective on classroom realities and the importance of effective unionization.

It's interesting stuff, exciting stuff, and its refreshing and a relief to know that unions exist, that the writers for CTA have a brain, and that there is a debate and a battle that I hope continues to grow and take more momentum.

United we Stand.

When can Kids be Kids?

This new pop sensation is 17 years old. If you browse through Miley Cyrus pictures or her latest music videos, you will see someone who is gyrating and grinding and all decked out as if she is someone much older.

I know sex sells. But an underage girl should not be selling it. It's bad enough when MTV and record companies keep polluting the airwaves with the new next sex tart, but when you put a kids face on that....its just morally wrong.

Why can't kids be kids? They have their whole life ahead of them to be a shitty adult. Let them have their childhood as long as they can hold onto it. Why should there be a rush to become a slut and "doable" in a male's eyes. And why is that such a prize in this society? Many teenage girls are finding out the hard way. Theres no prize at the end. You get boned, and then you get stuck with a child. But hey, MTV markets this as well, with their awesome show "16 and pregnant". Might as well turn that pregnancy frown upside down and make a reality show that glorifies unwanted pregnacies in teen girls. Companies that own our pop culture, rooted in sensationalism, fake boobs and botox, and capital gains, should be held accountable for the damages that they do to society. As much as they would like to argue that no damage is done, rates in teen pregnancy would say otherwise. The United States has the highest rates of teen pregnacy of any other country in the western industrialized world and teen birth rates are on the rise.

Sex and sexiness, for women, is not true empowerment . If women want real empowerment, and want to be "seen" and "treated" like real human beings...then these images need to cease, or at least be put in a specific category, like "porn" and not be mainstream pop entertainment. Empowerment comes from having an education and being percieved as a human being and not a sex toy.

17 years old girls don't belong on poles. In all actuality, no woman belongs on a pole, but that's another discussion.

Are we humans? With the same rights and dignities as men? Or are we bound by appearances, and maintaining a "sexy" image that should start at an early age?

What do you teach your kids?

Who taught Miley Cyrus?

Labor Union Stigma: Cuz werker's rites groh frum Treez :)

I don't understand people sometimes. Especially "educators", who supposedly, by title, should be some what intellectual.

It turns out, that many are not.

In my local school district, many teachers have been pink slipped. However, other districts with LESS money in their reserves than this school district, have overturned their pink slip decisions. Next week there will be a very peaceful demonstration in front of a board members home. This person can vote against pink slipping. Its actually, as I have heard from members of the community, a candle light vigil that I plan on attending.

Its amazing to read some responses to this, from teachers, on various blogs such as face book, that are in such opposition to this type of demonstration. Even some pink slipped teachers call this action to be "too radical", and "shameful", and tarnishing an already "disliked" labor union.

It just strikes me as amazing to see so many supposedly educated people "poo poo" a labor union's leadership that is actually doing its job. I guess all these people forget that our 8 hour work day, sick leave, workers comp, stress leave, vacation pay, LUNCH BREAK, age requirements for working, and so on and so forth.....all came from the fight that labor unions won.

As if "the man" just gave us these things because he was nice. As if workers rights grow from trees?

And since when is a candlelight vigil so "radical"? Dr. Martin Luther King must have been an anarchist then? All that peaceful marching....darn hoodlums got nothing useful done for America.

This labor union stigma is nauseating to me; a type of underlying brainwash that perhaps charter schools would like to perpetuate.

Get a clue people.

If your not Donald Trump, or some CEO Fat Cow on wall street....your ass needs to support your union. Enjoy your lunch.

A Call to All Educators

Our leaders
are mentally
a million miles away
and so high above
our glass ceiling.
Amazing we get through the day
as our professional lives
they are stealing.
We haven't got much dignity left,
through the halls,
watch us,
as we shuffle our feet.
The "One" who we helped make History
deems us a failure
Fake Numbers
we do not meet.

Are you angry enough......now?

Meet me in the street.

Copyright 2010 Conscious_Android

Our Time of Doubt and Paranoia: A Mindless Rant

Seeing that I work with youth for my occupation, I'm trying not to turn into the typical jaded "older" person who sees society for what it really is:

Falling Apart At the Seams.

I'm trying to establish a healthy balance of optimism along with my newly found distrust of government ( and the Democratic party), and disappointment with society's lack of intellectual values and secular common sense.

I stress about work. I feel so lucky to have a job, especially in my field, that I obsess about it. I obsess about every minute little detail. I check, and double check. I write lists when I come home, of little insignificant "to - do's" that no one would probably even notice. But I can't leave any room for error. I have to keep my head down and keep my cog a coggin'.

This economy is stressful. Its a not a good time for you if you have OCD or Anxiety disorders. Your either going to have to up your dosage, or re-evaluate your political leaders.

I choose the latter.

I feel that I dont have a party to belong to anymore. Democrats and Republicans merge and blend, and all those hues, when mixed together, become the shade of vomit. McCain's wife is out making posters to promote Gay marriage. Yeah, really....that was my reaction too.

I'm all for that, but McCain's wife? Thats shameful. Its shameful that a Republican is stealing the little thunder Dems had....which SHOULD be action, or at least a fighting stance. At least some "fighting" words...come on...jesus. Grow some balls. If McCain's wife can do it, you can too, you Pussy party.....you "Sleeping with Enemy" party.

I'm thinking about officially changing to "Independent" for voting purposes. I can't fully identify with words alone. I need action. Political Action that leads to serious reform which helps all us underdogs of various sorts.

We need more than hope.

"We live in a political world
Where courage is a thing of the past,
Houses are haunted, children are unwanted,
The next day could be your last." - Bob Dylan, from Political World




Ha, and Dylan said he ain't no protest song writer.