I know, I stole the less seriously line from an 1980's song, but it came to mind today... As I was sipping my morning coffee and watching the sheeple panic inducing Today show. The populist program was doing a quick piece on bullying and suicide, specifically about some teens in Ohio, that were bullied for their differences, ultimately leading to their suicides.
I have always stood by my simple belief that teens are wolves. The alphas will circle the omegas until they are kicked out of the pack. I am not sure what omega wolves do from there, but I believe they become "lone wolves" until they find another pack...
But suicide is not the answer for the wolves. Why is it for the humans?? I can certainly appreciate and remember how when you are a human teen "fitting in" seemed like life and death. It was crazy. And of course humans are more analytical than wolves and take this omega status so much more to heart--thus the resulting depression.
But what if we could somehow stop taking the "pack" so seriously? Easier said than done, but part of the problem is our rat-race society, and the resulting inflexibility.
I always go on and on, about how nobody seems to care about education in Alaska--but there is actually a silver lining to all that. It's the home-school, GED is ok, whatever mentality. One of my coworkers in Alaska nonchalantly remarked how instead of high school she just dropped out at 14, got her GED and lived in a cabin and worked in Girdwood. No big deal. But to someone coming from NJ--it sounded sooo outrageous.
Would it help if more bullied teens felt they had such flexible options? If you don't fit in, feel bullied, whatever, just leave the school. What if there was more support to just find a new school, get home schooled, get your GED and start community college...?(I don't ever feel no education is an answer).
But people might just freak out about these alternatives, they take it all so seriously...like leaving school will screw up their college transcripts..or they need to tough it out. Well the "tough it out" thing doesn't really fly anymore, as these days job-jumping is the norm as well. Besides, so many of these "different" kids are actually the geniuses of tomorrow, they can't fit in, nor should they. Colleges certainly respect home-schooled kids and GED kids, especially if they do something productive. (I know of a kid in Chicago who dropped out of high school to start a nightclub and went on to become a genetic engineer)
I don't proclaim to have all the answers to this sad and complex issue, but a bit of flexibility couldn't hurt....sending a howl for all those omegas out there!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
The Irony of Alaska's Joe Miller
Alaska has it's own circus going on right now regarding the upcoming election. Lisa Murkowski's non-traditional write in bid is actually quite boring (yawn) compared to the wacky, wacky contradictions of Tea Party sweetheart Joe Miller...
I can't quite figure out, who is a Joe Miller fan? Ok, the well-off, I see some nice houses with Joe signs and that makes sense to me--they are doing well, don't want more taxes, and screw the "lazy poor".
But it's the underprivileged voters that get my goat--the trailers and yards full of jalopies with their "constitutional freedom" and "Joe Miller" signs that send my mind spinning...
So these not-rich folks, want to benefit less from government programs--like Denali kidcare (medicaid) or social security...right? and then these poor folks also don't want to pay their imaginary taxes -- (aren't you exempt from taxes at low incomes in this country ?)
Whatever. The great irony of Joe Miller is that without much advanced snooping, the press is all over his past of government programs--are there any he didn't even apply for?? I mean farm subsidies, unemployment, low income hunting license and Denail kidcare (medicaid) for his kids.
Now Joe's statement is "my family has had its struggles". Ok, so the Miller family struggled, used these programs, he got a good education & job, then zoomed ahead in the capitalist system. But excuse me--no other poor person should have these 'unconstitutional' benefits, right? And the best part is-- that he can fool a bunch of uneducated people to put signs in their yard in support of 'no benefits for me' (heaven forbid they become successful like Joe Miller--right??)
There used to be a joke: that an environmentalist is someone who builds a house in the woods, and then doesn't allow anyone else to do so.
I guess the new joke is: a Tea Party conservative is someone who uses government benefits to get ahead--and then doesn't allow anyone else to do the same....
I can't quite figure out, who is a Joe Miller fan? Ok, the well-off, I see some nice houses with Joe signs and that makes sense to me--they are doing well, don't want more taxes, and screw the "lazy poor".
But it's the underprivileged voters that get my goat--the trailers and yards full of jalopies with their "constitutional freedom" and "Joe Miller" signs that send my mind spinning...
So these not-rich folks, want to benefit less from government programs--like Denali kidcare (medicaid) or social security...right? and then these poor folks also don't want to pay their imaginary taxes -- (aren't you exempt from taxes at low incomes in this country ?)
Whatever. The great irony of Joe Miller is that without much advanced snooping, the press is all over his past of government programs--are there any he didn't even apply for?? I mean farm subsidies, unemployment, low income hunting license and Denail kidcare (medicaid) for his kids.
Now Joe's statement is "my family has had its struggles". Ok, so the Miller family struggled, used these programs, he got a good education & job, then zoomed ahead in the capitalist system. But excuse me--no other poor person should have these 'unconstitutional' benefits, right? And the best part is-- that he can fool a bunch of uneducated people to put signs in their yard in support of 'no benefits for me' (heaven forbid they become successful like Joe Miller--right??)
There used to be a joke: that an environmentalist is someone who builds a house in the woods, and then doesn't allow anyone else to do so.
I guess the new joke is: a Tea Party conservative is someone who uses government benefits to get ahead--and then doesn't allow anyone else to do the same....
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Understanding Palin Vindictiveness
Often when one reads about Sarah Palin and company, especially in more local venues...the term "vindictive streak" is used to describe her. In other words, if someone speaks ill or wrongs the Palins, they just can't let it go....I have not yet read the book "Going Rogue", but apparently, a few former friends are thrown under the bus in that wonder of modern literature.
Living in Alaska, the vindictive thing is simply commonplace normality--but I want to clarify this type of behavior to the Blue State people who may not have experienced it....
First of all, remember, I love Alaska--the folksy values, honesty and old fashioned people--it is the friendliest place I have ever lived. That said though, there is this wacky (may I say 'red-neck?') type behavior in a few people where they just can't back away from a fight, pissing match, what have you...
Stories of shooting matches over fishing spots, beating up the neighbor over a fence line and other such civilized behavior makes the local news quite often. I remember hearing in Anchorage from a friend whose wooden bear statue was stolen by neighborhood kids. The family knows who did it, told the authorities and wham! statue was returned to the lawn...but beheaded. Just to show them, that they should not have told. I'll admit beheading is not that common, but the "I'll show them", thinking is.
Here's a completely unknown Sarah story: when Sarah Palin was a nothing, about 10 years ago, her sister was paying housing rent to a man that she also shared the bedroom with. This upset Sarah's sense of justice and brought out her inner vindictive 'pitbull'. She marched up the drive and demanded that said man stop requesting rent from her poor sister as the relationship was more than just renter. I guess it's sweet that Sarah wants to defend her sibling, but couldn't the adult sister decide for herself whether she should split the mortgage with her lover?
That said, it just doesn't seem like the Palins can outgrow this type of thinking, to start choosing their battles wisely, letting it roll off their backs and taking the high road...
And this could be our next president! Where's that new habitable planet that was discovered? Get me a launch ticket!
Living in Alaska, the vindictive thing is simply commonplace normality--but I want to clarify this type of behavior to the Blue State people who may not have experienced it....
First of all, remember, I love Alaska--the folksy values, honesty and old fashioned people--it is the friendliest place I have ever lived. That said though, there is this wacky (may I say 'red-neck?') type behavior in a few people where they just can't back away from a fight, pissing match, what have you...
Stories of shooting matches over fishing spots, beating up the neighbor over a fence line and other such civilized behavior makes the local news quite often. I remember hearing in Anchorage from a friend whose wooden bear statue was stolen by neighborhood kids. The family knows who did it, told the authorities and wham! statue was returned to the lawn...but beheaded. Just to show them, that they should not have told. I'll admit beheading is not that common, but the "I'll show them", thinking is.
Here's a completely unknown Sarah story: when Sarah Palin was a nothing, about 10 years ago, her sister was paying housing rent to a man that she also shared the bedroom with. This upset Sarah's sense of justice and brought out her inner vindictive 'pitbull'. She marched up the drive and demanded that said man stop requesting rent from her poor sister as the relationship was more than just renter. I guess it's sweet that Sarah wants to defend her sibling, but couldn't the adult sister decide for herself whether she should split the mortgage with her lover?
That said, it just doesn't seem like the Palins can outgrow this type of thinking, to start choosing their battles wisely, letting it roll off their backs and taking the high road...
And this could be our next president! Where's that new habitable planet that was discovered? Get me a launch ticket!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Never Ending Poop Saga
Now that the excavator showed up and dug up our sewer line one would think that my poop lifestyle would finally come to a reprieve. Unfortunately, I have no such luck.
After the excavator left, my husband mentioned he had chatted with him briefly about the septic tank. It appears that (behind my back) the dude mentioned to my husband that the entrance to our septic was jammed with a "kotex like material". WTF does that imply?
Am I so stupid (being the sole female in the household) to not know that after 9 years of living with a septic system I should not flush a giant maxi pad down the toilet?? Doesn't every woman on earth know not to do such a thing? (Even in a city system.) Did we have crazy guests over just itching to dispose of their feminine products down our country toilet??? Or do imps and gnomes show up and flush kotex down my toilet? What could this "product" really be?
Luckily the power went out due to a windstorm that knocked the neighbors tree down--distracting me from fuming about the sexist assumption that women screw up septic systems...So we took the dogs to the "self-serve dog wash"--a popular thing in Alaska instead of fancy groomers. Two hours later the beasts were brushed and clean. Unfortunately the dogs don't think of this as clean--they think of it as "odor vulnerable" or something like that.
The first thing they do at home is try to rub their necks in dirt (I have been told that is where the scent glands are). We steered them away from this activity, and they spent the night smelling like spring breezes and sunshine.
Of course the following day, they had had enough and sensed their canine opportunity when I opened the front door--sprinting past me in a mad gallop...heading for the hills. I can never stop the 120 pounds of determined muscle when they decide to knock me over and run away. I had a good idea where they were heading though--the neighbors house.
Sure enough, they returned only 20 minutes later, and Dingbat was covered with a yellow substance--horse manure. She just had to roll in horse manure...! That will show us to stop trying to get away from our poop-centric lifestyle...good grief, it's my calling.
After the excavator left, my husband mentioned he had chatted with him briefly about the septic tank. It appears that (behind my back) the dude mentioned to my husband that the entrance to our septic was jammed with a "kotex like material". WTF does that imply?
Am I so stupid (being the sole female in the household) to not know that after 9 years of living with a septic system I should not flush a giant maxi pad down the toilet?? Doesn't every woman on earth know not to do such a thing? (Even in a city system.) Did we have crazy guests over just itching to dispose of their feminine products down our country toilet??? Or do imps and gnomes show up and flush kotex down my toilet? What could this "product" really be?
Luckily the power went out due to a windstorm that knocked the neighbors tree down--distracting me from fuming about the sexist assumption that women screw up septic systems...So we took the dogs to the "self-serve dog wash"--a popular thing in Alaska instead of fancy groomers. Two hours later the beasts were brushed and clean. Unfortunately the dogs don't think of this as clean--they think of it as "odor vulnerable" or something like that.
The first thing they do at home is try to rub their necks in dirt (I have been told that is where the scent glands are). We steered them away from this activity, and they spent the night smelling like spring breezes and sunshine.
Of course the following day, they had had enough and sensed their canine opportunity when I opened the front door--sprinting past me in a mad gallop...heading for the hills. I can never stop the 120 pounds of determined muscle when they decide to knock me over and run away. I had a good idea where they were heading though--the neighbors house.
Sure enough, they returned only 20 minutes later, and Dingbat was covered with a yellow substance--horse manure. She just had to roll in horse manure...! That will show us to stop trying to get away from our poop-centric lifestyle...good grief, it's my calling.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
My Life of Crap
Ok, this is not an entry complaining about my life, or saying it is crappy--it is not crappy in the sense one might think, but in the literal sense: just crap, poop, manure.
It all begins with the excessive pet situation here at the house. One rescue dog, one stray that never went away, and two elderly cats set via Northwest airlines to our home...
Obviously the combo of these critters produce a lot of waste (oh did I mention that the dogs are 50 pounds plus and the cats are FAT) It is obviously my job to deal with their waste--and I hate poop piles on the lawn, so I am out there scooping away...
Speaking of poop piles--the moose is just like any other inefficient ungulate--it just walks and poops all day long , leaving behind these large towers of olives--they don't even decompose or collapse--so I have no choice but to scoop 'em too. (I didn't mean to imply I have a personal moose, I don't--it is everyone's to share in the neighborhood).
Lastly, is the sewer lagoon underneath my home. This is by far the crappiest. Sometimes we joke--"do we even have indoor plumbing?" As my sewer pipe seems to overflow whenever it feels like it. It does this is in the most interesting way--by blowing out the giant steel clean-out plug on the main line, without any warning to us. Resulting in a blast of sewage pouring into the basement--at which point it takes a few days for the odor to creep back up the pipes and remind us: "don't look in the basement, you don't want to know".....
So finally we paid the sewer guy $275 to film a "dirty movie" down our sewer line to see why it has this magical power to gross out our home. And it appears the line outside has buckled/bellied, another way to say: it fell into a sink hole.
So a fun excavator dude will be coming to dig it all up soon--and maybe the poop party will end once and for all for us...but what can I do about all those pets??
It all begins with the excessive pet situation here at the house. One rescue dog, one stray that never went away, and two elderly cats set via Northwest airlines to our home...
Obviously the combo of these critters produce a lot of waste (oh did I mention that the dogs are 50 pounds plus and the cats are FAT) It is obviously my job to deal with their waste--and I hate poop piles on the lawn, so I am out there scooping away...
Speaking of poop piles--the moose is just like any other inefficient ungulate--it just walks and poops all day long , leaving behind these large towers of olives--they don't even decompose or collapse--so I have no choice but to scoop 'em too. (I didn't mean to imply I have a personal moose, I don't--it is everyone's to share in the neighborhood).
Lastly, is the sewer lagoon underneath my home. This is by far the crappiest. Sometimes we joke--"do we even have indoor plumbing?" As my sewer pipe seems to overflow whenever it feels like it. It does this is in the most interesting way--by blowing out the giant steel clean-out plug on the main line, without any warning to us. Resulting in a blast of sewage pouring into the basement--at which point it takes a few days for the odor to creep back up the pipes and remind us: "don't look in the basement, you don't want to know".....
So finally we paid the sewer guy $275 to film a "dirty movie" down our sewer line to see why it has this magical power to gross out our home. And it appears the line outside has buckled/bellied, another way to say: it fell into a sink hole.
So a fun excavator dude will be coming to dig it all up soon--and maybe the poop party will end once and for all for us...but what can I do about all those pets??
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Honest Talk About Failing School Districts
School district funding is back in the news again, thanks to the Facebook founder kid donating a good chunk of change to the failing Newark NJ school district. All the news articles fawning over this event readily admit that spending per student is already high in this district--but nobody will mention the real bogeyman here.
It drives me nuts when so many media articles yap on and on about failing school districts and bad teachers and need for new programs, yet dance around the real issue. Which is: that students residing in communities with low social economic standards are screwed. It's just not P.C. to admit that the problem begins with the community and the home. One teacher I know was telling me how it's a known fact (among teachers) that when a school district reaches 40% free lunch (low income) the district is as good as doomed.
Why is this ? Because when you are raised in a home where nobody believes anything good will come from education (because, hey, it didn't work for me) they don't give a damn if you succeed or not. If your economic reality is only the crooks and pushers are rich-then you know that school is a joke. Out here in the poor communities of Alaska--they always feel that success comes from "connections", not education. It simply feels useless. It also doesn't help when the community at large mocks "nerdy" or successful kids in these types of impoverished areas.
You won't solve this ingrained mentality by blaming the poor teachers (and bless them for sticking it out in these difficult districts). But you need to target the parents. Everyone who was raised upper middle class knows that they were expected to succeed by their elders--not mocked for trying.
So take that Facebook money, and redirect it to the community--advertise on billboards, buses and TV that education is the real path to success and popularity. Change the "it's no use" mentality instead of bashing your head against the wall and flushing money down the drain.
It drives me nuts when so many media articles yap on and on about failing school districts and bad teachers and need for new programs, yet dance around the real issue. Which is: that students residing in communities with low social economic standards are screwed. It's just not P.C. to admit that the problem begins with the community and the home. One teacher I know was telling me how it's a known fact (among teachers) that when a school district reaches 40% free lunch (low income) the district is as good as doomed.
Why is this ? Because when you are raised in a home where nobody believes anything good will come from education (because, hey, it didn't work for me) they don't give a damn if you succeed or not. If your economic reality is only the crooks and pushers are rich-then you know that school is a joke. Out here in the poor communities of Alaska--they always feel that success comes from "connections", not education. It simply feels useless. It also doesn't help when the community at large mocks "nerdy" or successful kids in these types of impoverished areas.
You won't solve this ingrained mentality by blaming the poor teachers (and bless them for sticking it out in these difficult districts). But you need to target the parents. Everyone who was raised upper middle class knows that they were expected to succeed by their elders--not mocked for trying.
So take that Facebook money, and redirect it to the community--advertise on billboards, buses and TV that education is the real path to success and popularity. Change the "it's no use" mentality instead of bashing your head against the wall and flushing money down the drain.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
My Adventures With Burnt Raspberry Jelly
Not too long ago, my family picked a gallon worth of wild raspberries from the forest on our property. As anyone knows, picking raspberries is usually not that fun- as you get constantly pricked and in Alaska the fun includes multiple mosquito bites on your fingers and ears..
I recently pulled out the freezer bag and thought the time had come to make some good wild raspberry jelly. I boiled, strained, added lemon and sugar-- it was looking really good. As it was cooking I noticed it had boiled over a bit--no problem, I skimmed the top, added some more sugar and set the heat on low. Or did I?
At the same time I set a pot of water to boil on high and went outside for five minutes...at least that's what I though. But oh crap--I came back in and the jelly was set on high and the pot of water was actually on low!
My beautiful raspberry sauce was now a thick brown goop. I couldn't stand to throw it out so I sealed it in a mason jar. The next day I forced myself to actually eat a peanut butter and burnt goop sandwich--yuck! It sort of tasted like weird molasses.
So I went on the oracle that is the internet and asked "what now??"
The first two articles I found seemed to imply: "tough luck, throw out the burnt jelly." I wasn't ready to give up and scrolled down further to a more optimistic idea: "use it for BBQ sauce."
So that's what I tried--cooked it lightly, adding vinegar, and ketchup--basting all over some broiled chicken. Holy doodles! It tasted great! Not like BBQ, but like Chinese food...
So now I call it my "secret sauce base". We have used this "burnt jelly goop" for fajita sauce, sesame chicken and other homemade concoctions. Sometimes adding some molasses or fish oil, even garlic. But I still can't believe that my "burnt jelly mistake" turned into one of the best sauces I have ever made (and I am not even a good cook).
Like lemonade out of lemons....
I recently pulled out the freezer bag and thought the time had come to make some good wild raspberry jelly. I boiled, strained, added lemon and sugar-- it was looking really good. As it was cooking I noticed it had boiled over a bit--no problem, I skimmed the top, added some more sugar and set the heat on low. Or did I?
At the same time I set a pot of water to boil on high and went outside for five minutes...at least that's what I though. But oh crap--I came back in and the jelly was set on high and the pot of water was actually on low!
My beautiful raspberry sauce was now a thick brown goop. I couldn't stand to throw it out so I sealed it in a mason jar. The next day I forced myself to actually eat a peanut butter and burnt goop sandwich--yuck! It sort of tasted like weird molasses.
So I went on the oracle that is the internet and asked "what now??"
The first two articles I found seemed to imply: "tough luck, throw out the burnt jelly." I wasn't ready to give up and scrolled down further to a more optimistic idea: "use it for BBQ sauce."
So that's what I tried--cooked it lightly, adding vinegar, and ketchup--basting all over some broiled chicken. Holy doodles! It tasted great! Not like BBQ, but like Chinese food...
So now I call it my "secret sauce base". We have used this "burnt jelly goop" for fajita sauce, sesame chicken and other homemade concoctions. Sometimes adding some molasses or fish oil, even garlic. But I still can't believe that my "burnt jelly mistake" turned into one of the best sauces I have ever made (and I am not even a good cook).
Like lemonade out of lemons....
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