OK. Blogging is difficult for me. How much do you say, how do you say it, and how does a person interpret the writing?
Recently, thinking about my son going to kindergarten, I started looking at school rankings. This is another topic that I could go on about, but I'll try to condense it here. How are the schools ranked in the Beaverton/Hillsboro area? For elementary, there are quite a few schools ranked as outstanding, for middle schools...less, and high schools, only 1 school is outstanding. Sunset High School, who is ranked as "Outstanding" for achievement, is on the federal "troubled list". ZERO Beaverton Public High Schools are NOT on the troubled list. ZERO Hillsboro Public High Schools are not on the federal troubled list.
How do I understand the difference between OUTSTANDING achievement and ALSO being on the troubled list?!?
It sucks being a parent who worries. For now, I've come to the conclusion that my child's education is not up to the school system, but will be all effort from the parents. I work for a living, so I can't participate in home schooling, but apparently the feds say that as my child grows older, their education will suffer. So what do I do??? For now, I noticed that writing seems to get lower scores than math, science, or reading... so I'm practicing now, on this blog, that maybe I can make a difference in my son's life by example. Maybe I can stop losing my writing "chops" that I had in high school AP English and college 'A' grades for composition.I need to practice, so I can be a good mentor as my son grows older. Maybe one of these blogs, I'll break out a "theme" and try to write like I was "learned"....
Monday, March 22, 2010
Starbucks coffee cups
The current Starbucks cup design drives me a little crazy. It reads.
"YOU. HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL FOR 10 YEARS".
The text goes on to say nothing about trees/paper/pulp, but talks about making things better for farmers?!? I don't get the connection of how focusing on climate change with farmers will encourage people not to waste cups, or how that will save a rain forest, or trees.
This is such a ridiculous marketing scheme. As someone who is at least aware of conservation, I would paraphrase this as saying, "LAZY. You are too lazy to bring in your cup, so you are getting a paper one. Its OK, because we know that cups are wasteful to the environment, but we don't want you not to spend money because you forgot your cup. Go ahead and feel good about your coffee because we say that we try to balance your use of cups by working with the farmers to reduce CO2 in other ways, although we are not going to tell you how."
Yeah, I should not use paper cups. Don't make me try to believe its a good thing. Just let it nag on my mind, so maybe I'll actually NOT use paper cups.
"YOU. HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL FOR 10 YEARS".
The text goes on to say nothing about trees/paper/pulp, but talks about making things better for farmers?!? I don't get the connection of how focusing on climate change with farmers will encourage people not to waste cups, or how that will save a rain forest, or trees.
This is such a ridiculous marketing scheme. As someone who is at least aware of conservation, I would paraphrase this as saying, "LAZY. You are too lazy to bring in your cup, so you are getting a paper one. Its OK, because we know that cups are wasteful to the environment, but we don't want you not to spend money because you forgot your cup. Go ahead and feel good about your coffee because we say that we try to balance your use of cups by working with the farmers to reduce CO2 in other ways, although we are not going to tell you how."
Yeah, I should not use paper cups. Don't make me try to believe its a good thing. Just let it nag on my mind, so maybe I'll actually NOT use paper cups.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Losing My Chops?!?
If anyone is reading, you might ask "what are chops?" Any of the definitions not relating to hair or drugs at http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=chops might apply, although I didn't bother to scrutinize them all.
I used to play the trumpet, and I was fairly good at it. In high school, my talent on the horn was my main reputation. I did other things, but was mainly known as "that trumpet player" who played at high school sporting events. Never mind the hours of practice at home for the concerts that we played 2 or 3 times a year. In college, I played my horn approximately 40-50 hours per week, and studied for my engineering degree for about 12 hour a week, it was a huge part of my life. I burned out my senior year of college on the horn, and then stopped playing. Since then, my love for the instrument prompted a couple of comebacks over the years, where I regained my skills quickly, but life, other interests, and lack of time won out against the horn to squash my dream.
The trumpet is a hard instrument to play, especially if your intention is to have any sort of success or mastery of the high register. Anyway, I don't really play the trumpet that much anymore... I only own a cornet, and have very little endurance and chops. Mainly I play it now to remind me not to have dreams of being a virtuoso.
I constantly feel like I'm losing my chops for other things. For example.. I worked out extremely hard last year on the p90x program. Well, that program takes 1 to 1.5 hours per day, 6 days a week. I no longer can afford that time, and hence, I'm losing my chops there too (read: gained some weight and flabbiness back). In fact, my skills and body seem in constant deterioration due to lack of practicing my existing skills and interests.
I used to play the trumpet, and I was fairly good at it. In high school, my talent on the horn was my main reputation. I did other things, but was mainly known as "that trumpet player" who played at high school sporting events. Never mind the hours of practice at home for the concerts that we played 2 or 3 times a year. In college, I played my horn approximately 40-50 hours per week, and studied for my engineering degree for about 12 hour a week, it was a huge part of my life. I burned out my senior year of college on the horn, and then stopped playing. Since then, my love for the instrument prompted a couple of comebacks over the years, where I regained my skills quickly, but life, other interests, and lack of time won out against the horn to squash my dream.
The trumpet is a hard instrument to play, especially if your intention is to have any sort of success or mastery of the high register. Anyway, I don't really play the trumpet that much anymore... I only own a cornet, and have very little endurance and chops. Mainly I play it now to remind me not to have dreams of being a virtuoso.
I constantly feel like I'm losing my chops for other things. For example.. I worked out extremely hard last year on the p90x program. Well, that program takes 1 to 1.5 hours per day, 6 days a week. I no longer can afford that time, and hence, I'm losing my chops there too (read: gained some weight and flabbiness back). In fact, my skills and body seem in constant deterioration due to lack of practicing my existing skills and interests.
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