These are my thoughts on this NYC flyover. If you don't know what I am talking about you can read it here. To sum it up, the backup to Air Force One flew over NYC for a photoshoot with the Statue of Liberty and made New Yorkers panic (and rightfully so!).
First and foremost is the most obvious thought, and that is that it was of horrible taste to fly over NYC after a recent tragic event in American history. (In case you have been living under a rock for the last 10 years, I'm talking about 9/11).
But secondly, I am bothered that the government is choosing to waste that much money on a PHOTOSHOOT in this economy (because I know that airplane fuel and a government photographer are not CHEAP... not to mention the jet that followed the plane, and the pilots flying the planes)! Why not just pull the plane on the runway and take a picture of it, or photoshop the plane into another picture. Why waste all of that money and cause that much panic and bring back some difficult feelings??? Very poor taste, Louis Caldera.
On another note, my placement ends this week. I am going to miss the kids so much! I will be subbing again starting next Wednesday. I should find out my placement for the fall on Thursday... but then again I was supposed to find it out April 22nd and that didn't happen, and then again on April 27th and that didn't happen either so we will see. I am not holding my breath.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
New Dishwasher and other things
We bought a new dishwasher today! In case I haven't told you, my Hercules of a husband pulled the door off when he was trying to move the dishwasher to install the new countertop. So we bought a new dishwasher. I never knew dishwasher could evoke such feelings in me, but it was love, or as close to love as one could healthily have for a kitchen appliance, for a few dishwashers. We ended up getting a really nice Maytag for a decent price. It will come in a week. It is a sad day when the excitement of my blog is about a new dishwasher. Sigh... I must be married and settled, haha.
I took the PRAXIS 2 today. If you don't know what that is, it is the 2nd round of tests that people in the education field have to take in order to be certified. I'll find out my fall placement on Monday. I am hoping it is a placement close to home! It has been nice being placed closed to home for the placement I'm in now, which ends on Friday and has been going well.
And in other news... the dogs turned 1 this week!!! Happy birthday to my babies! I can't believe they are 1! But then you look at pictures of them as puppies and them now and they are massive. Here are a few. Enjoy!:
This picture was taken our first night home with them!
I took the PRAXIS 2 today. If you don't know what that is, it is the 2nd round of tests that people in the education field have to take in order to be certified. I'll find out my fall placement on Monday. I am hoping it is a placement close to home! It has been nice being placed closed to home for the placement I'm in now, which ends on Friday and has been going well.
And in other news... the dogs turned 1 this week!!! Happy birthday to my babies! I can't believe they are 1! But then you look at pictures of them as puppies and them now and they are massive. Here are a few. Enjoy!:
This picture was taken our first night home with them!
Monday, April 20, 2009
I so need this!
On Thursday I am getting a massage! I desperately need one! My mother-in-law's 50th birthday was a few weeks ago and we got her a gift certificate for her first massage! She definitely deserves a massage. She deserved one a LONG time ago! The same day we decided on that, Jeff told me that I should go with her and get one. I thought he was joking until he said "don't you feel you deserve a massage?". What a wonderful hubby! :) So Thursday I am going to go for an amazing, hour-long, therapeutic massage with hot stones. Ahhhhhhh..... I relax a little just thinking about it!
The kitchen is coming close to being finished. Jeff is almost done with the floors. Once the floors are done I have to do the backsplash and we have to touch up paint in a few areas and then it is ready to be decorated!!! :) I can not wait!
I amjoining starting a book club! I have always wanted to join one and a wonderful person friend I met from the Nest has wanted to join one to meet new people (and because she loves to read of course!). We met for lunch and decided to try to start one and we found two other friends who want to join and so came the book club! I can't wait! Our first book is a Jodi Piccoult book called "Perfect Match". I hope it is good!
Ok well my guilty pleasure for the week is about to come on so I am going to go watch.
The kitchen is coming close to being finished. Jeff is almost done with the floors. Once the floors are done I have to do the backsplash and we have to touch up paint in a few areas and then it is ready to be decorated!!! :) I can not wait!
I am
Ok well my guilty pleasure for the week is about to come on so I am going to go watch.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Don't judge a book by its cover...
I'm sure everyone has seen this video or heard about it somewhere, but if you haven't, please check it out at this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk
Now that you've watched it this really is a true lesson on not judging a book by its cover. Every single person in that room was ready to condemn this woman before she even opened her mouth and sang just because she didn't look ideal or seem like she would be an amazing singer. Everyone has something special about them. Do not give up on them for the way they look, or the first impression you get of them because you don't know how that person may touch your life or make a difference in the world. Just because the person looks a certain way, has a certain amount of money, dresses a certain way, lives in a certain area does not mean that they are a lost cause or that you shouldn't give them the time of day. That person could just be the very change this world needs and will turn some heads, just like Susan Boyle did in her audition.
Tomorrow, take a small step in making the difference in the life of someone that just make a difference in your's. You could start with hello, which might mean everything in the world to them. Just say hello.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk
Now that you've watched it this really is a true lesson on not judging a book by its cover. Every single person in that room was ready to condemn this woman before she even opened her mouth and sang just because she didn't look ideal or seem like she would be an amazing singer. Everyone has something special about them. Do not give up on them for the way they look, or the first impression you get of them because you don't know how that person may touch your life or make a difference in the world. Just because the person looks a certain way, has a certain amount of money, dresses a certain way, lives in a certain area does not mean that they are a lost cause or that you shouldn't give them the time of day. That person could just be the very change this world needs and will turn some heads, just like Susan Boyle did in her audition.
Tomorrow, take a small step in making the difference in the life of someone that just make a difference in your's. You could start with hello, which might mean everything in the world to them. Just say hello.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
No Dentist Left Behind
My professor showed us this in class the other day. Wow. Just read it... and pass it on!!!
If you can see other people, especially the lawmakers of this country, understanding this analogy, please share it with them. Be sure that you give proper credit to the author. We are merely sharing it with you in the hopes that you'll find it as meaningful as we did.
By John S. Taylor, Superintendent of Schools for the Lancaster County School District
The Best Dentist
"Absolutely" the Best Dentist
My dentist is great! He sends me reminders so I don't forget checkups. He uses the latest techniques based on research. He never hurts me, and I've got all my teeth, so when I ran into him the other day, I was eager to see if he'd heard about the new state program. I knew he'd think it was great.
"Did you hear about the new state program to measure effectiveness of dentists with their young patients?" I said.
"No," he said. He didn't seem too thrilled. "How will they do that?"
"It's quite simple," I said. "They will just count the number of cavities each patient has at age 10, 14, and 18 and average that to determine a dentist's rating. Dentists will be rated as Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average, and Unsatisfactory. That way parents will know which are the best dentists. It will also encourage the less effective dentists to get better, " I said.
"Poor dentists who don't improve could lose their licenses to practice."
"That's terrible," he said.
"What? That's not a good attitude," I said. "Don't you think we should try to improve children's dental health in this state?"
"Sure I do," he said, "but that's not a fair way to determine who is practicing good dentistry."
"Why not?" I said. "It makes perfect sense to me."
"Well, it's so obvious," he said. "Don't you see that dentists don't all work with the same clientele; so much depends on things we can't control? For example," he said, "I work in a rural area with a high percentage of patients from deprived homes, while some of my colleagues work in upper middle class neighborhoods. Many of the parents I work with don't bring their children to see me until there is some kind of problem and I don't get to do much preventive work. Also," he said, "many of the parents I serve let their kids eat way too much candy from an early age, unlike more educated parents who understand the relationship between sugar and decay. To top it all off," he added, "so many of my clients have well water which is untreated and has no fluoride in it. Do you have any idea how much difference early use of fluoride can make?"
"It sounds like you're making excuses," I said. I couldn't believe my dentist would be so defensive. He does a great job.
"I am not!" he said. "My best patients are as good as anyone's, my work is as good as anyone's, but my average cavity count is going to be higher than a lot of other dentists because I chose to work where I am needed most."
"Don't get touchy," I said.
"Touchy?" he said. His face had turned red and from the way he was clenching and unclenching his jaws, I was afraid he was going to damage his teeth. "Try furious. In a system like this, I will end up being rated average, below average, or worse. My more educated patients who see these ratings may believe this so-called rating actually is a measure of my ability and proficiency as a dentist. They may leave me, and I'll be left with only the most needy patients. And my cavity average score will get even worse. On top of that, how will I attract good dental hygienists and other excellent dentists to my practice if it is labeled below average?"
"I think you are overreacting," I said. " 'Complaining, excuse making and stonewalling won't improve dental health'...I am quoting from a leading member of the DOC," I noted.
"What's the DOC?" he asked.
"It's the Dental Oversight Committee," I said, "a group made up of mostly laypersons to make sure dentistry in this state gets improved."
"Spare me," he said, "I can't believe this. Reasonable people won't buy it," he said hopefully.
The program sounded reasonable to me, so I asked, "How else would you measure good dentistry?"
"Come watch me work," he said. "Observe my processes."
"That's too complicated and time consuming," I said. "Cavities are the bottom line, and you can't argue with the bottom line. It's an absolute measure."
"That's what I'm afraid my parents and prospective patients will think. This can't be happening," he said despairingly.
"Now, now," I said, "don't despair. The state will help you some."
"How?" he said.
"If you're rated poorly, they'll send a dentist who is rated excellent to help straighten you out," I said brightly.
"You mean," he said, "they'll send a dentist with a wealthy clientele to show me how to work on severe juvenile dental problems with which I have probably had much more experience? Big help."
"There you go again," I said. "You aren't acting professionally at all."
"You don't get it," he said. "Doing this would be like grading schools and teachers on an average score on a test of children's progress without regard to influences outside the school, the home, the community served and stuff like that. Why would they do something so unfair to dentists? No one would ever think of doing that to schools."
I just shook my head sadly, but he had brightened. "I'm going to write my representatives and senator," he said. "I'll use the school analogy-surely they will see the point."
He walked off with that look of hope mixed with fear and suppressed anger that I see in the mirror so often lately.
If you can see other people, especially the lawmakers of this country, understanding this analogy, please share it with them. Be sure that you give proper credit to the author. We are merely sharing it with you in the hopes that you'll find it as meaningful as we did.
By John S. Taylor, Superintendent of Schools for the Lancaster County School District
The Best Dentist
"Absolutely" the Best Dentist
My dentist is great! He sends me reminders so I don't forget checkups. He uses the latest techniques based on research. He never hurts me, and I've got all my teeth, so when I ran into him the other day, I was eager to see if he'd heard about the new state program. I knew he'd think it was great.
"Did you hear about the new state program to measure effectiveness of dentists with their young patients?" I said.
"No," he said. He didn't seem too thrilled. "How will they do that?"
"It's quite simple," I said. "They will just count the number of cavities each patient has at age 10, 14, and 18 and average that to determine a dentist's rating. Dentists will be rated as Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average, and Unsatisfactory. That way parents will know which are the best dentists. It will also encourage the less effective dentists to get better, " I said.
"Poor dentists who don't improve could lose their licenses to practice."
"That's terrible," he said.
"What? That's not a good attitude," I said. "Don't you think we should try to improve children's dental health in this state?"
"Sure I do," he said, "but that's not a fair way to determine who is practicing good dentistry."
"Why not?" I said. "It makes perfect sense to me."
"Well, it's so obvious," he said. "Don't you see that dentists don't all work with the same clientele; so much depends on things we can't control? For example," he said, "I work in a rural area with a high percentage of patients from deprived homes, while some of my colleagues work in upper middle class neighborhoods. Many of the parents I work with don't bring their children to see me until there is some kind of problem and I don't get to do much preventive work. Also," he said, "many of the parents I serve let their kids eat way too much candy from an early age, unlike more educated parents who understand the relationship between sugar and decay. To top it all off," he added, "so many of my clients have well water which is untreated and has no fluoride in it. Do you have any idea how much difference early use of fluoride can make?"
"It sounds like you're making excuses," I said. I couldn't believe my dentist would be so defensive. He does a great job.
"I am not!" he said. "My best patients are as good as anyone's, my work is as good as anyone's, but my average cavity count is going to be higher than a lot of other dentists because I chose to work where I am needed most."
"Don't get touchy," I said.
"Touchy?" he said. His face had turned red and from the way he was clenching and unclenching his jaws, I was afraid he was going to damage his teeth. "Try furious. In a system like this, I will end up being rated average, below average, or worse. My more educated patients who see these ratings may believe this so-called rating actually is a measure of my ability and proficiency as a dentist. They may leave me, and I'll be left with only the most needy patients. And my cavity average score will get even worse. On top of that, how will I attract good dental hygienists and other excellent dentists to my practice if it is labeled below average?"
"I think you are overreacting," I said. " 'Complaining, excuse making and stonewalling won't improve dental health'...I am quoting from a leading member of the DOC," I noted.
"What's the DOC?" he asked.
"It's the Dental Oversight Committee," I said, "a group made up of mostly laypersons to make sure dentistry in this state gets improved."
"Spare me," he said, "I can't believe this. Reasonable people won't buy it," he said hopefully.
The program sounded reasonable to me, so I asked, "How else would you measure good dentistry?"
"Come watch me work," he said. "Observe my processes."
"That's too complicated and time consuming," I said. "Cavities are the bottom line, and you can't argue with the bottom line. It's an absolute measure."
"That's what I'm afraid my parents and prospective patients will think. This can't be happening," he said despairingly.
"Now, now," I said, "don't despair. The state will help you some."
"How?" he said.
"If you're rated poorly, they'll send a dentist who is rated excellent to help straighten you out," I said brightly.
"You mean," he said, "they'll send a dentist with a wealthy clientele to show me how to work on severe juvenile dental problems with which I have probably had much more experience? Big help."
"There you go again," I said. "You aren't acting professionally at all."
"You don't get it," he said. "Doing this would be like grading schools and teachers on an average score on a test of children's progress without regard to influences outside the school, the home, the community served and stuff like that. Why would they do something so unfair to dentists? No one would ever think of doing that to schools."
I just shook my head sadly, but he had brightened. "I'm going to write my representatives and senator," he said. "I'll use the school analogy-surely they will see the point."
He walked off with that look of hope mixed with fear and suppressed anger that I see in the mirror so often lately.
Dancing With the Stars
Actually, this is on why I don't watch the show. I don't watch it because you have a mish mash of celebrities dancing to win something, which is more a publicity stunt for some of them, and then you have them competing against each other, but it is totally unfair. You have Shawn Johnson competing against the Microsoft guy... of COURSE he is going to lose against her and of COURSE she can dance! She is a gold medal gymnast!!! He sat in front of a computer most of his life. It is an unfair advantage. Even if she doesn't know all of the steps, etc, she knows how to be graceful, and she knows how to fit the steps in because she can follow choreography. That is why I don't watch Dancing With the Stars.
Now I DO watch So You Think You Can Dance and I *LOVE* that show! It is so fun to watch and these are all people who have never been heard of in real life who are extremely talented dancers from all backgrounds.
Now I DO watch So You Think You Can Dance and I *LOVE* that show! It is so fun to watch and these are all people who have never been heard of in real life who are extremely talented dancers from all backgrounds.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Sleep
I had a great night sleep last night. Finally. I haven't had a great night sleep in MONTHS. My neck has been killing me and I was so stressed and exhausted I was starting to have neck spasms. Well last night I had had enough and switched out one of my pillows for a $2.50 Wal Mart pillow that I bought for our guest room. I slept better than I had slept in weeks! So I need new pillows. I will use this one for now, but it really isn't that great (what do you expect for $2.50) so I don't know how long it will last me. But I do know that I will have another good night's sleep tonight (I hope!).
I had blood drawn today. I hate having blood drawn. I get so nervous and dizzy. But it is for something positive, or at least the hope of something positive, so I was sort of looking forward to it. I have to have more blood drawn later this month for the same reason.
We are installing our kitchen countertops tomorrow! I am SO EXCITED! I will put up pictures when they are done. Then all we have left in the kitchen is putting down new flooring, and touching up here and there with paint, as well as decorating. YAY! :)
I had blood drawn today. I hate having blood drawn. I get so nervous and dizzy. But it is for something positive, or at least the hope of something positive, so I was sort of looking forward to it. I have to have more blood drawn later this month for the same reason.
We are installing our kitchen countertops tomorrow! I am SO EXCITED! I will put up pictures when they are done. Then all we have left in the kitchen is putting down new flooring, and touching up here and there with paint, as well as decorating. YAY! :)
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
100th blog post! and some other stuff
Yay! 100 blog posts! :)
A lot has been going on for me and I am just so exhausted from it all. Last week and this week all I have done is eat, sleep, go to the gym, go to class, do homework... and the cycle goes on and on. I am exhausted. There hasn't been one night that I've gotten to bed before midnight. Some nights it is 2-3am that I finally crawl between the sheets. This past weekend I worked from the time I woke up to the time I went to sleep. Saturday I had enough and told Jeff that we were going out to dinner before we went to pick my car up (it was getting new tires). It was nice to get out and away from my computer. Tomorrow is the last day of classes for the semester for me! And then next week I have finals and then a 3 week field placement. I am so ready for May 1st to get here, but the 3 week field placement almost seems like a vacation! So that is why I've been MIA.
April Fools Day has been fun. I got two friends, my mom, and Jeff! It was so fun!
I promise more interesting posts are coming!
A lot has been going on for me and I am just so exhausted from it all. Last week and this week all I have done is eat, sleep, go to the gym, go to class, do homework... and the cycle goes on and on. I am exhausted. There hasn't been one night that I've gotten to bed before midnight. Some nights it is 2-3am that I finally crawl between the sheets. This past weekend I worked from the time I woke up to the time I went to sleep. Saturday I had enough and told Jeff that we were going out to dinner before we went to pick my car up (it was getting new tires). It was nice to get out and away from my computer. Tomorrow is the last day of classes for the semester for me! And then next week I have finals and then a 3 week field placement. I am so ready for May 1st to get here, but the 3 week field placement almost seems like a vacation! So that is why I've been MIA.
April Fools Day has been fun. I got two friends, my mom, and Jeff! It was so fun!
I promise more interesting posts are coming!
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