Finally felt well enough for live music - Lucero!

http://db.tt/PPut38vJ

Wed, March 28th

Ben Nichols, David & the band put on an incredible show at Urban Lounge. The crowd was a bit crazy, but the band fed off the energy, and vice versa. Bought a t-shirt, and had the band all sign it!

Don't miss them when they come through SLC! Thanks to Curtis and Naomi (KJ's friend) for making the show even funner.

The Utah Education Crisis [Original by Kurt R.]

Every year the debate is the same: How are we going to effectively fund education in Utah? I can tell you how to NOT adequately fund education… Keep doing what we're doing. If we really are committed to the acceleration of Utah students to the top in Math, English, Science and Engineering, then why are we pumping millions of dollars into courses that have nothing to do with these subjects?

On an increasingly consistent basis, hundreds and hundreds of high school students forgo these subjects and enter into the Applied Technology Courses - programs that pull valuable resources and money from these essential courses. The original idea for the ATC program was to be an alternative to students who were struggling to simply graduate high school, but that day has come and gone.

Year after year, education tax dollars are being funneled to build multi-million dollar complexes such as the new MATC complex in Lehi and the Granite districts complex so any student - regardless of their competency level - can forgo these critical subjects and get a free education in an ATC course.

It's time for the Utah Education system to scrap the ATC programs and reallocate that money into improving the efficacy of critical subject education courses. For one, reducing class sizes to ensure a more comprehensive understanding is only the beginning of the path leading more students to higher education. Money currently being used to fund these multi-million dollar facilities could be spent in hiring more teachers and administrative staff to accommodate smaller class sizes.

Students who want to get ATC training have the option to enter the private education system after high school and should pay for it themselves. Furthermore, there are numerous funding programs at their disposal after high school. To try and learn Math, English, and Science skills after the formative years of a person's life only serves to delay sufficient retention of these vital subjects.

What would the end result be if we started graduating thousands of more students ready for college instead of hundreds of more cosmetologists and dental technicians?

My Addition to the article:

If a child can't read or has trouble reading, they will ultimately fall behind in ALL aspects of their schoolwork. Recently the Alpine School District has all-but terminated the 'Reading Recovery' program that my wife, Cassy has taught for more than 13 years, and she has won awards, accolades and spoken (and un-spoken) thanks from parents whose students fall into the gap between mainstream and resource courses.

Cassy, and other Reading Recovery teachers have literally given hundreds, if not thousands of students a fighting chance to compete and excel in the increasingly broken education system in Utah. The chance go beyond ATC courses. This is a crying shame.
Shame on you Alpine School District!
Shame on you Board of Education.
And shame the media for hiding these articles.

Lyme disease is serious business

Lymes is alive and doing well in Utah, and myself! So far it's attacked my digestive tract (removed appendix and gall bladder), caused, severe joint Pain, and seizures that broke my back and dislocated both shoulders, and caused a bunch of neurological problems. I CONTRACTED IT IN UTAH! Most likely from a spider around Thanksgiving Point golf chose.

I've started a petition that might make a difference. Please sign here at change.org: http://www.change.org/petitions/lymes-sufferers-need-help-in-utah

But the Utah Medical Association has turned it's back on Lyme Disease (along with many western states. This decision has had huge ramifications to hundreds, maybe  thousands of Utah residents, leading to bankruptcy, divorce and personal ruin. California is the only state that recognizes that Lyme doesn't recognize political borders.

Doctors are told that Lyme doesn't exist here, so they waste millions of dollars treating the plethora of symptoms that Lymes can present itself. 

Let's get Utah to lead the way in Lyme Disease. Please start by signing the petition above. Thank you.

Brooding from CitizenT: Teachers deserve better...our respect.

http://nyti.ms/rsptkR

My business life in a nutshell...

Jessica Hagy has a blog that has been going daily since 2006, and unbelievabley most of her 'index' cards are either hilarious, poignant, or hard-hitting truth. She's received too many alcolades to mention here. But I add mine here.

"Started in August of 2006, Indexed has been noted around the web—much to my continued shock. Thank you to everyone who has shared the link and joined the party.

Originally, I described this site this way: “This is a little project that allows me to make fun of some things and sense of others without resorting to doing actual math.”

Today, I’d have to take the word ‘little’ out of that line."

http://thisisindexed.com/2011/11/thats-amazing-not-expected/

Do You Have a Favorite Teacher?

It's World Teacher's Day, and I found this great article (Please click on title) outlining some great ways to show your appreciation for teachers. So, regardless of your politics, just do it!

http://www.takepart.com/article/2011/10/04/world-teacher-day-5-ways-support-educators-across-america

Bleeding the Beast

Colorado City, Utah 2003. In Jon Krakauer's book Under The Banner Of Heaven 1 he takes a close look at the fundamentalist Mormons that used to be based in Colorado City, UT & AZ (city straddles both states for mostly tax reasons.) Most didn't work, officially anyway, because they practice what they term as 'Bleeding the Beast'. Their disdain of big government runs so deep that they try to do everything they can do to bring down big government, by taking advantage of every social program available to them. All while living in air conditioned 16 thousand sq. ft houses.

These pilfered programs include Medicaid or Medicare, Social Security (even though most have never given a dime to Social Security), welfare (for many 'wives' and children), and many others. As of 2003, $6,000,000, yes $6 million dollars was funneled to Colorado City in public funds.

And they were shrewd too. Lawyers were on duty to hide and transfer and allocate and look for every opportunity to bleed the beast. More than $4 million of 'big government' funds went to the Colorado City Public School District, that was so corrupt with administration overhead, they found the need for a Cessna 210 airplane (for over $200,00), to facilitate vacations for the upper echelon of district employees.

Big business...seems to me they were the very definition of big business. 

Forward to today. 2011. Now, I know that many of you will say "what better reason to get rid of these social programs". Now, I overheard a man in a doctors office in Orem, Utah wearing a G.O.P. hat emblazoned with red, white and blue talking to his wife on the phone. They were discussing whether or not to hire a lawyer to make sure that they got social security disability payments for, what I assume was a catastrophic event in his ability to work. "Aren't you glad we have safety nets like disability?" I asked after a few minutes. He grumbled a little bit, and said "I better get it, before it's gone"

I often wonder if people REALLY thought about the social and economic value of most (I said most, not all) of the programs, not to mention the emotional value, and you needed them...would you say "no thank you, I'm a Republican"?