Monday, August 29, 2011

School superintendent gives up $800k in pay - Yahoo! News

School superintendent gives up $800k in pay - Yahoo! News

We need more superintendents like this one!!! Talk about cutting the crap!

Why can't more people who already have all they need give back to their communities like this?  It doesn't have to be to the degree that this man goes... it could be volunteer work (time is money!), or donations of unused books, something... ANYTHING!!!

I don't have any extra $$ to perhaps fund another teacher or aide at my daughter's school, BUT I do have time.  I have a WONDERFUL job that allows me to be flexible, and today I was able to help out with a field trip.  Last week I volunteered in her classroom by helping grade papers and do math assessments.  I'm doing this not only because I want to show Megan how important her education is to me, but because - as I chronicled earlier in the year - her elementary finally had to let go of its teacher's aides.  If more parents who are able to volunteer would actually DO so, then our state/local/district budget woes wouldn't seem as terrible. 

There are plenty of ways to help.  If you're a photographer, what about donating some time for the school year book?  If you have a medical background, what about teaching a class on anatomy or the benefits of a healthy lifestyle? If you do international business, what about sharing what it's like to travel to distant locales and be immersed in different cultures?  I have a teaching background so I help with all those teaching tasks as best I can.  Even though I'm a project manager these days, I use what I know to help.  I encourage you to do the same!!! 

GIVE BACK to your communities by helping in the schools!  Our nation's children desperately need us!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Granola Cereal Bars - How one family broke its junk food addiction on Shine

Granola Cereal Bars - How one family broke its junk food addiction on Shine

Now THIS is what I'm talking about! We need to cut out all that crap! I checked out their blog, and they have some pretty interesting takes on things. I'm now a follower. :) Have a look: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/

Don't know if I can pull this off, but this really has been my goal for over a year now. I'm just not as disciplined as these people are. LOL

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

USA becomes Food Stamp Nation but is it sustainable? - Yahoo! News

USA becomes Food Stamp Nation but is it sustainable? - Yahoo! News

The woman and her family featured in this article seem to be doing everything they can. She has to feed her son. If I were in her shoes, I'd be asking for assistance as well to make sure my children could eat. Here's a quote that's telling of the ignorance of economics, though: "'It's a good thing that the government helps, but if employers paid enough and gave enough hours, then we wouldn't need to be on food stamps," said Green, who has a six-year-old daughter." If employers raised wages, they'd also have to raise their prices. That price increase means everyone will have to spend more to get the same thing... which means we're right back where we started. Here's an idea... do something to better yourself so you're not stuck in a minimum wage job for the rest of your life.

However, I think this over-dependence on public assistance is a symptom of a larger problem. We have people who abuse this assistance and our system practically encourages that abuse. I certainly don't have any solutions on how to fix this. I wish people smarter than me did, though.

To answer the question of "Is this sustainable"... the answer is NO. It doesn't take an economics professor to figure that out. The phrase that keeps coming to mind is this: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. TEACH a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." Why can't we apply that philosophy to public assistance programs? Just sayin'. Train/educate people. Give them job and life skills so they can sustain themselves. I know there are programs in place, but I have no idea what they are or what they offer.

Sounds like I might need to do some research.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Warning Signs: What’s Your Body Trying to Tell You? - Healthy Living on Shine

Warning Signs: What’s Your Body Trying to Tell You? - Healthy Living on Shine

Good things to look over.

Sorry for the blogging drought, you guys. I'll get back in the writing saddle soon. Why am I so busy, you ask? I got a promotion. YAY! It's a good thing, but now I've got to live up to what my employer expects me to get done. :)