No Beaks: The End?

Mr. W survived...

His first day back in the grind... and of course was greeted by the 1st snow storm of the winter!  As I trudged outside in the snow, window scraper in hand, it did dawn on me that this may be a sign that I just quit my job and stay home!  But unlike the rest of America, I like paying my mortgage!  The concept of not being foreclosed upon is a relatively strong motivating force for me!

Anyway, I made it through the whole day and scary enough but it hardly felt like I'd ever left.  I remembered most of the kids names, most of the teachers hardly even noticed I was gone and for the most part all was well. 

And the Lil' Boss was fine too!

So all seems well in the W household!  For now...

Mr. W wonders whether Barack's smoking addiction will lead to smoking ban changes...

The reports that Barack Obama smokes...  couldn't be timelier for smokers.  As smoking bans have shrouded the country, smokers are preparing for the long cold winter of huddling outside bars, restaurants and businesses like moths around a spot light!  However, once the inaugurations has past will the smoking President stand up and sign an executive order banning all smoking bans!

Probably not...  but as a former smoker, I hope he does.  I will never stand in somebody's face and tell them not to smoke or ever say that the smoking bans are good!  Yeah...  they played a big role in my stoping smoking (that and Cook County taxes), but something about a hazy bar filling with second hand smoke brings me back to a simpler and more peaceful time...  know what I mean?

Mr. W has decided on a new wardrobe style.

I am basing this choice on two things...  well three really.  The first is my love of random t-shirts, the second the fall weather as we head into winter and three is a particular television show.

I've decided to make the Superhero Logo T-shirt as the basis of my entire wardrobe...  based on the character Sheldon from CBS' The Big Bang Theory.  In each episode, Sheldon, played by Jim Parsons, wears a new Superhero T from the more well known Flash, Superman and Batman to the lesser known Green Lantern and Great American Hero. 

You can check out some of the T's here.  The first on my list is that worn by the Greatest American Hero...  a show I watched as a little boy rather often. 

Remember him...  the Superhero who found a super suit and never really learned how to use it.  And he had the sidekick detective who ate dog biscuits!  Ahhhh... memories!

Anyway...  that's the plan!  For anyone expecting to get me some X-mas presents, you can start with this shirt and then in order of importance: the Green Lantern, the Fantastic 4 (the one with just the 4 logo on it), the Justice Leage, Aquaman, the Flash, Captain America, Batman and Spiderman...  no Superman, he is lame!  If you are interested in knowing which shirt in particular, just send me an email and I'll let you know.

Mr. W Voted...

Now you should too!

 

Time to sit back, relax and watch 12 straight hours of CNN!

Mr. W is going to enjoy a day without jobs... sort of.

I was going to go back for the last day of early voting...  but that means walking all the way over to Welles Park to probably stand in a line and hope the Bean doesn't start freaking out.  That is just waaaaayyyy too much work for me.  I spent most of the weed loading a small forest of split wood into my car, out of my car and up a flight of stairs onto our deck.  I am thinking I may need a day off...  except I do have to clean out the fireplace of ash.

If I do go out and vote today I'm going to vote for the Green Party except for Rahm Emmanuel because he lives down the street from me.  But... 

Mr. W tried to vote early today...

The Lil' Boss and I took a little trip to the Early Voting Center to cast my votes.  Unfortunately the line was about 30 deep by 10 am and the Lil' Boss wasn't having that!  So, we decided to head out.  I still have six days to cast my early vote...  but since the Election Day Polling Place is right next door, I might as well just wait until then to vote for Ronald Rea... uh, Geor...  errrr, Sarah Pal.. mmmmm, McCai?  Oh hell, I guess I'll just vote for Barack Obama, cause I can't really tell who is actually running for President on the Republican side!

Mr. W was in Kenosha getting wood for the fireplace.

You may ask why it is that I would drive an hour away to purchase wood to burn...  some would just say that is like throwing money in the fireplace to burn!  However, I managed to get enough wood to fill up the back of the Subaru with another load yet to get later this week for only 50 dollars!  For a 1/2 cord of wood, a guy in Kenosha dropped off enough wood to last well into January.  Of course it probably cost me 25-bucks to get there and back in gas...  but consider the alternative!

At Chicago Firewood a 1/8 cord of wood costs 30 bucks!  That lasted us about three weeks.  A 1/2 cord is 80 bucks!  And the quality of wood is very low.  It sits outside all day in this fenced in lot.  The 1/8 cord they gave us was a mish mash of different types of wood that was all gray and weathered.  It burned fairly well, but the wood I picked up in Kenosha is still brown and seems really fresh! 

I'll tell you how it burns later!

Obama Rally? Or Riot?

As society has changed, one thing really hasn't, racism.  If anything, it has transformed from the outwardly blatant institution of segregation into a burning introverted hatred for anyone who doesn't look like you.  And it has only grown as the face of immigration has changed.  In the last 20 years, immigrants have shifted from Europe to a more Asian and Middle Eastern appearance.  This has only made the institution of racism a much more volatile and extreme aberration, especially since the face of terrorism has been painted by extremists in the Middle East.

So with the current US Presidential election before us pitting an old white man and simple sounding white woman against a young black man and smooth talking old white man, one can only guess who will win.  However, come November 4th, if Barack Obama doesn't come out a winner, I'd steer clear of this.

While his victory would be historic, so could his defeat. His loss could spell a drastic and ugly turn in American history if those people from the communities that support him so ardently and often with uninformed and rather blind sighted fervor forget that this is an election for the United States of America, not its race.  Hopefully, it will be historic in the postive sense...  but still I'd steer clear of Grant Park if you are pale faced and he loses.

What it take to become President?

Here we are...  13 days until the citizens of the United States of America choose their next President, and what has changed?

A lot actually.

Lets start with a year ago...  because this has honestly been the longest fight for the White House EVER!!!  One year ago today we were all talking about WHO would become the candidate for each party!  Hell, even Steven Colbert, the male version of Gov. Sarah Palin, was throwing his glasses into the ring.

As the New Year came and went, most of the political discussion focused on Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, as if the Republicans weren't even involved...  some would say they never were!

As Spring turned to Summer, we learned that 50-Cent didn't support Clinton but that most Democrats would go for Obama too.  And he would be taking on John McCain in the race for the Presidency.  Then...  things got real.

But all of a sudden the attacks went from questions about patriotism to questions about race and whether one candidate was more celebrity than politician.

Eventually, by the end of the summer real political race heated up as Joe Biden and Sarah Palin were named the VP's and the stages were set for convention mania!  Once we made it through the speeches, hoopla and baloons...  finally the gloves came off and the debates began!

Within these debates the campaigning and attacks grew, but none more concerning than when questions like that at a McCain rally in Minnesota where one woman commented to that candidate that she didn't trust Obama because she read he was an Arab.  Such xenophobic acusations which greatly opened a blunt and wide eyed look at who really supports McCain, there were real questions being asked and somewhat answered.

From very minimal sparring on issues at the beginning of these campaings, the change has been over the focus on economic worries.  There are still various ideas and arguements over foreign policy and how to deal with two staggering war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan  However, the overwhelming issue seems to all fall under questions of the economy such as energy plans, health care and taxes...  three things that will never change in our lifetime. 

Change is a hard thing to really get a handle on...  sometimes it happens and we don't notice it very much.  Sometimes it happens so fast we hardly realize it.  As far as energy is concerned, as long as there is oil to be sold and bought, we will see little change.  With health care, only as more people become sick who cannot pay for our current health care options will there be change.  And taxes...  well the saying goes that all that is sure in life are them and death, but with advances in health techonology even that is being cheated more and more, as long as you can afford it!

So as you prepare to vote in 13 days, remember this...  much that is discussed in campaigns changes over a short period of time, but that which makes up politics rarely does at all no matter who's in charge.

How has the Internet changed your life?

Nothing in today's society exemplifies change more than the Internet.

Think about your life "online" 10 years ago compared to that today?  How often do you log on to a computer to do work?  From there, how often do you access the Internet on a daily basis?

Personally, as a teacher, the Internet has become the lifeline of my career.  The sad part of this is while I use the Internet anywhere from 5 to 10 times a day...  this is not the case for my students. 

I actually update a classroom blog at www.mrwsclass.org daily to reach my students and their parents/guardians outside of the school.  Also, most of my lesson planning and homework involves using sources and information that is almost completely web based.  Furthermore, all of my attendance and grades are kept via a web based program, which means all of my 5 classes require me to access the Internet 5 times a day at least.  This doesn't even include my personal use of the Internet to complete banking, bill payments, checking email and basic web surfing.  That in it self draws me to the web two to three times a day.

Ten years ago, I probably accessed the Internet about once a day.  I remember having to trek to the student library just to get on a computer and that was mostly just to access a word processor to complete papers.  Back then most research was done still using books in the library!  That was just 10 years ago?

The truth is that the Internet has changed us all for better or worse...  but even more truth lies in those out there that only access the Internet once per day or less.  My belief is that all Americans should access the Internet or have the ability to do so once per day for at least 30 minutes.  Unfortunately because of the underlying cost to do so makes that a far reaching reality.  While many see that as unbelievable, it is undeniably true.  Furthermore, there are even cases of company's going as far as limiting the types of information or what one can access on their personal work computers.  In my opinion, that is like your job saying you can only read The USA Today at work and no other periodical.

In conclusion, the Internet and its access is a change that many Americans have encountered in the past decade.  To some, the change has been embraced and even used to their advantage by creating new and very lucrative careers.  Others have turned their back on this change and question its true power and opportunity.  Overall, it is a change that has become inevitable and one we should take very seriously as more and more of our daily lives require some sort of Internet access...  even those who find it unaffordable or difficult to understand.