Changing Focus

After my endless tirade against #42 for the Saints last year, I have realized that perhaps I was too harsh on the man.  Maybe it's time to move forward from 2008's suckfest.  So I am going to hope for the Saints to do their best, make the playoffs, and win a game or two in the postseason.  And I hope that #42 makes the team and does a great job this year.

#29*, on the other hand, sucks, even if he had a good day on the first day of practice. 





*Making interceptions in a touch game is much different than doing it in front of 70,000 fans.  And getting burned and costing your team at least 2, maybe 3, games is inexcusable.  I once had a girlfriend tell me, "You don't have to go for the interception every time."  That's some good advice.  Jason David had 5 interceptions last year.  Part of that is because the opposing quarterback was throwing half his passes at #42.  5 picks, 3 games lost.  I would give up the 5 picks.  11 and 5 would have been a helluva record last year.

Dear Trader Joe's

Easton, PA is a vibrant and welcoming community whose populace would be interested, I believe, in a Trader Joe's.  We have a great location downtown that was an old Perkins restaurant and has plenty of parking (and a huge parking deck next door!).  It would be the only real supermarket downtown!  You wouldn't be able to build your suburban type store, but after living and frequenting your store in Westfield, NJ, I know you can do it.  Won't you please consider this location?  If not Easton (my first choice!), there has to be somewhere else you can go in the Lehigh Valley...  (Mayor Sal Panto or Easton is very much pro-business, I think.)

Thanks for your consideration!

LatinTeacher

Quandary

Given the iffy economic situation, wouldn't it be good for the federal government to give a little money to each local public broadcasting station?  I mean, there is nothing more agonizing than watching people try to convince you that YOU are the reason we are on the air.  What if I don't have any money to send YOU?  Now I can't be entertained by your excellent programming AND I have to watch you beg. 

I'm just asking.

Dear China

First of all, I would personally like to thank you for your proactive stance on swine flu. It is wonderful to see a rising superpower taking on a potential pandemic by quarantining passengers who may have been exposed to this disease. If only all countries ruled their populace and visitors with such an iron fist!

Secondly, and more importantly, thank you for taking the Mayor of New Orleans, C. Ray Nagin. As far as I am concerned, you can keep him. He's probably doing the city of New Orleans more good being stuck in quarantine over there with you. At least he and his cronies can't continue to undermine the recovery of our fair city while he's away. His inability to be confrontational with local news reporters and others seeking information is needed here. As long as you have him, things can get done over here. Thank you for that.

I would like to add that you may need to dig a little deeper. He may have some other diseases or sociopathic issues that can only be discovered by deep anal probing. Since you guys already have him isolated, I feel this would and could be a great opportunity to remove whatever bug is up his ass. Please consider this sincere request.

Again, China, thank you for helping us out. Have you ever met George W. Bush? We would like him probed, too. I don't think he has any diseases unless you consider being an asshole a disease! (Haha!) But still, do you think you can pull this one off? Let me know.

Sincerely,

LatinTeacher

PS - I just heard that you released Mr. Nagin from quarantine. I sure hope you got that probe in!

Dear City Of Easton Public Officials

I voted FOR the charter change.  I did.  And when I got my tax bill this year, I was pretty upset.  I know you need some money.  I get it.  Things are tough for everyone, not just the city of Easton.  But to raise my taxes from 1% to 1.75% is pretty unconscionable.  My house (and many other houses) in Easton is virtually unsellable because.  My beautiful wife and I have worked hard to improve our house by painting it, remodeling a kitchen designed in the 1890s, and relandscaping the yard.  Why would someone bother looking at our wonderful, historic home when they could go over the hill in to Forks and buy a brand new house with none of the maintenance and a LOWER tax rate.  Why aren't they paying more taxes?  Don't their kids go to the same schools?  Don't they use the same roads (mostly MY road)?  Don't they get water from the now newly privatized Easton Suburban Water Authority?  Why are their taxes lower yet they get to use all the things that I pay for? 

Despite this, I still will volunteer to help Easton prosper and look its best.  I will shop locally, I will eat food from the Farmer's Market, and I will frequent local restaurants.  I will pay to park my car on the street, I will attend Council Meetings, and I will buy tickets for the Home Tour.  I will pay to run in local races, go to local festivals, vote for what's best for Easton, and be a member of my neighborhood association.  Your response to these actions is to raise my taxes.  This is unconscionable.  Reduce the tax on people who CHOOSE to live in Easton.  Find a better way (sales tax?) to fund the city.  I am outraged by this, and I hope you make a change for the better.

New Orleans is always on

Playing for Change has a few videos highlighting music and musicians from around the world.  In this clip, there are 3 musicians from New Orleans even though it was filmed just after Katrina.  What does that say about the importance and quality of music emanating from there?

I am pretty sure I will be buying the CD before the end of the week.

Walking the walk

I went to a meeting in New York City this week to learn about New Leaders for New Schools.  This organization is committed to improving scores in underperforming schools by training new principals.  They generally like to run charter schools, and I know there is quite a bit of criticism regarding charters in New Orleans. It seems that the goal of NLNS is to get 90% proficiency by 90% of the students - an admirable goal.  I am not sure that I subscribe to the assessing of students/schools/staff/districts by standardized testing. 
Passing a test is only one thing that students can take from an education.  There are many more goals that can't be assessed from a test - commitment to community, caring for one another, working hard for its own sake, etc.  Nevertheless, I went to an informational meeting to see if I was the right person to move to New Orleans, become a principal, and help begin healing 40 years of neglect of the education system.  I may not have the personality or background to become a principal, but there was no harm in checking it out.  I need to look closely at my own skills, determination, and commitment before moving forward.  They have some very special requirements for New Leaders for New Schools, and I plan on spending some time contemplating my next move.