WHAT IS REALLY WRONG WITH THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

I watched a Stossel show on Fox last night about our educational system.  I admire his attempt...but he lives in a bubble and does not really know why Americans are "dumbing down."  Like many people, he does not appear to apply common sense to some facts that are absolutely ludicrous.

For instance, last night he showed a crying woman who complained that her daughter was graduating from the sixth grade and did not know how to spell GIRL.  She blamed the  teachers by saying that "teachers don't care"

Applying common sense to that statement:  before graduating, the girl has had at least six teachers who attempted to teach her how to spell GIRL.  Isn't it illogical to think that all six teachers did not care and were incompetent.  Why didn't the mother teach her?  Why was she allowed to graduate from the 6th grade?  Is it possible that the student did not want to learn how to spell girl?  Give me a break! 

I don't know why this child does not know how to spell GIRL, but I do know what is the biggest problem with our educational system in America.

The school system that I teach in got sued last year by some parents and won.  Now, short of committing murder, a student cannot be expelled, and other forms of punishment are limited.  In the schools where the male students wear their pants almost down to their knees, they must be allowed to do so.  I have actually seen males walking the halls holding on to their pants to keep them from falling to the floor.  These students say that it gives them "swag."  This "swag" mentality is a pollutant to the minds of the male students.

IF PARENTS WILL SEND SUDENTS TO SCHOOL WILLING TO LEARN, THE TEACHERS WILL TEACH THEM.

INSTEAD, SOME PARENTS SEND IN UNCIVILIZED CHILDREN WHO CONTAMINATES THE CIVILIZED STUDENTS AND INHIBITS THE TEACHER'S ABILITY TO TEACH THE WHOLE CLASS.

Instead of blaming the schools, our deteriorating culture needs a major overhaul, especially in the poverty communities.  One of the reasons, but certainly not the only reason, that people live in poverty is the way they THINK about how to live their lives.  It has nothing to do with their IQ, but it is the way they LOOK AT LIFE, and too many times they blame others for their failures instead of taking responsibility for how their lives have turned out.

DRUGS AND POLITICIANS

I don't think I ever gave it any thought about politicians in high places who might be taking drugs or drinking alcohol to excess until July 11, 2014 when Bob Beckel of "The Five" of the Fox News network admitted that he was a recovering addict.

During the years he was an addict, of both alcohol and cocaine, he was working in political circles and making important decisions that impacted us as Americans.  This got me to wondering about how many politicians in our government today that might be functioning addicts, and how they are making serious decisions on the behalf of the United States.

With the recent push of making marijuana legal, and it is a very common drug-of-choice, I wonder how many of our politicians partake of this drug, or more potent drugs, and engage in drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.  If they have a history of this type of behavior in the past, it is highly likely that they may resort to it again when they become politicians.

Marijuana is a very common drug used in America.  While this drug affects each individual in a different way, it is well-known to demotivate a person, reduces their ambition to succeed, and can make them appear to be disengaged with their surroundings.  In other words, it can make a person seem to "not care" about what is going on around them.

Since teachers, policemen, and just about everyone who works is forced to undergo random drug tests, maybe the politicians should be required to do so, starting with the President and continuing downward even to the local levels of government.  

The liberals in America protest to high heaven that Marijuana is a harmless drug.  Please click on the following link for more information on this drug.  I did not write the following article, but I think it is very informative.

http://addictions.about.com/od/legalissues/a/What-Do-Marijuana-Effects-Feel-Like.htm

ARE ALL LIBERALS IDIOTS?

I don't think so, but Debbie Wasserman and Nancy Pelosi certainly do not serve as good role models for Democratic women.

Debbie Wasserman knows exactly what she is doing with her caustic attacks on the Republicans.  She knows that there are millions of mindless liberals who believes anything she says.

Speaking of mindless liberals...Nancy Pelosi knows what she is doing most of the time, but I think she is simply clueless as to what is really going on in the world.

Wake up Americans!  We are like sheep who are being led to the slaughter.

RAISING BOTH ARMS IS NOT ALWAYS A SIGN OF SURRENDERING

There are many stories being presented by eye witnesses regarding the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO.  I want to state upfront that some of these stories may be true, but I want to offer another possibility, questioning the reason he might have raised his hands during the confrontation.  I think it is important to point out that I am of the white race.

I part-time teach in my public school system, and I like to teach in the middle and high schools.  In a classroom, I am frequently a witness to bad behavior, creating so much chaos  in the classroom it hinders the good students from being able to learn.  Naïve liberals have a simple solution: blame it on the teacher's inability to control his/her classroom.  Yeah! Sure!  Just make them behave.  No problem!

Back to the point of this blog about hands being raised in any confrontation.  In a classroom setting, I can see with my own eyes when a kid punches another one, throws something across the room, and other mischievous actions, and when I confront them...this is what I have seen numerous times:

The perpetrator will automatically throw up both of their hands and say, "What did I do?"  Somehow, this must be some natural instinct that is supposed to reinforce their innocence.

Back to the Brown case:  One eye witness account of Michael Brown's actions was that he turned toward the cop and said, "What are you going to do...shoot me?"  Did he instinctually throw up both hands as he taunted the cop?  Is it possible that he was trying to be a smart-aleck?

Everybody who has any interest in the Brown shooting case is making unconscious decisions based on their past experiences.  It is a natural phenomenon to be influenced by what has happened in the past.  In fact, it is hard to make any decision without being influenced one way or the other. 

My past experiences make me question why Brown might have raised his hands, if he did so.  However, the justice system is supposed to be absolutely neutral, not contaminated by past experiences, and decisions should be based on facts, and only facts, as to what really happened during the shooting of Michael Brown.

WHY DO POLICEMEN DISTRUST YOUNG BLACK MEN?

Why do policemen distrust young black men?  The answer is simple...

Click out this link and read this article:   YOUNG BLACK MEN MURDER 14 TIMES MORE THAN YOUNG WHITE MEN 

The article was not written by me but points out better than I can about how the black community thinks that policemen choose to unfairly "pick" on their young black men.

Michael Brown started the fight!  By his bad behavior, he precipitated  an action that caused him to lose his life and may destroy the life of the cop who shot him.  If Michael had been home reading a good book instead of being in the streets creating mischief, the cop would have been on a routine call, the video of Michael robbing the store would not exist, the riots would not be taking place, and everyone could concentrate on the mischief created by ISIS, which is far more important in the great scheme of things.

Blacks need to address the high rate of crime in their race rather than trying to shift the blame on others.  A problem cannot be corrected until the root of the cause has been determined and dealt with properly.   

A WAY TO STOP VIOLENCE IN FERGUSON, MO

There is an easy way to stop the violence in Ferguson, MO.  The protestors should take personal responsibility and GO HOME.

They say they are protesting the shooting death of Brown.  However, it is about much more than that; they are expressing their rage about the police, their economic status,  racism in our country, and other injustices of life.

Take the police problem:  Sure, there are some "bad" policemen, but most of them are good men who are simply doing their job at the risk of their own lives.  What would we do without them?   Martin Luther King was smart enough to know how to act in order to accomplish his goals.  Yelling and screaming and "taunting" the cops  is not a good way to solve a problem with the police.  

Take the problem with Brown:  Had he been walking on the sidewalk like he should have, he would have never got into a confrontation with a cop and avoided being shot.  If he had not robbed the convenience store, his video would not have come to the public's attention.

Take the problem with the peaceful protests:  Anybody with any common sense knows that you cannot get a crowd of angry people together and expect everyone to act appropriately.

Take the problem with the inappropriate protesters:  Even though they may be in the minority in the crowd, they cannot shoot guns, loot stores, etc. and expect the police to sit idly by while this happens. When there is a large crowd, it is difficult to pick out the "bad guys" from the "good guys."  To expect them to be able to do so is irrational.  In all of life, the bad guys make it hard on the good ones. 

What the blacks do not consciously realize is that they have become far more racist towards whites than whites are against blacks.

I am white and have suffered many injustices in life.  However, I have to take personal responsibility for my part in these injustices.  If I was black, I am sure I would blame a lot of them on my being black.

Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton are in it for themselves, because their ability to "stir up the blacks" has been a lucrative profession.


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RIOTS IN MISSOURI HARMING BLACKS

Martin Luther King would turn over in his grave at the behavior of the blacks who turn to violence when they are unhappy about some event that makes national news.

Many people might say that some of the blacks are only using the killing of the black teenager as an excuse to vent their pent-up anger; anger that probably has nothing to do with the killing of the teenager.

I watched a video once entitled, "Watch out!  You're Establishing Your Reputation."  It pointed out how we establish our own reputation by the use of our words and especially our actions.  The riots in Missouri make the people of the black race look like a bunch on uncivilized people.

However, most of us know that this is not so, that most blacks are just as civilized as whites, and more so than some "poor white trashy" people.  The blacks  who agree with the teachings of Martin Luther King should speak out in their neighborhoods against uncivilized behavior, because it creates a bad reputation for the blacks who are trying to live right.

Why don't these people get upset over the overwhelming black crime on blacks?  This is a serious problem in the black community.  This is a problem that must be solved by blacks.  The blacks need another Martin Luther King to lead them.

Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson make a living, a lucrative living, stirring up trouble in the black communities.  They need to be kicked to the curb.

WARD INADVERTENLY GOT HIMSELF KILLED

The race car driver Ward, who was run over and killed by Stewart, another race car driver on the track, was responsible for his own death.

He should not have gotten out of his car and stand in front of oncoming race cars, including Stewart's oncoming car.  They only have two videos about this incident.  One of them show that Ward was clipped by the right back tire of Stewart's race car.  The race car just ahead of Stewart had to swerve to miss Ward on the track.

Wouldn't it stand to "logical" reason that if Ward got clipped by Stewart's right back tire that he also attempted to swerve to miss Ward, causing the back of Stewart's car to "fish tale" in such a way that the back tire  accidently hit Ward?

The main point to remember is that Ward made the choice to get out of his car and to stand in front of oncoming racing cars that were traveling  at extremely high speeds.  Who does that?   

WHO IS THE REAL JV IN OUR WORLD?

Obama has made the comment in the past when ISIS first began to blossom in the middle east, that they were simply JVs (Junior Varsity) in the game of terrorism, implying that the US should not worry about this group very much.

However, since that time, ISIS has proven to be the most organized and professional group that the world has ever faced.  They have taken over large parts of Iraq, invaded parts of Syria, and threatening to invade Jordan and other nearby countries.  Does he still think they are JVs?

Obama also reprimanded Maliki for not stepping down as PM of Iraq, stating that Iraq needed new leadership; leadership  which would represent all of the people of Iraq.  Obama does not take his own advice.  In America, he only represents the wishes of the Democrats, the liberals, and the minorities.  He is NOT the President of the conservatives or the Republicans.

The ludicrous part of this article is that Obama is the real JV; playing junior varsity in the office of the president of the US.  We have elected a "community organizer" to run our country.  He had very little experience in running anything,  Now, in his position of power, he is setting the tone for how the entire world, not just our country, as to how governments should be run. 

With the help of his cabinet members, especially Harry Reid, he is making all the important decisions by himself.  The House of Representatives are accused of doing nothing, but Harry Reid will not even let the bills the House  passes to come up for a vote.

As for foreign policy, Obama had no experience in foreign policy when elected, but he seems to call all of the shots in making military decisions.  Why?  He is not knowledgeable enough to make serious military decisions that affect the entire world.  Why aren't these matters made by the leaders in the Pentagon?

Running America is like running the biggest business in the world.  Before being elected as President of the United States, with his resume in hand, he would not have been considered for the position of a CEO to head up any of our large corporations.  Yet...since he can make pretty speeches...is cute...witty...and 1/2 black...he is running our country as President of the United States.  

Excellent Teacher Skills

I had an interesting conversation with a retired school teacher yesterday.  He taught in the Detroit, Michigan school system.  He had a very interesting approach to teaching students.  His first priority was to teach the students how to respect him, others, and themselves.

He taught them from the beginning of each school year to do the following:

When he entered the room every morning, the students were instructed to automatically and immediately arise from their seats without saying a word and stand by their desks.  They could not greet him before he greeted them.

He would greet them with something similar every day, "Good morning beautiful people."  Then they were taught to greet him back with, "Good morning Mr. Patterson."  Then they could sit down in their desks.  They were not allowed to randomly talk to each other.

As the day progressed, and if an adult entered his room with or without knocking, the students were instructed, without prompting from him, to automatically stand up by their seats and quietly stand at attention.  This act was very impressive to an administrator or a parent who might enter the room, especially if it was unannounced.

If he had a student that he had difficulty controlling, he would call one of the student's parents usually a Mom.  He would start the conversation off in a pleasant tone, avoiding criticizing the student, and then say, "I need your help.  Johnny is a very bright and likable student, but I cannot get him to focus on his studies.  We need to work together.  You know him better than I do, so can we agree to work as a team to get him to achieve his maximum potential?"  He chose his words carefully, making sure he said nothing to put the parent on the defense, because he knew that would accomplish nothing but angry feelings.

Eliminating some of the confusion in his classroom, emphasizing the importance of following his rules, showing respect for the students as well as demanding respect from them, allowed him to concentrate on teaching them social studies rather than spending most of his time disciplining them.  Therefore, they learned a lot in his class.

Many teachers reading this will probably wonder how he managed to accomplish this so successfully, because the students in today's culture are very hard to manage.  However, when I brought this up, he reminded me that he worked in the inner city schools of Detroit.  "I know about teaching difficult students."

He was meant to be a teacher, and he seemed to have a magical instinct on how to handle the students.  It is a shame that this magic cannot be bottled/packaged and sold to teachers who struggle to control their classes in order to effectively teach them the subject of the class.

OBAMA NEEDS TO RUN AMERICA BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO RUN OTHER COUNTRIES

When you think about it, especially if you are not happy with the Obama administration, it is amusing to think about how the media is screaming for Obama to do something about Putin and his annexation of Crimea.

Obama is not even dealing with the problems facing America.  Obama is not doing a good job of running the United States, so why should he have the right to tell anyone in the world how to run their country.  Whoa!  I want to proclaim that I am all for intervening when a country's human rights have been violated, but otherwise, Obama and the gang need to spend time figuring out what is wrong in America. 

If we Americans were not so civilized, and that is a questionable statement, many of us would be out in the streets screaming for reform like they do in other countries.  I feel that if Obama was up for election today, he would not be elected.  Most Americans are unhappy with his leadership and we feel helpless to do anything about it until election time. 

Too many people who vote in elections are uninformed, watching silly sit-coms on TV, surfing the net, using cell phones, etc. instead of educating themselves about up-coming elections.  Too many voters vote on "sound bytes" spread through the liberal media.

Another thing to consider is that psychologists feel that a person's basic personality and values in life are firmly formed by the age of 5-6 years of age.  Obama was raised in a socialistic society and even attended a Muslim school when he was young.  Most intelligent people recognize his socialistic leanings in his political decisions.

Has anyone considered if Obama is truly against Putin?  He seems to be more in alignment with Putin's communist approach to ruling his country than he does in ruling our "capitalistic" country.  He appears to be trying to "change" our country into a "socialistic" country.

From a conservative point-of-view, Obama has made some idiotic decisions since he has been in office.  The handling of ObamaCare has illuminated his lack of common sense.  To pass and enforce a law, that affects all Americans, without anyone in the Congress having read it, including him, should be a crime enforceable by our justice system.  Oh! Stupid statement!  Eric Holder would have to make that decision, and he is part of the "Obama Gang" that appears to be trying to destroy America.

If Obama spent more time in the oval office, trying to fix the serious problems facing America, and less time on the golf course and on vacation, the American people might put more trust in his leadership.

MAINE'S GOVENOR SHOULD BE NEXT PRESIDENT

I received this as an email, and I feel everyone should read it, although it is lengthy, it is interesting to the end.  Only this type of man is capable of saving America.  It has been c&p, and I do not know who wrote the article.

This country needs more leaders like this man. Maybe we could get some problems solved instead of bashing the other party and being a race monger.

 

Meet Maine 's New Governor --- In case you haven't heard about this guy before, his name will stick in your mind! The new Maine Governor, Paul LePage is making New Jersey 's Chris Christie look timid. He isn't afraid to say what he thinks. Judging by the comments, every time he opens his mouth, his popularity goes up.
 

He brought down the house at his inauguration when he shook his fist toward the media box and said, "You're on notice! I've inherited a financially troubled State to run. Observe...cover what we do...but don't whine if I don't waste time responding to your every whim just for your amusement."
 

During his campaign for Governor, he was talking to commercial fishermen who are struggling because of federal fisheries rules. They complained that 0bama brought his family to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park for a long Labor Day holiday and found time to meet with union leaders, but wouldn't talk to the fishermen. LePage replied, "I'd tell him to go to hell and get out of my State." The Lame Stream Media crucified LePage, but he jumped 6 points in the pre-election poll.

 

The Martin Luther King incident was a political sandbag, which brought him national exposure. The 'lame stream' media crucified him, but word on the street is very positive. The NAACP specifically asked LePage to spend MLK Day visiting black inmates at the Maine State Prison. He told them that he would meet with ALL inmates, regardless of race, if he were to visit the prison. The NAACP balked and then put out a news release claiming falsely that he refused to participate in any MLK events. He read it in the paper for the 1st time the next morning while being driven to an event and went ballistic because none of the reporters had called him for comment before running the NAACP release. 

 

He arrived at that event & said in front of a TV camera, "If they want to play the race card on me they can kiss my ass", and he reminded them that he has an adopted black son from Jamaica and that he attended the local MLK Breakfast every year that he was mayor of Waterville. (He started his morning there on MLK Day.) 

 

He then stated that there's a right way and a wrong way to meet with the Governor, and he put all special interests on notice that press releases, media leaks, and all demonstrations would prove to be the wrong way. He said any other group, which acted like the NAACP could expect to be at the bottom of the Governor's priority list! 

 

He then did the following, and judging from local radio talk show callers, his popularity increased even more: The State employees union complained because he waited until 3 P.M. before closing State offices and facilities and sending non-emergency personnel home during the last blizzard. The prior Governor would often close offices for the day with just a forecast before the first flakes. (Each time the State closes for snow, it costs the taxpayers about $1 million in wages for no work in return.)

LePage was CEO of the Marden's chain of discount family bargain retail stores before election as governor. He noted that State employees getting off work early could still find lots of retail stores open to shop. So, he put the State employees on notice by announcing: "If Marden's is open, Maine is open!" 

 

He told State employees: "We live in Maine in the winter, for heaven's sake, and should know how to drive in it. Otherwise, apply for a State job in Florida !" Governor LePage symbolizes what America needs; Refreshing politicians who aren't self-serving and who exhibit common sense.

THE LAW IS THE LAW! 

 

I really love this one.

This is one of the better e-mails I have received in a long time! I hope this makes its way around the USA several times over!!!!! HERE IS WHAT Governor LaPage said:

 

"THE LAW IS THE LAW So "if" the US government determines that it is against the law for the words "under God" to be on our money, then, so be it. 

 

And "if" that same government decides that the "Ten Commandments" are not to be used in or on a government installation, then, so be it.

I say, "so be it," because I would like to be a law abiding US citizen

I say, "so be it," because I would like to think that smarter people than I are in positions to make good decisions.

I would like to think that those people have the American public's best interests at heart. 

 

BUT, he said, "YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE I'D LIKE?

Since we can't pray to God, can't Trust in God and cannot post His Commandments in Government buildings, I don't believe Government (Federal, State and Local) and its employees should participate in Easter and Christmas celebrations which honor the God that our government is eliminating from many facets of American life. 

 

I'd like my mail delivered on Christmas, Good Friday, Thanksgiving & Easter. After all, it's just another day.

I'd like the" US Supreme Court to be in session on Christmas, Good Friday, Thanksgiving & Easter as well as Sundays." After all, it's just another day.

I'd like the Senate and the House of Representatives to not have to worry about getting home for the "Christmas Break." After all it's just another day.

I'm thinking a lot of my taxpayer dollars could be saved, if all government offices & services would work on Christmas, Good Friday & Easter. It shouldn't cost any overtime since those would be just like any other day of the week to a government that is trying to be "politically correct."

In fact....I think our government should work on Sundays (AFTER ALL, It was initially set aside for worshipping God....) because, AFTER ALL, our government says that it should be Just ANOTHER DAY...." 

 

What do you all think???? If this idea gets to enough people, maybe our elected officials will stop giving in to the "minority opinions" and begin, once again, to represent the "majority" of ALL of the American people.

SO BE IT...........Please Dear Lord, Give us the help needed to keep you in our country! 'Amen' and 'Amen' Touché!

 

 

ARE YOU SIMPLY WHINING OR WORKING TO RESOLVE THE POLITICAL PROBLEMS IN THE USA?

A good friend of mine once advised me to leave all this "political stuff" to others.  Why?  That is the problem with American politics now, too many people are uneducated about politics and make no real effort to change things.  They simply whine about our lot-in-life, and they make little effort to change things.

For the last two presidential elections, we have elected a president like in a popularity contest, based a lot on the color of his skin, and we find that he is not a compentent person, and he has turned out to be over-his-head in leading our country.

On the other hand, another good friend is seriously dismayed that we "common people" cannot seem to find a way to reach the uneducated citizens to encourage them to vote for qualified candidates.  Some voter either don't care, lazy, brain-washed by sound-bites, or are simply ignorant. 

While this little blog might not do much, at least I am trying to get people to use their "common sense" when making a decision about who to vote for in these next two elections in 2014 and 2016.

Don't sit and whine, use your "common sense" and make every effort to vote for the right people. 

LIFE SUPPORT IS NOT ALWAYS A GOOD THING!

There is a lot of national news regarding the 13 year-old girl who died as a result of complications from a tonsillectomy.  The hospital claims she is actually dead, that her body is only functioning as a result of being on a life-support system.

I am a retired intensive care registered nurse who has been involved in many of these cases during my career.  It can be very confusing at times, especially to family members, as to when a person should be on life-support.

This matter should be settled by a person signing a living will that will eliminate this confusion.  However, some living wills can create confusion.  Generally speaking, a living will should state that when there is no chance of survival, a "do not resuscitate" should be in place.  The problem with some living wills is that they do not state this explicitly, and I have seen family members insist on someone not being placed on life-support when a person has a good chance of survival, such as being in a car wreck or some other temporary critical problem.

As for this 13 year-old young girl being kept alive on life-support; the truth of the matter is that she is not alive.  Her soul is gone.  Only her body that has housed her spirit is being kept alive.

In the "old days" before some regulations were strictly put in place, I had a patient that was left on life-support for months.  Our intensive care unit had glassed-in rooms, so that we could keep an eye on them without having to go into the room and to help to keep cross-contamination of bacteria or other diseases separate from each patient. 

This patient began to smell terrible, like a dead person, even though his heart beat, blood pressure, and other vital signs were good.  He was even given medications and nutritional support.  The numbers on the high-tech equipment made him look as if he was doing fine.  At first, his autonomic nervous system would react slightly to voices or touching.  Finally, this ceased.

However, even though we nurses and the doctors knew that we were treating a dead person, he was treated as if he was alive, which he was not.  To hang intravenous medications (IVs), I would have to take a very deep breath, due to the unacceptable foul odor that I would encounter when I opened the door and entered the room; then I would rush in and do what I needed to do.  When I could not hold my breath any longer, I would exit the room, relax a moment, and take another deep breath.  I would have to do this a minimum of six times before I could complete my tasks.  Finally, a court order allowed the doctors to take him off of life-support so that he could be buried.

The guidelines have changed over the years, and I am certain that the doctors would not consider taking this child off of life-support unless they were absolutely certain that she is not alive.  The family is looking at this situation as if she is in a coma, which is quite different than being declared "brain dead." 

I have personally faced this hard decision myself, and I know it can be a difficult one to make.  My husband was put on life-support even though he had a living will.  He was a terminal cancer patient, and he had serious heart disease, with a previous heart attack which resulted in open-heart surgery.  At this point, he was terminally ill.  This was a case where we were consulted as a family about carrying out his wishes per his living will.  We decided to put my husband's fate in the hands of God and to take him off of life-support.  If he was to live, it would be up to God to determine his appointed time to die.

The doctors took my husband off of the life-support, and he lived.  He was treated with medications and nutrition.  However, he died within three days.  We were comforted, knowing that God had decided to call him home.

I just hope something happens to prove to the parents of the 13 y.o. that they should leave the decision up to God, and not wait until she starts to smell like a dead person, because I can still vividly remember how that other patient smelled, even after twenty years.  It is not a good memory.

I have seen families insist on patients being kept alive, primarily because they are not able to cope with their death unless they have done all they can to extend the life of a loved one.  However, this can cause a patient to spend their last moments on earth being tortured with numerous lines and tubes inserted throughout their body, a tube being shoved down their throat so they can breathe, and other futile treatments that can make the patient miserable.  Sometimes, the greatest act of love is to simply let a patient go home to God.

THERE IS A "CATCH" IN REVERSE MORTGAGES

Several years back, my debilitated mother had nearly run out of her savings.  Dad had died long ago.  At that time, she was taking some very expensive drugs.  She was 86 years old and had spent most of her savings.  She absolutely did not want to sell her house and move in with me, so she agreed to make a "reverse mortgage."

A lady from Wells Fargo came to the house and explained what it involved in taking out a reverse mortgage on my mom's house.  A reverse mortgage is just like a regular mortgage in that you have to listen and evaluate the details very carefully to see if it is right for you.

The amount of money a person receives depends on how much equity is in a house.  If there is a mortgage, it can work, but it makes it a little more complicated to work out the deal.

My mother's house was paid for, mortgage free, so it eliminated some of the aforementioned complications.  I sat with my mother as she was explained about how a reverse mortgage works, and I remember that everything seemed okay up until it came to how the money would be disbursed.  With only superfical thought, I can imagine many people making the wrong decision.  This decision should be made according to a person's personal circumstances.

The money can be disbursed as follows:
1)  Placed in a line of credit with the money w/d at a person's discretion
2)  A set monthly income
3)  All at one time, in a lump sum,  to be deposited in a personal checking account

Using the choices set forth in 1 & 2, the money STOPS being disbursed the minute the owners of the house vacates the house for an extended period of time, such as permanently entering a nursing home, or if they should die.  THE MONEY STILL LEFT IN THE ACCOUNT WILL NO LONGER BE DISBURSED, and at that point, the mortgage holder will give approximately one year for an administrator of the estate to sell the house.  If the administrator wants to pay/buy the mortgage (the amount already withdrawn), this will be acceptable, but if not and the house does not sell within the year allowed, THE MORTGAGE HOLDER FORECLOSES ON THE HOUSE.

I told my mother to take he full amount from the beginning.  This worked fine, as I will explain further down this article.

Example:  Say the house has $300,000 worth of equity, and the owner decides on either 1 or 2 options.  For whatever reason, he/she/they has to move out within a year and has only drawn out $15,000 dollars.  If the beneficiary of the estate does not want to buy it, it will be put up for sale.  If no one buys it within a year, the mortgage holder will foreclose on it, sell it for much more than what is owed on it, and make a ton of money on the deal.  THAT IS THE CATCH!

I lucked out!  My mother's reverse mortgage was processed before this latest housing crash occured, so she got a "good appraisal" which determined the amount of equity she had in the house.  But by the time she died, the appraisal had dropped over $20,000.  I didn't want her house since I already had a house and could not afford to own two houses.  I tried to sell it for the amount that was owed on it without success.  Due to it being upside down, unless I put money with it so the buyer could get a clear title, I let Wells Fargo foreclose on it.  Since she had taken the full amount from the beginning, my mother already had the full amount of equity sitting in her checking account.  The foreclosure did not affect me in any way.  

Bad deal:  With the appraisals being so low now, the equity in anyone's house will not be as good as it might have been a few years ago, so this should be given a lot of thought.  Questions to consider:  What might happen in the future to the owners of the house...if they will be able to stay in the house for a long time...and what will happen to the house when the mortgage company takes it over.

Good deal:  If a person gets a good appraisal, with a generous amount of equity available, and ALL the equity money is selected from the beginning and placed into a personal checking or savings account, then it won't matter as much what happens in the future.  The mortgage holders do not come back on the beneficiary of the house to request a refund.

As in all dealings:  Listen to the person offering the reverse mortgage, carefully analyze the facts, and do not let emotions get in the way.  Ask..."What if so and so happens in the future!"  Consider every possible scenario that might be involved in the deal.

This is a very brief overview of what can happen when a person makes a reverse mortgage. 

MICHELLE FRIENDS WITH EXECUTIVE OF COMPANY WHO BUILT OBC WEBSITE

This was c&p from an email that I received.  I do not know who the author of this is, and I copied it word for word.  I do not take credit for writing or validating the following words.

First Lady Michelle Obama’s Princeton classmate is a top executive at the company that earned the no-bid contract to build the failed Obamacare website.

• Toni Townes-Whitley, Princeton class of ’85, is senior vice president at CGI Federal, which earned the no-bid contract to build the $678 million Obamacare enrollment website atHealthcare.gov. CGI Federal is the U.S. arm of a Canadian company.
• Townes-Whitley and her Princeton classmate Michelle Obama are both members of the Association of Black Princeton Alumni.
• Toni Townes ’85 is a onetime policy analyst with the General Accounting Office and previously served in the Peace Corps in Gabon, West Africa. Her decision to return to work, as an African-American woman, after six years of raising kids was applauded by a Princeton alumni publication in 1998
• George Schindler, the president for U.S. and Canada of the Canadian-based CGI Group, CGI Federal’s parent company, became an Obama 2012 campaign donor after his company gained the Obamacare website contract.
• On the government end, construction of the disastrousHealthcare.gov website was overseen by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a division of longtime failed website-builder Kathleen Sebelius’ Department of Health and Human Services.
• CGI Federal did not immediately return a request for comment.

_______________________________________________
Soooooo...........Lets see if we can connect the dots here ...

 

1.) No American companies considered
2.) A Canadian company hired
3.) No Bid contract for 93 million dollars ...
4.) Top executive at Website building firm went to school with Michelle Obama
5.) Previous experience building gun registry for canadian government
6.) Fired by Canadian Government for overruns that cost Canada 100 millions dollars
4.) Overruns for Obamacare enrollment website now costing U.S. $678,000,000.00 = $678 Million dollars

Does this bother anybody else besides me?

OUR STUPIDITY REGARDING POLITICIANS vs VETERANS

Some of my emails are better than I can come up with, so here is another email, a poem that says it all, that I have c&p for this blog:

He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion,
Telling stories of the past.

Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one.

And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew where of he spoke.

But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For ol' Joe has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a Veteran died today.

He won't be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.

He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won't note his passing,
'Tho a Veteran died today.

When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.

Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young,
But the passing of a Veteran
Goes unnoticed, and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?

Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country
And offers up his life?

The politician's stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.

While the ordinary Veteran,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small.

It is not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom
That our country now enjoys.

Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever-waffling stand?

Or would you want a Veteran
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Veteran,
Who would fight until the end.

He was just a common Veteran,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his likes again.


For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Veteran's part,
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honor
While he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage
At the ending of his days.

Perhaps just a simple headline
In the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A VETERAN DIED TODAY."

PLEASE pass On The Patriotism! YOU can make a difference.
If you are proud of our Vets, then send this to them. You'll be glad you did.
Then send it to ALL your friends.

May God bless our many veterans and the service they have given

our country.

QUESTIONS MANY PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO ASK OBAMA

I have copied the following email that I received and am posting the questions on today's blog:

If only some interviewer would ask Obama the following questions: "Why do you want our wonderful country to become a socialist nation?" "Why do you want to destroy our country?" "What is behind your dictatorial message?" "Why do you hate America so much that you are destroying it?" "Why do you not want a middle class society and only want poor people looking to you for a handout?" "Why do you hate the middle class so much?" "How can you sleep at night knowing you are destroying peoples lives?" "If your health care plan is so good why don't you use it yourself?" "Why don't you want to wait for 6 months to see a doctor or have surgery like the rest of us will have to?" "Why do you tell lies to us daily?" "Is politics so important in your life that you would do anything to get votes?"

These are questions that everyone wants to know but nobody will ask. He gets away with everything again. What's wrong with this picture??????

WHAT IS KICK-BACK MONEY?

Kick-back money has been around since the beginning of time.  It is money that impacts many business deals, and it is prevalent in many governments.

When a company or a government undertakes a project and agrees to a contract for a contractor to take on the project, without a restrictive bidding process in place, this gives the person(s) who is in power the ability to receive kick-back money.

The person in power may get several bids, even if it is not a requirement, and they make a deal with the bidder who agrees to give them the most kick-back money.  Example:  A project may be awarded for six billion dollars, but the person in power receives two billion dollars back, leaving the contractor to do the project for four billion, and the person(s) in power deposits the two billion in their personal account, or in some off-shore account.

When is it apparent that kick-back money has played a part in any given project?

• When a project is awarded to a contractor at a far greater price than the work can be obtained from another contractor.
• When the project is poorly constructed, does not work right, is unstable, and does not meet even minimum standards of competency.

When you see projects that are way over-priced, and are produced in a shoddy manner, you should stop and ask, "Why is this happening?"

IF NFL MARTIN THINKS INCOGNITO IS BAD...HE SHOULD TRY SUBSTITUTE TEACHING

What is the definition of abuse or harassment? When you constantly and deliberately do something to someone that makes them very unhappy...that is a form of abuse and harassment. 

With Incognito's background, I am certain that he is a "bad dude" and capable of abuse and harassment.  However, some of his team mates take up for him by saying he is just a super joker.  He is a bully.

Martin does not know what harassment is until he trys to teach a bunch of middle and high school kids.  I am certain that Incognito perfected his behavior as he worked his way through school.  His bad behavior was reinforced by the laughter he received when he "acted out" in the classroom.

The classrooms of today are filled with both boys and girls with personalities like Incognito.  They live for the moment, and the attention they get from bad behavior spurs them onward.  Sometimes, they carry this behavior into adulthood.

I substitute teach sometimes to get away from this computer in order to see what is really going on in the world.  What better way than to observe what is going on in the schools.  "Bubble dwellers, " have no idea where our culture is headed.

While Martin has only had to contend with one guy named Incognito, a substitute teacher has to deal with dozens of them almost every time they take an assignment. Some of the regular teachers have to deal with it every day.

I constantly run into students who harass me.  I am what is considered to be a "tough cookie," and I put them out in the hall, have administration move them out of the room, and use whatever discipline works for the students.  I have been told by many students, "We don't care if we get suspended.  We don't want to go to school anyway."  However, no matter how hard I come down on them, I am constantly told, "You are my favorite sub-teacher," or they tell me "You are a super cool sub."  I start most classes off with, "I am a nice teacher, if you are nice students; however, if you are not nice students, I am not a nice teacher.  It is your choice."

It is a shame that teachers spend at least four years getting a degree in education, graduate and are ready to "save the world," but after being employed, they find themselves having to spend at least 50% of their time trying to keep order in the room.  Some teachers do better at this than others, but the sweet, naive, easily intimidated ones are sometimes "tormented" by their disruptive students.

To add insult to injury, the national media blames everything on the teachers.  While there are some incompetent teachers, there are thousands of students who do not want to learn, will not listen, and will actually "abuse" their teacher. 

Back to Martin vs Incognito.  I would NEVER let someone who is about my size intimidate, abuse, and harass me.  I may not be able to control my students all the time, but I never let them see the "whites of my eyes."