Discipline in schools

As many people know, I am an In-School Suspension (ISS) teacher. I think about child behavior and how to make kids act properly in school. I don't think the problem is all the kids. The parents of misbehaving children need to beheld accountable for their children's actions.

I don't know about you, but I only wear my seabelt because I hate those $75 tickets. You have to hit them in the wallet.

My idea: For kids who are constantly absent/ tardy for school, unexcused past 5 a quarter gets a fine to the parents. If a child is a constant discipline problem, and it seems as though the parents are not taking adequate steps to teach their childen to behave, then on the next tax season, the parents won't be allowed to claim the children on their income taxes. Failure to attend meetings for school issues is a warrant-bearing offense just like failure to appear in court.

You make it a hassle for them to not raise their kids and you'll notice a difference.

Also, not disciplining kids seems to make them angry and poorly adjusted. I have seen the before and after both ways.

on child support

Just yesterday, I posted on my concept of a real man. You can tell alot of full grown children made babies from the lack of child support. I don't see what the big deal is, it was so important to make the babies, why not raise them to be good adults? At the very least pay for them so thier mom's can raise them.

Why? Because they can get away with not taking care of the responsibility they made.

I have a solution. Make failure to support your children a felony. You're up for non support? No jail. You're going to PMITA prison. Tell al the other inmates that he's a child molester. If the deadbeat survives about 6 months of that, I'll bet he'll do whatever is needed to get his children what they deserve. If they murder him in prison, the kids get SSI checks and college tution assisstance. At least they'll have a better chance than with Mr. Deadbeat. Either he makes a good example or we make a good example out of him.

give 'em an inch........

I've learned one valuable lesson in my time working with kids: Set the standard of expectations high. There is no other way to prepare students to be achievers. Not to mention middle school students rarely try to exceed expectations. If anything they excel in attempting to fall short, or to see how much they can "get away" with.

This past week our school loosened the dress code for students. They are allowed to wear shorts so long as they are at least to the knee and not gym-style shorts. Today we have gym shorts dress code violations.

My only argument is that as educators, we have a responsibility to prepare these students for their adult lives. Life does not offer compromises. The power company won't "cut you some slack", they'll just cut off your lights.

Middle school prepares you for life. The rules are stict, students are harsh with each other and it's pretty dismal. The people who suceed are the ones that cut a niche out for themselves.

But if you give them an inch, they'll take a mile.

real man.....

I've been saturated from birth by what a real man should be. These concepts that our culture holds dear, that a real man should be tough, strong, protective of his home and family, handy with tools, sports loving, beer drinking, keeps the kids in line, and handles the buisness in general. A real man comes home after all this and doesn't complain about his life.

A real man needs to be then tough one at home too, he's the griller, the carpenter, the landscaper, and the mechanic. The real man is the bread winner and the home provider and would rather be beaten to death rather than have another man handle his buisness. A real man has a wife, not a baby's momma, he doen't have to travel farther than across the house if he wants to see his kids. The real man does things that his kids admire and they want to be just like him. He seems like a genious, taking apart complex things that no longer work and make them function "as good as new".

A real man gives to his family first, himself last. He knows that people see him not by how he looks, but by how his kids look. And he does it all for no reward other than knowing he's doing the right thing, his family loves him for it, and that's good enough for him.

That was always my idea anyway. I don't see alot of those anymore. Daddy's still doing his thing, Mommy is somewhere else struggling to keep it together and the kids suffer. There are a lot of full grown boys out there that never take on the honor of being a real man. Doing so, he never finds his real woman, and if he finds her, he leaves her because it's "too much to handle".

I've seen what happens too often when a male adult refuses to be a man and it's sad the damage a full grown child can do in a man's body. He gets a woman pregnant, creates an obligation, and abandons it. And though he may leave he still teaches his child how to be his version of a man. They learn to run when it gets too tough, never to live up to the full potential they have.

My Mom's first mariage was to a boy, and they had me. Her second marriage was to a man, I call him Dad. He stuck it out over all those years, good, bad, and worse. He taught me what a real man does for his family. He taught me that when you love a woman that has children, they are a part of the package and you take care of them as your own. He's not perfect, but I always knew his values were in the right place and the fact he tried was good enough. I would not be where I am today without his example.

So to John Wilson, thank you.

NC inspection license

As part of my new job as a Sunday grease monkey, I have to become a certified vehicle inspector. It was great way to clog up my evenings during my spring break. Not too shabby however, it was very amusing the first two nights and quick the last two. After seeing it first hand, I now feel it's all a sham. But ripoffs are great if you're the one on the take.

Yeah, yeah, it's good to make sure a car is not a death trap, but being a death trap afficianado, I think rattletraps are getting a bad rap.

Anyway, the stuff is super easy, it's all computerized. The stuff you need to look for is in a reference book under the computer. On the visual inspection, you upsell everything you can. Fuses, light bulbs, oil changes, fresh air in the tires.....

I've worked in a few convenience stores in my day, but never an actual service station. I think it will be ok. I think I can benefit there much better than I did at Best Buy.

Spring break? From what?!?!?!?1?!?

This whole past week has been my "break". Break from work? I love my job. At school, I'm important, needed, respected, and somewhat feared. I want a break from reality. The one where I'm a broke-ass that can't seem to get it together. The one where I drive a basket case of a car, and can't seem to get a break at all. This week I get a full dose of it.

College is 2k a semester. Don't know which ass I'm going to pull that out of, certainly not my own. I looked for loose change last week....nothing. I am, however, accepted ,registered and I even have my first schedule. I feel like I'm trying to climb a house of cards. One mistep will send me and everything I've worked for tumbling down.

During our spring break, Paul and I have taken a rest from lifting. We're going to start back with a more advanced routine. I've felt a difference and Robyn says she's starting to notice the difference. My gut is still huge in the way you think of gods as being big. I guess I'll have to take what I can get for now.

On our last workout I told Paul I was considereing shaving my head since I'm so bald anyway. He said you might as well, you're pretty much there now. I guess he's right. I keep my hair, what's left it, very short. I'm waiting until after June 7th (last day of school) to do it.


Robyn rented a car to visit a friend of hers. A new Ford Explorer. Now as much as I would prefer have another vehicle, it ain't too bad. It is possible that my idea of a nice car has been skewed. An intact windshield, a/c, and a stereo puts it into Bently status for me.

The seven week stretch before summer vacation starts this next Tuesday. Oh, the joy begins.

so little time/ cash so much to do......

I must admit, before I leave Best Buy for good, I want to put a new stereo in my car. The darn thing will never look good, but in the next two years driving back & forth to college, I'd like something nice to listen to while on the road.

I complied a list of what I nee to make the car good for my needs. They are:

1. Stereo & speakers
2. Air conditioning
3. Carpet
4. New gear select cable
5. Mufflers

All in all, about $350 - $600 to make it plush. It will still be ugly, but comfy to drive. It's a darn shame I can't salvage the body. It could be pimped out nicely. Not that I pimp out cars, but it could.......

If the car hold up well, When I get a newer car, I plan to put the drivetrain in my ranger that may never move again on it's own. It confuses me to no end how this truck could be made to run down the road by my tinkering and after one day, I cannot duplicate the results. Harmon wants the big bucks involved in doing an engine swap, which would probably run well past $1,000 before I "clean it up". I'm starting to consider just getting a good pickup when I finish school.

Last night I hit a milestone in my workout. I did squats. My knees have been shot for 10 years and since I pretty much gave up on workouts because due to injury, I couldn't do my two exercises: squats & deadlifts. Twelve years ago, my routine was five days of cardio workouts and two wieght training days. I either jogged, bicycled, or jumpped rope. On lifting days, I did bicep curls, squats, dead lifts and ab crunches. It worked for awhile, I was pretty skinny. Even when I was getting chubby, it wasn't jack compared to what I am now.

I'm feeling my body change now. My muscles remember what isolation exercises feel like. I'm starting to be able to work the groups of muscles I need to for each exercise properly. I feel sore where I know I should feel sore. When I lifted last night, I felt the muscles burn when they were supposed to.

I started upping the protein too. After much study on good supplements, I came to a conclusion: I'm not ready for the powders, mixes, and power bars. I'm going another route. I drank milk. An 8-ounce cup of milk has 8 grams of protein. After I started cooling down, I drank a 16-ounce glass and had a snack. Before I went to bed, I had another glass of milk. The proteins in milk are supposed to be slower acting proteins that your body absorbs over a longer stretch of time, several hours. I'll try this for awhile and see if it makes a difference.

I was told the human body can put on 1 pound of muscle a week. Hell, I'll take half a pound right now. But If I could build a pund a week, I'll be losing 3-5lbs of fat every week too. If I can make that a goal, I'll be on target to me looking right come my birthday. By the start of the next school year, I should be in the best shape of my life.

I want, just once in my life, to go up to someone, flex, and say "Put down the dictionary, I've got the definition right here." or "Somebody grab the sewing kit 'cause I'm ripped" and it actually be true. Now I'm more like a malprop.

cash struggle

I'm trying to intentionally go skimpy this month so I can afford a few things from Best Buy before I quit. Namely, I want a stereo for my car, After that, I'm done with them.

I got my cat Friday, her name is Trinity. She a black domestic short hair and very personalble. She was very shy when she was first left with me, but quickly warmed up. She likes to sleep in the bed too. Whoever owned her last fed her people food, she's all over me when I'm eating.

It looks as though I'm going to the beach next weekend. I'm looking forward to a few days off. In a couple of years. I'll be able to go more places, take real vacations with Robyn.

I gave away my lazyboy recliner to Paul. He needs it more than I do and I have too much furniture as it is already. Now don't get me wrong. I like it, I just have no place to put it. I won't lose the leather recliner, which is a close second favorite. It only won because it matches what I already have. There is so much more to get rid of too. Sometimes, your posessions own you. They control your life.

It's getting to yard work season again. I'm going for broke this year. I'm going to get it all staightened out. Everything must go.

update

Exercised last night, Paul is ready to step up the intensity. I want to get in better shape first. I'm still feeling the workout if done right. Last night was a good workout. Everything I did made me sore today and I was able to work even though I strained my shoulder Tuesday.

As far as changing the routine, I'm studying up on split routines. A split routine is where you work only a few muscle groups during a workout instead of all of them. I'm doing a total body routine because it is what you need to get into shape. Split routines are for more advanced lifters. Honestly, Paul is probably more than ready. He's in better shape than me body fat-wise. That is kind of ironic since back in the day, he was the fat one. Now I'm the fat one. It doesn't help that I have a desk job either.

I talked to a teacher at school about lifting and he gave me a few pointers. One thing he told me was I need to up my protein intake to build muscle. His formula is one gram of protein for one pound of body weight. I weigh 240. That's a lot of effing protein. When I get to a satisfactory fitness level, I might start doing supplements. Right now it just seems a bit much.

I get a visit from the Humane Society today about the cat I want to adopt. She's a big black cat named Trinity. She seems quite personable. I'm a cat person.

I started cleaning up the yard yesterday. I'm going to get it right before Summer, and the back porch too. I want my yard to be cookout ready. The grill calls to me even now.....the fire...........

Back to exercise, I'm noticing a difference already. With any luck, by Fall, I'll be returning to school a new man. Mainly not a mouth-breathing tub of lard. I want the flat belly, toned arms and such. I'll admit, I don't want to be fat anymore. Being 245 never bothered me, if I was 245 no belly I'd be ok with that. 245 of cut muscle is not an easily attained goal and possibly not realistic. A flat stomach and toned body is, and that is my aim. If I'm still into it later on, we'll see.

lost.....

Monday I lost my cell phone. I spent all day Tuesday without it. That was the first time since 1998 I've been without one. It's kind of weird going a day without it. I remember a time when I didn't have one, they are such a convienience. It's easy to take for granted how useful they are in day to day life. In fact, I'd much rather do without my land line phone than not have a cell phone.

I can live without internet access, cable tv, even a car. Hell, I was homeless for awhile last year, but it hit me like a sack of bricks to be without my cell phone for one day. I read a book called technopoly for class one year. It states that technology eventually defines culture and we become used to those things. After a long period of having a technology, we take it for granted.

The wheel, fire, and literacy were all new technology at one point in time. We all take those for granted.

the Monday roller coaster

The good, bad and ugly yestrday.

I'm adopting a cat from the humane society. I hope it works out ok. I'm a cat person. I played with her, shes a black cat that meows alot. Tons of personality

I lost my cell phone. I can't for the life of me remember what I did with it, but I'll be out or contact with everyone until it is found or replaced. i can't remember anyone's number without my cell phone either.

Two weeks in....

Paul and I have been exercising for two weeks now, and I'm actually starting to feel it. I like the sore workout feeling in my muscles. We both have different ideals, but the same goal. He wants to look good, I want to be healthy. However these are two sides of the same coin. By working out so that he's not the fat guy in the garage, the weightlifting and aerobics will make him healthy, burning fat and toning up will make me look good.

I'm physically stronger than Paul, but I feel I have the biggest problem, I'm way fatter than him. The size of my gut alone makes crunches hard and situps nearly impossible. He said something I was thinking about. : The first thing off is the last thing you put on. The only place I'm especially fat at all is my belly. Gut first, then I guess I lose a chin and get my cheekbones back, if I actually lose that much fat. By Summer vacation, I'll have have 3 months of working out under my belt. That should be enough for drastic improvement. I hope so.......

I wish I had done a good "before" picture so as to gague my progress.

grease monkey

I'm going to go to work at Paul's garage. Best Buy will have to go away, or so it seems. In the end, I find I like Best Buy, and the people that work there. It is hard to leave when I've worked with so many really nice people. One idiot ruined the experience as a whole. In the end, you have to do what's best for you. I can work 3 days/ all weekend at Best Buy and have the money I need from the job, or work Just Sunday at the garage and get almost the same cash.

I offered to work Friday nights to help with the truck, I don't think they will accept the offer, oh well. I guess I'll have to get my car stereo next week when I get paid.

after flu fatigue

Wow. I think this was the first time I've been really sick in years. It just knocked me for a loop and even though it feels like I'm only cycling through the symptoms and cleaning my system out, I feel like I had my @$$ handed to me. My arms feel like rubber even as I type this.

I want to work out tonight, but I fear a relapse if I over exert myself.

The group came over last night. I think we have a strong dynamic. I think there is the makings of an awesome group. I look forward to the new adventure.

the big flu throwdown

I've been sick since Friday. I'd been trying to fight my way throught it all and losing horribly. I had a very high fever on Sunday - Tuesday. I've had very little sleep. What I had was sporadic and fitful. Monday I pulled out the big guns..... NyQuil Tuesday I I went no mercy....DayQuil. I feel pretty good today. My fever broke, the cogestion is loosening, my headache is gone, and I'm back to work. After a three day diet of juice, water, popcicles, and pseudoephedrine, I'm just lucid enough to perfom the mudane tasks of my job.

The vicks brand of drugs is a name you can count on.

NyQuil -
The licorice-flavored
liquor - laced
take a shot and slip into a coma medicine

I have recently discovered that NyQuil is psuedoehedra - free. It's not as effective as it once was. But DayQuil still gets to you. It does not relieve cold symptoms, it get you so high you do not care that you are sick.

game night...

Tonight we roll up our characters for the new game. I'm quite excited. I like the idea of expecting company. It makes me want to clean house. I just need to vacuum when I get home tonight.

Paul ducked out of lifting with me. It's all good, he was tired from working a very long shift and it gave me more time to prep up for the game. We'll be ready for a Thursday run.I actually lifted a little yesterday to see what I still had. I was actually pretty happy with the results of my half - hearted, cold workout. I feel very confident about a 3 month goal for fitness, 6 months to be in good overall shape.

Bill money is tight this month. I blew a good chunk of my income on my car. At least I have a dependable ride again, albeit ugly...... I still have water light and phone to pay for this month. I have just enough to eat with, so I'll survive.

I was explaining pizza work to a kid at school yesterday and I realized,,,, I like making pizzas and I'd love to make one. I'd work at a pizza restraunt again just to get to make a pizza. Taking the raw dough ball and slapping and spinning it into a delicious dinner treat. I'm going to get a recipie for doughballs and make some pizza's one day soon.

Dayum....

Rough weekend! I had to work all weekend and got scant little accomplished. On Saturday, I slept in, but Robyn droped by, we ate together, then she took me to the local outlet center and bought a set of sheets for my new bed. I guess she figures they'll be hers again eventually, she's right.

We went to Shake and Steak on Saturday night after work. That place is getting so bad, I'm actually rather cook a whole meal at 1 A.M. rather than endure that. Waffle Houses have better standards. I must admit, I like thier burgers and milkshakes very much. But the food was skimped on, and the service was horrible. At the current tred of declining service, I half expect for the waitress to pistol - whip me with a ketchup bottle, steal my wallet, and throw me through the front window. I'm not going to be eating there for awhile to say the least.

Paul gave me a set of tires for the back of my car. 275/60/15's a very wide tire. I think they look pretty cool. I need some 235/60's up front and I'll be set. Upon putting tires on the car, I discovered I had 4 different types of tires on the car, which would explain the poor handling. That improved drastically with the new tires. Thanks Paul!

I want to look into putting AC in the car. Honestly, no more than I drive, I could have her up and running for a few years, why not be comfortable. A radio too! As a pizza car, it would have lasted maybe a year and a half tops. A year and a half in pizza terms is a bit over 50k miles, which is a good return on a $300 car. My pizza days are long over, and now it makes sense to actually mantain a car. Too bad it wasn't the other Crown Vic, I liked it better.

I'm going to do a piece on pizza driver logic.

I watched two movies on Sunday after work. Dungeons and Dragons 2: The Wrath of the Dragon God. D&D 2 took a step away from the first movie, It had a better plot, unfortunately D&D 1 had better budgets, actors, directors, & special effects. Had D&D 2 been given the the same chance D&D one had, it could have been a hit. Honestly, I've seen better attempts with film school freshmen projects. Hell, the average Xena episode had more to offer. I was left feeling as if two hours of my life were raped from me.

Next in queue was Mr. and Mrs. Smith, this was by Brad Pitt and Angellina Joilee. This move had an interesting concept: to assassins, working for rival hit squads, are married to one another and has no clue of the others' true identity. This is an obvious action - comedy. The ammount of detail as well as the quality of acting and directing is excellent. They knocked this one out of the ballpark. I found myself laughing at several points in the movie, which is big, since I usually do not laugh.

On a sad note, I was told that X3 is being directed by Ang "I made The Hulk" Lee The fact that any employee of Marvel would even consider eating at the same McDonald's Ang Lee had visited, let alone allow him to make a movie in the highly lucrative X-men franchise, is proof that Jesus died in vain (thanks Mr. Cranky). I can't imagine anything short of a train wreck.

When I work all weekend, I feel so drained. I can't keep this up forever, but I won't have to......

a test run....

I lysol-bathed my *new* mattress and let it air dry last night. After that, I actually set the thing down and tested it, just to see if I could get used to it. Two hours later I woke up and went to bed. Falling asleep was not what I meant to do, but I would dare say it is a good sign I'll enjoy the bed.

I have way too many things that require more money than I have this month. The Car wiped me out, but I'm actually quite happy with it so far. Bills on the other hand.....

the morning after

I got the car back. She's powerful. Harmon neglected to tell me he set the tranny up to go in a hot rod it shifts at higher rmps.. It performed best on the interstate test. It takes around 9-10 seconds to get to 90 mph and coasts at 85 in overdrive. This is not your granny's crown victoria. It was also sitting for several years, so it took a bit of driving to loosen up. After driving for about an hour it was doing everything it needed to do I think I'll be quite happy with her for the time being. I gotta clean it off and out though, it is totally nasty after being sat in a field in the woods for about a year.

Paul and I did the big run last night and now we have beds to show for it. I thought they were queens. One was a queen, the other was a king. That king sized matress was a beast, I decided then and there that it was Paul's. The queen was firmer anyway and I need a firm bed.

I'm a little sore too. I didn't get to bed until after one, so there are some fatigue issues today. I'm working all weekend at Best Buy, so there will be no good time to rest up.

Robyn is sick and I felt bad that I couldn't stop and stay longer last night. I hope she follows her own good advise and rests up.

....

Alot has happened and will happen this week.

I get the Crown Vic back this today. I just had to pour and extra $300 in it due to the power steering giving out. It was leaking before I parked it, so not too much surprise there. Just a few more minor things and she should be good to go for awhile. As ususal, this project is taking more than I can afford, but at the same time, I can't afford not to have it running.

This Tuesday, we talked about running a new D&D game. I think the magic is there for a great group. I was worried about schedule conflicts, but it seems like a perfect fit for me. I hope for the best. The last time I played with the fellow who's running was the best gaming experience I've had to date.

Tonight, I'm pulling a late-nighter, I'm helping Pual do quite a few mutually-beneficial things. I hope to get a few car-related things accomplished too.

Paul and I will begin working out shortly. I've been pigging out and just making horrible eating choices. I'll wean myself back into healthy stuff soon, but I want to do everything gradually, so that it becomes natural routine.