No surprise to anyone who has homeschooled or to teachers in a public K-12 institution.
Homeschooling and Socialization:
The prevailing assumption is that the greatest drawback to homeschooling is the http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifloss of social interaction with peers. Times have changed however, making peer interaction more of a problem than an asset. Instead of peer interaction facilitating the process of socialization, it is now more likely to lead to the premature replacement of adults by peers in the life of a child. Such children become peer-oriented rather than adult-oriented and are more difficult to parent and teach. Furthermore, peer-oriented children fail to mature psychologically and their integration into adult society is compromised.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
College cost rise, but who can afford it?
The previous posted article from the NY Times, talked about the rising cost of education and why the federal government needs to give more money to it. I shortly discussed why the Feds involvement in education loans actually has caused this rise.
Of course we need college, because you make more money (almost $1 million more) and those w/ College Education are still at an unemployment rate of 4.4% nationwide (compared to around 9% average).
So isn’t a college education important? Yes, but why? Because we made it that way, can’t we remake it? What if we started to value internships more? What if we rethink education? We can make college less expensive if we want, but we can’t let the Federal Government and Large Businesses dictate what those are. The Occupy movement points out our problems, but they have the wrong solution.
Education Becomes More Valuable
The Index showed that 25.8 percent of households headed by a non-high school graduate faced major economic setbacks, compared to only 15.8 percent of households headed by someone with a college education.
Of course we need college, because you make more money (almost $1 million more) and those w/ College Education are still at an unemployment rate of 4.4% nationwide (compared to around 9% average).
So isn’t a college education important? Yes, but why? Because we made it that way, can’t we remake it? What if we started to value internships more? What if we rethink education? We can make college less expensive if we want, but we can’t let the Federal Government and Large Businesses dictate what those are. The Occupy movement points out our problems, but they have the wrong solution.
Education Becomes More Valuable
The Index showed that 25.8 percent of households headed by a non-high school graduate faced major economic setbacks, compared to only 15.8 percent of households headed by someone with a college education.
Federal Programs caused the rise of college cost!
When did College Cost start to rise? If you look at History, you will see when we started Subsidizing College cost through the Federal Grants and Loans. We wanted to make it more affordable. Well if you are a business and you have more funds available – what do you do? You spend it! You are getting more money in, you are expected to offer a “better education” or at least more technology. This makes it even more expensive. So what happens? Cost Rise. They haven't offered a better education, just one that looks better on the outside.
The NY Times by Tamar Lewin has a different view from Secretary Duncan, but look at History and you will understand what I am saying.
Mr. Callan said. “We’ve put huge amounts into Pell grants under Clinton, Bush and Obama, but the money that went to financial aid has been absorbed by tuition increases. And with all that we’ve invested, we have a less affordable system than we had a decade ago. We’re on a national treadmill.”
The NY Times by Tamar Lewin has a different view from Secretary Duncan, but look at History and you will understand what I am saying.
Mr. Callan said. “We’ve put huge amounts into Pell grants under Clinton, Bush and Obama, but the money that went to financial aid has been absorbed by tuition increases. And with all that we’ve invested, we have a less affordable system than we had a decade ago. We’re on a national treadmill.”
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
The Definition of Nickel and Diming people to death.
I woke up this morning to find the big news of the day is Obama’s continued expansion of the federal government this time into the Christmas tree industry (by the invitation of small business agriculture). That is right Obama (Federal Government under Obama's watch) has decided to declare war on Christians, manufactures of reusable Christmas trees and has singled out a special tax for those who like to buy live Christmas tree, added burden to Christmas tree vendors everywhere and caused a black market to make law abiding citizens criminals. Whatever happened to the separation of church as state, how soon until Christmas trees become holiday trees?
Ok I’m sure you are saying, come on Robert you are being extreme. I am being extreme, because that is the only way that you will listen. I decided to look into what the tax will be used for, not that the government ever uses our funds well, but maybe it is going to be for lowering our debt. Nope! It is going to be used to fund a new arm of the government whose purpose is to promote the sale of live Christmas (holiday) trees!
Now if I am going to go buy a Christmas tree, than why do I need to be advertised to? Do they think I’ll buy two Christmas trees? I’m already buying a tree! Now I’m going to have to pay more! A LOT MORE!
Now you say 15 cents isn’t much. Well the Christmas tree sellers are now going to have to hire an accountant who will have to file additional taxes. Accountants cost money! Do you think the low margin Christmas tree vendor is going to eat that cost? No he will pass it on to the consumer, raising the cost of Christmas trees!
So now the Federal government has created additional tax payer expenses to promote something they are already buying, but will not have to do so at a higher cost to cover the cost of the government expenses!
Now let us assume the Feds do a great job advertising these Christmas trees as they do with any program. Well there is a little thing called supply and demand. Christmas trees take years (5-15) to grow. So the supply is going to be very flat for the next 15 years. If more people want to buy Christmas tree because of the great job the Feds are doing at advertising for the Christmas tree vendors. Guess what happens to the price of Christmas trees? The price will go up.
What happens when the price goes up? The poor will not be able to afford the Christmas trees. The federal government will then need to subsidies the purchasing of live Christmas trees for the poor.
What else will happen? The thriving fake Christmas tree market will be hurt, causing the loss of jobs or at least a reduction in pay and expansion, which in turn cost jobs. So we will not be paying a tax that raises the cost of Christmas trees and chokes job creation.
Now some, formerly law abiding citizens, who sell Christmas trees, may not be able to handle the rising cost of selling the trees and go out of business or start selling them illegally to avoid paying an accountant to pay the taxes. This person was a surviving (not thriving) entrepreneur and the government has made his job harder! So this tax will inevitably cause some of them to start selling trees out of their “trunk” or go out of business.
Now some, formerly law abiding citizens, who recognize this intrusive maneuver by the Federal government into business that they have no business being in will start to cut down their own trees, likely from neighbors, federal and state forest and farms, some with and some without permission, a modern day Bostonian who will dump his beloved Tea into the bay to make a point.
Finally Christmas is a Christian holiday, named so after our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. While other religions may buy tree during this time of year to fit in with the culture, those truly buying Christmas trees are Christians. So this is a tax against a specific religion. The only way to get around this is to change the name of Christmas trees to holiday trees, thus adding fuel to the fire in the fight against Christmas.
A nickle is 5 cents and a dime is 10, when you put them together you get 15. The amount of tax the Federal Government will now tax you to sell you something you already buy. This is the true definition of Nickle and Diming someone to death.
Ok I’m sure you are saying, come on Robert you are being extreme. I am being extreme, because that is the only way that you will listen. I decided to look into what the tax will be used for, not that the government ever uses our funds well, but maybe it is going to be for lowering our debt. Nope! It is going to be used to fund a new arm of the government whose purpose is to promote the sale of live Christmas (holiday) trees!
Now if I am going to go buy a Christmas tree, than why do I need to be advertised to? Do they think I’ll buy two Christmas trees? I’m already buying a tree! Now I’m going to have to pay more! A LOT MORE!
Now you say 15 cents isn’t much. Well the Christmas tree sellers are now going to have to hire an accountant who will have to file additional taxes. Accountants cost money! Do you think the low margin Christmas tree vendor is going to eat that cost? No he will pass it on to the consumer, raising the cost of Christmas trees!
So now the Federal government has created additional tax payer expenses to promote something they are already buying, but will not have to do so at a higher cost to cover the cost of the government expenses!
Now let us assume the Feds do a great job advertising these Christmas trees as they do with any program. Well there is a little thing called supply and demand. Christmas trees take years (5-15) to grow. So the supply is going to be very flat for the next 15 years. If more people want to buy Christmas tree because of the great job the Feds are doing at advertising for the Christmas tree vendors. Guess what happens to the price of Christmas trees? The price will go up.
What happens when the price goes up? The poor will not be able to afford the Christmas trees. The federal government will then need to subsidies the purchasing of live Christmas trees for the poor.
What else will happen? The thriving fake Christmas tree market will be hurt, causing the loss of jobs or at least a reduction in pay and expansion, which in turn cost jobs. So we will not be paying a tax that raises the cost of Christmas trees and chokes job creation.
Now some, formerly law abiding citizens, who sell Christmas trees, may not be able to handle the rising cost of selling the trees and go out of business or start selling them illegally to avoid paying an accountant to pay the taxes. This person was a surviving (not thriving) entrepreneur and the government has made his job harder! So this tax will inevitably cause some of them to start selling trees out of their “trunk” or go out of business.
Now some, formerly law abiding citizens, who recognize this intrusive maneuver by the Federal government into business that they have no business being in will start to cut down their own trees, likely from neighbors, federal and state forest and farms, some with and some without permission, a modern day Bostonian who will dump his beloved Tea into the bay to make a point.
Finally Christmas is a Christian holiday, named so after our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. While other religions may buy tree during this time of year to fit in with the culture, those truly buying Christmas trees are Christians. So this is a tax against a specific religion. The only way to get around this is to change the name of Christmas trees to holiday trees, thus adding fuel to the fire in the fight against Christmas.
A nickle is 5 cents and a dime is 10, when you put them together you get 15. The amount of tax the Federal Government will now tax you to sell you something you already buy. This is the true definition of Nickle and Diming someone to death.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
The Games
The NCAA presidents have officially gone off the deep end and betrayed all that used to be the collegiate drive – a good education. While K-12 public institutions have all but given up educating the next generation, we were able to claim the best higher education system in the world.
Of the 7 deadly sins four, Lust, Envy, Greed and Gluttony, have taken over the vision of Presidents and administration in the form of College Football. In a society where math has fallen on the way side, some of our best engineering institution in the Big 10, can’t even count to 12. While countless dollars are being spent on prestigious sports teams, tuition is being raised at an exceptional rate.
Now the NCAA has voted to give the players $2000 each in additional to free education ($120,000), free food ($20,000), free housing ($16,000) and free world class trainers (I have no idea because I still can’t afford it). The ACC, Pac-10 (who at least had the decency to change their name to reflect the team) had envy of the SEC and BIG-12 and lusted after the money they were receiving. So the greedily snapped up Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College, who were more than happy to take more money and run. Since then the SEC, Big 10, Pac 10 and nearly every other conference has given in to those 4 deadly sins. Meanwhile coaches and ESPN gluttonously eat from the plate of money.
Meanwhile Businesses continually talk about not being able to find qualified employees to fill the nearly 1 million jobs available. It is ok though, we are being entertained. Even congress and the president have got into the NCAA debate. These moves remind me of the end of the Roman Empire and the gladiator games and the factions of gladiator schools who would bribe their way into better slot in the games. That the masses were entertained then they would not rebel.
College football is not the cause of our current condition; it is the lighthouse in the darkness. Screaming look, look at what is ahead of us. When higher institutes on learn will sell their soul for a few dollars. Should it surprise us that the people they educate do the same? College used to be about wisdom, virtue and honor. We can no longer say that. The only question is will we listen, or we will be blinded by the light that could save us?
Of the 7 deadly sins four, Lust, Envy, Greed and Gluttony, have taken over the vision of Presidents and administration in the form of College Football. In a society where math has fallen on the way side, some of our best engineering institution in the Big 10, can’t even count to 12. While countless dollars are being spent on prestigious sports teams, tuition is being raised at an exceptional rate.
Now the NCAA has voted to give the players $2000 each in additional to free education ($120,000), free food ($20,000), free housing ($16,000) and free world class trainers (I have no idea because I still can’t afford it). The ACC, Pac-10 (who at least had the decency to change their name to reflect the team) had envy of the SEC and BIG-12 and lusted after the money they were receiving. So the greedily snapped up Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College, who were more than happy to take more money and run. Since then the SEC, Big 10, Pac 10 and nearly every other conference has given in to those 4 deadly sins. Meanwhile coaches and ESPN gluttonously eat from the plate of money.
Meanwhile Businesses continually talk about not being able to find qualified employees to fill the nearly 1 million jobs available. It is ok though, we are being entertained. Even congress and the president have got into the NCAA debate. These moves remind me of the end of the Roman Empire and the gladiator games and the factions of gladiator schools who would bribe their way into better slot in the games. That the masses were entertained then they would not rebel.
College football is not the cause of our current condition; it is the lighthouse in the darkness. Screaming look, look at what is ahead of us. When higher institutes on learn will sell their soul for a few dollars. Should it surprise us that the people they educate do the same? College used to be about wisdom, virtue and honor. We can no longer say that. The only question is will we listen, or we will be blinded by the light that could save us?
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