Ask me what I am doing...

My wife and I are home-schoolers.  It can sometimes sound like we hate teachers, or hate the public school, or hate the system, etc.  But its not true.  We do not hate any of those.  We do think the system is broken, and public schools in general do not do a good job of teaching kids, and that most teachers want a better system, and want kids to do well, and think they are doing the best job possible and training the kids in our society, and frankly, many are.

Teaching is a tough and important career.  It is a career that has its challenges, but is also rather rewarding.  You do get the opportunity to influence children for the better, and for that it should be praised.

So imagine my delight when I stumbled upon a lady sitting at the mall tonight in the food court with this sign propped up by a paperback novel.

(Sign says, I am a teacher.  This is how I spend my evenings. Please ask me what I am doing.)
I had to ask.  "What are you doing?
"I'm reading this book, in the evening." was her reply.
"Okay?"
"See some people do not realize what we have to do to keep up."
"Uh-huh," a little lost for words. Fortunately, she was not.
"I'm reading this book because, well, actually I'm in Naugatuck, so I am already done, but I will likely teach this book next year, so I am reading it now to prepare."
"So, you're just raising awareness...?" was all I could come up with.
"Yea! Raising awareness."
"...that its a tough job, teaching."
"Exactly."

At this point I walked away, got about 15 feet, and did an about face.  I asked if I could take a picture of her sign and that I would write a blog post.  She seemed to not know what that was, but said something about helping get the word out.  Here is my getting the word out.

Teaching is hard.  So is painting, or hanging drywall, or selling used cars, or being a real estate agent, or just about any other job one can possibly have.  Some jobs are harder than others.  Mostly those revolve around jobs you have to think.  Like, say, teaching.  How stupidly arrogant of someone to sit in the mall asking people to have pity on her because her job asks her to do prep work at night, while at the same time, openly admitting that she is already on break, and preping for next years courses.

Are you kidding me?  You want me to feel sorry for you because you have a salaried position that pays well in CT, gives you government benefits, has extended time off during breaks, a ridiculously pro-teacher union with negotiated salary increases every year, and a 20 year and your done retirement plan, but expects you to read in the evening?  Really?

I so badly wanted to go home, make my own sign.  it should read:
"I am a father, an engineer full time, and a freelance software developer.  This is how I spend my evenings.  Please ask me what I am doing." I'll sit there with my laptop open, and I'll reply with, not spending time with my kids because I have to hold multiple jobs to pay the bills because our horrific economy has made it so most private industry has not been able to do salary increases in 3 years even though gas and milk are both over $4/gallon.

Or, perhaps I could get the 45 year old "retired" teacher to sit at the mall in the middle of the afternoon with his own sign.  "I am a retired teacher.  This is how I spend all day.  Please ask me what I am doing."  When asked, he can respond with, "living high off the taxpayers money for the next 40-50 years."

The worst part is we have raised a bunch of pansies who would feel bad for this woman simply because she is a teacher.  Noone else feels sympathy for any other person in any other career.  Perhaps the military, which is actually tough being away from your family and shoved in a hell hole of another country, or worse, a Navy vessel. Perhaps even a policeman who deserves a bit of sympathy for the crap they put up with.  But I have never seen a soldier or a cop sitting in the mall asking people to feel sorry for them.  Teachers have a tough job.  So do I.  So do a lot of Americans, and quite frankly, teachers have it better than most of us.

If you do not like the career you are in, go change it, or suck it up and be grateful for the job you have.  Either way, do not be so self-absorbed as to think it is okay to go to the mall with a sign and throw yourself a pity party.

I need to go back to writing code now.  Feel sorry for me.

An Open Letter to Wachovia

To Wachovia Bank and its local CT branches,

Since college, I have been a Wachovia customer. I have held various checking and savings accounts, lines of credit, a mortgage, a second mortgage, used online banking and overdraft protection. I have been a faithful and loyal customer for over 10 years as I considered Wachovia "my bank." In kind, I was always thankful for the service and support I received in return.

However, today ended that long relationship. I have officially moved all my accounts to a new bank and closed the open accounts I have with your institution. I feel obliged to inform you why I have moved banks. Again, I have been very happy with Wachovia, and would prefer to stay and perhaps resolving the open issues will stop others from changing, and allow our family the chance to switch back as well.

First, the new fees. Since being bought by Wells Fargo, you added a fee to the Overdraft protection line of credit. This $25/year fee is unacceptable, especially since someone like me with 3 checking accounts would be paying $75/year. An overdraft protection account is only used when you go over, and there is a fair charge ($10) when you use it. There are finance charges on unpaid balances. There is no reason to charge a fee for this service.

Second, and more important is the posting of no firearms. Connecticut law (Chap. 529 Sec. 29-28) dictates that the person responsible for a property has a right to determine if firearms are allowed in their building. You are completely within your right to post no firearms on the buildings. However, I believe this is a foolish decision, and one that may cost you dearly in the long run. I can assure you that an individual intent on an attempted robbery of your facility will not stop on account of your small sign, in fact, he may even be emboldened knowing that legal firearm carrying patrons had to disarm prior to entering. Since many of your ATMs are inside the door of the building, this also applies to the late-night ATM stops which are prone to robbery, or worse. The logistics of disarming in your car prior to entering the bank are simply an annoyance and safety hazard too great for most carry-permit holders to bear.

Please know, I like Wachovia. I wish I could continue to do business with you. Unfortunately, until you make it easy and safe for law abiding citizens to enter the bank, and you remove the unnecessary fees, I will be elsewhere. I look forward to the day I can switch back.

Thank you,

Dwayne

Car Time

This week a ton of mental energy was spent on researching vehicles. I figured that since this data is now in my head I would share in case anyone is interested. Plus, it is a window into how I think… so here goes.

After making the decision to buy, I set out to find the right mid-size sedan that would serve as my daily driver for my 70 commuting miles each day as well as travel to clients, vendors, etc. I had a few non-negotiables. Estimate mileage must be over 30mpg highway. Since I make so many phone calls from the road, I counted interfaced Bluetooth as an essential. I wanted to find the absolute best value. I also knew that I cannot make a car buying decision until I have done my due diligence on the leaders of the class. In this case, there are 7 leaders.

The cars I test drove were ( in order of test drive) the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Ford Fusion, Mazda 6, Hyundai Sonata, Chevy Malibu, and the Nissan Altima. Here are my brief overviews of each vehicle, and then a outline of how I made my decision. (Note, while I did a lot of reading and researching, Edmunds.com's reviews were absolutely essential in helping me through the process. My humble thanks is to backlink to them for each vehicle.

Toyota Camry: This was the first car I drove, and was immediately impressed with the car’s quiet and smooth ride. I sort of wondered if the Camry’s plushness was enhanced by the stark contrast to driving my ‘91 Corolla, but though I drove 6 other vehicles, none even came close to the Camry for the smoothness of the ride. From the beginning I was biased toward the Toyota.

Honda Accord: The Honda was a clear runner-up for me. We loved our Civic, and its larger sibling does not disappoint inside or out. It has a sportier and more modern feel, and has the spotless Honda reliability record. Driving the Accord was nice, but the road noise was noticeably loader than in the Camry. All the rest of the vehicles were somewhere in the middle. The Accord was the loudest.

Ford Fusion: Ford was next. All the reviewers say this is a great vehicle, but I was concerned knowing Ford’s track record. The dealer* only had a Mercury Milan, which I was impressed with. The smooth quiet cabin has all the modern bells and whistles, was fun to drive, and interfaces through the Sync system which is really cool. We went to the second lot and drove a Fusion back. There was no noticeable difference between the Milan and the Fusion. Both were a pleasant surprise.

Mazda 6: The Mazda folks were nice. The car has nice handling, and a modern feel all around. Its priced similar to the rest of the pack, but there is nothing that stands out. I left there unimpressed.

Hyundai Sonata: I almost skipped the Hyundai. In the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, Hyundai had a reputation. Unfortunately the “Hyundai like Sunday” Superbowl commercial kept running through my head. I ended up driving both the 2010 and 2011 model (the only 2011 model tested). The 2010 model is summed up in one word, ‘blah.’ The 2011 however floored me. It is a beautiful car, technologically advanced with a fun fast drive. It also comes in below the cost, even without the end of year incentives offered by the other players on their 2010s.

Chevy Malibu: Malibu has been advertised as a larger vehicle with higher mpg. It did not disappoint. It feels larger and more mature then the others. It drives very well and very quiet. All together, a bit more sophisticated.

Nissan Sentra: I left the Sentra for last, because I knew it might be the ultimate winner. It is the class leader in driving experience, and the one I drove was just that. The overall experience was outstanding. It did not drive like a 4 cyl. It feels like a sports car in a sedan body.

Decision time.

I sat with Avril feeding her a bean burrito at Taco Bell and considered my options. To my own surprise, my first two picks were the first two to be rejected. The Accord was simply too loud to be comfortable. Honda needs to put a lot more effort into sound deadening. The Camry, while peaceful to drive, practically put me to sleep. The inside of the Camry is still living in the ‘90s. It’s time to move into the modern era (right after resolving unintended acceleration).

My next to go was the Mazda 6. It is simply a little too “me too.” It was nice enough, but there are better options.

That left the Ford, Hyundai, Chevy, and Nissan. I could not in good conscience leave the Nissan on the list. It is priced significantly higher than the rest of the pack. If you had all the money in the world, the Nissan is a great choice. I do not.

So that left two American cars and a low budget import. Who would have thought? At this point we were down to preference. The Hyundai had some risk factors. First, it is the first year after a significant remodel (never safe), and more then that it is still a Hyundai. Give them a few more years of good clean record, and they may end up a leader. That day is not here yet.

Lastly, the Chevy vs. Ford dilemma had to be hashed out. Honestly, I have not been a traditional fan of either of these (though I loved my Thunderbird). The Malibu has a more sophisticated feel. The Ford has cooler features. Chevy took government money to bail themselves out. Ford proved that an American manufacturer can succeed in tough times with a smart business model. The Fusion won Motor Trend’s car of the year, as well as the Edmond’s Pick.

So…

It got my pick as well.

I am very pleased with the car. It is a sporty enough drive to make me feel like I am not an old man yet. It is also quiet, and peaceful during post-work commutes. Sync is outstanding in what it promises. I have found the Sync system to be a little less intuitive then I expected, however, it is a huge step forward in voice recognition software driven systems. The tech in me is driven (no pun intended...) to use and tweak the Sync to perfection. Expect more Sync posts later.

* A Word About Dealers

I visited two Ford dealerships. One in Danbury close to work, and one in Waterbury close to home. Knowing and respecting car salesmen, I knew I would disappoint one of them. Car salesmen get a bad rap, and I think it is our duty to take care of the people who serve us and make their living based on commission. I ultimately went with the one closer to home for a few reasons. The Danbury dealership felt typical. The Waterbury dealership shined. The maintenance package was better, and frankly, I wanted to support the local Waterbury economy (Fairfield County gets enough of my money as it is). This should not reflect poorly on the service I got at any of the dealerships. All the gents I spoke with were professional. Overall a very nice shopping experience.

Census Rebel

I received our census letter today, and looked all over to find the disclaimer that you only have to answer the first question. To my dismay, it is not there. A few minutes of googling later, I realized that by statute, we are required to answer all questions.

I don't think so.

Since it's inception, the census has asked questions directly related to understanding the headcount of the country. The original census included only three questions: color, free or slave status and the sex of free white persons. These questions were used as a result of the racist 3/5ths rule that counted slaves as only 3/5ths, and the sexist rule that women could not vote so were not used to calculate representatives.

As morally reprehensible as these are, the questions were directly related to the task at hand, counting the populace in order to determine the number of seats in the House of Representatives. Therefore, after the end of slavery, and with women's suffrage, these questions are no longer needed to properly account for the population and should have been removed from the questionnaire.

Therefore, question related to anything outside of the direct requirement of counting the population for representation and direct taxation (which is a-whole-nother topic all together) are an invasion of privacy under the 4th and 5th amendments. The government is unapologetic in its purpose, specifically saying that the data collected is used to direct government spending, something never found in the constitution.

Interestingly enough, it was not until the Raw... I mean... New Deal era, and the 1940 census that demographic information was requested. Given that era's ability to pass all measure of unconstitutional government policies and agencies, it is not surprising that the Census was able to be used to collect auxiliary data about the population. It is also not surprising that it was the 1940 and 1930 census that was used by FDR to illegally and immorally round up Japanese Americans and place them in concentration camps during WWII. Of course the law protects our data collected by the census bureau from the big bad government, right? Don't count on it.

I went back and forth on how to quietly refuse. I stumbled on a form letter that I adapted to my liking, and will be including a copy of the following when I mail back my form.

US DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

c/o U.S. Census Bureau

8411 Kelso Drive

Essex MD 21260-1111

MARCH 17, 2010

To Whom It May Concern:

The U.S. Constitution allows you to inquire as to how many persons are living at my residence as of April 1, 2010. I have provided you with that information.

You are not authorized to ask me any additional information, nor will I voluntarily provide you with any additional information.

Although your agency states that my answers will be kept “confidential” and that any information obtained from me (i.e. my phone number, my gender, my age, my ethnicity) will be not be shared by or with anyone, I believe these questions to be a direct invasion of my privacy based on the Fourth and Fifth Amendments as described in Boyd v. United States, 116 U.S. 616, 630, as protection against all governmental invasions "of the sanctity of a man's home and the privacies of life.'' Given that past illegal uses of census data have been witnessed, the worst of which leading to the unlawful imprisonment of a minority group, I am refusing to answer these unconstitutional questions.

Since the current statutes that enable auxiliary questions besides how many people are living at my residence are unconstitutional as stated above, “[t]he general rule is that an unconstitutional statute, though having the form and name of law, is in reality no law, but is wholly void. Unconstitutional law bears no power to enforce, it purports to settle as if it never existed, for unconstitutionality dates from the enactment of such a law and not such time as branded in an open court of law. It confers no rights; it imposes no duties; affords no protection; it creates no office; it is in legal contemplation, as inoperative as though it had never been passed. No courts are bound to uphold it and no persons are bound to obey it.” 16 Am Jur 256.

Sincerely,

An American Citizen

P.S. – In 1980, the census cost less than $5 per person to administer. Ten years ago, it was less than $16 per person. Current estimates show your agency spending nearly $50 per person on the 2010 census. I believe that this taxpayer expense could be significantly reduced by limiting the census to what is constitutionally allowed.

The other day I heard the singer of this song on the Radio. His comment was that the song is about the classic falling in love again, and how we have the power in our relationships to "rekindle" what we had in the beginning. Here is the song.

Let's Just Fall In Love Again @ Yahoo! Video

Let's pretend baby

that you've just met me

and I've never seen you before

I'll tell all my friends

that I think you're staring

And you say the same

to yours

And Oh

We'll dance around it all night

and then I'll follow you outside

And try to open up my mouth

and nothing comes out right

Chorus:

And I wanna fall in love with you again

I don't have to try

It's so easy who needs to pretend

But because

It's so funny let's just think about it honey

Let's just fall in love again

I'll call you in three days

Not too soon not too late

And I'll ask your roommate if you're home

Oh

You'll call me on Thursday

And we'll hang out all day

Then fall asleep on the phone

And Oh

I'll hold your hand when we drive

And we'll lose track of all the time

And we'll tell everyone that we ain't never felt so alive

Chorus

We'll fall disgustingly fast

And we'll stop hanging out with friends

And they'll be so offended

Oh ooh oh

Chorus

Let's just fall in love again

So let's just fall in love again

I chuckled through the song since my wonderful wife (the keeper of this blog) and I are basically guilty of everything this song describes as "Falling in Love." Its a fun song, and catchy, but as I got to thinking about it, I started to ask myself, would I really want to go back to the days of awkwardness, exploration, and uncertainty over the real intimacy of who we are today. It did not take me long to decide.

I think in our culture, we have stopped celebrating love, and started focusing our celebration on a subset of love based around the intense feeling felt with the newness of a new person. Perhaps this is why so many of our marriages end in affairs. As a culture we have been told to expect that amazing take-over-every-thought-in-your-mind feeling all the time. If that is lost, then we must "fall in love again."

How unfortunate, because there is nothing as powerful and fulfilling as knowing and being so fully known as what comes with long enduring marriage.

The parallel spiritually is obvious. When we first come to Christ, everything is new. Everything is exciting. Spiritual truths seem to enthrall us each day. Some folks live for that feeling. They pursue new ways to create that spiritual high, and start to miss the power in coming into deeper knowledge of the One who knows them completely.

In marriage, and in Christ, falling in love does not look like this song would allude to. Instead it should look like two folks, so in tune with one another that they act and think alike. They feel completely at peace in each other's company. There is no need for a facade. There is no need to try to impress. There is no fear. There is simply perfect Love.

Lord help me to grow in my "perfect love" of You and my wife. If anything, my cry is that I could fall deeper in love with you again!

A Case for Early Marriage

I am hoping Google's servers crash and burn long before Norah or Avril have a chance to hold me to this, but I think this article, or at least its premise, is dead nuts on, and is something I have said for years.

I do not want to recap the whole article, as I would rather have you read it, even if it is a bit long. I will only say this. I find it against the character of God to PURPOSEFULLY build us with incredibly strong sex drives young only to say do not use it. It simply does not fit with the God I know. He does not design for no purpose. Instead, I think that sex drive is designed to unify two people, and to produce offspring, both of which are only possible under God's plan in the context of marriage. This does not minimize the directive to stay chaste if you are not married, but it is the only logical conclusion I can come up with to why sex drives are so strong so young.

Generation Gap

I have so many fond memories as a child playing Kings in the Corner at Grandmom Gerda's house. It was a highlight of our vacations to Florida. We played with a normal deck, on just a table, and scoring was based on how many cards you had in your hand.

Now that Norah is of age, we have started playing this version of Kings in the Corner. It has cool chips, and a stand in the middle to hold the different cards. I think that it says something of the generation gap where we now need devices to facilitate proper play, and so forth, but that's not the main point.

The main point is that children love to play games with people they love. I did, and it was pretty fantastic. Norah does, and I think its wonderful. Generation gaps change a lot of things, but the real foundational truths don't change with the fads.