First Blog

Power and Privilege, two power words of our day.  Most people want at least one; some want both. So, is there a difference? Power is a general term that implies the ability to shape conditions, control people, or enhance particular goals. Power has many forms, of which privilege is only one. Privilege is usually conferred, but general power is seized. Here are a few other forms of power.  Privilege Good looks Money Property Ability Knowledge Authority Family Leadership Some people have only one.  Others have a few, but few have all.

In education as in medical care, there is so much government money it has become a "neon welcome sign" for every fraudster, pitchman, politician, ed-author, and peddler looking for a quick buck or more influence. They offer easy cures, cheap fixes, and sure-fire programs. While data should prove points and move arguments, it is more often misused, fudged, disguised, forgotten, or ignored. So, forget data! The pissing contest in education is all about liquefied data. Experts tell us, "Charter schools, yes! Public schools, yes! Counselling services, yes! More equipment, yes! Higher salaries, yes! Stronger unions, yes! Smaller classes, yes! More testing, yes! Less testing, yes! Group learning, yes/no!” To be honest, there are too many tricksters, some massaging data, some taking fees, some writing books, some supporting political parties, and others gathering votes. The whole pot is something of an expensive, mostly tasteless, non nutritious stew - served to

We talk about diversity in STEM education when what we want are the best people possible to pursue STEM.  In fact, diversity enhancement for specialized tasks can never work. Money notwithstanding, It is not possible to stimulate excellence to those uninclined to be inclined toward an unpreferred/undesired/uninteresting pathway. Pouring on the cash simply fails. In STEM especially, we need, desperately need, excellence. Politically correct STEM is without merit. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Much of the country lives in some kind of panic mode, and if they have nothing going on they panic about that. The latest entry to the NY stock exchange is Luckin Coffee, a Chinese firm    Golly gee, Luckin is but a single letter from a horrific nickname. An interesting fact about traffic jams worldwide... If you've experienced one in Country A, it is much the same in Country B

Power and Money are twin diseases of humanity.   If you’re in politics and want money, you work quietly behind the scenes selling favors, information, and access, i.e. what you can do.   If you’re in politics and want power, you’ll say anything, lies, truth, and bologna, to get it. Does this make the money grubbing politician more honest?   A close call is this contest between these twins known better as, “Do Anything” and “Say Anything.”  The real bad boy's name is "Saydo Anything."   ---------------------- Modern mainstream morality :   If you like the guy, it’s ok if he stands by mute while thousands are slaughtered.   If you don’t like the guy, it is moral turpitude if he doesn’t wash his hands after a bathroom break. ---------------------- Death is an interesting word with a world of meanings.   In war, one can both hope for and dread it at the same time.   Personally, the rules are different.   George Gershwin said it perfectly in Porgy and Bes

Post-modern Sports. In the beginning, like when I was a kid, sports was completely devoted to sports. I read about who’s doing well, whose not.  I read about trades and how they might affect the team.  I read about the draft and the talents of the draftees.  Rarely did I read about money, except for the superstars.  But now, we see less of this as sports has evolved.  The evolution?  Here's a sketch. Sports teams, talent, prospects, achievements, hopes, potentials, front-runners. Sports money, who’s making the most, minimal salary scales, how much this player can demand, owner’s net worth, league’s rulings on player behavior. Sports personal issues such as domestic abuses, arrests, dress style, diverse opinions, executing contract options. Sports and politics, athlete’s opinions, athlete’s political expressions, athlete’s standing on personal principles, league rulings on politically oriented dress. Only tangential these days is a discussion of the issues

Dear Kids,  Experts recommend you save 10% of your income each year for retirement. Do you? This is just the beginning.  Make sure you put the money into a 401K plan, the only way you can build a substantial nest egg.  For me, I would need $500,000 in savings just to pay my property tax with the 1% interest, if I invested in a bank savings account.   Put your money where you can't get at it .  Not banks. "Banks shaft you in two ways, high interest when you borrow and minuscule interest when you save." Only 39% of Americans can meet a $1000 emergency.  Can you?  If you cannot, you are in dire straits.  About 80% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.   Is you, then ditto.  Have a two month minimum, hopefully eight month financial cushion. Actually, much more if you're in your forties. About 38% of Millennials believe $200,000 is enough for retirement.  Do you?  Of course, this is ridiculous.  You need at least $1,000,000 just to begin thinking about ret

In a recent report of compensation of university presidents, it is reported that the average annual compensation (in all forms) is just over $428,000 in 2014, up 7% from a year earlier, according to an analysis of 238 chief executives at 220 public universities from the Chronicle of Higher Education, nearly four times what the average full professor makes.   See http://money.cnn.com/2015/06/07/pf/college/highest-paid-public-university-presidents/ That’s a lot of money.   But what is the true compensation?   They suffer universal contempt from the faculty* who think the job is mostly routine, something any (very careful) idiot can do.   They are also living at the whim of their boards that seem to reflect the general public opinion which is about the same as faculty.   Most of them have given up successful research careers, which is what brought them into the business in the first place.   They live in the money world, where all kinds of observation is made about great educatio