So, Friday was my Oral Surgery Consultation to kick off the great denture adventure. For those who seriously care to follow this issue in my life, there's been a slight change in the plans of my dental woes. We've decided to kinda go 50/50 on the whole thing. Well, more like 75/25. The top set of teeth is really beyond all hope, and in a few short weeks, will be permanently removed and replaced with a lovely set of falsies. The bottom, however, does still have a small amount of hope. See, the four front bottom teeth are in relatively good condition (oh, teh strange irony of that). I'll get some gum surgery, a few crowns, and then last but not least will get partial dentures for the back molars which have already been removed.
Anybody care to hear how hellish the upcoming procedure is? Well, fine, I'll tell you anyways. To remove the remaining teeth in the top portion of my jaw ain't an easy process. The surgery will more than likely take all day. But this won't be a simple thing, like being in discomfort for a week and then voila, I'll be happy as a clam. First hurdle I face is that I have a very impacted wisdom tooth up there that I didn't even know about. Since it's pushing into my sinus cavity, I'll be dealing with the high probability of a 'breach', or in laymen's terms, a giant hole in my jaw going right into my nose. Sounds lovely. To stave off any infection that the hole could possibly incure, I will have to be on a very strict regimen of sudefed and Afrin to completely dry out my sinus cavity. According to the surgeon, if there's any nasal drip into the hole, it will hurt so bad I'll want to smack myself with a sledge hammer. FUN!
Second hurdle is a more complex issue. Apparently, this whole procedure will leave me on a liquid diet for not just a week, but a minimum of three weeks. That's right, upwards of a month of eating only babyfood. This is perhaps the more devastating issue. See, the surgeon says because of this, I will more than likely loos a LOT of weight. Anybody staying on a soft diet that long would. But the thing is, I don't really have the weight to spare. Despite my own body image issues of having a physique that clearly screams "I have a kid!", I am a relatively slender gal, who just has the cruel misfortune of having a 'sturdy' bone structure. And beyond that, losing an exessive amount of weight on a frame that can't spare it means it will affect my health, and thus hinder the healing process. *sigh*
To avoid this consequence, I am asked to try and gain some weight pre-surgery so that I have a 'cushion'. She's thinking if I can put on about 10 pounds, I will be okay. What's the problem, one asks? Being given cart blanch to eat whatever fatty foods I can shove into my gullet would seem like a godsend. Well, kida big problem with that. For one thing when I get stressed, I don't eat. At all. Call it subconcious annorexia, but I simply cannot force food into myself. I've tried to force feed myself in these occassions, only to find myself wreching. Secondly, because of the massive amount of money this whole thing is costing, we cannot really afford to have me eating willy nilly. And knowing how much money this is costing is causing my internal conflict meter to go apeshit, and thus I am too ashamed to eat because the amount of money I am already costing my entire family. Everytime I put something in my mouth my mind starts ticking off the dollars of how much it cost and how that money should go to the surgery to relieve the stresses on my family. Vicious cycle? Why yes, yes it is.
I keep alluding to the cost of the procedure. As of yet, I only know half of the cost, and boy is it a doozy. $5,620 just for the surgery to remove the teeth. I don't even know how much the denture itself will cost. I find out on Wednesday. But in a financial crisis such as my life, it might as well be a million. What's mama gonna do? Don't know yet, but I'll figure something out, I always do.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Ant-agonized
Rick and I have lived in this ginormous house of ours for all of six months now. We of course, love the space, love the house layout, and love having a big back yard. But the increased responsiblity of stepping up to quasi-home ownership has left a LOT to be desired.
Back before I had a Rick, I lived by myself, in a crappy little one bedroom apartment on crappy Capital Hill (the crappy part) and had an UBER crappy landlord. Seriously, the only time the guy bothered paying me any mind was to call me at 1 AM under the downstairs neighbor's accusation that I was a hooker. By the way, I got that neighbor back not long afterwards. I recognized her pansyass white SUV being loaded onto a towtruck, and ran a few errands, then right before he was about to drive off I went back to inform her of her soon to depart precious ride. She ran out in her pajamas and no shoes. HA! Anyways, back to slumlord. His complete nonexistence in our building forced me to become quite a capable handi-girl. I could fix basic problems like leaky pipes and loose fixtures, even figured out a few wiring issues. So, because of this unpleasant situation, my future landlords benefitted from having a tenant who only really calls in an emergency.
But you wouldn't know it with these folks. And I tell ya, it's nice to rent from friends who cut you a deal on rent, but when they are crap to fix anything, it gets REALLY fucking irritating. We've had some massive plumbing problems in this place. The pipes were over run with roots when we moved in, and we celebrated Thanksgiving dinner with our bathtub regurgitating what looked like ooze from the depths of Hades. The dishwasher had a severe malfunction that went unnoticed until the water it was burping forth trickled underneith the linoleum and reappeared onto the carpet. Neither toilet flushes properly, and our washer makes such a racket you'd think we had a bipolar grizzley bear camping in a backroom and throwing a tantrum. Anyways, with each prolem, we've had to wait DAYS for our landlord to eventually mosey his ass over (with little to no warning) and monkey with his own feeble attempt at repair.
But this latest fiasco has me out of my little short circuiting mind. Quite literally actually. You see, we have an ant problem. And I'm not talking about a few that discovered an unattended sugar bowl. There are ants everywhere. All over the counters, on the floors, in the cat's food, in the cubboards, in our dhishwasher, and in the bathroom. Apparently, it's a moisture thing, which harkens back to the aforementioned abyssmal plumbing in this place. And guess what? I HATE ANTS. I mean, I hate all bugs with an equal passion, but ants will send me up the walls. I see one, I start itching. And these ants are cousins of Satan himself, because no matter what I do, they keep coming back. We've had them for months now. I've tried everything, sprays, baitboxes, traps. Everything short of declaring nuclear war. I finally told Rick he needed to tell the landlord we wanted an exterminator out here. The wife had already been brushing us off by handing us a box of anttraps everytime rick brought it up.
So, after spraying for the umpteenth time, I screeched to rick that he needed to demand action by the end of the week or I was going to go rambo on the place. We're still getting brushed off. They said they would come by with their own spray, but that was two weeks ago. GAAAAHHH!!!
I lost a little bit of sanity today. You see, I'd been trying this natural repellent formula I found on the net, which involved a peppermint extract. Now, I guess I have an allergy to peppermint, because everytime I'm confronted with the scent, I sneeze uncontrollably. Anthony found it highly amusing to see mommy running around the house going *spray spray SNEEZE spray spray SNEEZE*. But I would not be deterred from my mission. I already scrub the counters daily, and have probably completely confused the cats by all the contraptions I've used to attempt to keep their kibble off the floor. I had noticed a trail of the little demons going from some loose moulding in the kitchen, and decided to cut off their entry point. I first tried wood glue to seal the gap, but it just seeped inward and still left a gaping maw which the devil spawn continued to pour forth from. In my wild panic to close the portal, I realized I had a handy dandy hotglue gun that could do the job well. Mind you, it's of the miniature variety, so I used about twenty miniglustix today. I proceeded to seal up the whole length of moulding, and screamed a victory howl when it was finished and I saw that the tide of intruders had stopped.
Rick came home and noticed my handiwork (and the resulting slightly psychotic smile of pride on my face), and decided maybe it was a good idea to get mommy out of the house for a bit. So we went off, came back, and I put the little one to bed. I came back in the kitchen, and about swallowed my tongue when I noticed more ants on the floor. "You bastards!" I hissed, and grabbed the gluegun. I crouched on the floor, following the trail so I could find the new entry point. There was another bit of loose moulding by the fridge I had missed on my earlier hotgluing fever. I cackled with manic delight and sealed the crack, even managing to get a few of the squirming little bastards into the stream of heated gooey death. Rick looked over at me, crouching there with a gluegun on the floor, muttering to myself as I darted around trying to find any more spots I missed.
"Honey, are you talking to the ants?"
"..." I continued on my quest.
"Okay, I think I'm gonna go ahead and just call an exterminator tomorrow."
"I hate ants"
"I know dear. Put down the gluegun please?"
Back before I had a Rick, I lived by myself, in a crappy little one bedroom apartment on crappy Capital Hill (the crappy part) and had an UBER crappy landlord. Seriously, the only time the guy bothered paying me any mind was to call me at 1 AM under the downstairs neighbor's accusation that I was a hooker. By the way, I got that neighbor back not long afterwards. I recognized her pansyass white SUV being loaded onto a towtruck, and ran a few errands, then right before he was about to drive off I went back to inform her of her soon to depart precious ride. She ran out in her pajamas and no shoes. HA! Anyways, back to slumlord. His complete nonexistence in our building forced me to become quite a capable handi-girl. I could fix basic problems like leaky pipes and loose fixtures, even figured out a few wiring issues. So, because of this unpleasant situation, my future landlords benefitted from having a tenant who only really calls in an emergency.
But you wouldn't know it with these folks. And I tell ya, it's nice to rent from friends who cut you a deal on rent, but when they are crap to fix anything, it gets REALLY fucking irritating. We've had some massive plumbing problems in this place. The pipes were over run with roots when we moved in, and we celebrated Thanksgiving dinner with our bathtub regurgitating what looked like ooze from the depths of Hades. The dishwasher had a severe malfunction that went unnoticed until the water it was burping forth trickled underneith the linoleum and reappeared onto the carpet. Neither toilet flushes properly, and our washer makes such a racket you'd think we had a bipolar grizzley bear camping in a backroom and throwing a tantrum. Anyways, with each prolem, we've had to wait DAYS for our landlord to eventually mosey his ass over (with little to no warning) and monkey with his own feeble attempt at repair.
But this latest fiasco has me out of my little short circuiting mind. Quite literally actually. You see, we have an ant problem. And I'm not talking about a few that discovered an unattended sugar bowl. There are ants everywhere. All over the counters, on the floors, in the cat's food, in the cubboards, in our dhishwasher, and in the bathroom. Apparently, it's a moisture thing, which harkens back to the aforementioned abyssmal plumbing in this place. And guess what? I HATE ANTS. I mean, I hate all bugs with an equal passion, but ants will send me up the walls. I see one, I start itching. And these ants are cousins of Satan himself, because no matter what I do, they keep coming back. We've had them for months now. I've tried everything, sprays, baitboxes, traps. Everything short of declaring nuclear war. I finally told Rick he needed to tell the landlord we wanted an exterminator out here. The wife had already been brushing us off by handing us a box of anttraps everytime rick brought it up.
So, after spraying for the umpteenth time, I screeched to rick that he needed to demand action by the end of the week or I was going to go rambo on the place. We're still getting brushed off. They said they would come by with their own spray, but that was two weeks ago. GAAAAHHH!!!
I lost a little bit of sanity today. You see, I'd been trying this natural repellent formula I found on the net, which involved a peppermint extract. Now, I guess I have an allergy to peppermint, because everytime I'm confronted with the scent, I sneeze uncontrollably. Anthony found it highly amusing to see mommy running around the house going *spray spray SNEEZE spray spray SNEEZE*. But I would not be deterred from my mission. I already scrub the counters daily, and have probably completely confused the cats by all the contraptions I've used to attempt to keep their kibble off the floor. I had noticed a trail of the little demons going from some loose moulding in the kitchen, and decided to cut off their entry point. I first tried wood glue to seal the gap, but it just seeped inward and still left a gaping maw which the devil spawn continued to pour forth from. In my wild panic to close the portal, I realized I had a handy dandy hotglue gun that could do the job well. Mind you, it's of the miniature variety, so I used about twenty miniglustix today. I proceeded to seal up the whole length of moulding, and screamed a victory howl when it was finished and I saw that the tide of intruders had stopped.
Rick came home and noticed my handiwork (and the resulting slightly psychotic smile of pride on my face), and decided maybe it was a good idea to get mommy out of the house for a bit. So we went off, came back, and I put the little one to bed. I came back in the kitchen, and about swallowed my tongue when I noticed more ants on the floor. "You bastards!" I hissed, and grabbed the gluegun. I crouched on the floor, following the trail so I could find the new entry point. There was another bit of loose moulding by the fridge I had missed on my earlier hotgluing fever. I cackled with manic delight and sealed the crack, even managing to get a few of the squirming little bastards into the stream of heated gooey death. Rick looked over at me, crouching there with a gluegun on the floor, muttering to myself as I darted around trying to find any more spots I missed.
"Honey, are you talking to the ants?"
"..." I continued on my quest.
"Okay, I think I'm gonna go ahead and just call an exterminator tomorrow."
"I hate ants"
"I know dear. Put down the gluegun please?"
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
World of Horrors
Ya know, there are times when I realize I shouldn't be allowed to ever hold a newspaper, much less look at the newsticker on yahoo. I mean, frankly, this world is going to hell in a handbasket, and it horrifies me to no end. Case in point, This horrible ass mother. I noticed whoever slaps in the articles for yahoo ended up doing a bit of quick editing after this story had been up for about an hour, as a particular line of this woman's atrocity (which read, "It's Nicky's time to go," she said in the interview. "When you're born you're destined to go and this was his time.") was deleted shortly after. Seriously, after reading the whole article, I wanted to punch somebody, HARD. This woman doesn't have any charges even filed on her neglectful and completely disregarding ass, and Michael Jackson just walked out of a courtroom today a free man. Now, granted, the prosecutor down there shouldn't have built up a case on a known con-woman's son, but c'mon, we all KNOW that dude ain't right. Can we just lock him up on principle? Or for having insane fans who released doves at the verdict hearing and then promptly passing out? That should be a crime, obsessing so much over a freakalicious celebrity that you actually went out and purchased doves to release if the each count of the charges were found not guilty. I do wonder what that woman would've done if there had been a guilty verdict in there...maybe she'd pull an Ozzy and bite their heads off. Now that would've been something to see on E! Channel...
Oh, let's see what else our world of wonder has pulled out of it's ass lately...ah, the Patriot Act and the assholes who think it's a good idea. Let's give our government the ability to dig deep into our lives without any justifiable reason. Fuck civil liberties and the right to privacy! Religious Cults who have the freedom to completely destroy lives, encourage incest and rape of the youth, and damn education. Yeah, that should really be allowed. Actually, screw that, let them do their thing, but give them an island of their own somewhere near Antarctica where they can't get more people into their fold and then they can just die off.
Ugh, this world is a sick sick place, and I wonder seriously sometimes the wisdom of my choice to bring a child into it (BTW, thank god that as I write this I still had a choice in that matter). I tell myself I can make things better by doing my part to shape the world. I tell myself that if I can raise him to be a free thinking, openminded, intelligent shining beam of hope in the future that things might be okay. So I guess I'll just tip back this glass of wine, cross my fingers, and turn off C-span.
Oh, let's see what else our world of wonder has pulled out of it's ass lately...ah, the Patriot Act and the assholes who think it's a good idea. Let's give our government the ability to dig deep into our lives without any justifiable reason. Fuck civil liberties and the right to privacy! Religious Cults who have the freedom to completely destroy lives, encourage incest and rape of the youth, and damn education. Yeah, that should really be allowed. Actually, screw that, let them do their thing, but give them an island of their own somewhere near Antarctica where they can't get more people into their fold and then they can just die off.
Ugh, this world is a sick sick place, and I wonder seriously sometimes the wisdom of my choice to bring a child into it (BTW, thank god that as I write this I still had a choice in that matter). I tell myself I can make things better by doing my part to shape the world. I tell myself that if I can raise him to be a free thinking, openminded, intelligent shining beam of hope in the future that things might be okay. So I guess I'll just tip back this glass of wine, cross my fingers, and turn off C-span.
Monday, June 06, 2005
The Saga of Sex Ed
Recently I read an article in the Stranger that really bothered me. Mainly, because I was torn on my opinion.
Parental Dissent, discussed a Parent of a highschooler wanting to attend the Sex Ed class of her child, yet who was repeatedly rebuffed. She was instead directed to check out getting a 'curriculum review' from the district office. Obviously, this has many parents up in arms.
Here's where I am torn. As a parent, we should be acutely aware of what our trusted educational system is imparting upon our children. For more educational woes and concerns, please take the time to read the post preceding this one. When it comes to sexual education, this is very crucial, because of the vast amounts of information out there, and unfortunate interpretations of what should and shouldn't be taught to our children. Yet there is also the importance of respecting our children's right of privacy on such a delicate subject, and the issue of letting the teachers do what they are paid to do.
Why should a parent be allowed to sit in? There's some very serious issues at stake here. Our children need accurate STD information, as well as complete information on Birth Control options/Family planning issues to fend off unwanted teen pregnancies. To argue for the Right, if one gives our youth the full spectrum of the contraceptives available to them, it would reduce the amount of abortions needed. It will reduce the amount of STDs being transmitted amongst the ignorant and highly sexually active. It also teaches them the importance of being responsible, and yet how easy that can be. Also, as we parents are at the forfront of keeping our children knowledgeable and informed, we need to see firsthand where the gaps in the information they are provided are. If my child is only getting a fraction of the information he needs to make responsible decisions in his sexual future, I need to know this so I can fill in the missing parts.
But on the other hand, what teenager wants their mom or dad sitting in the back of his sex ed class? Especially if said parent has very close minded views on the subject, said kid may not be as forthcoming with genuine questions, for fear of retribution at home, or of course, being too embarrassed to ask what goes where in front of Mommy.
The biggest part of the story that bothered me, though, was the prime referrence to an 'alternate' group that teaches an 'elective' portion of the class. Apparently, we Washingtonians like to segregate information to the utmost degree, so the Birth Control options portion of the class are an elective supplement. In otherwords, Bobby the BibleThumper's mommy and daddy can choose not to have him know that BC exists, because it's so damn evil and will suddenly force Bobby to become highly promiscuous because of all the pretty condoms shoved into his hand. But wait, it goes even one step further! Bobby can sign up for the elective supplement class behind door Number 2. These schools actually invite a religious-oriented group called SHARE, which presents an abstinence only presentation. This group is not only a conservative and evangelical one, but more notably anti-abortion. ANd as typical with groups like these, it's supposed 'educational information' is grossly inaccurate, stating erroneous 'facts', like condoms are useless, the Pill endangers a woman's reproductive health, and abortions will very likely kill or sterilize a woman. In fact, the group has come under such criticism that it was recently brought up in our state's capital.
Now, this is tricky. Is this an issue of religious freedom? Some conservatives would shout that on high, as they've recently been doing. Funny, the very liberty we liberals are trying to instill (that pesky freedom from religious persecution) is what the Right is currently waving around as the reason they can fill our children's heads with such nonsense. Ugh, it's nuts, not to mention dangerous. It's times like these when I seriously wonder if our society is doing the backstroke.
Now, one would know by my interesting and oh-so-colourful past that I am considered quite 'sexually liberated', nad about the epitome of open-mindedness when it comes to issues like these. However, as once it was once hinted that I would stoop to, no, I don't planning on forcing pornography down my son's throat or encouraging irresponsibility in the name of sexual freedom/exploration. On the contrary, I will hope to teach him to respect himself and his partner enough to understand the gravity of sex. I would hope to teach him to be as responsible and protected as possible, especially in this day and age. Do I want that he'll make the right decisions? Of course! But I am realistic, I understand that 90% of human beings will have the desire to explore, and that the sugarcoated ideal of 'wait for the vows' ain't really all that plausable. And not always appropriate, but don't even try and think most religiously motivated folk would ever understand the term 'sexual compatability'. So, yes, I will be one of those moms that will keep a box of condoms under the sink for his own use, and without my questioning. But I will hope to impart upon him that sexuality is also not a toy, and that intercourse isn't just something to do on a Saturday night when you are bored and can't afford the movies. Yes, we as parents need to provide our children with the understanding and wisdom to make the best decisions and to be the best people they can be. But, honestly, we need to also provide them with the tools of reality.
In closing, I say leave the 'God says don't have sex' talk to the parents who choose to impart that on their children. It doesn't take an 'expert group' to do that. Christian evangelicals have no problem filling their offspring with misguided nonsense. And let those of us who want our children to know what reality is use all the tools and latest information available at our disposal do so. But hey, a note to Bobby's parents...if Bobby wants to start exploring with Susy the cheerleader sitting next to him, wouldn't you hope that she knows what the hell a condom is?
Parental Dissent, discussed a Parent of a highschooler wanting to attend the Sex Ed class of her child, yet who was repeatedly rebuffed. She was instead directed to check out getting a 'curriculum review' from the district office. Obviously, this has many parents up in arms.
Here's where I am torn. As a parent, we should be acutely aware of what our trusted educational system is imparting upon our children. For more educational woes and concerns, please take the time to read the post preceding this one. When it comes to sexual education, this is very crucial, because of the vast amounts of information out there, and unfortunate interpretations of what should and shouldn't be taught to our children. Yet there is also the importance of respecting our children's right of privacy on such a delicate subject, and the issue of letting the teachers do what they are paid to do.
Why should a parent be allowed to sit in? There's some very serious issues at stake here. Our children need accurate STD information, as well as complete information on Birth Control options/Family planning issues to fend off unwanted teen pregnancies. To argue for the Right, if one gives our youth the full spectrum of the contraceptives available to them, it would reduce the amount of abortions needed. It will reduce the amount of STDs being transmitted amongst the ignorant and highly sexually active. It also teaches them the importance of being responsible, and yet how easy that can be. Also, as we parents are at the forfront of keeping our children knowledgeable and informed, we need to see firsthand where the gaps in the information they are provided are. If my child is only getting a fraction of the information he needs to make responsible decisions in his sexual future, I need to know this so I can fill in the missing parts.
But on the other hand, what teenager wants their mom or dad sitting in the back of his sex ed class? Especially if said parent has very close minded views on the subject, said kid may not be as forthcoming with genuine questions, for fear of retribution at home, or of course, being too embarrassed to ask what goes where in front of Mommy.
The biggest part of the story that bothered me, though, was the prime referrence to an 'alternate' group that teaches an 'elective' portion of the class. Apparently, we Washingtonians like to segregate information to the utmost degree, so the Birth Control options portion of the class are an elective supplement. In otherwords, Bobby the BibleThumper's mommy and daddy can choose not to have him know that BC exists, because it's so damn evil and will suddenly force Bobby to become highly promiscuous because of all the pretty condoms shoved into his hand. But wait, it goes even one step further! Bobby can sign up for the elective supplement class behind door Number 2. These schools actually invite a religious-oriented group called SHARE, which presents an abstinence only presentation. This group is not only a conservative and evangelical one, but more notably anti-abortion. ANd as typical with groups like these, it's supposed 'educational information' is grossly inaccurate, stating erroneous 'facts', like condoms are useless, the Pill endangers a woman's reproductive health, and abortions will very likely kill or sterilize a woman. In fact, the group has come under such criticism that it was recently brought up in our state's capital.
Now, this is tricky. Is this an issue of religious freedom? Some conservatives would shout that on high, as they've recently been doing. Funny, the very liberty we liberals are trying to instill (that pesky freedom from religious persecution) is what the Right is currently waving around as the reason they can fill our children's heads with such nonsense. Ugh, it's nuts, not to mention dangerous. It's times like these when I seriously wonder if our society is doing the backstroke.
Now, one would know by my interesting and oh-so-colourful past that I am considered quite 'sexually liberated', nad about the epitome of open-mindedness when it comes to issues like these. However, as once it was once hinted that I would stoop to, no, I don't planning on forcing pornography down my son's throat or encouraging irresponsibility in the name of sexual freedom/exploration. On the contrary, I will hope to teach him to respect himself and his partner enough to understand the gravity of sex. I would hope to teach him to be as responsible and protected as possible, especially in this day and age. Do I want that he'll make the right decisions? Of course! But I am realistic, I understand that 90% of human beings will have the desire to explore, and that the sugarcoated ideal of 'wait for the vows' ain't really all that plausable. And not always appropriate, but don't even try and think most religiously motivated folk would ever understand the term 'sexual compatability'. So, yes, I will be one of those moms that will keep a box of condoms under the sink for his own use, and without my questioning. But I will hope to impart upon him that sexuality is also not a toy, and that intercourse isn't just something to do on a Saturday night when you are bored and can't afford the movies. Yes, we as parents need to provide our children with the understanding and wisdom to make the best decisions and to be the best people they can be. But, honestly, we need to also provide them with the tools of reality.
In closing, I say leave the 'God says don't have sex' talk to the parents who choose to impart that on their children. It doesn't take an 'expert group' to do that. Christian evangelicals have no problem filling their offspring with misguided nonsense. And let those of us who want our children to know what reality is use all the tools and latest information available at our disposal do so. But hey, a note to Bobby's parents...if Bobby wants to start exploring with Susy the cheerleader sitting next to him, wouldn't you hope that she knows what the hell a condom is?
Decimation of Education
Education...the cornerstone of society, and perennial problem child of government budgets and decision-makers. And you know, this is something every person should care about, not just those of us currently rearing your future generations. There have been some alarming trends in our educational systems, both here in WA and the United States in general, that I hope will get all of you, not just those with children currently entrenched in the quagmire that is public schools, extremely concerned.
Issue number 1: this has been a slowly developing process, whittling away a valuable educational frontier for a few years now. Many schools are no longer offering education in the arts, or at least, they are on a very limited basis. Music classes are being thrown out, or made difficult to attend by relegating them to afterschool "elective program" status, with few teachers available and zero funding. Art classes are completely stricken from the curriculum past the typical cut and paste level of grade school. Some systems, like Oregon, are making these classes 'pay as you go' in the public secondary schools, which of course makes these classes inaccessible to the lower/middle class students. Other schools have dropped any classes in the humanities entirely, either for budgetary reasons or 'lack of interest'.
Issue number 2: recently brought to my attention by, of all things, watching G4 TV as incessantly as I do. Adam Sessler, of X-play fame, was recently guesthosting Attack of the Show (which is pretty much the only other show I religiously tune in). I'll write a love-sick soliloquy to him in a later post, but for now, I'll just note what he mentioned at the end of Friday's show. Apparently, in Contra Costa County, California, some ignorant sod was given the priviledge of being Superintendent despite being apparently anti-literature. This idiot has developed a ridiculous 'improvement' to their English courses, which will turn from teaching full novels in the classes to just a pamphlet of chapters that directly correlate to the testing at the end of the term. In other words, not teaching the importance of literature, just shuffling students through a 'frivolous course'. As Sessler so eloquently put it, "This is not education, this is conformism". More specifically, this is truly frightening.
Ignoring the humanities in education is a fundamental folly. While so often the arts are painted as "liberal drivel", the artistic endeavors our society produces is what makes us who we are. Throughout history, the true measure of our being is measured not just by our technological advancements, but our expression through art of how we see the beauty of the world surrounding us. The truest measure of society is not based on the tallest structure it may build, but how one can convey their being. To downplay this concept is to raise an unimaginative individual who may not even understand the core of their own being, much less creatively express themselves. Through literature, we learn to comprehend, we learn to express, we learn to understand others. Through art we learn beauty, we learn creation, we learn of the preciousness of our imagination. Through music we learn pride, we learn the subtlety of listening, we learn to blend efforts seamlessly with others. Through the arts we become better people, yet those in decision making positions are choosing to strip that fundamental tool from our future. What kind of world will that bring upon us? I shudder at the thought.
Issue number 1: this has been a slowly developing process, whittling away a valuable educational frontier for a few years now. Many schools are no longer offering education in the arts, or at least, they are on a very limited basis. Music classes are being thrown out, or made difficult to attend by relegating them to afterschool "elective program" status, with few teachers available and zero funding. Art classes are completely stricken from the curriculum past the typical cut and paste level of grade school. Some systems, like Oregon, are making these classes 'pay as you go' in the public secondary schools, which of course makes these classes inaccessible to the lower/middle class students. Other schools have dropped any classes in the humanities entirely, either for budgetary reasons or 'lack of interest'.
Issue number 2: recently brought to my attention by, of all things, watching G4 TV as incessantly as I do. Adam Sessler, of X-play fame, was recently guesthosting Attack of the Show (which is pretty much the only other show I religiously tune in). I'll write a love-sick soliloquy to him in a later post, but for now, I'll just note what he mentioned at the end of Friday's show. Apparently, in Contra Costa County, California, some ignorant sod was given the priviledge of being Superintendent despite being apparently anti-literature. This idiot has developed a ridiculous 'improvement' to their English courses, which will turn from teaching full novels in the classes to just a pamphlet of chapters that directly correlate to the testing at the end of the term. In other words, not teaching the importance of literature, just shuffling students through a 'frivolous course'. As Sessler so eloquently put it, "This is not education, this is conformism". More specifically, this is truly frightening.
Ignoring the humanities in education is a fundamental folly. While so often the arts are painted as "liberal drivel", the artistic endeavors our society produces is what makes us who we are. Throughout history, the true measure of our being is measured not just by our technological advancements, but our expression through art of how we see the beauty of the world surrounding us. The truest measure of society is not based on the tallest structure it may build, but how one can convey their being. To downplay this concept is to raise an unimaginative individual who may not even understand the core of their own being, much less creatively express themselves. Through literature, we learn to comprehend, we learn to express, we learn to understand others. Through art we learn beauty, we learn creation, we learn of the preciousness of our imagination. Through music we learn pride, we learn the subtlety of listening, we learn to blend efforts seamlessly with others. Through the arts we become better people, yet those in decision making positions are choosing to strip that fundamental tool from our future. What kind of world will that bring upon us? I shudder at the thought.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Gamer Goil
Moving right along in my geekness vein, I realize it's been some time since I've rambled about games. This is mainly due to the fact that I've been friggin' broke, and we put a mortatoreum on renting/buying games until we got ourselves caught up. But things are getting a bit more stabilized, thanks in part to the financial infusion of a loan from mom, so I was able to rent the game I've been salivating over since it's release...PSYCHONAUTS!
For those who haven't put it together by now, mama has a thing for a very particular type of games. That would be what my husband refers to as "Werid Ass Platformers". Although tickled pink by the likes of Ratchet & Clank, or the Jak series, what really makes my gaming day is those bizarre storylined platformers with characters so obscure even Adult Swim fans would scratch their heads. Games like Whiplash. I even adored Voodoo Vince, although the actual gameplay was a bit clunky.
So is it any surpise that I am loosing my warped little mind over Psychonauts? I mean, not only does it have Tim Burton-esque visuals, but the gameplay revolves around psychics and psychology, with a very tongue and cheek view of both subjects.
So, go rent it, don't buy it, though, there's not a lot of replay to it, and you'll beat it in about a week.
For those who haven't put it together by now, mama has a thing for a very particular type of games. That would be what my husband refers to as "Werid Ass Platformers". Although tickled pink by the likes of Ratchet & Clank, or the Jak series, what really makes my gaming day is those bizarre storylined platformers with characters so obscure even Adult Swim fans would scratch their heads. Games like Whiplash. I even adored Voodoo Vince, although the actual gameplay was a bit clunky.
So is it any surpise that I am loosing my warped little mind over Psychonauts? I mean, not only does it have Tim Burton-esque visuals, but the gameplay revolves around psychics and psychology, with a very tongue and cheek view of both subjects.
So, go rent it, don't buy it, though, there's not a lot of replay to it, and you'll beat it in about a week.
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