Goodbye, tumblr

last year I started a tumblr account to keep up with my pictures for cross-post, but I don’t think it’s really been used since January.

Not that anybody cares, but I’m removing the RSS and the link to my tumblog from my wordpress account…did anyone else that uses tumblr notice that it became impossible to post videos with their vimeo partnership?

I may also be playing with my format here too.

Ahmadinejad not in a position to lecture, but he made some good points.

I had to take a day to collect myself after hearing Ahmadinejad’s UN speech. I actually had to lie down directly after hearing it. Don’t get me wrong–I DO NOT AGREE WITH EVERYTHING he says (and really disagree with what he does, for that matter), but I tried to listen to the speech with an open mind.  I also try to listen often to the EIB with an open mind…although my teeth remain clenched more often than not. The Iranian leader’s speech was actually a nice break from that.

Yesterday, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made a scary amount of sense in what he had to say. Now, he does not have the mandate of God to sit in the ivory tower and shout down the truth at us, not with the magnitude of human rights atrocities that have and are still occurring in Iran. But…we majority nations–the U.S. (anihilation of many Native Americans, slavery, acutal use of atomic weapons, the Jim Crow/civil rights era, McCarthyism), Great Britain (imperialism on a GRAND scale, religious intolerance, oppression of the poor); add to this list the former Soviet Union, China, Germany, Israel–can not exactly claim purity, and can only speak from the perspective of repented sinners that have not been 100% rehabilitated. Not one of us may cast the first stone.

That being said, if it helps, remove the man himself from the statements and just listen to the speech. There are parts that could appeal to anyone and every nation.   I can only pull from the experience of being an American, so this is what I heard.

Friends and Colleagues; Today, I wish to share with you a few points about the changes that should take place. First, Clearly, continuation of the current circumstances in the world is impossible. The present inequitable and unfavorable conditions run counter to the very nature of human kind and move in a direction which contravenes the truth and the goal behind the creation of the world. It is no longer possible to inject thousands of billions of dollars of unreal wealth to the world economy simply by printing worthless paper assets, or transfer inflation as well as social and economic problems to others through creating severe budget deficits.

The above statement would ring true with about 95% of our U.S. population, although we (myself included) would pick and choose what aspects of the statement we agree with.

How can one imagine that the inhuman policies in Palestine may continue; to force the entire population of a country out of their homeland for more than 60 years by resorting to force and coercion; to attack them with all types of arms and even prohibited weapons; to deny them of their legitimate right of self-defense, while much to the chagrin of the international community calling the occupiers as the peace lovers, and portraying the victims as terrorists. How can the crimes of the occupiers against defenseless women and children and destruction of their homes, farms, hospitals and schools be supported unconditionally by certain governments, and at the same time, the oppressed men and women be subject to genocide and heaviest economic blockade being denied of their basic needs, food, water and medicine.

When he spoke to Katie Couric, there was some ambiguity on whether Ahmadinejad now believes (or whatever) that the holocaust did occur. How one cannot believe that this happened is completely unfathomable, but he does state that the genocide and the consequence  or outcome (creating Israel) do not logically make sense. It was, after all, a Nazi Germany that perpetuated the crimes, and our solution (although noble in intent) was to partition off a part of Palestine? In my lifetime, there has always been an Israel, and thus, there have always been strained relations with other nations in the middle east.

There has been unbelieveable cruelty from both Palestine and Israel towards each other. In the U.S. we tend to hear the Israeli side, and it is heartbreaking what they go through in an attempt to simply live their lives.  But a clear picture requires the other side of the story as well.  An interesting take on the Palestinian side is from the documentary “Death in Gaza,” which is well worth the time a viewing takes. After watching the documentary, genocide may not be the best descriptor, though.

Regrettably, in the current international relations, selfishness and insatiable greed have taken the place of such humanitarian concepts as love, sacrifice, dignity, and justice. The belief in the One God has been replaced with selfishness. Some have taken the place of God and insist to impose their values and wishes on others. Lies have taken the place of honesty; hypocrisy has replaced integrity and selfishness has taken the place of sacrifice.

Hmm….he goes on to say:

Deception in interactions is called foresight and statesmanship; looting the wealth of other nations is called development efforts; occupation is introduced as a gift towards promotion of freedom and democracy, and defenseless nations are subjected to repression in the name of defending human rights. Friends and Colleagues; Settlement of global problems and administration of justice and maintenance of peace will only be materialized with collective determination and cooperation of all nations and states. The age of polarizing the world on the premises of the hegemony or domination of a few governments is over.

Before “Practice what you preach, brother,” is said, take into consideration the truth in those words. I cannot understand how this is the same man who pretty much authorized the torture and murder of election protestors and supressed the media (so the rest of the world wouldn’t find out about it?  Really? In the age of Twitter???) during the same time frame.  And while he also has a real problem with Israel, the recommendations he made to the UN to restructure are pretty logical too.

1 – Restructuring the United Nations in order to transform this world body to an efficient and fully democratic organization, capable of playing an impartial, equitable, and effective role in the international relations; reforming the structure of the Security Council, specially by abolishing the discriminatory privilege of veto right; restoration of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people by organizing a referendum and free elections in Palestine in order to prepare a conducive ground for all Palestinian populations, including Muslims, Christians and Jews to live together in peace and harmony; putting an end to all types of interferences in the affairs of Iraq, Afghanistan, Middle East, and in all countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe…  [he then goes on to talk about Israel/Palestine, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay–and how interference adds to violence there]

2- Reforming the current economic structures and setting up a new international economic order based on human and moral values and obligations. A new course is needed that would help promote justice and progress worldwide by flourishing the potentials and talents of all nations thus bringing well-being for all and for future generations;

3- Reforming the international political relations based on the promotion of lasting peace and friendship, eradication of arms race and elimination of all nuclear, chemical and biological weapons;

4- Reforming cultural structures , respect for diverse customs and traditions of all nations, fostering moral values and spirituality aimed at institution of family as the backbone of all human societies;

5- Worldwide efforts to protect the environment and full observance of the international agreements and arrangements to prevent the annihilation of nature’s non-renewable resources.

Still, I feel that we need to discuss with Iran why they want to enrich uranium, then, lend Iran the assistance of our  best scientists, and help to keep the nuclear activities focused on electricity and medicine. Maybe forge a new partnership in creating something great that would benefit many nations? Someone on Huffington Post made a good point; if Iran gets and uses a nuclear weapon to harm anyone else in the world, they will cease to exist (some nation will make sure of it)–and nobody really wants that.

Had we and the British not interfered and had Mosaddeq overthrown, Ahmadinejad, his regime, and his views might not be before us today.  Iran could have been our greatest ally in all of the events of the past half-century, and especially throughout the last decade. But here we are instead. *sigh*

(Oh, and by the way, a Republican administration made the original “overthrowing” happen.)

Jabba the Rush–LOL!

Ok, so I can’t sleep anymore, and have been numbly browsing the web. I came across this, and it’s and ROTFL-fest.

Enjoy!

Here Piggy, Piggy…

I took a nap yesterday…and woke up with a cough, a fever, body aches, stuffy nose…basically every symptom of H1N1. I am trying not to be a hypochondriac, but I really do feel bad. Not only that, I am in the ranks of the newly uninsured, so if i get very sick–oh well. I hope the Theraflu lemonade drink is as effective as oseltamivir or zanamivir. I read up on the CDC’s site, and I’m just trying not to get my man sick too, because he’d take down a bandroom full of kids. 

The plan for today is to pretend it is a sinus infection, Lysol everything, and sleep as much as possible.

Unraveling?

I sumbled upon the idea during the 2008 campaign…

High RWA followers will grasp at straws to keep this man out of office, even if the change he proposes directly benefits them.
…just the facts…From a Canadian who is just as entrenched in our national behavior as we are, The Authoritarians, is a worthwhile read. (I have to admit it might be offensive even to sensible Christians, but read all the chapter footnotes and he clarifies his research findings about moderate vs. fundamentalist Christians–and there is a difference).’

NPR discussed it this week, and Terry Gross talked with the author of Republican Gomorrah, Max Blumenthal…

…This was a portrait of the Republican Party fully in the grip of its right wing: almost exclusively white, overwhelmingly evangelical, fixated on abortion, homosexuality, and abstinence education; resentful and angry; and unable to discuss how and why it had become this way.’

–from A ‘Shattered’ Republican Party? on NPRs Fresh Air (read about it/read transcript/listen here; link for transcript only is above)

And, unbeknownst to me, a few days prior morelightthanheatpublished this blogpost on ‘Democracy as Specacle’:

It began some years ago and reached a new level last summer, mostly at Palin’s rallies and mostly in rural areas.  At the time I likened it to a new incarnation of McCarthyism, but using today’s fears.  Since the election of Barack Obama, the voices have grown louder and more shrill.  Spurred on by right-wing talk radio hosts, conservative pundits, and corporate public relations departments and their astroturf siblings, it has escalated further in the tenor of the health care debate.  Yet that debate is but one in a panoply of changes that are occurring.’

It also cites an article “that everyone should read” (author’s words, and my sentiment after reading) — “Living in a Culture of Cruelty” although it is reprinted in its entirety in morelightthanheat’s post.

I have been hearing about this phenomenon–this irrational fear, unprecedented hate, unconscionable violence and cruelty, and skewed beliefs–for some time, and lately, the irrational behavior of a few (and the number is growing) has begun to spin out of control. 

This is perhaps the unraveling of the American Dream, and in the loss of our most cherished American ideals (which, by the way, and before anyone throws the constitution at me, our forefathers had the intelligence to realize our democracy would change, and so, set protections in place so that no ideological ‘side’ could gain the upper hand and sole monopoly over the people) we are somehow losing what it is to be a United States of America.  Wow…in my lifetime…I never saw that coming.  We are in for a world of hurt if the trend continues, but at the same time I hope that the damage can be reversed or that we can at least learn a lesson, albeit a painful one. 

Take the time to follow all the links and read the articles/papers. Always be informed about what you take to heart as the truth.  Question what you already believe on a daily basis. And most importantly, constantly ask YOURSELF, “What am I afraid of?” and diligently look for the answer within. 

It may open up a whole new world of understanding.

UPDATE:

Another blog came to my attention; Let it Ride’s most recent post, “The 9/13 Hangover” speaks in general about the “Angry Mob” mentality and also has some pretty good videos embedded (Especially the Rachel Maddows vids–worth a watch). Just a little excerpt:

I have a real problem with this “rally.”  Not because its backers are conservatives and I’m progressive in my political beliefs.  Not because I think conservatives are stupid or evil.

It’s because the rally was in large part organized by Dick Armey’s Freedom Watch and Glenn Beck, both of whom have cynically manipulated some genuine concerns (and some irrational fears) into a furious mob.  This mob doesn’t know what it stands for–only that it stands against Obama.

Why?

Because he’s a Nazi, a socialist, a communist, or sometimes all of them at once.  (Which doesn’t make logical sense–it’s just an attempt to stick the vilest labels to the man in order to demonize him.)

So that’s where we stand today. *sigh*

Officially Sick & Tired

I have stayed out of this Health care debate pretty successfully until now.  I’m not a doctor, insurance agent, or a politician.  I have no special interest in this at all…except that I am again uninsured (unemployed again…geez, that sounds horrible, but a 5-hour commute to work every day would not have been possible)…but this is a debate that is completely full of ugliness and b.s. being slung from both sides. I don’t completely agree with any side vs. the other in any way, but I do have a few ideas that might be of interest. 

Here’s what my primitive, 28-year-old brain came up with. A major part of this is raising taxes. YES…simply plan to raise taxes in the area of Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security. Tell the truth about it!! They are payroll taxes anyway, and at my basic calculations we will need approximately $420 billion to get this thing started.

1. Employ parts of the Whole Foods method. If you haven’t heard about this, read here, but understand that I do deviate quite a bit:
   • Create health savings accounts (HSAs) for each individual American. I think a good number here would be $1500 (hence, the $420 billion for the 280 million of us that are currently here).
     • Every American with a Social Security Number will be assigned this account on January 1 of their first year of life.  Parents can opt-out at birth for religious or other objections.
     • Annual contributions to the HSA will make it at least equal to, but no more than the prescribed minimum, here $1500. So, if someone only uses $150 of their HSA, the Fed will only add back $150 on the following Jan 1st.
     • The amount of the HSA will increase over time, because it will accrue interest.  Safe investing should cover this.  If an individual opts not to use any of the funds, the government will not need to add anything to it, nor will it hurt the economy if the money sits and accrues interest (ok, except that it won’t be in the process of being spent at Best Buy).
   • Turn the much talked about “public option” into a High Deductible Insurance plan that is federally funded.
     • The federal government, businesses and individuals should put funds in reserve that people could use without private insurance or demonstrate need. For my purposes, we’ll call it Federal High Deductible Insurance (FHDI).
     • Set the deductible before insurance pays at a reasonable, but attention-getting level above the HSA level.  So, if there is $1500 in an individual’s HSA  and the deductible is set at $2000, once an individual has exhausted their savings acct they must pay $500 out-of-pocket before any public option kicks in.
     • If individuals opt to not purchase any form of insurance, they will pay into the FDHI fund as part of their federal taxes. They won’t have to pay any extra if their income level causes their HSA to be dormant, unless they have no private insurance and have to use the FDHI.
     • If businesses don’t directly insure their employees, they will have to pay into this fund annually based on their number of employees.
2. Costs could possibly be contained in the existing insurance companies if we do this first step in setting up HSAs for U.S. citizens. Reasons why:
   • Citizens can choose to either spend all HSA funds first before allowing insurance or other coverage to kick in OR can use the HSA to cover costs private insurance does not cover (i.e. if insurance pays 70% of a procedure the HSA funds can cover the other 30%).
   • Only once the HSA is exhausted might a person go to their private insurance or a publicly-funded option, and may even elect to choose less expensive insurance.
   • If individuals have private insurance they must use this instead of the FDHI, but could use the public option if their insurance company refused to pay for a procedure.
   • I too think it is a.)ridiculous to forceinsurance companies to cover random people with pre-existing conditions that have never had insurance and b.) ridiculous to define pre-existing conditions as being pregnant while switching from one insurance provider with similar coverage to another. I can understand reluctance to cover persons with pre-existing conditions who have not previously had any coverage…for this reason I believe the FHDI would be the best and only option.  For those who are switching between companies with similar coverage and benefits, we absolutely should force insurance companies to treat them as lifelong customers.
   • One other enhancement that might help the above situation would be to standardize the benefits among all insurance companies and at least have similar levels of coverage for approximate costs…not carbon copies, but this would not only give companies a space to compete but a way to judge similar coverage from another company. Also there may be a place for a mandatory, basic plan that exists with the same benefits and at the same price point with all companies.
   • Insurance companies should be allowed to compete across state lines, since the FDHI ideally would operate on a national level.
3. Some other important points about the HSA that might make it work
   • Anyone can refuse to use their HSA, but just like the payroll taxes we pay for medicare/social security, it would still be funded by every American. This is a necessary evil, because the public option is “insurance for when insurance fails”.
   • Any citizen’s HSA will become dormant or inactive when they begin to make over $250,000 per year.  It can become active again if their income falls below this amount.
   • It might still be okay to allow the individuals described above to use the high deductible public option if they choose not to purchase private insurance.  They would simply have to pay the $2000 out-of-pocket first.
   • When an individual either reaches the age or otherwise becomes eligible for medicare or medicaid, their HSA will rollover into this general fund. This, of course, means we have to fix these programs.
   • End-of-life counseling is a great idea.  Providing the funds for it is also a great idea, so when the funds rollover, there might be a portion set aside for this purpose. 
4. All employers must either offer some form of coverage or pay into the national HSA fund and the FHDI fund.
   • This has been a talking point that has angered many Americans–to force the small business owners to offer insurance at much higher rates than large businesses.  A Health Cooperative might be the best plan here.
     • Small businesses can band together in what is recently being referred to as a marketplace or exchange, since the difference between them and large companies is numbers.
     • The more small businesses (and individuals who for whatever reason need to buy their own) that band together in a state, a region, a profession, etc., can get more competitive rates.
     • These co-ops may need to operate across state lines, to take advantage of the greatest numbers possible
     • These co-ops might be of interest to fragmented organizations, where they might find the most competitive rates if they band together in larger numbers.
   • In order to get into the co-op, a small businesses might pay a one-time fee (per corporate entity) to the FDHI, a reasonable amount that would not only bolster the FDHI, but allow the business access to the cooperative network, then set this up as a deducted benefit to their employees.
     • For the sake of being fair, large businesses (with whatever criteria will classify them as large) will not be allowed to put employees into the co-op systems.
   • If they opt not to insure employees directly, they can either:
     • Pay a fee anually to the FDHI through their business taxes, or
     • Set up their access on the network, but set it up so individual employees can choose their own coverage, but still work within the discounted co-op structure with whatever network fees that might entail being covered by the employer.
5. The other cost-cutting measures would be to fix the issues in the medical profession itself.  Currently, medicine is advancing quickly, but malpractice issues–that drive up cost–are in need of overhaul. I don’t know enough to wax poetic, but I’m willing to pay for the innovation, not so much the litigation. There is the problem within the insurance and government way of thinking that they will bargain for the average cost of a service and pay only what they deem is the “fair” price. Let’s investigate if this is really fair to the physicians that take care of us

I feel that this might be an idea–a rough draft–of a direction we could go.  We’re slated to spend $900 billion on this anyway…These ideas give choice; they allow for competition; they cover those who are not otherwise covered; these ideas give an idea of the source of funding, and how they go back to medicare in the long run; they should appeal on some level to all Americans. 

In conjunction with whatever health plan that is chosen, there will need to also be a huge effort and focus on better health choices and prevention through lifestyle changes.

Surely we can agree on some comprehensive reform where everyone on every side wins something. There is no place for any more ugliness in a civilized, adult problem-solving process.

Summer reading

I’ve had very little time for much posting lately, but the slow times at work have allowed me to take time to read during lunch and breaks in the calls.  I just picked up books that looked interesting, and I enjoyed this one…The Sweet Potato Queen’s Book of Love.  I really think I

SPQBOL Cover

may be turning into a sweet potato queen, or at least saving my evolution up for later in life…they have so much fun just living that I hope so…They have a cute little website and Jill Connor Browne has written a few other books that look pretty entertaining as well. The queens are a Jackson, Mississippi St. Patrick’s Day Parade feature, and wear these fantastically augmented green sequined get-ups…and have the attitude to match their sassy outfits.  These probably contain the most useful information in how to “manage” my man yet! I highly recommend it, and I plan on reading the others.

The other book, written in a completely different vein, was Five People You Meet in Heaven.  This book was completely engrossing,

Five People Cover

and I didn’t mean to, but I read almost all of it in a sitting (trying to save it for my breaks, ya know?). Mitch Albom–who also penned Tuesdays With Morrie–really wrote a great, short novel here.  It deals, quite creatively, with the people that influence our lives…some we know…some we don’t, but they have to power to influence us as powerfully as our chosen mentors and idols.

These are both great reads to pass hot summer days, and the diversion has kept my mind off of the fact that there are very few teaching positions in or anywhere near our new home…more on the great school hunt later…

A Sibling Revelation

How different we are, my brother and I. I remember him as this cute little kid, whom I tried desperately to get away from as much as possible. There is a twelve-year difference between us, and his terrible twos were during my transition from middle school to high school, the point in my life when all family was to be avoided. I wish that I hadn’t exited his everyday life for my 8-year stay in college during his first pivotal year in elementary school. As is the case with so many others before me and since, that time was just for me and I was selfish to start with. Now I am left with something akin to an “old man’s regrets”; numberless missed opportunities for hugs, big sister pep-talks, help with homework, life navigation advice…the occasional gut punch.

It is hard to believe how childhoods can take such wildly divergent paths. He was such a scrawny baby, in his NICU incubator, and we didn’t get to take him home for over a month. Iliked him anyway, but really questioned why he needed an ambulance ride and airlift to the Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital in Pensacola, FL. He survived and eventually turned out to be a normal little brother. After he finally got a room of his own when I went to college (which I was more than happy to help him rearrange beds and set up how he wanted it), he had every advantage of the middle class life. Our mother moved the family into the house during my freshman year in college, and since then, he’s had everything I wish I would have had as a kid. He’s also had/done some things I wouldn’t trade for–very few friends, rare jaunts outside to catch tadpoles or climb trees, academic troubles, he stayed (stays?) grounded, he got kicked out of middle school, and he just seems like a lonely, picked-on kid. A little over a decade’s difference in age and a lifetime of difference in our experiences.

Lately, I’ve taken to lecturing him, and it was no different when I talked to him on his 16th birthday. I am growing more concerned about him every day, because that scrawny, jaundiced baby…that cute, gap-toothed kid…that little brother that I have been given as a gift and a reminder of what family love is…is about to fall headfirst into another category alltogether, that I don’t want him to be in.

It’s not that I just realized that he was going to grow up a black male in America, but I really did only recently piece this together–that of every category, the most underrepresented, undereducated, generally despised and mistrusted American is the young black male. There are plenty of well-educated, hard-working, honest black men that are respectable, contributing members of society as I have seen modeled in my own family and workplace. They are also seldom featured in the media, or studied. The statistics everywhere point to another part of our ethnicity, most unrelated to our unique family situation, but still the data is ugly. Maybe the Jerome Ersland case (the pharmacist that shot and killed the would-be 16 year old robber Antwun Parker) got me to thinking.

So I lectured him for all I was worth. “Get your grades up!!” “You have to score well on the PSAT…study your rear-end off with the practice materials!!” “Start looking for scholarships now!!” “Take the SAT AND THE ACT!!!!” For heaven’s sake, school is out for the summer, and I am having this in-depth conversation about the importance of the high school G.P.A. when applying for college applications. I’m a monster. I did ask him about general birthday and summer fun stuff, but did I tell him once how proud of him I am? Nope. Did I assure him I’d be available for help on his homework, etc.? Not on this occasion. This is going to be an especially hard year for him–(retired)Air-Force-Dad is in his second life as a civil service contractor, and is taking an engineering job in Georgia. This is a long way from high-school-son who may need dad to keep him motivated. I guess it’s time to do my part to make sure that my baby brother doesn’t turn into a statistic.

It’s That Time of the Year Again…

Well, the love of my life is off interviewing for some positions as a band director today. 

The phone rang off the hook yesterday with calls and callbacks from principals.  And his mother–mostly telling him about this job and to go here and there to apply (she had obviously called someone about this).  He printed resumés and the other normal stuff you’d take to an interview.  We were in a flurry of activity this morning, but not too rushed…I had laid out his suit/tie/shirt/socks/underwear last night, and talked to him a little bit last night about his prospects.  He has two interviews for three possible positions today; one at a large program and two at small schools.  I had absolutely no words of wisdom for him, since my attempts last year flopped.  Besides that, he’s the one who nearly achieved tenure, and I was let go after only one year.

Because he is getting started, I am now that much closer to the gate.  On so many levels, this fills me with excitement.  On so many other levels, this fills me with dread.  Today has been full of flashbacks to the dumbest things I did and said in my first year on the podium. I still feel the burning shame of not being able to get it right for my kids and administration, and for that shortcoming I lost my job–after I nearly ripped myself to pieces trying to hold the program together.  Absolute horror and shame in my first year failure. I carried that shame with me to every interview last summer.  I know interviewers had to have been able to read the word plainly through my facial expressions if they asked any in-depth questions about my time at my first school; and if they couldn’t tell quite what it was, something about me may have seemed off, but nameless and therefore, not safe as a hire.  A few near misses, and it was July, the job postings dried up, and band camps started.  I watched it all go by, with an added helping of shame simply because I would not even have a chance to make it work this time.

If things go well today, we may know something soon and I’ll know more about how to feel.  All I can do for right now is pray for him to find a school that he is satisfied with (and that will have him!) that is also far enough away from the family…and get my own materials in order.  I haven’t really got my resume updated or my e-portfolio added to–until today.  I’ve been resisting the urge to even look at possibilities for myself, because I know if I’m completely ready, I’ll just be here, waiting, nagging him and chomping at the bit… 

…He called me about the first interview, and it doesn’t look so good for the big school.  Not entirely sure what they wanted in a director, but he didn’t have the best feeling about it coming out.  Maybe it was too big a jump from a 1A school to a 5A school…

Going through the interviewing process for any school’s position as band director is stressful.  The first part, waiting for postings, is stressful, since you have to go on hearsay (where sometimes the director doesn’t even know their job is in jeapordy–here, I have experience) until you finally do see some official listings.  When you sort them out in order of preference, it is sometimes impossible to figure out which school has an opening inside of the city or county system where the posts are vague, and then researching the school can be equally as hard, even if you know which school is open, because the websites are diverse and often in disarray.  After you click the apply button/submit the paper application, you may still have some waiting ahead of you…waiting for the phone to ring, that is.  If, and when you are called, it may or may not be a formality (if their director is already “picked”) but you have no way of knowing until you hear about it later.  If you are called…well, there is no formula to ace the interview, since principals and other interviewers themselves are diverse.  Basically, a good fit for the school is anyone that can manage the band’s behavior and discipline, keep students working at ALL times, responsibly organize events, finances, etc., and basically keep the program going in the right musical direction.  It is the unknown x that sells a principal on their new hire…and this factor is something that they are looking for in a band director that you cannot possibly know, and you cannot try to be. 

For now, I can only hope that he has that special something that makes a principal decide to invite him on board, and let the rest fall into place.

Interesting Enough

Apparently, well-respected Atomic Scientists don’t even believe North Korea detonated a Hiroshima sized nuclear device on 5/25. The seismic data suggests that the explosion was stronger than the 2006 test, but still only a nuclear equivalent to approximately 4 kilotons or smaller.

These smart folks came up with four possible theories of what might have happened. [1]That they did have a bomb of Hiroshima size/yield, but it failed to detonate properly (Most likely–they’re working with plutonium from nuclear waste and plutonium is the more tricky material to work with). [2]That they have been working on a higher tech or smaller yield or a more compact method of delivery (pretty much ruled out because of the fact that they aren’t known for their technology or resources). [3] They faked it with large amounts of conventional explosives (LOL!). [4] They detonated a device in a much larger cavity to muffle its yield (Highly unlikely – why bother?).

I just thought this was an interesting read, and it may explain the lack of motivation to slap N. Korea down real quick. Check it out!