Sunday, October 26, 2008
23,000 Alaskan gov't employees
I get sick of hearing Sarah Palin sasy she is qualified to run the federal government because as Governor she oversees 23,000 state employees. Well Sarah the federal government is quite a bit bigger. The federal government has 1.8 million civilian employees. This not not include amabassadors or any of the millions of members of our military.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Lets Get It Started - Driving Age
Yesterday the news and talk radio was all a buzz about raising the driving age. Some insurance advocacy group released a report about accidents and teen drivers. They advocate raising the age to 17 nationwide. What do you think?
Here's my take on this. I wasn't allowed to get my license until I could afford insurance. Consequently, I was eighteen when I finally got a license. Prior to that it was have thumb will travel, be it town to town or state to state. When my parents were both gone before I was twenty-three that meant hitchhiking to and from work. So I have no sympathy for kids who don't have driver's licenses - get over it - it's called a bus.
Parents - you are the adults act like it. You want to know why your kids suck as drivers because so many of you out there suck as drivers. You are passing along your horrible driving habits. Speeding, tail-gating, changing lanes without signalling (It's called a turn signal) and of course driving drunk. I know I used to drive drunk. But here's the thing I don't speed, tail-gate, change lanes without signalling, so when I was impaired I was already less likely to have an accident as opposed to drivers who do speed, tail-gate, change lanes without signalling. My son thought he could do it to. He couldn't so he now has a police record, has spent time in jail and does not have a driver's license. My thoughts on it - you didn't listen to me - you made your own bed so sleep in it - I still love you. I feel this way in that order.
We must at parents set a good example. We must insist that our rules be followed by our children, with real consequences if they don't. You can teach your kids a lesson by the do as I say not as I do approach. You point out the mistakes you've made in your life, tell your children how you got to that point, and what were the consequences in your life, and how has those mistakes affected their lives. For instance, we are crappy when it comes to managing money. Therefore they didn't get much more the necessity, no Air Jordan's here. When I got sick we had to file bankruptcy. My daughter learned from our mistakes and her brother's mistakes. She has money in the bank, a nice car (that she can't drive because of her health) that she continues to pay on, she is an honors graduate from community college and attending a four year college. She goes to school two days a week because that is all she can do because of her health.
My son is coming around, learning life's lessons but it hasn't been easy. My daughter's life hasn't been easy, but it has been easier because she did listen to us. SO if you want less teen accidents, don't raise the driving age, raise your expectations. Insist that there are rights and then there are privileges and there are responsibilities. With every right comes a responsibility, the same with privileges. If you don't act responsibly you will loose a right or privilege. No exceptions! No excuses! No "he's just a kid!" When you are 6 you are a kid. When you are 16 you are a young adult - act like it!
Here's my take on this. I wasn't allowed to get my license until I could afford insurance. Consequently, I was eighteen when I finally got a license. Prior to that it was have thumb will travel, be it town to town or state to state. When my parents were both gone before I was twenty-three that meant hitchhiking to and from work. So I have no sympathy for kids who don't have driver's licenses - get over it - it's called a bus.
Parents - you are the adults act like it. You want to know why your kids suck as drivers because so many of you out there suck as drivers. You are passing along your horrible driving habits. Speeding, tail-gating, changing lanes without signalling (It's called a turn signal) and of course driving drunk. I know I used to drive drunk. But here's the thing I don't speed, tail-gate, change lanes without signalling, so when I was impaired I was already less likely to have an accident as opposed to drivers who do speed, tail-gate, change lanes without signalling. My son thought he could do it to. He couldn't so he now has a police record, has spent time in jail and does not have a driver's license. My thoughts on it - you didn't listen to me - you made your own bed so sleep in it - I still love you. I feel this way in that order.
We must at parents set a good example. We must insist that our rules be followed by our children, with real consequences if they don't. You can teach your kids a lesson by the do as I say not as I do approach. You point out the mistakes you've made in your life, tell your children how you got to that point, and what were the consequences in your life, and how has those mistakes affected their lives. For instance, we are crappy when it comes to managing money. Therefore they didn't get much more the necessity, no Air Jordan's here. When I got sick we had to file bankruptcy. My daughter learned from our mistakes and her brother's mistakes. She has money in the bank, a nice car (that she can't drive because of her health) that she continues to pay on, she is an honors graduate from community college and attending a four year college. She goes to school two days a week because that is all she can do because of her health.
My son is coming around, learning life's lessons but it hasn't been easy. My daughter's life hasn't been easy, but it has been easier because she did listen to us. SO if you want less teen accidents, don't raise the driving age, raise your expectations. Insist that there are rights and then there are privileges and there are responsibilities. With every right comes a responsibility, the same with privileges. If you don't act responsibly you will loose a right or privilege. No exceptions! No excuses! No "he's just a kid!" When you are 6 you are a kid. When you are 16 you are a young adult - act like it!
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