Newtown, Connecticut

God bless the victims, families, and the community of Newtown, Connecticut.  You are all in our thoughts and prayers.  

Most Powerful People in the World 2012

Last week Forbes Magazine released its annual list of the world’s most powerful people.  Whether or not the people on the list care one way or another about the list is irrelevant to the fact that the subscribers to the magazine are fascinated with the results. 

Each year they analyze who is up, who is down, who is new, and who is no longer worthy of the list.  Ironically we have a tendency to take the list as fact.  The list is put together by highly informed and educated individuals registering their opinions.  There is not a mathematical formula or any other tool used to measure personal power and influence.  It is based on the educated opinion of the lists contributors. 

There was little movement in the top ten this year.  The President of the United States is still #1.  President Obama is followed by the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel.  Below are the top ten.

1.       Barrack Obama, President of the United States

2.       Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany

3.       Vladimir Putin, President of Russia

4.       Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

5.       Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Roman Catholic Church

6.       Ben Bernanke,  Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve

7.       Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia

8.       Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank

9.       Xi Jinping, General Secretary Communist Party, China

10.     David Cameron, Prime Minister, United Kingdom

The complete list can be found at:  http://www.forbes.com/powerful-people/list/

What are your impressions of the list?  What criteria would you use to judge people’s power in the world?  Given your criteria, who should be included on your list and why?  

Hurricane Sandy

It has been five weeks from Hurricane Sandy and its devastation to the East Coast of the United States.  Places in New York and New Jersey were decimated as a result of the storm and its aftermath.

The cost of the storm’s devastation is still undetermined.  These costs include rescue efforts, evacuation, structural damage and property restoration.  Below is a link which shows before and after pictures of the New Jersey Coast.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/hurricane-sandy-before-after-photos/      

While tragedy is always horrible to read about and witness, it is also within these times we are able to witness to strength of the human spirit and the incredible lengths people are willing to go to help their neighbors. 

One such story comes from New Jersey.  Within days of the storm’s devastation, New Jersey Strong was organized as a non-profit organization.  Its sole purpose is to aid the families victimized along the Jersey coast who were victimized by Sandy.

The organization has focused its efforts on clean up.  They are gathering and deploying numerous volunteers to homes, parks, and other locations to clean up the debris and attempt to restore property to the condition it was before the storm.  While they can use money, their primary request from the public that want to be involved is manpower.  They have faced some challenges, but with concentrated focus and relentless effort, they are providing hope to many people who have lost their homes, cars, photos, and sense of security.

The focus, passion, and commitment they have shown to their community are inspiring.  This is a grassroots effort to reclaim the New Jersey shoreline, which has been an important place in their lives. 

Do you know anyone who was affected by Hurricane Sandy?  What obstacles did they face and how did they overcome those obstacles?  What do you think about the efforts of New Jersey Strong?

Jimmy V Week

“Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.” 

                                Jimmy Valvano, 1993 – announcing the Jimmy V Foundation

December 1-7 is Jimmy V week on ESPN.  You may not know who Jimmy Valvano was, but if you have had the misfortune of knowing someone afflicted with cancer, the odds are he and his life’s mission impacted your life. 

Jimmy Valvano was a successful basketball coach, commentator, and author.  He was a person of strong conviction and personal drive.  At an early age he pulled out white index cards and began to write down his personal goals for life.  He wanted to play high school and college basketball, he wanted to become an assistant coach, go on to become a head coach, cut down the nets in Madison Square Garden and win a National Championship.  At age 36, he was able to pull out those cards and cross off every item on the list.  Throughout his life he developed a personal philosophy which allowed an ordinary man to accomplish the extraordinary.  He was commented, “There are 86,400 seconds in a day.  It is up to you to decide what to do with them.”  Jimmy V chose to cherish and make the most of each one. 

After accomplishing his goals on the basketball court, he explored new directions from writing to commentating.  He was not interested in limiting himself to a single profession.  He embraced diversity in his life and his interests.

In 1993, Jimmy Valvano was given an obstacle that would prove to be his most difficult.  He was diagnosed with cancer.  The cancer proved to be too much for him to personally overcome, but through his vision and passion he has inspired and continues to inspire funding for education and research to cure cancer.  At the time of his diagnosis, cancer was an underfunded and devastating disease.  His charismatic and infectious attitude towards life and easy appeal to people made him an ideal person to raise the awareness of cancer and its impacts on our world and to raise arms to find a way to cure cancer.  While no cure has been found, through continued research many forms of treatment have been developed.  The Jimmy V Foundation has risen over $100 million in the past 18 years to fund cancer awareness and research. 

Jimmy V is an inspiring person.  His attitude towards life, even in the face of overwhelming obstacles is something to admire.   

Below is a video clip from the 1993 ESPY awards when he received the Arthur Ashe award for Courage.  During his speech he announces the Jimmy V Foundation.

Below are highlights from the 1983 National Championship.  It was one of the most exciting endings the tournament has ever seen.

What do you think of Jimmy Valvano, his life and his mission?  Do you have or are you developing a personal philosophy for how you live your life?  If so, would you mind sharing?  Who inspires you to be a better person?  What qualities do they possess you admire?

The End of Twinkies

After 82 years of operations, the Hostess Brands are ceasing operations and liquidating the company as of Friday, November 16^th.  This means no more Twinkies, Ho-Ho’s, Ding Dongs, or Wonder Bread.   The company has requested permission to liquidate its assets and discontinue operations.  This will potentially result in the loss of some 18,500 jobs.

The company has issued a statement on its website explaining why they feel these steps are necessary.  Below is a link:

http://www.hostessbrands.com/Closing.aspx

After filing for bankruptcy for the second time in a decade, the company has approached its workers requesting an 8% pay cut.  The company’s cost structure, which includes salary and pension expenses, is not allowing the company to maintain profitability.  Even though it is the employees which would have to endure the pay cut, it is the unions that negotiate with the company’s management.

Although the company was able to reach an agreement with one of the largest unions, the Teamsters Union, they were unable to reach the same agreement with the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union.  The union was unwilling to accept the pay cut blaming managerial issues for the company’s inability to compete.  As a result of no agreement being reached, the management of Hostess has decided to liquidate the company in order to get the most value from its assets.

The company will be closing of 33 bakeries, 565 distribution centers, approximately 5500 delivery routes and 570 bakery outlet stores across the United States.  While 18,500 Hostess employees are expected to lose their jobs, the impact on the other businesses and vendors which work with Hostess will be significant.

What do you know about labor unions?  Under what conditions do you think it is appropriate for management to ask employees to take a pay cut?  Under what conditions do you think it is appropriate for the unions to reject pay cuts?  What is your favorite Hostess snack and why?  

Elections 2012

The National Election was held yesterday.  After 18 months of primaries, nomination conventions, debates, print and television ads, it is finally over.  It is time for people to throw away their lawn signs, have billboards removed, and get back to regular commercials trying to sell us products instead of telling us about candidates or issues.

In many ways the 2012 election was very much like every other election.  On a national level, it was two candidates trying to convince the voters why their ideas are better or maybe why the other candidate’s ideas won’t work.  While every election has had its fair share of negative campaigning, 2012 did prove to be one of the more vicious elections.  Some believe it was this viciousness and lack of enthusiasm with either candidate which caused voter turnout to dip lower than 2008 and 2004.  Voter turnout nationally was around 57.5%.

What made 2012 somewhat different was the amount of money spent.  It is estimated between presidential and congressional campaigns close to $5.8 billion was spent.  This number astounds me.  The primary parties responsible for the increase in spending were the numerous Super-PACs (Political Action Committee).   The PACs won a U.S. Supreme Court case (Citizens United vs. Federal Election Committee) which in essence states the spending of money on political campaigns is the equivalent of free speech and should not be regulated or suppressed.  As a result, while direct spending by candidates and political parties was down in 2012, the Super-PAC spending made this the most expensive election in the country’s history.

What do you think of our political process and American politics?  Do you like the ways elections are conducted?  Is there anything you think should be changed about the process?  What is your reaction to the amount of money spent?  Do you think it is money well spent or was it excessive?   

National Bullying Prevention Month

Bullying has gained a tremendous amount of attention.  We have heard, seen, or read of horrific acts of bullying, whether through face to face contact, email and Facebook, or spreading rumors.  These despicable acts have at times resulted in senseless acts of violence committed against oneself or one’s neighbor.

October has been given the honor of being National Bullying Prevention Month.  This is the seventh year in a row PACER has promoted bullying prevention education and awareness.  This year, prominent organizations, including Facebook and Yahoo!, as well as distinguished celebrities, such as Annie Thurman from the Hunger Games and Mikey Reid from Victorious, have joined the cause to raise awareness and encourage prevention.

Each day more than 160,000 students stay home from school due to the fear of being bullied.  No one should have to go to school scared.  While we may seem to live in sheltered environment, we would be remiss to assume acts of bullying could not exist at our school or within the city.

Below are links to websites to provide you with additional bullying prevention information and what you can do in our school and community to put an end to bullying.  The sites define what is bullying, explains why kids bully, and provide resources to help if you are bullied or witness bullying. 

TeensAgainstBullying.org
StopBullyingNow.hrsa.gov

In addition to the Children of Peace, what else can we do in our school to address and prevent bullying?  How would you handle a situation where you saw someone being bullied?  What are some steps we can take to encourage acceptance and tolerance at school and in our community?

Extreme Sports

Since the dawn of time, man has been pushing the envelope of what is humanly possible. Through the advancements of technology and the imagination of men and women, every day people accomplish tasks prior generations would never had imagined.

                                                                                                                         

In the past two centuries we have flown through the air, traveled under the sea, and landed on the moon.  As people and as nations we have challenged the laws of physics over and over again.  Sometimes we have done this in order to advance society, other times we have done it simply because nobody thought we could.  As the bar of human accomplishments continues to rise, people are more and more fascinated by these incredible physical acts. 

The most recent extreme event is the jump of Felix Baumgartner.  Felix is an extreme athlete from Australia.  He has spent a majority of his life skydiving and BASE jumping from recognizable landmarks around the globe.  He set the world BASE jumping record when he jumped from the hand of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.  He was the first man to skydive across the English Channel.  His most recent event is now scheduled October 14, when he will attempt to skydive from an all time record of 120,000 feet.

The Red Bull Stratos project is unlike any project ever before.  Felix will take a helium balloon 23 miles into the atmosphere.  Once he reaches the height 120,000 feet, he will open the door, step to the edge and jump.  He is expected to be the first man to break the sound barrier reaching speeds around 620 mph.  Attached is a CGI video.

What are your impressions as you watched the video?  Would you ever be willing to perform extreme sports (with the proper training and conditioning, of course)?  Why or why not? Why do you think mankind is fascinated with taking things to the extreme?  

2012 Presidential Debate

This Wednesday is the first of three presidential debates before the November election.  If you read the news, both candidates are claiming the debate is critical for their election and at the same time trying to downplay expectations. 

Downplaying expectations seems to be a critical piece to debate success.  Trying to get the general population to not expect much from you in order to, ”wow” them at the debate has proven to be an effective strategy.  It seems very backwards to me, but that is probably one of many reasons why I am not running for president. 

The debate will be televised on all major networks and seen by millions of voters and future voters.  While many people know who they are going to vote for, many do not.  The debate is a tool that puts the candidates side by side in order for people to compare. 

The first televised debate took place in 1960, but it was not until 1976 that the debates have become a regular and critical part of the election.  The effects of the 1960 debate and the obscure campaign laws deterred candidates and networks from sponsoring presidential debates.

 In 1960 a young and energetic candidate from Massachusetts stole the show and won the election in the first ever televise debate.  John F. Kennedy looked poised and comfortable when he challenged the favored Richard Nixon to a debate.  It was not only the appearance of Kennedy, but Nixon displaying nerves and sweating which made many people question his leadership ability.  You can understand why all future frontrunners refused to debate until it was no longer an option in 1976. 

The campaign law which required equal television time to be given to all candidates found a loophole which made debates a possibility in 1976.  The candidates were up for the challenge, but also had little room to refuse.  While the debate in 1976 did not swing the voters in the same way as 1960, it did provide Jimmy Carter the opportunity to display his presidential qualities versus incumbent Gerald Ford.

Sitting presidents and incumbents have used the debates to address the public’s perception and neutralize criticisms.  Future President Ronald Reagan used the debate in 1980 to ask the American people if they were better off today than they were four years prior.  This question helped to convince many voters to move away from President Carter.  He used the debates in 1984 to show his humorous side and make a joke out of his age, which was polling as a concern among voters. 

While the debates have proven effective, they have also gone to the point of absurdity.  Polls following the debate measure likability, personality, persuasiveness and other characteristics.  They have fact checkers and analysis which measure everything including the number of nouns and verbs used by a candidate.  For an example of what they measure you can check out the site concerning the 2008 debate.

Lexical Analysis :  http://mkweb.bcgsc.ca/debates/

Why do you think the televised debates have become so important in American presidential politics?  Do you think the way a candidate looks should be a reason to vote for or against somebody?  What do you think is the best way for voters who are undecided to choose a candidate?  The debates? Newspapers or news television? Or some other way?

Teacher's Day

September 28 is a Confucian Holiday celebrating the birth of Confucius. It is also celebrated as Teachers' Day. While many confuse Confucius ism with a religion, it is actually more of a philosophy. Confucius was not a priest or a deity, he was a teacher.

Confucius was born around 551 BC in the small state of Lu. He was born into an aristocratic family, although there is debate as to whether he had any money or not. During his life he served many influential people and his teachings became not only fundamental to Confucian philosophy, but to the general Chinese philosophy.

The 6th century BC China was a time of political and social disintegration. Battling officials trying to gain control led to a period of great moral decline, when integrity and principles meant little to ruling classes. Confucius was disgusted by this development. At the time, he was a widely unknown teacher. He attempted to revive society by re-introducing the great moral teachings of the past.

At the cornerstone of his teachings was the belief that ethical considerations should be the guiding principle of government. He did not accept the idea of a strict legal system. He believed the primary task of a ruler was to achieve the welfare and happiness of the people. The ruler should be a role model by monitoring his personal behavior. His strong ethical behaviors would influence the people's behaviors. Customs and voluntary adherence would be the best way to achieve and maintain an orderly society.

Confucius never wrote many of the quotations we see today. After his death, many of his disciples gathered and compiled his teachings. Here are a few quotations:

"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."

"Forget injuries, never forget kindness."

"He who will not economize will have to agonize."

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."

"Respect yourself and others will respect you."

Throughout history, we have seen many teachers influence the world. Jesus, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Buddha, and Confucius have significantly changed the world and redefined the way many of us view right from wrong.

  

Who are the teachers in your life that have influenced you the most? What qualities do they have that make them an effective and influential teacher? If possible, please provide a couple of your favorite sayings learned from your teachers.

Constitution Day

September 17^th is Constitution Day in the United States.  It commemorates the day in which the United States Constitution was signed in 1787.  Remarkably, the US Constitution is the longest active constitution in the world.  While it has been subject to amendments over time, the base intention and structure of the document remains intact much the same way it was in 1787.

The government created by the Constitution was not our first government after the Revolutionary War.  Our first government was created through the Articles of Confederation.  While they were created by incorporating the ideas which were instrumental in the call for independence, they were ineffective at a national and global level. 

State representative met in Philadelphia, PA in May of 1787 to discuss revising the Articles.  Through considerable debate and negotiation, the delegates decided to start over.  What they came up with has guided our government and our country for more than 200 years.

The Constitution begins with the Preamble.  This single sentence sums up the ideas the people had about the government and its role in society.  It reads:

  We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

After reading the Preamble, summarize the sentence in your own words.  Based on its content, what concerns did the framers of the Constitution have about the role of government?  Why do you think it has continued to be relevant after 200 years?

September 11

Tuesday of next week marks the eleventh anniversary of the attacks on the United States in New York and Washington, D.C.  While truly tragic, it was also a day which demonstrated the incredible will and strength of the human spirit.  There were as many stories of heroism as there was destruction.  We witnessed countless acts of bravery and selflessness.  And these are only the stories we know.  Many of the incredible stories forever died with the victims.

The following is a brief timeline of the day’s events.

At 8:45 am, the first plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.  The crash instantly killed hundreds of innocent people and trapped hundreds more above the 110^th floor.  While emergency crews sprang into action, a mere 18 minutes later, a second plane crashed into the South Tower.  It was evident to all, this was not a coincidence, the United States was under attack. 

At 9:45 am, a third plane crashed into the Pentagon.  The jet fuel caused a devastating fire causing a small structural collapse. 

15 minutes after the Pentagon crash, the South Tower collapsed.  It was less than one hour from the time the plane crashed into the building to when it fell to the ground.

 At 10:10, the country became aware of a fourth plane wreck.  United Flight 93 had left the Newark airport late.  40 minutes after departure, terrorists took control of the plane.  The passengers on the plane, aware of the events of New York and Washington, decided to take action.  They overtook the terrorist and in the process crashed the plane into a Pennsylvanian field.  All aboard were killed instantly.

At 10:30, the inevitable occurred.  The North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed.  While the nation watched in awe, the brave firefighters, police officers and other city officials continued to respond to their call to duty.  Due to the devastation created when the Twin Towers collapsed, four other building would fall to the ground during the day. 

As the day concluded we began to hear the devastating carnage from the day.  In New York City approximately 3,000 people were killed, including 343 firefighter and paramedics, 23 police officers and 37 Port Authority officers.  In Washington, DC, 125 military personnel and civilians were killed at the Pentagon in addition to the 64 people on board the flight.  An additional 45 people were killed in the Pennsylvanian field from Flight 93.

How do you think life in America has changed since September 11^th?  Besides what you just read, what else do you know about the day?  Do you think the day should be remember as a tragedy or a triumph? Why?

2012 London Olympics

The age old world tradition of athletic competition wrapped up in London a couple of weeks ago.  It was 17 days filled with inspiring stories of athletes from all over the globe pursuing their dreams and testing their skills in front of the planet.

The modern Olympics games were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece.  At that time it was the largest sporting event to date.  14 nations sent 241 athletes to participate which did not include women. 

The 2012 London Games had 193 nations and 11 territories participating, sending 10,860 athletes.  This year each nation participating sent at least one woman to compete.  In the United States, women won 52% of our gold medals.  The growth of the games as well as its ethnic and gender diversity is astonishing. 

While I can appreciate the competition and enjoy watching a spirited contest, it is the stories of the obstacles facing the athletes and their character which impresses me most.  My list of the most notable stories includes:

Michael Phelps:  The four additional gold medals with the two silver makes him the most decorated Olympian of all time with 18 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze medals.

Missy Franklin:  The high school swimmer from Colorado who refused to move to stay at her school and continue to work with her coach.  She refused to sign with any sponsors in order to remain eligible to swim for her high school.

Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh Jennings – 3 time Olympic champions at the age of 35 and 34, considered the greatest beach volleyball team of all time.  In the last three Olympics they lost 1 set.

Kayla Harrison:  First American to win gold in Judo.

 

Oscar Pistorius:  South African sprinter who is also the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics.

There are numerous other stories of athletes from all over the world who overcame adversity in order to reach their potential.  Their stories are inspiring to all of us who continue to strive to meet capabilities.

Did you watch the Olympics?  If you did not, why?  If so, what did you watch and why?  If you could compete in any event, what would it be and why?