The more astronomers look at it, the bigger the universe seems to be. We send space probes into our solar system, but the distances they travel are nothing compared to the distances between our solar system and others in our galaxy.
Even if space ships could move at the speed of light, it would take them years, even centuries, to get to where they could see much more than they can see now from spacecraft orbiting the earth. We have a spacecraft on Mars, but it is learning only that the red planet is lousy real estate.
So, why do we keep going into space when there is a much more practical place to explore? It is a place nature has endowed with wonders we barely have begun to observe. It is a place we could colonize. It is a place that contains untold riches that we potentially could harvest.
And we have been there before.
You’ve probably guessed by now that I’m talking about the oceans.
The more we go into the oceans, the more we discover. We have learned a little by floating around on top of the oceans, but it is when we dive to their depths that we begin to learn what a wonderland the oceans are.
Mars doesn’t have oceans. It may have had oceans at one time, but so what? Our oceans are here and now.
Of course, they are dangerous places to go if you dive below the surface, but no more so than outer space is dangerous.
I heard someone on public radio say the other day that she supports Martian exploration because that is where we humans probably will wind up some day. That seems like science fiction thinking.
The oceans are real. The nation should spend more on studying them.
One of the latest fads, according to The Boston Globe, is having a baby coordinator — somebody to take care of all the details of having a baby (except for one or two, of course, if you get the drift). That person, who may charge $100 and up, coordinates everything from picking out the correct diaper (is it “green” enough, is it absorbent enough) to organizing showers and making sure that the baby is registered in all the right stores.
I checked in the Madera phone book and in our classified ads and didn’t see a baby coordinator listing. But I did see quite a few bail bonds listings. In fact there are more bail bonding companies than banks, which might tell you something about Madera.
Maybe somebody could set up an office as a bail coordinator, to shop around for you and see which bail bond firms are the friendliest, which are the “greenest,” and which are the most likely to get you out of jail in time for “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”
If you find it hard to keep track of your favorite TV programs even when you’re not being bailed out of jail, you might want to hire a TV program coordinator to find your favorite shows among the listings and mark your calendar, so you can be home and on the couch with your remote in hand at the appropriate hour.
If it happens that your cat wants to be fed while you are watching a favorite program, you could hire a cat coordinator, who would make sure you had a supply of feline food on hand, and would even dish it up and give it to the cat. I think I’ll hire one of those ASAP. Our cat endorses this idea whole-heartedly.
Sen. John McCain’s pick for his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, has a 17-year-old, unmarried daughter who is pregnant. Now, that’s a historical first. The fact that an unmarried 17-year-old girl is expecting. I often wonder if “Mud Slinging 101” is a mandatory class for a political science or journalism major in college. The complaint that Palin is only 44 years old; does anyone remember how old JFK was when he was elected?
Headline — “Obama asks for donations for the Red Cross.” During the Katrina disaster the Red Cross had a booth selling coffee at $1 a cup. Some distance away the Salvation Army had a booth giving coffee away. This was just another political opportunity for Obama.
California’s farm laborers are leaving to look for work elsewhere. Couldn’t they be employed to help reinforce the Sacramento Delta? I’m quite sure they know how to use a shovel, place a rock, or use earth moving equipment. After all, the entire Delta was built using Chinese labor early in the 20th century. More jobs mean less welfare and these people are eager to work. They are proud and willing. They would rather work for their money than accept handouts.
California’s governor wants $2 billion in the budget for a study on what needs to be done to fix the Delta problems. I’m quite sure that a large part of this study has already been completed, as there was an estimate in 2000 of $8.6 billion to solve this problem. I find it hard to believe that figure was just picked out of a hat without previous forethought and study. By now that figure has probably almost doubled. Nothing will please everybody, so quit trying, just get it done before the worlds seventh largest economy, California’s, becomes a third world comparison.
Just think about what this nation has come to, politically. Integrity, for the national good and common sense, is in the dumpster, and seemingly not for recycle.
California growers and processors have written guidelines for production to avoid further loss in consumer confidence because of the E. coli scare of 2006, when some people got sick after eating bagged spinach. Enforced by inspectors from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the guidelines set buffer zones around fields to reduce the risk of contamination from wildlife and establishes a safe distance between produce and cattle grazing operations and feedlots.
I remembered all that the other day when I was driving in the country and saw some dogs frolicking in a field of tomatoes. I am sure those dogs hadn’t washed their paws before heading out to play, and that they weren’t wearing sterile booties. Also, birds fly over our fields, and you know what birds do, especially if they happen to be flying over my car, which must have a target painted on top of it that only birds can see.
The notion that open fields can be made pristine and sterile, even with stringent rules such as California vegetable growers have adopted, is kind of sappy.
Our moms and dads know, or would have known that. Which is why they told us to always wash our raw fruits and vegetables, no matter how fresh and clean they looked.
This is true even of the produce that comes in bags and looks ready-to-eat, and may even be labeled as such.
Some people I know wash their vegetables in water to which a little bleach has been added, just to be on the safe side.
And guess what: They don’t get sick from eating raw produce.
Mom even used to wash fruit that she peeled, so that the knife that touched the peel didn’t contaminate the rest of the fruit.
Regulations for farmers are okay, but a little care at home works even better.
The U.S. flag on Monday Night Football between the Cowboys and the Eagles was being displayed wrong on the backs of helmets. They were backwards.
And as long as I’m on the flag subject, let me say that Sen. Barack Obama does not impress me at all by refusing to put the U.S. flag on his lapel. Actions speak louder than words. So by his actions of refusing the flag in that manner I have no respect for the man.
The flag is a symbol that is felt, and denial of that sort makes him unworthy of the office he seeks. In Vietnam the sight of the flag gave me powerful support while in combat.
The flag is second to God, that’s how sacred our flag is. Ask anyone that’s been there, the flag even had a healing sensation when wrapped with it and would give us a rest and some good sleep.
I’m a Republican, but I want to say I respect Democratic Assembly Member Nicole Parra for voting for the farmers instead of the Democratic Party.
Thinking about it, she got put out of the loop because of her loyalty to those who voted for her. The Democrats said they spent big bucks to get her elected and they believe she should be loyal to them instead of the ones who put her in office.
It’s too bad we can’t fire the ones who just vote because they have to satisfy their party, instead of doing what’s best for the voters. It really doesn’t matter how much money one spends, it depends on the votes.
Sen. John Kerry and Sen. Hillary Clinton spent big bucks when they ran for president, but they didn’t win. Do you ever wonder why someone would spend so much money to get a job they can only keep for eight years at the most, and won’t earn anything close to what they’ve spent? Is it ego, or what? Maybe too many fringe benefits, do you ever wonder about that?
It’s really too bad we have to be a member of a party instead of just voting for the one who will do what’s best for us and not just to please their party. Just think if they didn’t have to please anyone but the voters they would be free to vote for what best for us. They wouldn’t be putting a lot of pork into the bills they pass either. So their party would look better when election time came around.
Instead of voting for a party member we’d vote for the person only. Just maybe they would just tell us what they would like to do while in office instead of running the other person or party down all the time.
It kinda reminds me of school kids — either you’re in the loop or your out. I don’t like bullies and I don’t think having to put someone down to make yourself look good is necessary or smart.
Did they send Parra across the street so they could keep secrets and not keep her informed on everything?
She’s got backbone and is an example of what our politicians should be and she shows the importance of voting for needs not wants.
Amid all the bad news we’re hearing from Wall Street comes some good news from Realtors throughout the West, which is that sales of existing homes have risen year over year yet again.
It is true that the prices of most, if not all, of these houses are lower than they were a year ago — some 24 percent on average, according to the National Association of Realtors. But that’s old news.
While the sellers don’t welcome those lower prices, especially if they paid much higher prices a couple or three years ago, qualified buyers are rejoicing at the prospect of finally being able to afford homes without having to pay more than they could afford or resort to gimmicky and/or downright dangerous-to-their finances mortgages.
Those mortgages weren’t just dangerous to those who used them to buy houses when prices were high. They also were dangerous to lenders, who are seeing homeowners default on those mortgages in droves.
As in any market, this one has its winners as well as its losers, and right now people entering the housing market are finding it full of affordable bargains.
As the old saying goes, these bargains won’t last forever. Eventually — probably within a year — they will be snapped up, which will put upward pressure on prices, and the market will be more stable.
As the population grows, so will the need for housing, for it is something we all need.
Like any commodity, though, housing is subject to the variables and timing of the marketplace. Sometimes it is a good time to buy, sometimes a good time to sell, and sometimes the market is in balance, which is where it seems to be headed now, thank goodness.
Ray Appleton (radio program) had guest on this morning (Sept. 18). He was starting an advocacy group to get the feds to supply stab resistant vests for the federal prison guards in Atwater and elsewhere.
I say no. Why should we supply them? Why don’t they buy their own? Christmas is coming. This would make a great gift from the family.
I go to work every day. I have to buy my own tools, hard hat, ladders, etc. Why can’t they? I know two prison guards that have retired at an average of $6000 a month, and they are not even 60. So I know they make good money.
They say that this is in response to a fight over a TV station. Some wanted a different station. A fight broke out and a guard was stabbed to death trying to break it up.
The guest said these prisoners are the badest of the bad.
Let’s give the guards the power to shoot out the TV set if that’s the case. Put these guys in a 6 x 6 cell and leave them there.
If they are over 6 feet they will have to sleep diagonal. Minimum meals. If they want more, let their family bring it. This way we will only have to worry about Big Macs being smuggled in instead of drugs.
If this were the circus and a guy wanted to be a lion tamer, would he go in that cage without a chair and a whip? Hell no! Bet if his boss didn’t buy him one he would get his own. When gas peaked this summer, the guards in Avenal wanted a fuel ration because it cost so much to drive to and from Fresno. Duh? Why didn’t they buy a home out there? When I was commuting to Fresno, we all drove our own cars on Monday morning. Then we car-pooled back Monday night. That way, if any of us got stuck working late we had our car to drive home in. Friday night, we all drove our cars back. Worked great. Gas wasn’t even a dollar then either.
We need to think about getting rid of our liabilities. The “correctional” system is not what I would call a success. It’s not correcting anything. If we just changed the job classification from “correctional officer” to “containment person,” and the warden to “containment supervisor,” we could probably get away with paying them half and having them work 30 years before being eligible for retirement. That would save us a bunch.
We also need to look at the Title “CEO” in government. Our fair manager is now a CEO. We have CEOs everywhere. We even had one at the Unified School District. He was hired and was slipped into the main job like it was greased. CEO in government is just a salary thing. If you topped out as a manager, what do you do? Your job is the same but you need a raise. Well what do you know? Now you are a CEO.
All candidates say, “We need smaller government” Well take it from an Old Fart … that ain’t going to happen.
“Today (Aug. 21) I read Mr. Chuck Doud’s Opinion piece (Algebra formula just doesn’t compute) I agree with you, Mr. Doud. I think the state really shouldn’t spend $3 billion (on testing 8th graders in algebra). It’s just outrageous. I mean I love math and all, but I just don’t think kids who don’t want to study or learn it should be forced to do that.”
Jesus Montemayor, senior, Mountain Vista High School
“I am a junior at MVHS and I think that 8th graders should be able to take the algebra test because they should be able to learn algebra. It is very important. I realize that algebra is very helpful, because you are able to learn and understand much more and better in math. Algebra will give you more confidence in yourself. Studying and learning algebra opens doors of opportunity.”
Luzvey Cortes
“I am a 10th grader and I think 8th graders should be tested in Algebra. I really didn’t and (still) don’t like math right now, but I’m getting used to it. Some students do like algebra. Some don’t like it. But it (algebra) is good and worthwhile. So, I say test the 8th graders. I wasn’t tested, but I think the state should test 8th graders in Algebra.”
Veronica Calvario
“I think it would be a good idea to test 8th graders in algebra. When they get into high school they will know it, and they will be smarter. I think everyone should take algebra. When my sister was in 6th grade, she did not know math very well. But now that she is in 8th grade and she has algebra, she is smarter.”
Adriana Hernandez, 11th grader at MVRS
“My teacher, Mr. O’Donovan, read your opinion article to the class. (Algebra formula just doesn’t compute). I think every 8th grader should take the algebra test. I am a senior now and I did study algebra in 8th grade.”
Daisy Ocampo, senior, MVHS
“Mr. O’Donovan read your article to the class today. Based on my own personal experience, my opinion is that everyone learns at their own pace. Most kids struggle with algebra. Forcing them isn’t going to make them learn. As a sophomore, I didn’t “get” algebra. It’s hard. When I was in 8th grade, I had pre-algebra. I struggled with it. So, why not let everyone learn at their own pace?”
Joanna Guzman, 10th Grader, MVHS
“I don’t think 8th Graders should be forced to take a test in Algebra unless they want to take it. They should take the test If their parents want them to, also. I also think If teachers want kids to take the test, they should also take the test because they learn by doing that.”
Edgar Rosales, 11th grader
“I am a senior at MVHS and I think 8th graders should take the algebra test because they are the future and who cares if the algebra test costs a lot of money to administer. So, my opinion is, ‘I say, yes! Do it!’”
Sandy Pimental, 12th grader, MVHS
“I am a junior and I think you are wrong about this because I really don’t know math and I need more practice so I can pass the CARSEE Math Test and graduate. So, I think 8th graders should take the algebra test. Everyone should take algebra so they can be more confident in themselves and their ability. They will also have a better future. When I was in 8th Grade, I took pre-algebra.”
Martha Gonzalez, 11th grader
“My opinion of this article titled: ‘Algebra formula just doesn’t compute’ is that you are right, because why spend money on math when you could spend that money on something else students need more. Algebra just might be too hard for people in 8th grade. The example that Chuck Doud used was ‘It’s like tap dancing, when you fall and trip on your own toes, you quit and give up.’ Some have the ability to do it, but others do not. Arnold Schwarzenegger is wrong — very wrong. What gives him the right? I know for a fact that we students and our parents don’t agree with his proposition to spend $3 billion to give every 8th grader in California an algebra test. We don’t agree with that opinion.”
Estella Zuniga, Junior at MVHS
“I don’t think that all 8th graders should be taught Algebra. I am a senior and I still have a hard time with Algebra. Arnold should have stuck to acting and body building and leave math to the State Superintendent of Schools. (Mr. Jack O’Connell)”
Andrew Medina, Senior at MVHS
“I read your article, ‘Algebra formula just doesn’t compute,’ and I think 8th graders should not have to take the algebra test.”
Marcos Villanueva, 11th grade, MVHS
“I think 8th Graders should take Algebra. This will help student to be better at math and help them get a better job because all people need math to work.”
The Chinese dairy people who have been watering down their milk and putting melamine in it are in trouble, and they deserve it.
When I go to the store to buy milk, that is what I expect to get. Just good old cow’s milk. It will be processed, of course. We are a people who pasteurize their milk to keep it disease free and who homogenize it so that the fat is evenly distributed throughout the product and not just floating on top as it does in raw milk.
Raw milk has gotten a lot of bad press the past few years, especially in California, which is too bad. On rare occasions it has made some people sick. But few things on earth taste as good to a milk-lover as fresh, cold raw milk with the cream still on it. Thinking about it makes me salivate.
About 30 years ago, it was my habit to buy raw milk from a dairyman who milked 50 Guernseys, bottled the unpasteurized milk in gallon-sized glass bottles and sold it through small groceries throughout the area. Customers would return the glass bottles to the store, the dairyman would pick them up when he made his next delivery, sterilize them and use them again.
I would buy milk from the dairy itself whenever I could. It was near my own place, and the dairyman and I were friends. Sometimes I would help him clean up, and I learned a bit about the business — mainly that it’s hard work. He fed and took care of the cows, bottled the milk and delivered it. He did all he could to keep his product clean. Nobody I knew ever got sick drinking it. He certainly didn’t water it down or put melamine in it.
I wish he still lived down the road a piece, and I could buy milk from him, and I’ll bet the Chinese wish that, too.
