Shane's Babblings

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/nyregion/long-island/26Rdaycare.html

The above article got me thinking after I read through it. A little bit of perspective first. I recently took a position on the East Coast at the prominent Yale Law School. I was offered the position of Associate Registrar and on December 1st, 2008 I migrated out to the locale to take the position. My wife and son have stayed behind and have been earnestly trying to sell our house with our great Realtor in Utah. Unfortunately, the economic downturn was publicized shortly after I accepted this position.

Now to my thoughts about the article above. The article states that many of these 'super' preschools are struggling to find enrollees. Gasp! Now I don't know what their curriculum contains or how great it is but at the rates mentioned (annual tuition of $3,300 to $5,800 for full-day instruction) it's not hard to understand why some are pulling back. I remember in the days of STATS 1040, one of the most commonly failed courses at college across the USA, a phrase that was persistently pounded into our craniums that: 'association does not ALWAYS mean causation' which this article preys on. A few other factors that I believe that people need to understand about this economic situation.

The article demonstrates very clearly and pointedly that preschools enrollments in the urban areas of New York and environs are on the downturn. Has anyone ever thought about the fact that many people are having fewer children in America, especially in upscale urban and suburban areas? There may not be the plethora of children behind the previous class as with the baby boomers. It is no small coincidence that each time a recession has an affect on humans we struggle to discover our next portion of the journey. I have been pondering lately deer populations and other animal populations in areas that wax and wane. At a macro level, humanity has never had to face the possibility of extinction. At a micro level, certain portions of the population have faced this very problem through war, famine, pestilence, and other reasons.

I recently watched the newest version of the Day The Earth Stood Still. Although Keanu Reaves did his darnedest to ruin it, I was able to see past his lurid acting skills and be touched by a few assertions of this modernized story. The quote: "Only at the precipice do we evolve". Reflecting on humanity, there is a lot of wisdom in this statement. A few things stuck out to me and I will return to those when my mind comes back to it below, maybe.

Let's look at the car industry help with the supposed landmark 'stimulus' package (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Foj8BL3wE0U). It is evident that some of those dollars are coming forth as the advertising engines of GM have launched a promo about 'Rallying around the customer satisfaction and buying experience'. It's a tragedy that some 90 years later the same model to power a few elite executives wallets are bludgeoning the plea of the largest consuming nation in the Earth's history, is still fettered in exploiting advertising like was exposed in the movie 'Dave' (remember the 'I don't want to tell some eight-year-old kid he's gotta sleep in the street because we want people to feel better about their *car*. Do *you* want to tell them that?'). This movie was released some 15 years ago and today this is what political engines are trying to return to. I understand the workers involved need the assistance, the people behind the cars are good American folks. But these car giants shouldn't be looking at mass production models of turn key cars, rather they should be developing vehicles that can last a family 15-20 years. This vehicle should get 75 - 100 mph, and seat 5. It's impact on the environment should be minimal wherever possible.

Ok, back to the mentioned article, I think preschools serve a purpose. My wife and I are looking at them. honestly, my beautiful wife is struggling to provide all the stimulus and meet all the socialization needs of our child, not to mention keeping her sanity with our precious little monster. This being said, preschools should enhance the parenting experience not replace it. I find it wonderful if parents must return to the role of rearing their children. I have wondered for nearly 2 decades now, if a child given an environment absent of their parents were presented pictures of adults that have a significant role in their lives, how many of these children would describe a teacher, caregiver or someone, not their natural parent, as mom or dad. I imagine many hearts would be broken. To be honest, 6 months into my journey away from my family, I question if our little one is starting to forget who I am.

Other topics of thought. I was recently thinking about President John F. Kennedy. His most forward line of remembrance to me is: "Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country". This line spats in the face of big government and is very anti New World Order. IS it truly unimaginable that a person that attained a position such as president was quickly removed b/c he got it and then was blamed for things such as religion or questionable allegations of a relationship with Ms. Marilyn Monroe. Only a few short decades later, another president was shamefully caught amidst allegations similar to these (The M Lewinsky affair) and instead of removing him from office or life, I can't understand if we forgave him as a nation, or just chose to accept it as normal and moved forward not wanting to choose a side or become involved in a moral decision. I heard through another article that a 13 year old young girl was strip searched by school officials without a police presence nor parents. This now sits on the Supreme Court docket to be tried. Where in the world has common sense gone. Amidst the greatest and most forward thinking generation in humanity, we still project the model of education as a privilege and should you question the model you are either bludgeoned or discredited b/c you promote the idea of evolving to a more inclusive model.

I know my writings and ramblings are hard to read b/c I commonly speak in phrases and half thoughts. Try being me and trying to understand the impressions as they drill my cranium.

Next thought....why is it that any perceived threat we come across in movies or in life, the demonstrated reaction is war. Again, examples of movies, whether it is Transformers, or War of The Worlds, or the Day the Earth Stood Still, we always show the American war engine that will save the day. It's one thing to be protective, another to assume another is always out to destroy you. The premise for my thoughts is b/c of N. Korea, Pakistan and Iran. Currently reporters have been detained in each of these countries and being used as pawns. In N. Korea Laura Ling (Del Campo High School Graduate) and Euna Lee have been there some 10 weeks now. They have had one formal diplomatic visit at week 1 or 2 and now are rotting and waiting. All is a matter to thwart the missile development probably and use them as leverage against us. Then there is Pakistan. What is happening there and at the same time the dissemination about the swine flu pandemic... It always makes me question the engines of information used to disseminate facts, and this method is commonly used to not lie to the public or not inform them, but make us so busy looking at the wrong things, that we miss what is most important.

Interesting...
time for bed....
...

http://firedoglake.com/2008/09/19/how-to-bail-out-ordinary-mortgage-holders-and-not-just-banks/

By: Ian Welsh Friday September 19, 2008 3:32 pm

I have received multiple e-mails today suggesting that instead of the bailing out banks at the expense of taxpayers, the government should give mortgage holders money to pay off their mortgages.

Both ideas are bad. But there is a better solution.

Why the Government Shouldn't Just Bail Out The Banks

The government is talking about setting up a Trust to buy distressed debt then sell it again. The problem is that the Trust company will simply bail out banks at taxpayer expense without helping mortgage holders much. The mortgages it sells will still be underwater, or too expensive for many people to service, especially as their houses lose value.

The other proposal, just giving money to people to pay for their mortgages, is bad also. Housing prices are actually dropping, most mortgages issues were bad mortgages with horrible penalty clauses, based on assumptions about housing values which are just wrong. House prices are going to keep dropping.

What the government should do instead is set up a Trust to buy mortgages at a discount, then reset them to 20, 30 or 50 year fixed mortgages with a reduced face amount. If the house is later sold, half of the increase goes to the government, so that taxpayers make a profit. The mortgage cannot be paid off before the end of its term so that financial scavengers cannot come around and, as they did over the last ten years, say "get rid of that mortgage, and take ours. It's better. Honest!", because we know that when they say better, they don't mean better for the mortgage holder. The mortgage is attached to the property and is transfered to any new buyer. And the mortgage cannot be removed from the property, and any new mortgages attached to the property are junior to the government mortgage.

End results:

a) a floor is set for mortgage prices. (Whatever discount the government is buying at. Probably 60% to 70%, but it should be based on what the long run price was in the area before the housing bubble.) This ends the confidence crisis in these securities, because there is now a market price—what the Trust will pay.

b) It helps homeowners stay in their homes.

c) It gets rid of overly complex mortgages and puts in their place a dead simple mortgage that anyone can understand.

d) It punishes lenders, which they deserve, for making loans they should never have made.

e) While it does keep homeowners in their homes, it doesn't let them off scot-free either. In exchange for a good mortgage they can service, they give up some of the future profits on sales in their houses.

f) The government will almost certainly make a long term profit on this. This is important, because it's not fair for people who aren't underwater on mortgages to spend hundreds of billions or trillions bailing out those who are without some expectation that in the end it won't be more than just a transfer of wealth to them and to investors and banks.

This bailout can be done right. It's up to Democrats, who appear to be in danger of stampeding into a hasty decision, to stand firm and make sure it's done right. The last two times they didn't stand firm and do things right, we got the Patriot Act and the Iraq War. This is too important for Democratic fecklessness. Too important for them to just give the Bush administration whatever it wants.

If they do give the administration what it wants, then Wall Street and the Banks just got bailed out, no help goes to ordinary people and you get stuck with a trillion dollar bill. Taxpayers get all the toxic assets, but Wall Street, who paid themselves more in bonuses in 2007 then 80 million Americans got in raises, keeps the profits.

Democrats need to stand up for ordinary Americans and do the right thing.

I miss my longboard in CT. Soon very soon I should have it back and I will be the lone 34 year old rippin up asphalt tracks and being harassed by east enders that are just jealous.....long ride the sea of asphalt....

http://www.utahrealestate.com/839367 please share it....

Well it is as real as it gets now. I am now in CT and begin my position at the Yale law School as Associate Registrar at 8:30 AM tomorrow. I opted to leave my longboard behind and with the weather I think it was the appropriate choice.

Initially it seems that Liz and Dennis are doing okay. My father in law picked me up at JFK and brought me into town. After about 20 trips to local stores, I am finally settled. It's not a huge room but it will suit my initial needs as a married man going to bachelor hood for a few days/weeks.

Traffic on our home isn't great but people are starting to look. Apparently we had a family reunion with 25 family members engaged in looking at the property. Although I might weep for the neighbors for an hour (maybe) if they offer and the offer is good enough, we'll take it. The cool thing about this all is seeing that our faith is true and strong and we know what we know, believe what we believe and hope that we can continue to be worthy of the blessings we are receiving.

I went to the New Haven First Ward today (LDS Ward) and the people are rather nice. I had more people introduce themselves on the first day than occured in all of our Utah wards combined. It is a young and transient ward, which I know Liz will love. I think Dennis will mesh right into the primary here as well should we land a home or a rental in this area.

This is a big jump, and I am feeling so calm and collected about all this. I should be nervous, and anxious, but I feel like a young teen lad again traveling to a soccer tournament or high school baseball game that I had a starting assignment in. A few butterflies but nothing out of the norm. I do miss Liz and Dennis a lot more than I have ever missed anything else. I am not home sick rather it is person sick. i am grateful to the long Christmas holiday I will have and hope that we can do our moving during that time.

If things work out, I'll fly back on December 24 or 25th, then drive us back for Jan 2 or Jan 5. I will request to have that Friday off so that I can have the weekend to move as well just in case or be able to tangle a standby back to CT.

So that's the update. Wish me and Liz well. Keep us in your hearts and prayers, and let's hope our house sells prior to Christmas. That would be the best Christmas present Liz and I could have, We'll still give Dennis a real Christmas, don't worry.

Cheers and Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas.......

http://www.utahrealestate.com/839367 please share it....