The title "San Jose Neighbors Hit the Streets in Search of Illegal Signs" really caught my eye. Mostly because it sounded like a bad joke, or maybe a bunch of kids where switching traffic signs. Actually its about a city ordinance that prohibits those "Open House" "Looking for Fun?" "An Honest Attorney" signs on telephone poles and light post.
I know it sounds silly that ANYONE would waste their time and money trying to deal with these signs that are such a common occurrence in San Jose but there is some sense to this silliness.
The signs and whatever is used to make those signs stay littler the area. And on top of that the nails and staples used for the signs damage the post and can potentially hurt the people who work servicing the post. By this I don't mean working the pole. Cochinos.....
While ALL the signs that are posted in these areas are illegal and can be fined up to $290 not all are taken down. According to the article they let the ones about missing people and pets up.
This boils down to, are these city ordinances worth it right now during this economy? Are they an investment or a waste? They are the little precautions you take to avoid a disaster. The little bills now are better than paying for the much bigger bill to replace light post or telephone poles for the entire street.
If I were to do my report relating to this article it would have to be about city ordinances and their actual affect on San Jose. Not just signs on post.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Fifth Grade drop out.
In the article, 'San Jose dad in jail - and mom's on the way - for 13-year-old girl's chronic truancy' by Tracy Kaplan, she writes about just that. Vanessa Geronimo who is a "fifth grade drop out" I will not give much background since the link to the article is right above. She has weight and mental issues which make going to school extremly hard.
The school sent countless warnings, it just was not a letter or two. But a multitude of steps from tough love to counseling. What was not there was the 100% from the parent and student. In elementary the teachers used to say that successful schooling was a three was street. A collaboration between teacher, student, and parent. If one is missing than the whole ecosystem is liable to go down. Just by reading the article it is easy to spot that here the student and parents where not giving it their all.
On the fifth paragraph Vanessa is quoted saying that shes going to TRY and go to school if they will let her mom go free. And this time she means it. She does not mean it. Instead of saying "I will" she says "I'm willing to really try." She could totally be a politician. Maybe I'm being insensitive about her health troubles. But I have been exposed to those cases before. The difference is they reached for help. I come from a house where you make sacrifices for the good of the family. If it means counseling to: give up smoking or dealing with schizophrenia than you do it. Not because we are stronger but because separating a family because someone does not want to "deal with it" is not an option. She put herself a head of the rest with out caring until now.
Toward the end of the article there is mention of an agency that can help Vanessa ,located near her house. If the parents had not give up they would have found it a lot sooner. I can not really blame them though. they tried to reach to their daughter. she just did not answer back.
It is not called a last resort for anything. She still has family like her grandfather and older sister. Maybe now she will ACTUALLY give it her all
The school sent countless warnings, it just was not a letter or two. But a multitude of steps from tough love to counseling. What was not there was the 100% from the parent and student. In elementary the teachers used to say that successful schooling was a three was street. A collaboration between teacher, student, and parent. If one is missing than the whole ecosystem is liable to go down. Just by reading the article it is easy to spot that here the student and parents where not giving it their all.
On the fifth paragraph Vanessa is quoted saying that shes going to TRY and go to school if they will let her mom go free. And this time she means it. She does not mean it. Instead of saying "I will" she says "I'm willing to really try." She could totally be a politician. Maybe I'm being insensitive about her health troubles. But I have been exposed to those cases before. The difference is they reached for help. I come from a house where you make sacrifices for the good of the family. If it means counseling to: give up smoking or dealing with schizophrenia than you do it. Not because we are stronger but because separating a family because someone does not want to "deal with it" is not an option. She put herself a head of the rest with out caring until now.
Toward the end of the article there is mention of an agency that can help Vanessa ,located near her house. If the parents had not give up they would have found it a lot sooner. I can not really blame them though. they tried to reach to their daughter. she just did not answer back.
It is not called a last resort for anything. She still has family like her grandfather and older sister. Maybe now she will ACTUALLY give it her all
AVODAH
Religion does not limit it self to race, though it can have concentrations to particular races. With religion comes traditions, foods, songs and dance, and too many a mental-emotional anchor. What I mean by this is that many use religion as a safety net when things go wrong or not the way the where planned to happen. When meeting people that have shared these same experiences, even if they are strangers, it creates a foundation for friendship that has nothing to do with dogma.
Now what AVODAH did was take advantage of this pre-existing foundation of friendship, to build a community of Jewish people who wanted to make their community a better place. Take advantage has a negative connotation but should not be take as such, like taking advantage of sunlight to produce solar energy.
Back to the point, at the very base of most religions is the sense of helping out people, being a better person and making a connection that goes farther than yourself. So advocacy and faith go hand in hand. Advocacy goes beyond oneself with a sense of a higher goal. Intertwining faith and advocacy seems like a logical step to reach a stronger end.
Now what AVODAH did was take advantage of this pre-existing foundation of friendship, to build a community of Jewish people who wanted to make their community a better place. Take advantage has a negative connotation but should not be take as such, like taking advantage of sunlight to produce solar energy.
Back to the point, at the very base of most religions is the sense of helping out people, being a better person and making a connection that goes farther than yourself. So advocacy and faith go hand in hand. Advocacy goes beyond oneself with a sense of a higher goal. Intertwining faith and advocacy seems like a logical step to reach a stronger end.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Minimal in the Bay area
In Minimalism to the max in Philip Glass's 4-hour 'Music in Twelve Parts' By Richard Scheinin talks about Philip Glass' show-exhibition(?) or what ever it maybe called. To have completely understood this article I had to do some quick background research.
Minimalism is an art/music movement that got started in the 1960's. the "purpose" of the movement is to have the work in its naked fundamentals. Minimalist music actually started out in the underground San Fransisco music scene and in New York. The music is really trippy and reminds me of something like Cream, Radiohead and Floyd minus the vocals.
Acording to Scheinin, Glass is Trippier. Glass got his training from Nadia Boulanger, who I'm guessing is a big shot in this type of music, and Ravi Shankar!!! Now Shankar I know, he also mentored George Harrison, my deceased husband and lead guitar player for The Beatles.
I can see doing a research report on minimalism art/music. Its very big in the area but not a lot of the people i know have heard of it
Like my blog so far the article is EXTREMLY bias. There are not any quotes from people who have gone to the show and have not liked it. Its extrermly persuasive and really give you the itch to go check out this Glass fellow. And if you guys want to here is the 411
Minimalism is an art/music movement that got started in the 1960's. the "purpose" of the movement is to have the work in its naked fundamentals. Minimalist music actually started out in the underground San Fransisco music scene and in New York. The music is really trippy and reminds me of something like Cream, Radiohead and Floyd minus the vocals.
Acording to Scheinin, Glass is Trippier. Glass got his training from Nadia Boulanger, who I'm guessing is a big shot in this type of music, and Ravi Shankar!!! Now Shankar I know, he also mentored George Harrison, my deceased husband and lead guitar player for The Beatles.
I can see doing a research report on minimalism art/music. Its very big in the area but not a lot of the people i know have heard of it
Like my blog so far the article is EXTREMLY bias. There are not any quotes from people who have gone to the show and have not liked it. Its extrermly persuasive and really give you the itch to go check out this Glass fellow. And if you guys want to here is the 411
Philip Glass
and the Philip Glass Ensemble
Performing "Music in Twelve Parts"
Where: Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco
When: 5-10 p.m. Monday
Tickets: $25-$55;
(415) 392-2545,
www.performances.org
Box dinner: Available
at intermission
by calling
(415) 252-1937
Monday, February 9, 2009
Feb. 9th HW
My favorite essay or blogging was “I don’t really want to go into personal things in this Blog: risking communication though blogging” by Carlton Clark He talks about how he started to make his students write blogs not to grade them but just as a way to make them write. This was an EXCELLENT idea!
I used to tutor so I would not have to ask my parents for pocket money. For all of my tutees I would require them to read one chapter book a week and write ten pages in a diary per week. When it came to teaching writing and comprehension I could not figure out a way to teach them. What I did know was that the more you read and write the better your writing and comprehension gets. At the end of the year when STAR testing would come the students who read and wrote more got a higher over all score. If students thing that they are going to get graded for their writing the harder time it is for them to write. But if you just let them write they get much more practice than otherwise.
So when he said that he did it for his students I was really surprised that that could work at a college level!
What I really related to was the last part when he said he did want to share personal things. I do not like having my life on blast. However his student was right when he said the more you keep in the more people you keep out.
I used to tutor so I would not have to ask my parents for pocket money. For all of my tutees I would require them to read one chapter book a week and write ten pages in a diary per week. When it came to teaching writing and comprehension I could not figure out a way to teach them. What I did know was that the more you read and write the better your writing and comprehension gets. At the end of the year when STAR testing would come the students who read and wrote more got a higher over all score. If students thing that they are going to get graded for their writing the harder time it is for them to write. But if you just let them write they get much more practice than otherwise.
So when he said that he did it for his students I was really surprised that that could work at a college level!
What I really related to was the last part when he said he did want to share personal things. I do not like having my life on blast. However his student was right when he said the more you keep in the more people you keep out.
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