"I Don't Have A Dream..." -Chandler (from NBC's "Friends")

Actually, I have too many dreams!

Last night's Intro to Education class made me really start thinking about teaching in a public school. I've never been really into that idea, which is why I'd rather go on for my Master's Degree or PHD and teach at the college level. Then some days I jump to the journalism idea, and then there is editing... And my Statistics class, which it turns out I'm actually ENJOYING, makes me think more about journalism and about politics and political sciences. Either way I'm really aiming for a bachelors in English/Arts & Humanities to begin with but where to go from there?

I think first I want to attend a few meetings of the school board, city counsel, those kinds of things. I guess I'm doing a bit of career exploration. Maybe I can see if I can shadow a teacher for a day, too. I love the work I'm currently doing as a Behavioral Health Professional but this isn't a lifetime career. This is an in-between job. It's even introduced that way in the training. Nearly everyone that does this job does it as a temporary fix while they are in school or getting the experience for whatever their goal career is.

I have been floundering on this for years. This is why I didn't go to school to begin with. I just can't commit my mind to anything for any length of time. I will for a few months or so... and then something will happen and I will falter...

Political Thoughts

Two political thoughts for you today...

First of all, statistically speaking a voluntary sample is when you take a poll but the people involved choose to be involved. Usually this creates biased results because the people likely to respond to such a poll are also going to be the people with the strongest feelings about the poll. Someone who has never felt strongly either way about abortion isn't apt to respond to a voluntary poll asking their opinion on abortion.

54% of the population (according to answers.com) voted in the 2008 election. That was a voluntary sample. Statistically speaking that data would be thrown out.

And one more quick thought... Why do we blame everything on the president? The president has increased funding for AIDS research, and yet yesterday people were accusing him of not following through on his promises. He planned to approve the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell but it didn't make it through the senate TO him. So why is he to blame? If everything were Obama's fault this would be a dictatorship, not a democracy.

That's my soapbox today.

A Little Perspective

I am so tired of hearing things like, "What is this world coming to?" and "Man this world gets worse and worse every day."

A little perspective here...

When Columbus landed in the Americas in the 15th century the natives were considered "dogs". Not only was it okay to kill them it was almost fashionable to dismember them, take them as slaves, or kill their children in front of them.

It wasn't until the 1870's that states even began to create laws about domestic violence.

And up until 2005 it was legal for my boss to fire me for being gay in the state of Maine.

I survived

I have survived my first week of college. I have three hours of work this afternoon and then the next two days off. Planning on apple-picking, homework and spending time with the girl.

I'm really looking forward to almost all of my classes. Statistics isn't really much fun, but it could be worse. U.S. History I think is going to be a blast. It's Saturday morning and the teacher is very laid back and cool. My college writing teacher is a journalist and has the energy of someone who is a member of the press which makes class go by really quickly. And my Intro to Education teacher is hilarious. Incredibly good sense of humor and a lot of fun. I almost wish Monday wasn't a holiday because I don't get to go back to his class for over a week.

On that note, back to the books for me. I have a LOT of reading to do.