I am CuTRis

As bad as it is that someone tried to attack government officials and journalists in a ballroom in Washington DC, my sympathies are more with the students and teachers around the country, who live with the day to day realization that a gunman could attack their school. And in that case, there would be no secret service agents to intervene. On the subject of the secret service, it certainly seems lucky for everyone, that these brave, well trained people were not replaced by Fox News, anchors or other television personalities. On the issue of the White House ballroom, with its secure bunker underneath it. We're hearing it now needs to be completed, because it is a security risk. Until every school gets a secure bunker, I'm not in favor of it to protect politicians who continue to ignore school shootings and real resolutions that could help to stop that. Whoever ordered the side of the White House knocked down, without proper authority, exhibited poor planning and poor judgment. T...

Yesterday, I went back to a full day of substitute teaching, fourth graders. It was a new district as I had taken some time off, because the district I was working at previously, banned me after I stopped a student from assaulting his classmates. So yesterday, at a new district, in a new school, with different kids--within the first 30 minutes, a fight broke out, and I had to stop it. That's kind of risky, because once you make contact with the kids, even to pull them off of each other, someone can lodge a complaint and you can lose your job. Also, notable about yesterday, was the level of disrespect and lack of discipline. Their teacher had been absent for a while, so they closed the door of the classroom and then started throwing things, running around screaming and playing games on their computers. There was no making them stop, and there's not enough support from the school. I'm not working today, and I don't miss it. And I don't miss being told by a 10-year-...

The issue of bad behavior and violence in schools has gotten worse not better. And it could be, because the trend is to manipulate the numbers on spreadsheets, rather than to address the issues of the bad behavior. Because certain demographics show up more often for behavior problems, the answer from governing bodies and echoed by administrators, is to stop targeting those individuals. The result is that teachers have to play the "game," of not reporting incidents, or asking for help. Because if they do, the behavior problems are often "thrown back at them," as if it is due to their (lack of) teaching ability. The true answer lies in finding out why certain groups have more behavior issues, rather than not reporting them—just to manipulate the numbers. The fix involves trying to understand and alleviate the problems at their source. So far, many people won't accept this, because it shifts the responsibility back onto the students (and families), who have difficu...

https://youtu.be/gShGrkzlrW0?si=UjKKot1qXDu67jOm

We got rear-ended while stopped at a red light tonight. The other car drove away. Lucky it wasn't worse. Some people really suck.

Hey Hmong Friends and Family, I love you guys, but I would like it better if you started recycling. One Hmong funeral creates a giant dumpster full of mixed trash, including styrofoam plates, plastic utensils, glass beer bottles, aluminum cans, plastic bottles, hunks of butchered cows, pigs and chickens, and much more (all mixed together and bound for the landfill). Fifty years is long enough to learn to recycle, so please don't tell me (anymore) that you can't do it. I'm just concerned about the World we are leaving behind for our children. I know no one else will call you out on this, because they choose to ignore issues if it makes them politically uncomfortable. But I can like you, and hate that you aren't recycling simultaneously.

I dislike hypocrites. I also dislike people who won't be "inconvenienced," even though it is detrimental to our planet and future generations. So after once again, going to a couple of parties over the weekend, where people refused to recycle, I'm left with a bad feeling. Especially when these people, seem to outwardly hold their children in the highest regard. Yet they won't recycle! What kind of a world are they leaving for their children and grandchildren? And they will tell you that they don't recycle because no one else will. And often, they are correct. If you try to recycle, often, someone will come along after, and they will throw garbage in with it. So, then what are we leaving for future generations? So your great-grandchildren may never see a giraffe, or a tiger, or a polar bear? Is that such a big deal? Yes, it is! Creating a better world starts with individuals. People who do the right thing just because it's right. Not for instant gratificati...

On January 20, 1961, newly inaugurated President John F. Kennedy gave the famous quote, "And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." 62 years later, it's a sentiment that we seem to have lost.

“…And they waved their scrap of truth like a banner—through the streets while pulling the wagonload of lies and distributing hate and distrust throughout the land. For even as they preached about the injustices, their own words and actions betrayed the reality and contributed to the death, decay and misery.”

If you are a parent, you should feed your kids at a reasonable time, rather than let them go without adult supervision to get fast food after 9:00pm on a school night. Then you should make sure that they get to bed at a decent time so that they can do well in school. This is called being responsible and proactive. If you receive a call that your kids are in the back of a police car and they are underage, you probably weren’t paying attention to your kids or their needs (or safety). Instead of blaming the police who detained the children during a “shots fired” investigation, you should be happy that the kids are safe. Then you should STOP blaming others (being reactive), STOP using (and teaching) inappropriate language and behavior (irresponsible), and put your children’s needs before whatever it was you were occupied with when you should have been parenting. Good parenting is the most important thing that we can do for our children. They lack the maturity to make responsible choices ...

Slap Gate… Slap Heard Around the World… Yesterday when I heard (it’s on the news constantly) about a celebrity who is “traumatized” by Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Academy Awards, I could only think, “this is what you are traumatized by when babies are being blown-up in Ukraine?” But today, I heard it again… from another Hollywood celebrity. So, let me tell you, I was not traumatized by the slap. I wasn’t even surprised by it. Things that I’ve seen and experienced that did traumatize me, were far more significant. So thankyou Hollywood, for reinforcing that you, and the rest of the world, live very different lives. Actors, pretend to be “regular” people in roles that they play. Regular people, actually live those lives. If you were traumatized by the poor choices of two men who ought to know better, consider that pretty much any public schoolteacher has not only witnessed, but probably placed his/her body between two students who were physically assaulting one another. Ther...

There is a tendency in our society to assess blame. Blame the government, blame the schools, blame law enforcement, blame the legal system. While there is likely plenty of blame to go around, it doesn’t seem to be creating much positive change. If we look at how problems were handled in a historical context, it often came with a certain amount of personal sacrifice. People were tough and determined. They did what needed to be done—even at the risk of personal discomfort. Today, I notice the tone is different. Everything is about “my rights, my choice… me, I, myself.” People aren’t concerned if anything is left for their neighbor. They don’t want to make changes in themselves. They want to change others instead. Most people don’t want to take responsibility for themselves or their own actions. We can’t just give-up, because there are adverse conditions. We can’t stop trying, because someone told us that life isn’t fair. We can’t avoid responsibility by demanding others make all the ch...

'Tis the season to make choices. My family reluctantly made the choice not to go to a Christmas party, after hearing that people who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine have chosen not to get vaccinated. It is disappointing, but the pandemic is real and the virus is still killing people. As I write this, the state of Minnesota has passed 10,000 deaths (and climbing). The United States is just a few thousand away from reaching 800,000 deaths from the virus. The world death total has exceeded 5 million. Each new case, means that the virus has released its own genetic material into the cells of the infected individual. So, while the vaccine is not changing people's DNA, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is directly interacting with the cells of infected individuals and changing how those cells function. While the vaccine does not scare me, the virus does. Each time it infects a new organism (or person), it can mutate into a slightly new version of the virus. I know why I'm making my choi...

Welcome to COVID-19 Vaccine Economics! I'd like to begin by reaffirming that getting a vaccine is a personal choice. And, we all know that choices have consequences. Due to increased costs resulting from preventable illnesses, anyone who refused the opportunity to receive a free COVID-19 vaccine, who gets sick and needs medical treatment, including hospitalization, will be entirely responsible for all costs resulting from treatment of COVID-19, and any resulting longterm effects from the virus. Thank you for understanding our rights, to serve the best interest of the larger community.