Driving Update

Since last week, we've driven 189 miles. Actually, that's not true. I only drove about 10 of those miles. The rest was trips across town to my mother-in-law's house and "business" trips. There were, once again, 4 miles to the elementary school because I overslept and had to drive my son to school.

One of my friends says I sound like a drug-dealer when I put "business". Let's just make it clear -- there is no drug-dealing involved. So, from now on, no quotes. :)

On NPR this morning, I heard that el Presidente said that we should stabilize greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. Time describes this as "revising his stance on global warming." I guess. So he admits there's global warming, but we are only going to cap it in 17 years?! I don't understand why we can't cap it NOW and then work to reduce. As a teacher, I can relate this to teaching in three ways:

1. El Pres. complains that other countries need to do their part. True. But we need to serve as an example. The other kids in the class will follow the example of the cool kids. You don't want to be the last kid in the class pronouncing the "h" in "hola".

2. People rise to high standards and lower themselves to low standards. If your class is a blow-off class, nobody does any work. If your class is demanding, students will rise to meet the expectations.

3. Most people need a test to make themselves study. I'm a big nerd, but without a test, I do nothing. When I'm assessed, I make the changes in my life (studying -- blah) to do well. Companies are not going to do anything until they have to. Yes, that can come from consumer pressure, but that's not happening fast enough. We need to legislate change so we don't leave a terrible environmental legacy for our children (or our golden years!)

Or how about the parenting argument? Imagine this discipline technique.

Mom: Bobby -- you are hurting your sister. Stop hitting her by the time you're 23.
Bobby: Uh... okay.
Suzy: Ow! Ow! (for the next 17 years)

How do you think this is going to turn out? Not well. Actually, that argument is a little off, because Bobby should actually be able to increase his hitting until the age of 23, at which point he has to cap it, then reduce.

(I think I might sound like a crackpot in this post. If so, I'm sorry, and I'll try to sound more normal in the next one... the Thursday Experiment!... it's going to be AWESOME!)