mayhem (and other fun stuff with pictures too)

OMG OMG OMG  the internet was down yesterday.  Both Comcast and Verizon failed around 6:30 AM and didn't return until about 1PM.  No internet, no IP phones, no TV.  But really no internet.  No blogging, no trading, no texting, no communication. 

It's kinda amazing how vital the internet has become.  Take it away for a couple of hours and see what happens (namely no work or at least no work from home).  But you do see people walking around town without staring at their phones.   Ironically the day we had no internet was the first day in weeks we actually had rain, so I was stuck inside unable to do much of anything.  Crazy.

Other fun stuff.

A must do is visit Aspen during the fall.  Watching the aspen leaves turn, especially when contrasted against the dark green pine is pretty amazing.  It was a great two weeks of walking the dogs and enjoying the breathtaking views.

This past weekend was all about charity for the local hockey organization.  The crown jewel was the 98 women's gold medal winning hockey team playing the CU women's team.  Things I learned watching that game included:

1.  playing at altitude is tuff for a bunch of 40 + year old women from the east coast
2.  the 98 team gets no respect--this was the first time they had played together since winning the medal
3.  women play hard----even in a charity exhibition game.  There were broken sticks, penalties, pulled goaltenders and hard checks into the boards---stuff you don't see when the old time NHL guys get together
4.   these women appreciated everything we did for them, from drinks and food in the locker room to an expense paid weekend in Aspen
5.  Which reminds me of a quote from my daughter 'how come women don't get paid to play team sports?'  Good question.  I guess the honest answer is fans don't want to pay to watch women play team sports.  How big is the discrepancy.? In pro basketball women get paid about 1/100th of what the men get paid, and in hockey about 1/200th.  However, in golf the average pro woman gets paid about 1/4 th of what the average man makes.  Clearly I need to get my daughter to drop the hockey stick and pick up a tennis racquet or golf club.

Last but not least for those long time friends you might remember my wife and I  are approaching our anniversary.  Are we heading to New Orleans to listen to some zydeco music? or atleast going out to dinner?  Nope.  As parents of a certain age our anniversary involves my wife driving our son and team mate to park city for the weekend for a regatta while I am doing a day trip to Crested Butte for my daughter's soccer game.  For those of you not on the western slope and wondering about those distances it's about a 6 hour drive each way for the wife, while my Crested Butte trip is ---well it all depends on how fast I drive but 2-3 hours each way (ironically it's also only a 13 mile hike but distances in the mountains are very different than elsewhere.)

Enjoy the fall, and your internet service.

about the Aspen not so superintendent

Things I  learned about John Maloy Aspen School District Superintendent:

1.  He lost his last job in Indiana because teachers rebelled against what they said was an intolerable work environment, where teachers who brought up problems, exposed issues or proposed differing solutions to those Maloy wanted were punished or fired.

2.  Aspen teachers are complaining of a similar work environment (anonymously) ---Big difference Aspen school teachers are not protected by a union while the Monroe county teachers were.

3.  Teacher turnover has exploded rising by over 75%.   (From 9% in 2010 to 16% last year) ----While teachers are complaining anonymously they are speaking loudly with their feet.

4.  He hired his daughter to be the school psychologist.  It seems this is a very senior role at the ASD.  This is Megan's first job EVER.  When Megan makes a mistake who wants to tell her dad?

5.  Another Maloy hire who continues to have his full throated support is Elizabeth Hodges.  She is head of Aspen School Districts HR department.  Prior to this she practiced family law in Missouri.  Her last job ended in her disbarment and pleading guilty to a misdemeanor related to forging documents.  She has no large scale HR experience, has no HR successes under her belt, and is a convicted criminal.  It doesn't seem that she bothered to inform Maloy as to these outstanding issues, because according to her these are little things like a DUI.  I will leave it up to you as to whether or not you think a DUI is a small thing, but I will suggest that when it is a work related crime you are guilty of your subsequent employer might want to know.

6.  When Maloy took over Aspen Elementary was ranked 61st in the state--it is now ranked 344th.

7.  Aspen High School was ranked 3rd in the state--it is now ranked 20th.  That is like Harvard swapping places with Emory in US News and World Reports rankings.  You can argue with the ranking methodology all you want, but I can guarantee you that if that happened to Harvard the board of trustees would be hiring a new President of the School.  No question.  Extending their contract? No way.


Which leaves me asking the school board "what the heck?"  Why would you consider extending Maloy's contract?  Maloy was hired under a cloud and that cloud has clearly followed him.  Some of his hires are inexplicable and his management of those hires questionable.  Add in the districts plummeting performance, and the only question should be how quick can we find a replacement.

fun with my son

for those of you who have teenage boys you might find that fun with your son is a rare experience.  Mostly I get eye rolls and grunts with the occasional request for me to do something for him.

But every now and then there is some good stuff.

My boy went to JAS every day-including opening night where we enjoyed Michael Franti.  I took off after the first show, but he stuck around to listen to .................lionel Richie.  WTF right?  My Zep, Hendrix, Pearl Jam son sticking around for Richie.  Well, with the number of high school girls hanging around he decided it was worth sticking around too. 

After about 3 songs he decided he couldn't take it and got in line to catch a bus back home.  That was right before the storm broke and the whole event was evacuated.  He got to catch this priceless gem while waiting in line from a woman with fake everything who was cutting all the lines.

"I have 3 houses, I don't wait in lines'

Love it.

My son is also taking debate which suits him perfectly.  He pretty much debates everything, and is usually found on the liberal side of things but is learning how to support either side which is excellent.  He does have some trouble debating stupidity though.  One of the kids in his class believes the globe is warming but not due to anything man has done but because " the sun is moving closer to the earth".  Ya can't make this shit up.  SO I suggested a Trumpian riff that while the sun is moving closer Trump is fighting that by supporting coal.  Coal plants of course have those big exhaust towers which are pushing the earth away from the sun.  Go coal.  My son was laughing so hard he almost puked.

Last but surely not least my boy is 15 so he is working towards getting his licenses---yea 3 of em.  Piolets, level 1 US sailing coaches, and driving.  Which is going to take the longest?  Driving, by a long shot.  These days a CO drivers license requires 30 hours of coursework, passing a test, 50 hours of practice driving and 6 hours with an instructor.  and then the license you get is heavily limited.  I guess they have never heard of having a designated driver, because everyone has to drive their own cars until they are like 40 (or maybe 18 or 21 depending).  But given that he is going to fly a plane way before he can drive a car on his own, this looks like a case of the road to hell being paved with good intentions.

about my drivers license

I've got to get a Colorado driver's license.  First stop--the CO website to find all the documents I need.

First, I need my out of state driver's license with enhancement indicator (unexpired).  check

Then I need either my social security card (original and not laminated)--I order one because I have no clue where my original one is (in some box in storage in Chicago no doubt).  Lucky, I did that months ago--check.

I need two forms of proof of where I live (utility bill, credit card statement, banks statement etc).  This is actually a little tricky because all the utility bills are in our landlords name, as is homeowners insurance, etc, but I manage to grab a credit card bill and bank statement and head to the DMV in glenwood springs---45 miles and about an hour drive away.

After about a 30 minute wait everything is looking good UNTIL I find out that CO is a FULL NAME STATE.  None of this is anywhere on their website but it seems that I ran into the full name issue because my passport and driver's licence have just my middle initial on them BUT my social security card has my full middle name on it.  I am told I must dig out my original birth certificate with my full name on it in order to get a CO driver's license. 

Now the clock is ticking because my IL driver's license expires in 3 and a half weeks.  I drive home and print out the form to get my birth certificate sent to me from MO department of records.  I have to get this form notarized, and send in a check for $15 plus two stamps.  Turn around is supposed to be 5-7 business days.  14 business days later I don't have my birth certificate so I use an expedited service which costs me $50 bucks.  Expedited service delivers certificate 2 days later.  Check.

Assuming my trip to the DMV this week is successful the cost to get a CO driver's license is going to be 6 hours of my time over two days $15 of gas, $66 to get my birth certificate. $25 to get social security card, and $28 for the license itself.

Grand total 6 hours of my time over two days and $144. 

(yesterday I got my CO drivers license--yea)

Which brings me to voter suppression and poll taxes.  Requiring a state ID or driver's license (with you current address) is expensive and a hassle.  Think of a 20 something year old who is moving every year doing this every year.  Think of an older person who can't driving trying to deal with this.  Realize there is NO, ZERO, ZIP evidence of any real voter fraud to influence elections (and by that I mean California state residents voting in Wyoming, or St. Louis residents voting 10 times to swing elections).  Do realize that if you moved 1 block but didn't notify the election board of your move and you voted you did technically commit voter fraud.  Who wants to grab their drivers license, birth certificate, social security card, passport and proof of location and visit the DMV every time they move?

As a country we have pretty poor turnout at elections (running about 55% for presidential years and in the 40s for off years).  A healthy democracy is one where people vote---lets make it easier to vote not harder.  And yes the GOP is right to be scared.  Every year there are more votes for for DEM candidates than GOP candidates for the US House and Senate, and usually the president too---only gerrymandering, voter suppression and non proportional voter representation gives the GOP the majorities they now have.

As a side note on this political rant--who remembers the American revolution?  If I recall correctly the impetus was no taxation without representation.  There are a number of states (such as California) who pay more in federal taxes than they receive (they receive about 75 cents for every $1 they send to the federal government).  Other states like New Mexico and West Virginia receive close to $2 for every buck.  However, with each state getting 2 senators regardless of population a vote in CA is worth about 1/22 of a vote in West Virginia for the US Senate.  One might argue that CA is being taxed without appropriate representation.