I hope I have a few new peeps here. I have been gently promoting and it would be nice if a few folks stopped by to see me.
I am disturbed by the nature of education, but that has little to do with Spike, so I will move on. I am working on another short, hope to have it out by the summer, but the whole editing and cover art process is cumbersome, so you never know.
I would encourage visitors to friend me on facebook. I think I am the only Spike Fremont on there, if not let me know. You can email at Spikefremont@aol.com - I check almost daily.
Until I get another wild ass idea, peace!
Spike
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, December 14, 2009
Edumacation
I have recently received a Masters Degree in how to lie with statistics. My current millieu is without contract and I have witnessed first hand both sides being disingenuous through their use of facts; skewing facts to the particular message desired and outright lies. It's a pleasure to be a teacher in this environment.
Atticus Finch tells his kids that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. My experience shows that there are no mockingbirds when it comes to education; not the parents, not the teachers, not the kids and not the administrators. It's every man, woman and child for themselves. It takes a contract dispute to clarify the mercenary role of educators in American society. The message we learn is that it is everyone for themselves. There is no community, no "educational environment," and no concept of doing the right thing.
As a parent, this is disheartening, yet enlightening. I will internalize this experience as a teacher, as a taxpayer and, as a parent. It's unfortunate, but this world is all about money. Teachers want it, taxpayers want it, administrators want it. All of this want means that we are eventually stealing from the kids. And that my friend, sucks!
Atticus Finch tells his kids that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. My experience shows that there are no mockingbirds when it comes to education; not the parents, not the teachers, not the kids and not the administrators. It's every man, woman and child for themselves. It takes a contract dispute to clarify the mercenary role of educators in American society. The message we learn is that it is everyone for themselves. There is no community, no "educational environment," and no concept of doing the right thing.
As a parent, this is disheartening, yet enlightening. I will internalize this experience as a teacher, as a taxpayer and, as a parent. It's unfortunate, but this world is all about money. Teachers want it, taxpayers want it, administrators want it. All of this want means that we are eventually stealing from the kids. And that my friend, sucks!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Nanowrimo
Whew, time flies and, it's that time of year again; Nanowrimo! For the uninitiated, that means National Novel Writing Month. It happens every November and I am fascinated by it. I usually sign up, write a thousand words in a burst of inspiration, and then ignore it for the next 29 days until my failure mocks me miserably as the calendar grinds inexorably forward.
Not this year. I am recruiting students to write with me so we can all go down in flames together! Yay!!
It started small for me but now I am cranking it up a level. I hope to get thirty five kids to fail with me so I can get the educator kit from Nanowrimo.org - cool charts and buttons! Whoopee!
Here's to nothing.
Spike
Not this year. I am recruiting students to write with me so we can all go down in flames together! Yay!!
It started small for me but now I am cranking it up a level. I hope to get thirty five kids to fail with me so I can get the educator kit from Nanowrimo.org - cool charts and buttons! Whoopee!
Here's to nothing.
Spike
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
GoodBye Senator!
As a child, I learned about the Kennedy family – money, privilege, and of course, the curse. I grew up as a child of Republican parents, and of course, I became a Republican. I made fun of the Kennedy’s – it was too easy; Jack was a rum runner, Teddy was a drunk. It was easy for them to be liberal –they had the money, ill gotten gains of a maverick.
Of course, age and maturity softens the outlook. As a college student, still Republican, I began to feel for the Kennedy’s. They gave so much as a family, and lost so much, for public service. However, I chalked it up to their desire to be in politics, to be “public figures.”
When John John struggled with the Bar and Maria became a public figure, I started to feel for them. I took perverse pleasure in his inability to pass the Bar; I liked the fact that this good looking icon struggled.
Of course, later, I regretted my glee. But, I always felt, somehow, this family deserved its curse. The ski death of a scion and Teddy’s divorce did nothing to ameliorate my animosity. In fact, Teddy’s increasingly liberal bent provoked me.
Teddy had always been Teddy – Chappaquiddick, Mary Jo, Joan and Victoria, and his constant railing for liberal causes –jeez, give me a break.
Then, something strange happened. I started to appreciate him, just like I started to appreciate Barney Frank. This was a dude who got it – it wasn’t about politics for him anymore, it was about doing the right thing, as he saw it. He knew that his dad’s dream of a higher office wasn’t going to happen and he just got down to business, took care of what was important, as he saw it.
And, he made shit happen!
Senator Edward M. Kennedy – making shit happen.
This was a righteous dude. I never fully agreed with his politics, but I think he did what he thought was right. There may be stains on his soul, but he did his best to rock, and for that, I appreciate and respect him.
Senator Edward M. Kennedy – my hat is off to you!
Rest in peace!
Of course, age and maturity softens the outlook. As a college student, still Republican, I began to feel for the Kennedy’s. They gave so much as a family, and lost so much, for public service. However, I chalked it up to their desire to be in politics, to be “public figures.”
When John John struggled with the Bar and Maria became a public figure, I started to feel for them. I took perverse pleasure in his inability to pass the Bar; I liked the fact that this good looking icon struggled.
Of course, later, I regretted my glee. But, I always felt, somehow, this family deserved its curse. The ski death of a scion and Teddy’s divorce did nothing to ameliorate my animosity. In fact, Teddy’s increasingly liberal bent provoked me.
Teddy had always been Teddy – Chappaquiddick, Mary Jo, Joan and Victoria, and his constant railing for liberal causes –jeez, give me a break.
Then, something strange happened. I started to appreciate him, just like I started to appreciate Barney Frank. This was a dude who got it – it wasn’t about politics for him anymore, it was about doing the right thing, as he saw it. He knew that his dad’s dream of a higher office wasn’t going to happen and he just got down to business, took care of what was important, as he saw it.
And, he made shit happen!
Senator Edward M. Kennedy – making shit happen.
This was a righteous dude. I never fully agreed with his politics, but I think he did what he thought was right. There may be stains on his soul, but he did his best to rock, and for that, I appreciate and respect him.
Senator Edward M. Kennedy – my hat is off to you!
Rest in peace!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
That’s what a dream is!
That’s what a dream is!
I received my equipment from my DME and am sleeping well, even dreaming. I don’t want to make a big deal of this, but it is a panacea for me.
Woohoo!
I received my equipment from my DME and am sleeping well, even dreaming. I don’t want to make a big deal of this, but it is a panacea for me.
Woohoo!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
US Open
I doubt anyone will be checking my predictions, but here they are. Mike Weir, Lee Westwood or Retief Goosen will win the US Open. My money is on Weirsy.
Spike
Spike
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Issues
For the last five years I have been ignoring an issue that I need to confront. I am tired. My exhaustion affects my job, my life, my health and adversely impacts the lives of my children. I have ignored this problem because I felt that I was just lazy, but the issue has become more important because of the nature of my current employment. When one diagnosis oneself with laziness, it leads to a lack of self confidence; it’s your own dirty little secret. I sneak naps in my car during lunch, before my kids get home and when I am supposed to working independently. These furtive sessions of sleep make me feel lazy and selfish and contribute to a lack of self esteem.
I’ve been avoiding the issue. In 2003 I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. I am 6’1” tall and weighed, at the time, 195 pounds, certainly not svelte, but not obese. I found out through a sleep study. I snored loudly and told my doctor and she ordered a sleep study. Sleep studies normally come in two parts; the first part is a night hooked up to wires that measure several functions. It revealed that I stopped breathing for significant periods of time and those stoppages woke me up. In a normal night of sleep, I got about 1 hour of restorative sleep.
I was asked to return for a second night of titration. In titration, you are hooked up to a Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) machine through a mask. The air pressure prevents your soft palate from collapsing which stops your breathing and wakes you up.
I woke up the next day feeling good, but not great. As the day wore on, I found myself energized – I wasn’t sleepy and had energy. By the end of the day, I felt like Superman – an entire day of work, 36 holes of golf and I went home and made dinner. Wow!
I was prescribed a CPAP machine but I was quitting my job and moving. I moved and had no support to deal with the issues associated with learning to live with a CPAP. I became noncompliant because the mask would leave bruises on my forehead and was causing scar tissue on the bridge of my nose.
Eventually, I sought help for a deviated septum. I had septoplasty and turbinate reduction and thought this would solve my apnea problem. Apnea is typically, and erroneously, associated with the obese. I was in denial.
This year, things came to a head. I had an inordinately difficult work schedule and had gained about 20 pounds since my sleep study. I found myself sleeping in my car, sleeping for 12-14 hours every night and sneaking naps like a crackhead sneaks hits. I’ve found that apnea causes hypertension, irritability and an inability to concentrate. It also makes the sufferer seek energy through carbs, leading to weight gain, among other attractive side effects.
So, I asked for another sleep study, which revealed, …severe hypopnea – a reduction in breathing but not a complete stoppage like apnea. However, my oxygen levels were reduced to 74 percent and I had 77 events in 4 hours, meaning…for every eight hours of sleep that I got, I got about one hour of real sleep. This explains the naps.
Relief, but not remediation, yet. I am currently waiting for delivery of a new CPAP and am worried about overcoming the challenges. But, I am looking forward to feeling like Superman again. Having a restorative night’s rest is high on my pert chart. I hope to be able to complete my work, to play with my kids and to get some shit done around the house. None of which, in my opinion, is too much to ask.
I am now around 210 pounds. Not ideal, but not clinically obese. My BMI is 27. I am 45 years old and look forward to many more years of productive life, raising my kids, playing golf and growing old as a productive member of society. I write this in the hope that anyone reading it that is suffering from lethargy, hypertension, irritability or daytime sleepiness, will take the hint and get a sleep study. I know the CPAP will solve my problems – assuming I am compliant and not really lazy. Take it seriously, it can make a difference.
I’ve been avoiding the issue. In 2003 I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. I am 6’1” tall and weighed, at the time, 195 pounds, certainly not svelte, but not obese. I found out through a sleep study. I snored loudly and told my doctor and she ordered a sleep study. Sleep studies normally come in two parts; the first part is a night hooked up to wires that measure several functions. It revealed that I stopped breathing for significant periods of time and those stoppages woke me up. In a normal night of sleep, I got about 1 hour of restorative sleep.
I was asked to return for a second night of titration. In titration, you are hooked up to a Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) machine through a mask. The air pressure prevents your soft palate from collapsing which stops your breathing and wakes you up.
I woke up the next day feeling good, but not great. As the day wore on, I found myself energized – I wasn’t sleepy and had energy. By the end of the day, I felt like Superman – an entire day of work, 36 holes of golf and I went home and made dinner. Wow!
I was prescribed a CPAP machine but I was quitting my job and moving. I moved and had no support to deal with the issues associated with learning to live with a CPAP. I became noncompliant because the mask would leave bruises on my forehead and was causing scar tissue on the bridge of my nose.
Eventually, I sought help for a deviated septum. I had septoplasty and turbinate reduction and thought this would solve my apnea problem. Apnea is typically, and erroneously, associated with the obese. I was in denial.
This year, things came to a head. I had an inordinately difficult work schedule and had gained about 20 pounds since my sleep study. I found myself sleeping in my car, sleeping for 12-14 hours every night and sneaking naps like a crackhead sneaks hits. I’ve found that apnea causes hypertension, irritability and an inability to concentrate. It also makes the sufferer seek energy through carbs, leading to weight gain, among other attractive side effects.
So, I asked for another sleep study, which revealed, …severe hypopnea – a reduction in breathing but not a complete stoppage like apnea. However, my oxygen levels were reduced to 74 percent and I had 77 events in 4 hours, meaning…for every eight hours of sleep that I got, I got about one hour of real sleep. This explains the naps.
Relief, but not remediation, yet. I am currently waiting for delivery of a new CPAP and am worried about overcoming the challenges. But, I am looking forward to feeling like Superman again. Having a restorative night’s rest is high on my pert chart. I hope to be able to complete my work, to play with my kids and to get some shit done around the house. None of which, in my opinion, is too much to ask.
I am now around 210 pounds. Not ideal, but not clinically obese. My BMI is 27. I am 45 years old and look forward to many more years of productive life, raising my kids, playing golf and growing old as a productive member of society. I write this in the hope that anyone reading it that is suffering from lethargy, hypertension, irritability or daytime sleepiness, will take the hint and get a sleep study. I know the CPAP will solve my problems – assuming I am compliant and not really lazy. Take it seriously, it can make a difference.
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