Hurricane Sandy has come and (mostly) gone, although the damage will be felt for a while.
There are two downed trees on my block, one blocking off an adjacent street.
The MTA is still shut down, and no one is sure when trains and buses will resume.
The Things are getting a bit stir-crazy.
Downed trees and power lines are blocking off some streets.
The bridges and tunnels are closed, so everyone is stuck.
Public schools are closed, as are all Catholic schools and some yeshivas (although there were some yeshiva buses running--crazy.)
Meanwhile, here at the AztecPalace, we still have power, cable, and our phone. Homeschooling will continue. We're stocked up on candles and low-tech activities, so we'll be fine.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Social programs for the job creators
During the debates, I heard a lot about "job creators." According to Former Governor Romney (I refuse to address anyone by an honorific they no longer hold), the job creators are the small businesses, since these employ the most people. (For the record, the three biggest private-sector employers in America are Wal-Mart, McDonald's and Burger King--hardly small businesses. But I digress.) We need to give these "job creators" tax cuts.
Let me say this.
Builder is, by Romney's definition, a "job creator." However, our taxes are low enough. What we need is an incentive to stay open--and it does not come in the form of a tax break. It comes in the form of those evil social programs. For example, here in NY State, there is a program called Healthy NY that provides relatively low-cost health insurance to small businesses and the self-employed. People like us. If Builder had to buy private health insurance (since it doesn't come from a job), he'd have a hard time. He's 62. He's had five hernia surgeries. He has tracheal stenosis, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and a torn meniscus. Even if we could find a company that would insure him, we'd have to pay about $5,000 a month. That buys us about seven months of coverage under Healthy NY.
This is what our job creators truly need. We need ways of staying profitable and competitive. We need to ensure that our bills are low enough that we don't have to pillage our customers to stay open. And we need it now.
Let me say this.
Builder is, by Romney's definition, a "job creator." However, our taxes are low enough. What we need is an incentive to stay open--and it does not come in the form of a tax break. It comes in the form of those evil social programs. For example, here in NY State, there is a program called Healthy NY that provides relatively low-cost health insurance to small businesses and the self-employed. People like us. If Builder had to buy private health insurance (since it doesn't come from a job), he'd have a hard time. He's 62. He's had five hernia surgeries. He has tracheal stenosis, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and a torn meniscus. Even if we could find a company that would insure him, we'd have to pay about $5,000 a month. That buys us about seven months of coverage under Healthy NY.
This is what our job creators truly need. We need ways of staying profitable and competitive. We need to ensure that our bills are low enough that we don't have to pillage our customers to stay open. And we need it now.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Homeschool report cards
According to my planning sheet, Thing 1 is on Week 9 of our curriculum. This means that it's time for me to write my first quarterly.
For those of you not familiar with NY State Homeschool Law, I have to write up four quarterly reports, and then an annual evaluation. And then send them to theDepartment of Redundancy Department NYC Central Office of Homeschooling (and I bet you didn't even know we had one.) Each quarterly has to show the dates started and ended, number of absences (every parent marks it as zero), hours of instruction (225+ for grades K-6, 247.5+ for grades 7-12), a record showing 80% of the planned work for the quarter was covered, and a grade.
You're kidding, right?
I mean, one COULD use a narrative approach. But a grade? As in A, B, C, D or F? Or Excellent, Good, Satisfactory or Needs Improvement? Seriously, I'm evaluating my own kid! I know her strengths and weaknesses. I don't need some cutesy little form showing straight A's. I don't even grade her work! The only grades I ever give are "100%" and "Fix it." More to the point, why does the city even NEED report cards? We have to have an evaluation done at the end of the year, in either standardized test or portfolio evaluation form. Doesn't that prove we did what we were supposed to?
For those of you not familiar with NY State Homeschool Law, I have to write up four quarterly reports, and then an annual evaluation. And then send them to the
You're kidding, right?
I mean, one COULD use a narrative approach. But a grade? As in A, B, C, D or F? Or Excellent, Good, Satisfactory or Needs Improvement? Seriously, I'm evaluating my own kid! I know her strengths and weaknesses. I don't need some cutesy little form showing straight A's. I don't even grade her work! The only grades I ever give are "100%" and "Fix it." More to the point, why does the city even NEED report cards? We have to have an evaluation done at the end of the year, in either standardized test or portfolio evaluation form. Doesn't that prove we did what we were supposed to?
Saturday, October 20, 2012
What did I sign up for--Yeshiva snobbery.
Normally, I don't buy women's service magazines, whether secular or frum. I'd rather curl up with a good book, or a sefer. However, when I'd heard that Mishpacha's Family First had an article about a little girl that had been rejected from six different nursery schools, my curiosity got the better of me. The author had supposedly done everything right. Both she and her husband had grown up frum, and the little girl had gone to playgroup. However, the schools were rejecting her over things like the school the author had attended, or her driver's license, or the way she looked, or other outright snobbery. (Reminded me of my Bais Yaakov of Doom experience.)
Then I got to thinking.
The child in question is two years old. TWO! She has no academic record or test scores. I doubt she could spell her own name yet. And yet, because of lifestyle choices that had nothing to do with her, she was rejected six times, sight unseen. Now, of course, most parents think their kids are the greatest. However, a nursery school should only be thinking of admitting kids until they are full. (In all fairness, one class was already full between siblings and legacies before enrollment opened--but that's one out of 6. That's 16.6 percent!) Have we finally come to the point where we dance attendance on a school's whims? Where they are in control? Where details about a person's childhood or lifestyle are more important than educating our children?
Why do we have yeshivas? I always thought it was to impart Torah values to our children. Builder insists that it's the best environment for our kids to learn good middos. However, unless we change our attitude, the only benefit to a yeshiva education will be a notch in the belt--and that won't really play out too well with Hashem.
(BTW--the magazine included an article about homeschooling--for parents who want to avoid this craziness.)
Then I got to thinking.
The child in question is two years old. TWO! She has no academic record or test scores. I doubt she could spell her own name yet. And yet, because of lifestyle choices that had nothing to do with her, she was rejected six times, sight unseen. Now, of course, most parents think their kids are the greatest. However, a nursery school should only be thinking of admitting kids until they are full. (In all fairness, one class was already full between siblings and legacies before enrollment opened--but that's one out of 6. That's 16.6 percent!) Have we finally come to the point where we dance attendance on a school's whims? Where they are in control? Where details about a person's childhood or lifestyle are more important than educating our children?
Why do we have yeshivas? I always thought it was to impart Torah values to our children. Builder insists that it's the best environment for our kids to learn good middos. However, unless we change our attitude, the only benefit to a yeshiva education will be a notch in the belt--and that won't really play out too well with Hashem.
(BTW--the magazine included an article about homeschooling--for parents who want to avoid this craziness.)
Friday, October 19, 2012
Breadwinners and caregivers--one and the same
Recently, Rabbi Zev Farber posted a controversial blog post about expanding a woman's role in the synagogue. I'm not really sure where I stand on this. On the one hand, I came into Orthodoxy knowing that I would never lead any part of davening or be called to the Torah. On the other hand, what are the two main arguments for this position?
1. Women have the G-d given role of caring for children, and synagogue honors and obligations would interfere with that.
2. Kol kevuda bas melech p'nima--the glory of a princess is within. Women should stay on their side because they should not cheapen themselves by drawing attention to themselves.
Now, I am a stay-at-home mom, a housewife, or whatever term is currently in vogue. Builder and I have structured our lives around it. (In fact, I joke that because we save the cost of two tuitions, I'm sort of contributing $20,000 a year to the family budget.) So, this argument sort of works. But what if I weren't? Like it or not, the default position has become the working mother. Women serve in every position from secretary of an office to Secretary of State. And frum women are not exempt. In fact, because of the rise of the "kollel wife," it's not uncommon for women to be sole breadwinners in their families. Or to possess more education than their husbands. There are frum women who are doctors, lawyers, and college professors. And then, they go home. After supporting their families, they're told "kol kevuda bas melech pnima." Really, if you're so concerned by my kavod, then ensure that I can stay in, stop reading books, and get a job! And, if you want me to do my job of being a caregiver, then stop forcing my toddlers into institutions!
If we want to keep using these apologetics and have them mean something, we need to structure our society around keeping women home. We can't have women serving as breadwinners when it's convenient, and then shut them up at home the rest of the time. Whether it means lower tuitions, an end to the playgroup system that takes children younger and younger (some as early as 18 months), widespread homeschooling to save tuition (many frum working women are part of two-income families partly to pay tuition), pushing for community schools so that costs can be spread over more students (and drop), or a blanket rule that forbids yeshiva students from marrying until they get a job, it is crucial that we change our society. Otherwise we're lying to ourselves. And enabling a generation of man-cubs who demand that women become both breadwinners or caregivers based on the man-cub's convenience.
1. Women have the G-d given role of caring for children, and synagogue honors and obligations would interfere with that.
2. Kol kevuda bas melech p'nima--the glory of a princess is within. Women should stay on their side because they should not cheapen themselves by drawing attention to themselves.
Now, I am a stay-at-home mom, a housewife, or whatever term is currently in vogue. Builder and I have structured our lives around it. (In fact, I joke that because we save the cost of two tuitions, I'm sort of contributing $20,000 a year to the family budget.) So, this argument sort of works. But what if I weren't? Like it or not, the default position has become the working mother. Women serve in every position from secretary of an office to Secretary of State. And frum women are not exempt. In fact, because of the rise of the "kollel wife," it's not uncommon for women to be sole breadwinners in their families. Or to possess more education than their husbands. There are frum women who are doctors, lawyers, and college professors. And then, they go home. After supporting their families, they're told "kol kevuda bas melech pnima." Really, if you're so concerned by my kavod, then ensure that I can stay in, stop reading books, and get a job! And, if you want me to do my job of being a caregiver, then stop forcing my toddlers into institutions!
If we want to keep using these apologetics and have them mean something, we need to structure our society around keeping women home. We can't have women serving as breadwinners when it's convenient, and then shut them up at home the rest of the time. Whether it means lower tuitions, an end to the playgroup system that takes children younger and younger (some as early as 18 months), widespread homeschooling to save tuition (many frum working women are part of two-income families partly to pay tuition), pushing for community schools so that costs can be spread over more students (and drop), or a blanket rule that forbids yeshiva students from marrying until they get a job, it is crucial that we change our society. Otherwise we're lying to ourselves. And enabling a generation of man-cubs who demand that women become both breadwinners or caregivers based on the man-cub's convenience.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
The second debate--oil
Enough people have made fun of the "binders full of women" comment in the second Presidential debate that I don't see the need to join in. (Personally, my favorite moment was when the moderators backed up Obama's version of history surrounding the reporting of the Libya embassy bombing--but no one else noticed.)
I'd like to talk about oil.
Former Gov. Romney (why address him by an honorific he no longer holds?) mentioned that Obama has decreased the amount of domestic drilling for oil. He then blames rising gas prices on this shortfall.
OK, any first-semester, (or even high school) economics student knows that a decrease in supply causes a rise in prices. However, let's look at the "why" for a moment.
Oil drilling is not good for the environment. Yes, going after oil domestically would solve a lot of problems (including decreasing the funding currently going to countries like Iran). However, drilling can cause runoff, which destroys arable land. Pipelines can leak. And, let's not forget about the tanker explosion a couple of years ago that killed off wildlife and nearly destroyed the local economy of the Gulf Coast. Oil is not something to fool around with. And the "drill, baby, drill" philosophy may be good for our economy in the short-term, but has the potential to create more problems than it solves.
I'd like to talk about oil.
Former Gov. Romney (why address him by an honorific he no longer holds?) mentioned that Obama has decreased the amount of domestic drilling for oil. He then blames rising gas prices on this shortfall.
OK, any first-semester, (or even high school) economics student knows that a decrease in supply causes a rise in prices. However, let's look at the "why" for a moment.
Oil drilling is not good for the environment. Yes, going after oil domestically would solve a lot of problems (including decreasing the funding currently going to countries like Iran). However, drilling can cause runoff, which destroys arable land. Pipelines can leak. And, let's not forget about the tanker explosion a couple of years ago that killed off wildlife and nearly destroyed the local economy of the Gulf Coast. Oil is not something to fool around with. And the "drill, baby, drill" philosophy may be good for our economy in the short-term, but has the potential to create more problems than it solves.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Sukkah magic
Sukkos has come and gone, and with it, our sukkah.
Like Sara Crewe planning a party in the attic, I know that our sukkah is nothing more than a few boards, some plastic chairs and tables, laminated posters, and foil chains. But, when you put them all together, there's something beautiful about it. And, when you take it all down, there's the feeling that Miss Minchin crashed the party (did I mention that A Little Princess was one of my favorite books as a kid? It was.) Walk into our sukkah. The tables are covered with white cloths and drinks of all descriptions. Posters of Jerusalem, and of various flower-decorated brachos hang over the walls. A large tarp stretches across the back wall, hiding the plywood underneath. Two cloth pictures, one of the Temple, another if King David's palace, cover the other wall. Lights glisten off the chains that hang from the schach, and off our silver becher, saltcellar and honey dish. Candles glow from a corner. And, when I was taking it down and packing it away, there was a bittersweet feeling. The magic was gone, and our beautiful sukkah was back to bare boards and plastic tables.
See you next year!
Like Sara Crewe planning a party in the attic, I know that our sukkah is nothing more than a few boards, some plastic chairs and tables, laminated posters, and foil chains. But, when you put them all together, there's something beautiful about it. And, when you take it all down, there's the feeling that Miss Minchin crashed the party (did I mention that A Little Princess was one of my favorite books as a kid? It was.) Walk into our sukkah. The tables are covered with white cloths and drinks of all descriptions. Posters of Jerusalem, and of various flower-decorated brachos hang over the walls. A large tarp stretches across the back wall, hiding the plywood underneath. Two cloth pictures, one of the Temple, another if King David's palace, cover the other wall. Lights glisten off the chains that hang from the schach, and off our silver becher, saltcellar and honey dish. Candles glow from a corner. And, when I was taking it down and packing it away, there was a bittersweet feeling. The magic was gone, and our beautiful sukkah was back to bare boards and plastic tables.
See you next year!
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