Haiku Rap http://haikurap.realify.com/ 俳句izzle en-us jg@yhf.com Copyright 2006 2005-11-29T10:37:14-05:00 daily 4 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Links http://haikurap.realify.com/archives/2005/11/29/#000045 McCain the new Teddy R? http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007600 The decline and fall of the American worker? http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110007604 What should happen when reasonable people disagree? http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110007606 What to do about energy in the meantime or at the same time? http://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110007605 45@http://haikurap.realify.com/ McCain the new Teddy R?
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007600

The decline and fall of the American worker?
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110007604

What should happen when reasonable people disagree?
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110007606

What to do about energy in the meantime or at the same time?
http://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110007605

]]> 2005-11-29T10:37:14-05:00 A Poem http://haikurap.realify.com/archives/2005/11/17/#000044 Saw her a haiku. But thinking, desired her in a limerick. 44@http://haikurap.realify.com/ Saw her a haiku.
But thinking, desired her
in a limerick.

]]> 2005-11-17T11:54:54-05:00 Why I Oppose Alito http://haikurap.realify.com/archives/2005/11/01/#000043 From the WSJ: "In Hakimoglu v. Trump Taj Mahal Associates, Judge Alito rejected a claim by a casino patron who sought to recover gambling losses allegedly caused by the casino's serving him fre liquor and allowing him to continue gambling after he became drunk." Is there no justice? 43@http://haikurap.realify.com/ From the WSJ:
"In Hakimoglu v. Trump Taj Mahal Associates, Judge Alito rejected a claim by a casino patron who sought to recover gambling losses allegedly caused by the casino's serving him fre liquor and allowing him to continue gambling after he became drunk."

Is there no justice?

]]> 2005-11-01T08:56:16-05:00 Bullish Bush http://haikurap.realify.com/archives/2005/10/27/#000042 Is this possible? Bush nominates an unqualified crony lacking certifiable conservative credentials to be Associate Supreme Court Justice. The nominee is devoured by the right while the left holds on to their political capital, and money. The nominee is destroyed by the presidents own party giving him the opportunity to nominate someone else at just the moment that indictments come down. Now he's able to nominate a conservative which the press will see as politically necessary though regretful. This nominee is backed by a solidified GOP but abhored by liberals who are now forced to fight a two-front war against the nominee and indictments, and perhaps tax-cuts and Social Security reform. The nominee is resoundly defied by Democratic senators leading to a fillibuster showdown that the president wins. Thus leading to the following storyline: "President Bush won nomination for Priscilla Owens today after a brutal fillibuster showdown led to Senate Republicans using the "nuclear option" and bolstering the second-term of a presidency that had been tainted by charges of scandal and corruption." Time will tell. 42@http://haikurap.realify.com/ Is this possible? Bush nominates an unqualified crony lacking certifiable conservative credentials to be Associate Supreme Court Justice. The nominee is devoured by the right while the left holds on to their political capital, and money. The nominee is destroyed by the presidents own party giving him the opportunity to nominate someone else at just the moment that indictments come down. Now he's able to nominate a conservative which the press will see as politically necessary though regretful. This nominee is backed by a solidified GOP but abhored by liberals who are now forced to fight a two-front war against the nominee and indictments, and perhaps tax-cuts and Social Security reform. The nominee is resoundly defied by Democratic senators leading to a fillibuster showdown that the president wins. Thus leading to the following storyline: "President Bush won nomination for Priscilla Owens today after a brutal fillibuster showdown led to Senate Republicans using the "nuclear option" and bolstering the second-term of a presidency that had been tainted by charges of scandal and corruption."

Time will tell.

]]> 2005-10-27T10:48:50-05:00 Thoughts on Abortion http://haikurap.realify.com/archives/2005/10/26/#000041 The debate over Miers -- really just a debate over abortion -- obscures the real problem of this issue. Before Roe v. Wade there were abortions and, were it repealled, there would continue to be abortions. It is a human problem in which laws are only one abrogating mechanism. If the point of one side is to end all abortions, and the the other is to retain individual freedoms, then the true aim of each side should be to diminish the need for abortions. The passions surrounding Row so muddy the thinking about this problem that sensible policies are avoided. Make it easier for women to not get pregnant, period. Advocate for ex education, free birth control in all forms, greater elligibility for the morning after pill, which prevents pregnancy, on one side and; because pro-lifers have an ethical grounding in their view that the fetus is or becomes human, eliminate abortion after the first trimester. Why must this be an either-or issue? Not because it is ethical, but for political reasons. Not only that politicians use this issue to divide electorates but also because the more radical groups on either side are not willing to give any ground for fear that by doing so, the national consciousness will shift against them. If late-term abortions are banned, pro-choicers fear that most Americans will be little affected and thus prone for more restrictions. If birth control were expanded and abortions declined, pro-lifers fear that America would view this as making headway and eliminating the need for a total ban. If there was ever a time for horsetrading among politicians isn't this it? Is it not possible to create a bill that gives up ground on both sides leading us toward a more ethical and also more effective policy on this issue? Absolutely, but not so long as politicians and people take a hard line either for, or against, abortion as opposed to abortions in general. (Note: This echoes thoughts from a column I read, I believe, in the WaPo that urged addressing abortion as a problematic issue.) 41@http://haikurap.realify.com/ The debate over Miers -- really just a debate over abortion -- obscures the real problem of this issue. Before Roe v. Wade there were abortions and, were it repealled, there would continue to be abortions. It is a human problem in which laws are only one abrogating mechanism. If the point of one side is to end all abortions, and the the other is to retain individual freedoms, then the true aim of each side should be to diminish the need for abortions.

The passions surrounding Row so muddy the thinking about this problem that sensible policies are avoided. Make it easier for women to not get pregnant, period. Advocate for ex education, free birth control in all forms, greater elligibility for the morning after pill, which prevents pregnancy, on one side and; because pro-lifers have an ethical grounding in their view that the fetus is or becomes human, eliminate abortion after the first trimester.

Why must this be an either-or issue? Not because it is ethical, but for political reasons. Not only that politicians use this issue to divide electorates but also because the more radical groups on either side are not willing to give any ground for fear that by doing so, the national consciousness will shift against them. If late-term abortions are banned, pro-choicers fear that most Americans will be little affected and thus prone for more restrictions. If birth control were expanded and abortions declined, pro-lifers fear that America would view this as making headway and eliminating the need for a total ban.

If there was ever a time for horsetrading among politicians isn't this it? Is it not possible to create a bill that gives up ground on both sides leading us toward a more ethical and also more effective policy on this issue? Absolutely, but not so long as politicians and people take a hard line either for, or against, abortion as opposed to abortions in general. (Note: This echoes thoughts from a column I read, I believe, in the WaPo that urged addressing abortion as a problematic issue.)

]]> 2005-10-26T12:24:25-05:00 George H. W. Bush for Pres Part Deux http://haikurap.realify.com/archives/2005/10/26/#000040 From The AP via The Note: Former President George Bush (41) offered some timely words on what it's like to be a political player in a scandal engulfed Washington, DC. "Asked by Simpson what was his toughest time in public service, Bush said it was chairing the Republican National Committee during the Watergate era." "It was terrible," Bush said. "I remember one shoe would drop, and then in the press another shoe would drop." Bush recalled that the Democratic chairman at the time, Robert Strauss, who was a friend of both Bush and Simpson, called and said the GOP job was like "love with a gorilla." "I said, 'What are you talking about,'" Bush said. "And he said, 'Well you can't stop until the gorilla wants to.' That's exactly how the job felt. Every time you turned around, there was some other scandal, some other exposure, some other thing that happened." 40@http://haikurap.realify.com/ From The AP via The Note: Former President George Bush (41) offered some timely words on what it's like to be a political player in a scandal engulfed Washington, DC.

"Asked by Simpson what was his toughest time in public service, Bush said it was chairing the Republican National Committee during the Watergate era."

"It was terrible," Bush said. "I remember one shoe would drop, and then in the press another shoe would drop."

Bush recalled that the Democratic chairman at the time, Robert Strauss, who was a friend of both Bush and Simpson, called and said the GOP job was like "love with a gorilla."

"I said, 'What are you talking about,'" Bush said. "And he said, 'Well you can't stop until the gorilla wants to.' That's exactly how the job felt. Every time you turned around, there was some other scandal, some other exposure, some other thing that happened."

]]> 2005-10-26T12:14:04-05:00 Largest Profit Ever http://haikurap.realify.com/archives/2005/10/26/#000039 From WaPo: "Now, even as high gasoline prices continue to anger motorists and aggravate financial problems at General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., the oil companies have begun to report record quarterly profit. Yesterday, British energy giant BP PLC reported a $6.53 billion third-quarter profit, up from $4.87 billion in the same period last year. And tomorrow, analysts expect Exxon Mobil Corp. to show that it earned nearly $9 billion over the past three months -- the largest corporate quarterly profit ever." I'd say we should reenact the Boston Tea Party with oil drums but I'm thinking that would be ungood for certain reasons. 39@http://haikurap.realify.com/ From WaPo: "Now, even as high gasoline prices continue to anger motorists and aggravate financial problems at General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., the oil companies have begun to report record quarterly profit. Yesterday, British energy giant BP PLC reported a $6.53 billion third-quarter profit, up from $4.87 billion in the same period last year. And tomorrow, analysts expect Exxon Mobil Corp. to show that it earned nearly $9 billion over the past three months -- the largest corporate quarterly profit ever."

I'd say we should reenact the Boston Tea Party with oil drums but I'm thinking that would be ungood for certain reasons.

]]> 2005-10-26T11:55:22-05:00 White Halloween http://haikurap.realify.com/archives/2005/10/25/#000038 Snow is falling outside my office right now...and it's only October. 38@http://haikurap.realify.com/ Snow is falling outside my office right now...and it's only October.

]]> 2005-10-25T15:14:56-05:00 Blah http://haikurap.realify.com/archives/2005/10/25/#000037 Sick, tired and the weather forecasters are expecting snow by possibly the end of the week. All is lost. 37@http://haikurap.realify.com/ Sick, tired and the weather forecasters are expecting snow by possibly the end of the week. All is lost.

]]> 2005-10-25T09:34:05-05:00 Stealing Children http://haikurap.realify.com/archives/2004/10/10/#000036 There are days when you're teaching that you see expectant mothers and you want to go up to them and say, "Oh my god, I am SO sorry." These past few weeks have been like that. The beginning of the school year is always a little rough but this year is different. I have three classes, a sixth grade class constituted of my students from last year, another sixth grade class and a seventh grade class. I am now fully into the middle school years. I had thought that this year would be just like the last with the same children only harder mathematics but unfortunately something happened. Adolescence. Periods. Mustaches. Girls liking boys and boys liking girls. Cliques. Cool kids. Mean girls. Awkwardness. And, most difficult of all, very little people trying to become who they will be. I had thought the impact in elementary school would be profound because the kids are so malleable but really those are not fully formed people. Instead, they can be easily trained and manipulated. Not so with this age. Now they make demands. They want to know reasons. They question authority. All the things I was warned about and that parents so fear and dread. And that's what this really comes down to for now. I feel like the single fathers in those movies where their daughters all of a sudden start dating. All of a sudden there's catfights between my little girls who were so sweet last year. All of a sudden, instead of paying attention to me when I talk to them, they're looking at Emmanuelle walking down the hall behind me. Is it disturbing? Yes. Is it sad? Yes. Am I maybe just a little bit jealous even? Absolutely. My babies don't need me anymore. I'm not the superhero idol I once was to them anymore. I'm becoming the old man. The truly absurd thing about all of this is that I'm 23. I'm a kid myself. There are times when I'm not paying attention to them because I'm looking at the hottie first-year teacher walking by. I'm not supposed to have children. And I'm certainly not supposed to have abandonment issues due to an 11-year-old. The thing is, as I was realizing yesterday as I found myself unwittingly looking in the mirror for gray hairs is that I'm growing up a lot faster than other people my age. I still talk to friends who spend their weekdays going out for drinks and their weekends chilling. Instead, I find myself doing planning and worrying about what's going to happen to each of my kids this year. My kids. My children. I'm not supposed to have children. There's starting to be a responsibility gap, if you will, between me and most of the other people I know. I find more and more that friends of mine don't know what real responsibility is. Sure, there are some that do, but how many people have someone who depends on them for their life and their well-being? What makes it of course most difficult is that though they depend on you they don't want to depend on you and they'll fight it any chance they get. I feel middle-aged. It's hard to deal with all of this but I guess the good news is that I'm well-prepared for fatherhood. The thing that I see, that makes sense to me now when I see why some parents have difficulty letting go but also why you never really need to let go is that they still need you to be there for them. Last Friday, one of my girls had a pretty serious problem with another student and their mother and of all the people she could have gone to, her mother, her father, her sisters or her friends, she came to me. I am the constant. And despite how much they want to be independent and assert their individuality, the will always need someone to be there for them when things get too difficult. The real question then becomes, as this my second and final year looms, am I going to be able to walk away from them? -Mr. K 36@http://haikurap.realify.com/ There are days when you're teaching that you see expectant mothers and you want to go up to them and say, "Oh my god, I am SO sorry." These past few weeks have been like that.

The beginning of the school year is always a little rough but this year is different. I have three classes, a sixth grade class constituted of my students from last year, another sixth grade class and a seventh grade class. I am now fully into the middle school years. I had thought that this year would be just like the last with the same children only harder mathematics but unfortunately something happened. Adolescence.

Periods. Mustaches. Girls liking boys and boys liking girls. Cliques. Cool kids. Mean girls. Awkwardness. And, most difficult of all, very little people trying to become who they will be. I had thought the impact in elementary school would be profound because the kids are so malleable but really those are not fully formed people. Instead, they can be easily trained and manipulated. Not so with this age. Now they make demands. They want to know reasons. They question authority. All the things I was warned about and that parents so fear and dread.

And that's what this really comes down to for now. I feel like the single fathers in those movies where their daughters all of a sudden start dating. All of a sudden there's catfights between my little girls who were so sweet last year. All of a sudden, instead of paying attention to me when I talk to them, they're looking at Emmanuelle walking down the hall behind me. Is it disturbing? Yes. Is it sad? Yes. Am I maybe just a little bit jealous even? Absolutely. My babies don't need me anymore. I'm not the superhero idol I once was to them anymore. I'm becoming the old man.

The truly absurd thing about all of this is that I'm 23. I'm a kid myself. There are times when I'm not paying attention to them because I'm looking at the hottie first-year teacher walking by. I'm not supposed to have children. And I'm certainly not supposed to have abandonment issues due to an 11-year-old. The thing is, as I was realizing yesterday as I found myself unwittingly looking in the mirror for gray hairs is that I'm growing up a lot faster than other people my age. I still talk to friends who spend their weekdays going out for drinks and their weekends chilling. Instead, I find myself doing planning and worrying about what's going to happen to each of my kids this year. My kids. My children. I'm not supposed to have children.

There's starting to be a responsibility gap, if you will, between me and most of the other people I know. I find more and more that friends of mine don't know what real responsibility is. Sure, there are some that do, but how many people have someone who depends on them for their life and their well-being? What makes it of course most difficult is that though they depend on you they don't want to depend on you and they'll fight it any chance they get. I feel middle-aged.

It's hard to deal with all of this but I guess the good news is that I'm well-prepared for fatherhood. The thing that I see, that makes sense to me now when I see why some parents have difficulty letting go but also why you never really need to let go is that they still need you to be there for them. Last Friday, one of my girls had a pretty serious problem with another student and their mother and of all the people she could have gone to, her mother, her father, her sisters or her friends, she came to me. I am the constant. And despite how much they want to be independent and assert their individuality, the will always need someone to be there for them when things get too difficult.

The real question then becomes, as this my second and final year looms, am I going to be able to walk away from them?

-Mr. K

]]> 2004-10-10T08:52:54-05:00