Truth Be Told

Empty Honors

Posted on October 13, 2009 by Kirk

The great mystery of the week: for what did President Obama receive the Nobel prize? According to the Nobel committee, it was for “pre-election rhetoric” rather than anything he has done since being sworn in. Well, that’s a relief!

Let’s examine exactly what the President has accomplished. US economy – worse. National debt – larger. War in Iraq – same. Afghanistan – worse. Olympics coming to Chicago – no. Health care reform – not yet. He has spent an inordinate amount of time apologizing to the world on behalf of the United States and he has appointed czars to help promote socialism.

So, according to the Nobel committee, you can be nominated for talking about things you would like to do and then not doing them. Based on that, every Miss America contestant from the beginning of time should receive a Nobel prize for desiring “world peace.” Hey, I want world peace too, do I get one?

Al Gore described Obama’s award as “well-deserved.” But then, Gore got his award for a mockumentary on climate change. There are at least nine major factual misrepresentaations in An Incionvenient Truth, but that didn’t bother the Nobel committee. So Gore is probably just pleased to have someone who has done even less be the recipient of the award; it somehow justifies his own.

One thing that Obama has done is to award Harvey Milk the medal of honor for his role as a gay rights activist. Which leads me to another empty honor. Governor Schwarzenegger has just signed a bill into law creating Harvey Milk Day on May 22 (a bill he previously vetoed). Both the medal and the holiday are based on Milk’s accomplishments. I thought I should list them…

He was gay

He was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors

He was killed

…

(cricket sounds here)

…

You might recall that George Moscone was killed the same day as Milk. Moscone did much more for San Francisco than Milk. In fact, although the movie depicts Milk as a vocal activists, he was not. He was not killed because he was gay, so even his “martyrdom” is a fabrication. He was killed because Dan White was mad that he could not get his job back after he retired. So White killed the man who took his job (Milk) and the man in charge (Moscone). The movie depicts the whole thing differently, but movies can earn honors for people that they don’t deserve (reference Al Gore, above).

All three of these honors were given because of who the recipients are (or appear to be), not because of what they have done. In fact, none of them have actually done anything.

Truth be told, giving honors to people for who they are rather than what they have done does not honor them, rather it dishonors the honor and all those who have previously received them.

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California Education – Can You Buy Results?

Posted on September 28, 2009 by Kirk

Last week our district superintendent addressed our site concerning the current budget situation and how it will affect education. He posed an interesting question: “How is it that the 8th largest economy in the world ranks below the territories in education spending?”

Although it doesn’t change the point that was being made, some corrections to the facts should be pointed out. First, California ranks 11th as a world economy and we rank 47th among states in per student educational spending. More importantly, we rank 34th in SAT scores. This begs the question; does spending really have an effect on educational results? Even a quick glance at the two lists would indicate that the answer is no. The highest ranked state in SAT scores (Iowa) ranks near the middle in spending, while the state spending the most (Vermont) ranks 29th in SAT scores. Even in California, we rank higher in scores than many states spending more, but also lower than some spending less per student.

Due to the nature of our economy, it is unreasonable to even compare the cost of anything in California with that in other states directly. Everything in California costs more. It costs more to live in California, so it stands to reason that teacher salaries have to be more here than in other states. Construction costs are higher, as are maintenance and utilities. These are arguments (and there are others) for increased spending in California.

On the other hand, we have higher SAT scores than states spending more than we do per student. Does that mean that our programs are more effective than those states? Does that mean our teachers are better? Every state uses curriculum from only a few text book publishers. We all have the same material. We have the same or similar credentialing criteria. The biggest single factor seems to be the local economy.

Truth be told, the government has longago proven that the cost of something has little to do with its value. The local economy determines the time that parents have to spend with their children and that is the major determining factor of success.

Posted in economy, Education, Politics | Comments Off

Hero

Posted on August 13, 2009 by Kirk

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about heroes. I think we all want to be heroes in our own way, I know I do. I suppose there are times when I have been somewhat heroic. I know there are times when I have not been such. I suspect that both are true for all of us.

We become heroes when we put someone else’s happiness, security, safety, health…. above our own. We become heroes when we set aside our own “best interests” in order to serve someone else’s. We truly become heroes when our best interests become those of others. We all have opportunities to be heroes every day. As a minister to men, I have often heard from men about how they want to be heroes, but struggle with falling short.

More than anything, I want to be a hero to my kids and to my wife. Of course, we can’t set out to be heroes. It’s a by-product of the life we lead, which is a result of the choices we make. I’ve been reading the Principle of The Path (Andy Stanley) and I am beginning to see the ‘hero quest’ as part of the path I am on. I know the kind of man I want to be, that will result in me being that hero to my family and to my students and, maybe, to the other people in my life, and I struggle daily to stay on that path. Little distractions appear along the side of my path like shiny objects to a crow and I start veering off course, sometimes without even realizing it. It’s fairly easy to get back on the path if we notice early that we have started to move away from it, but I can also see how we could find ourselves way off course fairly quickly. Not all distractions are necessarily bad, except that they are distractions.

I often tell others that the key to success is to pick a destination and then stay on the path that leads us there. It’s easier said than done. There are the obvious distractions – things we know we should not waste our time with, but sometimes do anyway, but there are also more subtle distractions. We get led away by filling our time with (even good) activities that keep us from accomplishing our real task.

Truth be told, we become heroes in the eyes of those who love us when we find and pursue our purpose. We find balance and peace in family, ministry, work and play. Being a hero just naturally grows out of that.

Posted in morality, Truth | 1 Comment

I’m No Food Critic…

Posted on July 11, 2009 by Kirk

And this is a departure form my usual writings, but I do know good food and Annie’s in Austin, Texas is way better than just good. First, Austin may be the friendliest city I have ever visited and I am somewhat envious of my friend Craig who is moving there. There was no shortage of people willing to make suggestions as to where to go to eat or to listen to music.

I was in the region for business and decided to check out Austin for the evening. Not really expecting greatness on a Thursday, but figured I could find a good steak and maybe some live music to check out. My business partner and I were browsing restaurant window menus when a gentleman stepped out and invited us into Annie’s. He said he didn’t work there, but his wife was a part owner, and he guaranteed that I would not be disappointed with the steak.

The first thing I noticed is that the restaurant was light without being too bright. It held a friendly atmosphere that was contagious. Many people were sitting at a bar that boasted an impressive list of high end cocktail fixins for those who indulge in such things and the tables were bar height. The patrons were joining into each others’ conversations in a friendly, non-obtrusive way and it immediately felt like I had known the owner, waitresses, bar-tenders and other guests for years. Maybe that’s just Texas and maybe that’s Austin, but I think it had a lot to do with the place. We were given an appetizer of a thin crust pizza which we barely finished before the meal arrived. I had the best New York strip I have ever eaten and I was told the chef slices them himself – which explains the slightly thicker cut. It was seasoned with cracked black pepper and sea salt and just a few mushrooms. The marinade was just enough to enhance the steak without overpowering it. I can only describe it as perfect. The vegetables were lightly seasoned string beans with a few almond slices and they were also very good. We are in Texas, so the steak came with french fried potatoes. My business partner had the halibut, which I sampled. It was just crispy on the outside, but flaky and light inside. The fish was lightly seasoned and cooked perfectly. The seasoning added to, but did not distract from the flavor of the food. Over all, my experience at Annie’s was worth the trip to Austin by itself.

The night was not over, however. We started looking for some live music and were directed to 6th Street where we soon heard some hot blues coming out of a club called Friends. We went inside and sat down to listen to Brother Magnum, an Austin local with origins in Oakland. Magz can really sing and play guitar. He has a soulful style of blues that brings back some classics like Otis Redding and a voice that recalls a little Hootie mixed with Albert King. I happened to have a couple of blues harps with me and Magz invited me up to sit in on a couple of tunes. Check out his website, brothermagnum.com, and order his CD. Definitely worth listening to.

Truth be told, I had a great time in Austin and I am looking for reasons to go back. When I do, I will eat at Annies and look up Brother Magnum to see where he is playing.

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How To Leave A Legacy

Posted on June 6, 2009 by Kirk

I met “Dad” (and I only knew Jerry as “Dad” until yesterday when I attended his funeral) when his oldest granddaughter was on the high school softball team I help coach. Meeting the two sisters and working with them over the course of 6 years on the softball field and, occasionally, a few other places around the high school campus, inspired many conversations with their parents about parenting and teaching kids priorities. I have enjoyed watching these fine young ladies go on to bigger and better things and seeing the hard work and preparation they always put into their successes. I have seen them grow from little girls to young women. I have seen their scholastic and athletic success. I have seen how they prioritize and organize their time. I have seen how they have mentored others. My daughter has taken a special interest in the younger sister and has chosen to follow her as a catcher on her softball team. This has been met with a kindness and an interest rarely exhibited by high school students towards 2nd graders. In my daughter’s case, she has been blessed by, not one, but two such mentors (friend, pitcher, teammate of the other). I continue to be impressed as these young ladies juggle the myriad of activities beset upon young people in the high-pressure worlds of competitive sports and major universities. These sisters chose the same university. I know many who would have purposely chosen differently.

Reflecting on Jerry’s life, of which I know so little, I see some key points that seemed to make all the difference for many. First, he gave his children a firm foundation built on faith in God and trust in family. He used a common language (in this case softball) so he could continue to communicate with them, as they got older. Second, he taught them to prioritize and work hard for success, but that all the success they could achieve is not as important as faith and family and the values and morals that go with them. Third, he expanded his influence, reaching out beyond his family to provide the same for countless others. Finally, he continued to be a strong presence in the lives of all those he had influenced and, by so doing, he taught them to continue what he had started. And they do.

Truth be told, I didn’t know Jerry very well, but I know who and what he was, because I have know many of those he loves. Jerry may have “put it in the book” but the game goes on and his legacy continues.

Posted in Education, morality, Sports, Truth | Comments Off

Special Election… AGAIN?

Posted on May 15, 2009 by Kirk

I really would like to get away from writing about politics, but politicians keep doing really stupid things and too few people are taking notice. As a people, we just let them keep screwing things up for us. It seems more like we have given up than anything else.

I thought we elected these people to make laws, but all they can do is spend billions on special elections because they can’t make a decision. The special election next week is no exception. We are given six propositions, not so cleverly disguised as one, by giving them the names 1A through 1F, all of which are designed to give the legislature permission to take money previously designated by voters and us it in different ways to “balance” the current budget mess.

My initial thought is that we should boycott the election because it should not even be happening, but the tax and spend crowd would tthen pass all of these and our state would sink further into the abyss we are currently wallowing in. The money has already been spent, so we amy as well do the legislatures job for them… again.

1A creates a fund (from what?) that allows the government to spend however it sees fit and 1C, 1D, and 1E all allow money currently designated for specific purposes by voters to be used elsewhere. Even though some of these would take money from education, the CTA wants them all passed. That’s because the CTA does not care about education, it only wants more taxes for more government. 1B forces the government to pay back the money it has taken from schools this lat year. 1F prohibits pay increases for legislatures while the budget is in deficit. I think I will vote yes on 1B and F.

Truth be told, the legislature put all of these on the ballot because they are incapable of doing their jobs within the confines of the state constitution and the will of the voters so now they want a panicked voting public to give them permission to spend money however they want. Isn’t that what got us into this mess in the first place?

Posted in economy, Politics | 2 Comments

Lying Liars and the Lies They Lie

Posted on April 9, 2009 by Kirk

“I was trying to save the rabbit.” Jimmy Carter

“I did not have sex with that woman.” Bill Clinton

“I did not bow to the Saudi King.” Barack Obama

Not to claim that the right does not ever lie, but it seems to this observer that the left tells obvious lies and does not seem to care. Here we have a sitting president, bowing to a foreign dignitary and denying it when everyone has seen it. We could discuss the lies and why they lie, but no one really knows. It could be that they think the people are so ignorant that we won’t notice or that we just won’t care. Hillary Clinton did the same thing by telling different groups different things, as if no one else would hear about it. It lost her the nomination. Of course, no one lies like Joe Biden. He says things that are easily disproved and doesn’t seem to care. The other day I was watching a baseball game where he kept trying to say that he played college baseball (although he kept interrupting himself so he never actually finished it). He kept talking, during the campaign, about a coffee shop that he “hangs out in” that has been closed for 30 years. There are many examples, but who cares… he is only the vice president and no one minds if that is an empty suit.

I am more concerned that our president is bowing to a foreign king. He did not bow to the Queen of England. My opinion is that President Obama believes that the way to overcome the “arrogant reputation” the U.S. has with nations who do not like us is to become subservient to them. In actuality, the Muslim world, in particular, sees this as a form of surrender and a sign of weakness. Notice that the king did not return the bow, which is an acceptance of Obama’s subservience (surrender), rather than a mutual greeting.

Truth Be Told, as Americans, we probably have a certain confidence that may be taken as arrogance by others. It comes from nearly 2 and a half centuries of trying to solve the world’s problems. Sure, we make mistakes, but we have always had good intentions. Most of the time we are successful. Our nation is the most prosperous and the most willing to help in the world. Perhaps some confidence, if not arrogance, has been earned. The key is to balance that with humility, but don’t confuse humility with subservience and don’t believe that bowing to another leader earns their respect. Lying doesn’t do it either.

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Losing Focus

Posted on March 22, 2009 by Kirk

Often the path we end up on is not the path we started down. I think this happens when we forget why we started down the road to begin with. It happens to all of us in different aspects of our lives. Recently, I started doubting my career choice. My students think I am a good teacher. Their parents think I am a good teacher. Every other teacher that has ever observed me teach thinks I am a good teacher. My administrator, however, does not seem to agree. I have never received what I would consider a positive review. She only seems to see negatives when observing me and has never written a positive comment in my reviews. I became obsessed with trying to get a good review. I gave up coaching softball, partially because of time constraints, but also because I wanted to focus on teaching and planning. I have been miserable in my job the past year and a half because my objective became to get a good review from my principal. In fact, in my most recent review I overcame every criticism she had in my previous review and, still, received no written positives in my observation report. This is not self-pity. In fact, there are many others who receive the same types of observations, but this is not even about my review. This is about my focus.

A friend and co-worker said something this week that is gradually sinking in to this thick skull of mine. Maybe I should stop worrying about about what someone else thinks about my teaching and worry more about what God thinks of my teaching. My focus used to be on students. It used to be on developing the relationships that are presented before me and changing the lives of those I come in contact with. When my focus became more centered on myself and my evaluations, I lost my direction and my motivation.

How many of us have become discouraged or unmotivated because our focus has shifted from our original good intent to that of our own glory, pride or otherwise personal reward. Whether it is in our career, our ministry or our family, our focus often has to be readjusted form time to time.

Truth be told, doing the right thing is never enough. Doing the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason is paramount to maintaining focus and the only way to stay on the path towards our original ideals. I am not saying to not do the right thing because your motivation might be wrong. Adjust your motivation. Adjust your focus.

Posted in Education, morality, Truth | Comments Off

Change? What change?

Posted on January 31, 2009 by Kirk

In President Obama’s first two weeks he has sent missile strikes into Pakistan, ordered $800 billion in bail out money and alienated Speaker Pelosi… so what’s changed? I realize, as does the president, that the current economic circumstances will take years to recover, but what the new administration is about to learn is how little the government has to do with the economy. What surprises me is that President Obama’s strategy is exactly the same as that of President Bush.

Our new president has also continued to surround himself with advisers with questionable backgrounds and connections. Our treasury secretary should be in jail for income tax evasion. The secretary of state has a foundation with her husband that accepts donations from governments with adversarial attitudes towards the US. Most recently, the nomination for health secretary is reported to have accepted what amounts to bribes (he called them “speaking fees”) from health care groups with vested interests in his upcoming decisions. Yet, his rock star status continues.

The economy continues to worsen. Government bail outs do nothing to help the people who are losing their homes. Lenders rescued by the feds are now giving creative loans to homeowners, but many of these modified loans will have adjustable rates that could skyrocket again in about 2011. Remember 11-12% interest rates during Carter’s leadership (I use the term loosely)? We have to prepare for that possibility.

Truth be told I hope I am wrong, but the best we can do is prepare for the worst.

Posted in economy, Politics | 1 Comment

Here a truth, there a truth, everywhere a truth…

Posted on January 1, 2009 by Kirk

I have heard a lot lately about “speaking one’s own truth.” It seems a popular notion that truth, like beauty, is in the eye (or mind) of the beholder. I will concede that opinions, perspectives, and emotions are all individual and may be completely different form person to person. But truth? Isn’t what is true independent of who perceives it?

As a high school math teacher, I am faced daily with those who are entirely convinced that what they subscribed to as an “answer” is completely true. Some of them will argue the point long after I have shown them how to correctly solve the problem. I have tried to tell them that no matter how firmly they believe that 2 + 2 = 5, it just is not true. Truth, real truth, is like this.

The most significant argument for the existence of truth is the fact that there exists those things which are absolutely not true. So, we propose that all things have an opposite and that, therefore, truth must exist. Now we begin this new year with the quest for truth and, in order to find truth, we follow the trail of those things which are true back to the source of truth.

Posted in Treatise On Truth | Comments Off