Work Hard for the Money

Shout out to my buddy Jules for the suggestion, first and most eminently. The issue of paying children to attend and excel in school (in core classes) is apparently brewing throughout the nation as some specific urban locations in cities such as Chicago, Washington D.C., and New York have already instituted such a program. The bill is still in the rudimentary stage as it is currently on the table for Detroit.

I thought i heard of this in Atlanta before but maybe not. The article i read cited a particular instance in New York where a school has risen from the doldrums to achieve laudable results due to students receiving pay. The language on the bill states that students could earn up to $2000. I think i am 40/60 (good/bad)on this, on the surface this seems like a good idea but i think that it wouldn't benefit that many in the long run. Some students will pick up their performance to attain money, some probably will not, and some may cheat; but that's not the measuring stick. I believe that children should understand the concept of bettering yourself, often times that doesn't directly offer you a reward. As I channel my inner psychologist, i think that this will induce children to associate school/learning with money, but what will happen when/if they head off to college and the tables are reversed as they have to pay to attend school. Will they then feel like it is not worth it? I also think you can't make everything about money, because their are other things kids can do to obtain money, especially as they live out their teenage years. If your motivation is primarily the money then this offer won't hold your attention. I do understand that some would lose interest regardless but i think it sets the wrong idea.

More importantly the issue of funding this is stifling, in D.C. the program costs $2.7 million a year. For a city like Detroit struggling with a deficit it does not seem wise (although they did mention funding from elsewhere). I would have to contend that families need to encourage their children to try their best and your reward comes down the line, when you get accepted into whatever school you want or you land that job/internship. Instant gratification is another problem we often have but that's a topic for another day.

However as i stated earlier i do not think it is all bad. I think for some this will work and serve as sufficient motivation. I also understand the notion of getting results no matter how you get them, I wrote a blog a while back that talked about motivation coming in many forms. Also perhaps this will help some households that deal with money issues by allowing even the smallest of kids to contribute. As most of the 'Sofa knows i am all about the mindset though, you can't let the situation determine your mindset, you have to have the right mindset no matter the situation.

Goodbye California...

Pay attention people. This is pretty serious. Governor Schwarzenegger has signed a law outlawing terms that are allegedly percieved negative to gays, i.e. "mom and dad" and "husband and wife" in public schools. WHAT! If you want to look the bill up it is Bill SB777. Furthermore, students male or female can now utilize the gender oriented restroom and locker room of which they choose to identify with. To put it in rudimentary terms (perhaps i shouldn't have used rudimentary) the boys can use the ladies restroom and locker room and vice versa. All you can do is shake your head to this one. This is a quote so you know im not making this up.

"We are shocked and appalled that the governor has blatantly attacked traditional family values in California," said Karen England, executive director of Capitol Resource Institute.

For all the salt of the world this is demoralizing. Even more important is the fact that text, teaching aids, and reference guides that refer to marriage as only between a man and a woman or say people are born male and female (nothing in between) will be banned. In addition, sources that fail to include a variety of transsexual, bisexual and homosexual historical figures, and sex education materials that fail to offer the option of sex changes will also be banned.This is important because California is one of the largest purchaser of text books, from what i read publishers are not apt to labor the cost of making two sets of text books, one for California and one for the rest of the states, and do not intend on losing California as a purchaser because they are a substantial money tree. So what do we anticipate the textbooks will look like in the near future? Like my man Big Boi said, "an adolescent mind is very impressionable in those stages". Additionally the word "sex" will no longer refer to your biological gender.

Only in Cali, that's what they said when Arnold was elected and look what has spawned. My question is what should the children who have mothers and fathers call their parents, because they are mom and dad. They are expeditiously trying to reform America, they are looking to break values and create chaos. It is not discriminatory to anyone if a child calls his mom "mother", how can someone be offended, that is what she is. It doesn't refer to anyone else's family situation. If you effectively get rid of mother and father then will boy and girl be next? Will we all just be simply "human". If California does not understand that only a man and a woman can make a child then they deserve to break off and drift into the ocean. This is what happens when you get shows like "Tila Tequila" all over tv. In an effort to desensitize people gradually inject more and more homosexuality into America and then it turns into this. For the record I love everyone but right is right and wrong is wrong. To choose your own way of life is your right and that should not be taken away from you, ultimately you live with the decisions you make. However, when you begin to confuse children that creates a larger problem. Children are probably not even concerened with sexuality. Private schools should see a significant spike in Cali, and if they don't then its a problem. How can parents feel comforted and at ease that their child is being educated in school and not being brainwashed concerning sexuality. First they take prayer out of school and now this.

California you can go ahead and break off into the ocean whenever you get a minute. You can populate your island with gender reflective relationships and see how that works. Arnold has really done it this time, seriously!