Why I don't own a house in the Napa Valley: A two bedroom, one bath cottage for--
Ran into a Nursing Supervisor walking in the hall of the hospital this morning. "Are you going to get the Swine Flu vaccine?" she asked. This Nursing Supervisor is another "off-grider". Homeschooler. Although she is of the more Christian Right back-to-the-lander persuasion (of whom I think there are many more than us left-of-center, "off griders").
"Of course", I told her.
She went on to say that she was opposed to vaccines, and certainly wouldn't be getting this one.
Continuing my way to the unit, I noticed new hand sanitizers everywhere. In front of the elevators; outside my bosses office (mmmm.....frightened of the hygienics of us lowly workers?). A colleague told me the reason, when I made my way into the report room at 6:30 am.
Evidently, we had our first Swine Flu death. A 25 year old male (already reported by the press, so I can write about it). A healthy male. We are told that this pandemic isn't serious. That over one million Americans have gotten the bug and haven't needed any hospitalization. We are told the bug hasn't mutated yet. Nor will it be a return to 1918.
All I know is that I sure did use the hand sanitizers at work today. And I took my temperature three times!
I thought of these things on my walk in St. Helena. A hot day, I waited for it to cool off by stopping at my favorite restaurant for a couple of pints and some really excellent macaroni and cheese (only $12 for the mac and cheese).
St. Helena suffers from another bug: Affluenza.
I've been reading David Wann's book lately and this has been on my mind too. I walked with an eye towards the unsustainable consumption. I stopped to look at a two bedroom cottage (with no yard) that is on sale for $819,000. I saw a sports car that I had no idea what it was...a t something. Beautiful people with handsome bank accounts everywhere.
Affluenza vs. H1N1... Which would I choose to have? Well, I live in a culture in the last throws of the former. With proper hand washing, I hope to escape the latter.
p.s. As always when in Napa, photos will be added when I return to the Farm.
"Of course", I told her.
She went on to say that she was opposed to vaccines, and certainly wouldn't be getting this one.
Continuing my way to the unit, I noticed new hand sanitizers everywhere. In front of the elevators; outside my bosses office (mmmm.....frightened of the hygienics of us lowly workers?). A colleague told me the reason, when I made my way into the report room at 6:30 am.
Evidently, we had our first Swine Flu death. A 25 year old male (already reported by the press, so I can write about it). A healthy male. We are told that this pandemic isn't serious. That over one million Americans have gotten the bug and haven't needed any hospitalization. We are told the bug hasn't mutated yet. Nor will it be a return to 1918.
All I know is that I sure did use the hand sanitizers at work today. And I took my temperature three times!
I thought of these things on my walk in St. Helena. A hot day, I waited for it to cool off by stopping at my favorite restaurant for a couple of pints and some really excellent macaroni and cheese (only $12 for the mac and cheese).
St. Helena suffers from another bug: Affluenza.
I've been reading David Wann's book lately and this has been on my mind too. I walked with an eye towards the unsustainable consumption. I stopped to look at a two bedroom cottage (with no yard) that is on sale for $819,000. I saw a sports car that I had no idea what it was...a t something. Beautiful people with handsome bank accounts everywhere.
Affluenza vs. H1N1... Which would I choose to have? Well, I live in a culture in the last throws of the former. With proper hand washing, I hope to escape the latter.
p.s. As always when in Napa, photos will be added when I return to the Farm.
6 comments:
If you want to see Affluenza, Allan, come out to Saratoga Springs, where one woman with far more money than brains is tearing down a gorgeous historic home adjoining her disgustingly opulent new disneylandish mansion. Why is she doing this? To make more room or her 30 chihuahuas to play outdoors! They already have a heated outdoor area so they don't have to get their feet cold when they go outside to pee during Saratoga winters. Then there's a guy on the outskirts of town who built a 63,000 sq. ft. home. That's as big as a Target store. For two people. Not even 30 chihuahuas!
I hope when these folks appear before the Judgment Seat that they have to witness the suffering their billions could have assuaged. But then, so could we all be called to judgment. My canoe could have bought three months rent for a cheap studio apartment.
The billions did assuage some suffering -- those mansion I have no love for require lots of people to build and maintain, keeping many out of poverty or off the welfare rolls.
I bailed on riding yesterday -- lazy.
Tried to make up for it today, riding to town for errands and then out to Washington Park to visit and play music with some old friends who camp there annually. Got a late start and discovered that I can make it to the ferry dock in 17 minutes. 19 would have been too late. Came back on the 11:00 PM ferry and enjoyed a ride through the night fog across the island.
17.81 miles
1:39
10.75 mph average
29.51 mph max
with guitar both ways and two boxes plus hardware on the way back.
There are many versions of homeschoolers, of which I was one. I would say I did it for four years because I was tired of all the wasted time in public school. And I didn't think it was a very good idea to put 1500 13 and 14 year old children together in one place.And maybe the best place to learn history is not in a stuffy classroom memorizing dates from a dry textbook. All in all it was a good experience but they went back to public school in HS. And they have had all their shots.
Rode to meditation and back today, visiting with a variety of people there and on the way home. Bikes rock for socializing!
10.71 miles
59:55
10.72 mph average
36.50 mph max
Jackijo...
Joni says I'm too hard on Homeschoolers. In fact, Joni's new job is working with a school district with people who are homeschooling.
I admire anyone who would take the time and energy to homeschool. And I realize there are many reasons to do such: poor schools, child not responding to school etc. etc.
Yet, a free and public education is a RADICAL idea. Democratic. Socialistic. It is something that our grandparents fought for. And I hate to see intelligent parents pulling their kids out of school, rather than getting involved in their children's schools to improve them.
Homeschooling happens whether or not a child attends a public school. I like to see kids learn at both places.
Best,
allan
Thanks, Allan. I definitely agree that homeschooling happens whether or not your child attends a public school or is schooled at home. Children with involved parents, will do well. I have seen good and not so good parents of homeschooled children as well as public schooled children. We should embrace the privilege of a free, public education. It is just there is so much wasted time (I figured at least two to three hours a day when my children would have attended Jr. High)I felt that the time was better spent during those years in extra piano practice, outdoor experience, learning home skills like cooking and sewing, field trips, and yes even sleep.
They don't teach cooking, sewing, shop in school any more. They don't take field trips very often, maybe once a year.
Thanks for your comment and willingness to be open-minded! I would love to hear more about the innovations Joni comes up with for those homeschoolers.
Post a Comment