The Excitement of the Holidays

It's hard to say who is more excited about Christmas at our house. Andrea is giddy with excitement as she goes from store to store buying presents for everyone. Matthew is just excited to have the possibility of presents. He isn't even concerned with what kind of presents. If you ask him what he wants, he is probably going to tell you he wants a box. He will then correct himself and let you know he wants a green box.

I'm also excited. I can't wait to wake him up early on Christmas and tell him that Santa has been here. We will then run downstairs and fight over who opens up the presents. I can already see him at the tree. He won't have any clothes, just a droopy diaper. He won't want to change it because to man exciting things are happening.

Although Matthew doesn't know for sure what role Santa plays in all the presents, he is quick to figure it out. Every time there is food around the house he wants to put some out for Santa. Once he saw a couple of pickles on my plate and asked me if I liked them. When I told him I didn't, he quickly grabbed them off my plate and ran to the tray we have ready for Santa and put them there. He came back to me very proud and stated, "Santa likes pickles".

Then the discussion has turned to how Santa gets in the houses out here. With no fire places we have to think of everything. One of the friends told his son that Santa comes in through the vent. I like to think Santa gets in the same way that the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy do: through the use of magic.

To top the excitement off, we even had snow here in Vegas. It was a snow day and everything. Some of our friends had 8 inches of snow in their yard. That just isn't natural. Of course, they called off school the next day and the sun was shining and it was warm. It was awesome. There isn't even a plan for making the day up. It seems they don't have a plan for such a thing.

That's the snow blurred view as I see it. Happy Holidays.

Nevada Education Cuts Continue

Well, the slaughtering of education in Nevada continues. The Clark County School District Board of Directors was asked to consider proposed budget cuts by Superintendent Walt Rulffes. The proposed cuts of $120 million come after earlier cuts of $130 million across the board. The cuts are proposed for the 2009-2010 school year with the budget taking effect July 1, 2009.

The results of the lost programs and personnel will be devastating on the 5th largest school district in the United States. The cuts were called for by the nation's worst governor, Jim Gibbons. It appears that Governor Gibbons agenda has been that of George W's from the start which is to take the education system out of the local control protected by the United States Constitution. Many people believe that the goal of many is the eventual privatization of education.

It's evident that in today's tough budget climate tough decisions are necessary, but governments need to take the hands off policy that middle schools across the nation have: hand's off education. It's improbable that without further staffing and program allocation that school districts can meet the admirable goal of leaving no child left behind. If Gibbons and his cronies continue to get their way, the inner city youth of American will continue to fall behind and the haves will continue to control the have nots.

Anyway, that's the view as I see it.