A Public Education Success Story

Restoring an educational gem's luster.

As a high schooler in California's Central Valley my teachers always told me and my parents that I had tremendous potential. This potential evolved from my love of reading that I obtained from my Mom, and my curiosity about everything. But I had no idea how college worked. I did however live in a middle class neighborhood and many of my friends' parents had college degrees; meaning that I had many friends who knew all about college and the admission process. I applied and was accepted into the University of California system, but did not attend right after high school. Instead I attended "City" (Fresno City College) and earned an A.A. in Political Science. And even though I was admitted to UC Davis, I applied by accident and even had to ask the recruiter how to spell "Lawyer." One of the questions in the admissions application asked about career objectives. I thought of lawyer only because L.A. Law was my favorite show at the time.

Nonetheless, I owe everything to California's Public School system, the Community College system, and the University of California system. My kids will receive outstanding public educations because of the education my wife and I received in the Golden state. My brother graduated from the Cal State system. Our parents were migrant workers and we never accepted any government aid (a tremendous source of pride in Hacienda Aguila) other than my student loans.

My mother-in-law graduated from UC Davis and her sister from Cal!

The system works and it had a multi-generational positive impact. So I make no apologies. No...I owe it to California that I argue here on behalf of this once great educational system.

Arizona Students Recycling Used Technology

I am adding a new link under the Save the World subheading at the Cyber Hacienda. As all who know me know, I am committed to saving my small corner of the world. Arizona Students Recycling Used Technology is a wonderful program that makes the world better at many different levels.

The non-profit group, Arizona Students Recycling Used Technology, teaches high-school and college students how to refurbish computers, then donates the computers to other charities. In 2009, AZStRUT accepted about 1,500 machines - about half as many as in 2007, according to executive director Tom Mehlert.

For more read today's Arizona Republic article here. These are the types of programs implemented locally by civic society that offer the best hope for our society, the world, the future, the environment, etc. You get my point. Individual and community can make a difference.

Las guerras de la cultura

Mexico antiabortion forces swaying state legislatures.

As in the United States the politics associated with the Culture Wars assume precedence over what is best for individuals or society.

Instead of fighting over a woman's right to choose or when life begins, we should instead focus on preventing unwanted pregnancies. We have the technology and the resources, but not the will to solve this problem once and for all. And the same is true in Mexico.

Here is another issue that unnecessarily consumes our attention and divides society. Furthermore it is a fact in which the wealthy will always be able to access an abortion when this segment of society decides it wants one. We are only punishing the poor and consuming tax payer money to do so.

Both sides should work together on this endeavor.

Copenhagen Climate Summit

Copenhagen closes with weak deal that poor threaten to reject.

As I read the story about events at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen I experienced mixed feelings about its failure, some of the delegates' actions, and the ideals of Western society. All-in-all, at the conclusion of this article I was depressed.

1. I have said many times here that Americans will not commit to meaningful reform until it's convenient and financially beneficial to the average American. Sad but true. Attempts at implementing real international accords will continually fail unless the U.S. demonstrates to the world that we genuinely care about the global community.

2. The average American must lead by example. I went for a jog this morning in my old neighborhood where I grew up. It's an upper middle class area in the burbs of Fresno. This is a highly educated part of the California Central Valley that understands how important agriculture is to our well being. Yet, as I ran, I saw tons of trash everywhere: in front of nice houses, along side busy streets, in front of my old elementary school (Go Tigers!), and now in the Starbucks parking lot-more trash. What would our society be like, if the average American did not litter and better yet picked up one piece of trash per day in public and placed it in a trash can?

• What if more Americans used public transportation and car pooled on a daily basis?
• What if more people shut of the faucet as they brushed their teeth?
• What if more people insisted on buying local food products?

I could go on, but you understand my point.

Finally, I am doubtful that the Obama administration can make a positive impact or is even really committed to addressing this problem. The W. administration was open and insistent that it did not care about this issue. Within this context I am not sure who I have more respect for?

Political reforms for Mexico: Real or Imagined

Mexico's Calderón urges sweeping political reform

It is always a potential step in the right direction when Mexican leadership can reform its political system. And it is admirable when a Mexican president begins this process. But similar promises where made by President Calles in 1928, whose reforms created "the perfect dictatorship," as described by Gabriel García Márquez. Yet Mexico's political system has to be fixed. Well, that is a n understatement since it needs many fixes, but then again whose system does not?

To the point: it must allow for experienced, effective, and honest politicians to be re-elected, although not necessarily in perpetuity.

"Lawmakers and mayors could hold office for up to 12 years through re-election, making them more accountable, Calderón said."

This is a positive step since much time is lost when newbie's take office. Experienced elected officials who will be held accountable by the possibility of re-election could be a constructive reform.

Such announcements are sure to win Calderón positive praise, but are they the best reforms at this point in Mexican history. Are such topics what Mexican society needs at this point in time? They will surely favor Northern urban Mexico, but not Southern rural Mexico.

They key statement is as follows:
"The idea is to give citizens more power, to give them the capacity to shape public life and to strengthen our democracy."

This is the problem. Many Mexicans still suffer from lack of a basic education. Significant sections of Mexican society are still illiterate and lack the basic tools necessary to function in a real democratic system. Consequently, along with such political reforms, leadership should drastically improve the public education system.

Citizens can not gain more power without knowing what power they have, what power they should yield to their leaders, when to limit such powers, etc... You get my point?

More Problems for California Higher Ed.

I hate reading these stories. I don't know what to say, just read the dam story.

State university fee hikes are a test many families can't pass.

Tiger Woods and Hypocrisy

I don't care what happens to him because it does not impact my life one bit, not even my television viewing habits. I do not feel sorry for his kids, wife, etc.

I am tired of the hypocrisy coming from the media and folks who feel betrayed. For example read Greg Norman's statement:

"It's probably damaged the game to a degree," Greg Norman, golf's biggest draw in the generation before Woods, said at his Shark Shootout in Naples, Fla. "I get texts from family members whose kids idolize Tiger, and they don't want to tell them because they don't want to pollute their minds with what's happened."

What a loser! Norman just divorced again from a marriage that lasted a year maybe. Should it matter to the kids who idolize him? It only matters because he is a hypocrite and because he also receives big bucks from sponsors.

I also think American society does not want to admit how fragile monogamy and marriage are in the United States. Instead they fake offense when they are told that someone cheated on their partner. While society denies all of its shadows we demand to know more about this dumb bastard's life.

But check out this article from the New York Times in 1854. That's right 1854!

"Growth of Infidelity in the United States"
New York Times
August 9, 1854, Wednesday
Page 4, 1016 words

It is generally admitted that Infidelity, within the last twenty-five years, has increased in the United States. There are not statistics, so far as we know, on the subject, but the fact itself is too obvious to admit doubt.

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And one last thing, I don't care that Tom Brady had a son a couple of weeks ago. I do not watch Sports Center to receive updates on athlete's families.

Cheating in College

This link showed up in my Gmail account. The link was titled "Non Plagiarized College Papers." So I hit the link and typed in "Mexican Immigration" in the search window. The results are vary scary because many of the paper titles are appropriate for my students' final research papers in my course titled, Mexican Immigration to the United States. This is the world that we live in today. Ouch!
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All essays are still only $9.95/page with a free bibliography & same day delivery!

Now Showing Matches 1 To 10 Page 1 Intercultural communication as it reflects Mexican Immigration This 5 page paper examines Mexican immigration and how intercultural communication is affected. Bibliography lists 3 sources.... > [ Click here for a FREE description of this paper! ] > [ Click here to purchase & receive this paper TODAY! ] Galarza & Acuna/Mexican Immigration A 3 page research paper/essay that discusses 2 books by these authors. Authors Rodolfo Acuna (Occupied America, 2000) and Ernesto Galarza (Barrio Boy, 1971... > [ Click here for a FREE description of this paper! ] > [ Click here to purchase & receive this paper TODAY! ] Mexican Immigration and It's Impact on Citizenship Policy in the U.S.: This 20 page paper examines how the large scale immigration from Mexico has affected citizenship policy in the U.S. The primary focus of this paper is how... > [ Click here for a FREE description of this paper! ] > [ Click here to purchase & receive this paper TODAY! ] Mexican Immigration Into The United States: Conflict, Culture And Changing Role 6 pages in length. Northern and southern California were cleanly split into two distinct divisions after the Mexicans had overtaken the state's colon... > [ Click here for a FREE description of this paper! ] > [ Click here to purchase & receive this paper TODAY! ] Italian and Mexican Immigration An 8 page paper which discusses major issues regarding Italian and Mexican Immigration today. Bibliography lists 11 sources. ... > [ Click here for a FREE description of this paper! ] > [ Click here to purchase & receive this paper TODAY! ] The Impact of Mexican Immigration This 4 page paper examines Mexican immigration and how it impacts the United States. Social problems that have arisen as a result are highlighted. Statis... > [ Click here for a FREE description of this paper! ] > [ Click here to purchase & receive this paper TODAY! ] In Pursuit of the American Dream: Mexican Immigration to the United States A 5 page discussion of the factors which leads Mexican Americans to cross the border as either documented or undocumented immigrants. This paper points ou... > [ Click here for a FREE description of this paper! ] > [ Click here to purchase & receive this paper TODAY! ] Mexican Immigration A 10 page paper that provides an overview of the issues relating to illegal migration of Mexicans into the United States and also provides an overview of t... > [ Click here for a FREE description of this paper! ] > [ Click here to purchase & receive this paper TODAY! ] Why The U.S. Should Have A More Protected Border With Mexico A 20 page research paper which examines the various ramifications surrounding the issue of Mexican immigration. The writers look at the both sides of this ... > [ Click here for a FREE description of this paper! ] > [ Click here to purchase & receive this paper TODAY! ] Italian And Mexican Migration To The U.S. A 24 page paper. Following a general introduction, this essay reports the immigration patterns of first Italians and then, Mexicans. The decades of signifi... > [ Click here for a FREE description of this paper! ] > [ Click here to purchase & receive this paper TODAY! ] Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Defending marriage by denying divorce

I support saving marriage and buying t-shirts. My name is Jaime Aguila, I am married and I support this idea.

Defending marriage by denying divorce.

I thought of that guy recently when I read that John Marcotte, the Sacramento political activist and comedy writer who began campaigning this summer for a statewide ban on divorce, received the go-ahead from the California secretary of state to try to collect about 700,000 signatures to get it on the ballot in March. Marcotte, who is married and says his wife was among the first signers, calls the movement -- the 2010 California Marriage Protection Act -- a natural extension of the 2008 California Marriage Protection Act, a.k.a. Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage. His website is rife with slogans such as "Closing the budget gap -- one marriage at a time" and "You said 'Til death do us part.' You're not dead yet." You can also buy T-shirts.

2010 California Marriage Protection Act

RescueMarriage.org is the brain-child of concerned Christian and political activist John Marcotte, who felt strongly that Prop 8 did not go far enough in protecting traditional marriage. With the help of attorneys and friends, Marcotte is attempting to ban divorce in the State of California.

The Dallas Cowboys

Here is the letter I wrote to Jerry Jones right after our loss to the Giants today:

I have been a fan of the Dallas Cowboys since before I was born. And I am forced to say that this year's team is more disappointing that the teams of the 1980s. This team makes so many dumb mistakes, which indicates a lack of preparedness on the player's part and frankly limited intelligence on the coaching staff. Today's gaffs are consistent with so many painfull Sundays of recent memory. Flozell Adams' dirty play and fighting at halftime, the holding penalty following a great return by Felix Jones in the second half, Romo's inability to get a play off before the two minute warning, another incorrect challenge by Coach Wilson and there are a few more. I buy Cowboy products for my son, we have attended many games at Texas Stadium, and I was at the game in Phoenix last year. I know football is a business, and based on that fact, I want you to know that you are close to losing a life-long fan's/customer's loyalty.

More Bad News for my Beloved U.C.

Abandoning California's commitment to education.

Every time I see a news article about the University of California system, I try and convince myself not to read because it's probably more bad news. Well here we go again, I wish I hadn't read it. Here is just one excerpt of Tim Rutten's editorial in today's Los Angeles Times:

Today, just 36.3% of California's high school graduates go on to college, compared with better than 40% nationally. Among the country's 20 largest states, we now rank 18th in the percentage of 12th graders who go directly to college and 17th in the number who ever seek higher education. The well-documented decline of California's primary and secondary schools has played a role in that; only 20 states spend less per pupil than we do, and we rank next to last in student-teacher ratios.

These are scary numbers that make me feel like my native state is really a developing nation which has tremendous natural resources, but they are distributed in a highly polarized fashion. That damn Proposition 13 (this is an excellent article on it) and California's commitment to the prison system are sinking the great state of California.

The University of California system is an outstanding educational system that is an elemental part of California's glorious history. It must be resurrected as part of state and nation's recovery agenda! Can a brother have the URL for the course catalog?

South Park Bullys

School holds tolerance seminar as 3 boys are arrested in 'ginger' attacks

The 12- and 13-year-old boys may face criminal charges after allegedly beating up 11 red-haired students at a Calabasas middle school. Most parents urge strong punishment.

Monique Kleinfinger and her daughter Samara, 12, recount how she was hit by a half-dozen other students at A.E. Wright Middle School on Nov. 20. "They seemed to think it was a big, funny joke," Samara said. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times / November 30, 2009)

Apparently spurred by a Facebook site and inspired by the animated "South Park" television show, "Kick a Ginger Day" brought notoriety to A.E. Wright Middle School, an ordinarily peaceful campus that sponsored a tolerance assembly for students Monday in the wake of the attacks. The "South Park" episode, first shown in 2005, was itself supposed to be a lesson in tolerance but misfired, with harassment of red-haired students taking place at schools across the U.S. and Canada over the last few years.

I don't like South Park, not because of its topics, but because I think its writing is inconsistent and sometimes just mean. It's amazing how the Simpsons has done so well over such a long time, and I prefer the Family Guy, anyway.

But the problem is not South Park. The problem is parents who are inattentive. You must keep track of your kids activities. T.V. is not a babysitter. The parents of those bullys should be punished.

And by the way, private school is not the answer since those kids have T.V.s in the homes also.