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The most cogent comment heard this morning has to do with treating the whole person.  A teacher works with the whole child and must work with all of the specialists in the classroom.  And they receive a single fee for working with a group of people.

posted 2 years, 2 months ago
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There is no reason for handguns anywhere or anytime for anyone.  Hunting sure.  Handguns.  Ban 'em!  Totally.

posted 3 years, 1 month ago
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Are we talking about healthcare or insurance?  It is time to separate the issue of insurance and healthcare.  The distinction will enable a conversation that is clear and concise and move us forward.

Lets take the profit out of insurance and apply it toward healthcare. 

Insurance companies are rationing care now.  And they certainly can deny service.

posted 3 years, 10 months ago
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Policy is tough to write, let alone implement.  At least Obama reads and writes!  With this skill-set, at least we have a fighting change to bring about a positive change.

posted 3 years, 10 months ago
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It is important that it was not that long ago people bought houses... but they bought them with cash.  When people put money in the bank and save to buy a house for cash... the money is accumulated and lent out to the community... while the savings grow.  Housing prices would be in line with income if people saved to pay with cash.  I own real estate... and I paid cash.  It makes life simpler.  This fact contributes to the benefit of the community at large.... and my pocketbook.

posted 4 years, 3 months ago
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Time is of the essence... There are millions of mortgage modifications that need to be managed.  Computer Sciences Corporation has an applicaiton called Early Resolution that takes a 90 to 120 day process and brings it down to less than a week.

Early Resoltuion can be employed by banks and mortgage service providers.  It is apparent that an application such as this would grease the skids to get this done ASAP.  See more at:

http://www.csc.com/banking/ds/11315-earlyresolution?ref=ls

posted 4 years, 3 months ago
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This used to be the view from my front yard! Union Pacific has since, unfortunately, created a rock "bridge" which altered the view. It was amazing to watch the many steam trains pass each day.

posted 4 years, 7 months ago
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Hi have a couple of photos... I lived in the Gorge for three years of my childhood. The experience was profound then... and positively affects my life each waking day. I have many stories about extended family...living on "The Ranch." Life included raising animals, taking produce to market, canning, "raising" honey and watching the tug boats run up and down the river and the steam engines running along the river ... with their smoke billowing across the front yard. Of course one could pick up an arrowhead from time to time.

posted 4 years, 7 months ago
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Banks are banks...If you deposit your money, the bank has to do something with it! Read: loan it out. This sets up a scenario, where not everyone can withdraw their money at the same time. Its called a float. The bank is required to hold a percentage of deposits in its "cash drawer."

Banks provide a useful purpose for the local community. That said, if one lives in a big "sandbox" using a large bank has its benefits. One can be in Singapore or Denmark and use an ATM. Local banks are good for small neighborhood business and house building.

As with the Full Faith and Credit of the United States government: The dollar has been sold down the river. Soon we will have a new international monetary system because of globalization. Many national leaders are already calling for meetings to talk about this issue. The Bretton Woods agreement is disintegrating before our eyes.

posted 4 years, 7 months ago
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This "crises" is a good thing. People are over extended, and may not have taken the consequences of debt into consideration. Everyone on the show is talking about purchases like its an investment, using OPM. Housing is a wasting asset, just like an automobile. Its time to start saving money, growing wealth and buying what we need or want with cash. Regulation starts at a personal level. If I want something, I save and then purchase with cash. In this way I am beholden to no one. A business should raise capital by selling equity. The stock holders then take the risk... with their cash.

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
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Yes, banking services are important. That said, we have become a borrowing - leveraged society. My grandparents bought cars and their home for cash. They put money away to grow their future. People now borrow money to buy EVERYTHING. What has happened to investment? Businesses should not be borrowing money to grow. They should raise investment equity. This conversation is just blah, blah, blah. The conversation is an attempt to obscure the fact that most individuals, and companies are overextended and living beyond their means. To be sure... I own real estate as well. I paid cash. Its time to change our perception about wealth and the cost of debt.

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
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Its time for people to look at the issue of borrowing money. Housing prices would adjust to appropriate levels when people consider paying cash. I've paid cash for my property and own it outright. That said, I worked for everything I have without the help of family money. That said, while the price of a home has changed, up or down, the value of property has not changed since the 70s based on inflation. At the end of the day... its what your dollar will buy.

posted 5 years, 1 month ago
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Agreed! For ALL students! What is required is implementation of rigorous learning processes that incorporate the spectrum of multiple intelligences, fused with authentic assessment. The template for a step-by-step learning process that is based on students? individual interests, and which is adaptable for any grade level or content area, has been outlined herein. It is up to educators to have the courage and willpower to take the first step on what will be a successful journey of reforming education, one classroom at a time.
Cheers,
Dan
Dan@goaon.com

posted 5 years, 3 months ago
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We can have success for all! Successful schools focused on reform are engaged in ?new? ways of thinking about the real nature of their business. Schools in transition address multiple intelligences, and require rigorous, pliable learning processes. Teachers design workflow models and teach problem solving strategies for information gathering, organizing, analyzing, synthesizing, and processing, thus enabling learners to create knowledge. Rigorous, pliable learning processes, workflow models, and problem solving strategies must be tied to student interests. These structures and processes enable students to develop abilities that enable them to be lifelong learners and contributors to their families, friends, and communities.

posted 5 years, 3 months ago
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The question is not necessarily about TAG or TAG students at risk. Schools typically are teaching organizations, focused on answers. Most schools employ knowledge memorization and lower-level thinking skills that have students research and organize information, only to regurgitate, reiterate, and restate known answers. Essentially one can call these elements ?The Three Rs.? Teachers typically control the questions, the answers to which are prescribed by the adopted curriculum. Students are then tested, using state and district standardized tests, to assess student ?progress and achievement.? Successful schools, on the other hand, are learning organizations which target multiple intelligences, and employ (student-driven) multi-level questioning strategies, metacognition, and workflow organization that focus on and value student interests.
Concerning school restructuring, students are not at-risk, their situation is! The problem is that much time and effort is expended to ?fix the kid.? School administrators and teachers spend an inordinate amount of time meeting with parents, specialists, and students, focusing on students, instead of their situations. Successful schools focus on transforming the situation for students. If schools continue to focus on fixing the student, the odds increase daily that students--including our most talented and gifted--will become disenchanted and withdraw from the educational system.

posted 5 years, 3 months ago
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