Religious extremists aren't worth American lives

Editor's note: This post is occasionally profane.

In living and traveling overseas I've gotten to know a lot of military guys. I happen to like them for their general aversion to BS, and the fact that they've been places and done things. They also tend to have something to say, which is a plus in a world full of too many boring people. One thing that is common is that they all tend to be anti-Democrat, which I can understand in some ways as Democrats tend to be pussies, but at the same time Republicans tend to send them places to make massive sacrifices unworthy of the national interest, such as Iraq now. Yet soldiers tend to be the one and only demographic, other than Bush himself, who still want America in Iraq.

I'm a liberal, but not an easily offended, watch what you say liberal, more of a stop shoveling religion and corporate bullshit at me anti-Republican liberal. I'm very sympathetic to the poor, but I believe in personal responsibility and that merit should be rewarded. If categorized, I'm really kind of a Green, progressive with a libertarian streak.

When this whole Iraq thing started, I thought the goal was to remove Hussein and get out, and I thought that part wouldn't be too hard, which it wasn't. I agreed with that idea. I never bought the nonsense about WMD's, and I wasn't stupid enough to confuse Iraq with 9/11, which Republicans were successful in doing.

Long ago I had it with Iraq, and I wish this albatross around America's neck would end. A war should have everyone sacrificing something. No non-military families are contributing to this thing. If there is any winner in this war it is Exxon and Haliburton. The sacrifice is disproportionately on the troops' shoulders. Already the Republicans are doing a good job at the spin game in calling for a "surrender date" regarding the Democrats feeble attempt to set a date to start removing troops as a condition for war funding. Democrats never do enough fighting back. Just once I'd like one of them to say, "How could we be surrendering if it was "Mission Accomplished" three years ago, jackass." Democrats are still merely the much lesser of two evils, with Bush and his ilk wearing horns and torturing souls -- and "enemy combatants."

From day one I loathed Bush with every fiber in my being. He was always a connected, mediocre, frat boy being overly rewarded because he was stupid enough to be easily controlled by monied interests. I'm offended by his lack of intellectual curiousity. I have been only slightly comforted that the world now gets that he is worthless. It should have been crystal during the last election, yet he won. I stood in amazement for the first couple years when people supported this idiot, who probably never even got legitimately elected. I am astonished that issue was swept under the rug as easily as it was. The fact that the Supreme Court installed this guy into office is a national disgrace. That decision damages America's prestige more than an Iraqi pullout would.

But all those things happend, and we're in Iraq and the debate is out there on how to solve this problem in "politically acceptable" way. All problems in Washington are political problems. To appeal to the bellicose instincts of Americans, and to the general American antipathy to ingrates, I feel the Democratic response should be something along the lines of "Screw Iraq, they're not worth American lives, and it's not the troops' fault." Bill Maher, just about the person I most admire on the planet right now, says as much on his great show Real Time on Friday nights. This is one smart and funny show -- much edgier than Jon Stewart, who I also like. I think that would be about all they would need to say for a palatable withdrawal. Some are going to talk about "America's prestige" or their "credibility" and other nonsense, but did the loss in Vietnam really matter looking back now? Did we not have the roaring 80s, win the Cold War, the Internet boom and four Yankee world series wins in five years even with the pull out in Vietnam? Is there anyone who watched Iraq and Afghanistan fall in a week and think the American military is overrated? Cmon. Nation building we're not so good, but we have the nation destroying thing down pretty well.

When I think about all the sacrifices soldiers are asked to make, the goal has to be very worthwhile. The goal in Iraq shifts regularly. For any war, there should be a clear threat to the homeland or an attack against you, such as Pearl Harbor. I think what the Taliban did qualifies. I don't think I'd want myself, my friends or my kids involved in most all American wars in history other than the Revolution, the Civil War, WWII and Afghanistan now. I'm not sure there was a war we fought otherwise that was worth casualties on the battlefield. Certainly none that involved a direct threat to the United States.

All the other stuff, I would have probably thought, you people weren't worth me dying over. Why would a soldier support the idea, for instance, that they should go to Vietnam to stop people you don't know, poor peasant farmers, who are no threat to you, from being Communist? I know they went with the whole cold war, Russia could be a threat leap, but it seems like a big leap for a lot of people to die in Vietnam. Vietnam went communist and it didn't matter. If we leave Iraq, one of the slightly different views on Allah will win out, and our not having stayed there to take all the errant bombs won't matter.

I'm hardly a pacifist. I just can't imagine wanting to see any fellow American stay without end in the middle of that hole in Iraq and possibly die because those idiots have a different view on Allah. Iraq isn't a threat now or ever, and I'm at the point where I don't care much if they all just kill each other, though I hate to see kids over there suffer from all that religious intolerance. I'm sick of suicide bombers killing innocent people to support a theocracy. I think most of those people want a theocracy, which is what all the middle east is for a long time.

So, that is my take. I've had it with those people. Why are we wasting our men, money and focus on some place that is no threat to us in a place with a tradition of religious hatred and theocratic government. How many people have to die in the future because 3,300 died in the past?

Short takes on government, graduation, movies and travel

How could this governor give another State of the Commonwealth and not mention the schools -- especially given the talk about not even opening schools on time next year? Is this guy the leader of the island or Captain of the Titanic (the economy)? If his deal is investing in the future, how about actually doing that and investing in education. On that topic, how about a few words on law enforcement, public health, the environment, etc. His idea to violate every one's contract and not pay anyone on holidays is a stupid approach hatched from his half baked ten percent scheme. Keep eliminating the needless jobs, of which there are plenty, and stop the ten percent thing overall. What a lame speech.

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Why is it we are always waiting for foreign investors to ride in and save us? Are we that incapable as a people to not have our own quality businesses here on island. Do we know this place well enough not to want to invest in it. I can think of a few things this island could use, yet I'm not about to open these businesses for various reasons. The fly by night nature of the government's finances, the power situation and Article XII, whose time has very much passed, are key reasons for that.

A few things that come to mind: A decent French or Italian Bistro in the style of Cafe Urashima. That is a good restaurant with a pretty limited menu, but at least it isn't a noisy, gorge yourself buffet common in the hotels. What is served at Urashima is at least quality. It is quiet and dignified enough for actual conversation. I want a place with decent food, decent service, not as much as Giovianni's in price, but I'm not expecting cheap, and I think it would work. Now that Taste of India is no more, the decent restaurant options on island just reduced by about one third.

It would be great to have a decent space for things like comedy, live theater, live music, alternative film, book readings, lectures and so on. The theater in the park museum would be a place to do these things. I'm sure a place that caters to these interests would be profitable and would help the vibe and atmosphere of this island.
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U.S. immigration fees relating to the I-130, I-485 and so on are scheduled to triple in June. Those of you with a foreign spouse blowing this off, as I was doing over the paperwork supernova it entails, are best advised to move quickly before it costs a lot more. We have one clinic to do the medical portion of the forms, and it costs more for the medical than everything else combined. This is typical with limited competition. I think my wife needed like three different shots at like $100 each. Health coverage means nothing with this. I filed my wife's green card papers yesterday, not to mention my application for a teacher's license in the states, in case this whole sh**house goes up in flames next year -- a distinct possibility.
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Comedians often talk about the crowd, or distinctly the lack of personality in a crowd, as something that impacts them onstage. I have all seniors in their last month of high school, and their senioritis is infecting me. The prom is Saturday. Graduation is in a few weeks. One of the hardest parts of teaching, especially in a high school, is getting them to care about learning. I always wanted to know things, so indifference is not something I relate to very well. I routinely feel like I'm more concerned with the futures of my students than they are themselves. The counselors can't even get them to fill out applications for free college money. The parents are no help. The military is here regularly. I have several former students in Iraq right now. There are very few young people here I feel are ready to be in a globally competitive economy, and worse, I don't feel any sense of urgency from them about fixing the situation.
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I saw the film Children of Men, which got a 90 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and I couldn't believe how atrocious this movie was. The plot revolves around the fact that women can't have babies anymore for reasons not explained, at least before I turned it off after a wasted hour, and the world just seems very unhappy. Everyone is killing each other, and the whole world in the movie looks like the Sunni Triangle. Two characters no one cares about, one is pregnant so I'm supposed to care, run around trying to get somewhere to have the baby as people get killed all around them for no particularly good reason. What an abysmal piece of garbage. You'd be better off watching Twelve Monkeys again instead of this nonsense.
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Northwest, at least so far, hasn't run any kind of deal to the mainland in the summer, which they've done every summer since I've been here. I find Summer in this place miserable, and I'm eager to get out for a month. I miss things like decent restaurants, comedy clubs, concerts, museums, large book stores, alternative cinema, major league baseball stadiums (even if the Yankees stink) and all the cultural things I like about the states. I'm not in a "We Love Saipan" kind of mood right now.

The governor's big special announcement

I was not at the State of the Commonwealth Address address today because I have a job and stuff, but I called a friend from our local paper to get the scoop, and I was told that the special announcement was: The Government is still broke.

Here is my own special announcement: "I'm still bald and opinionated."

Only in Saipan.

Teaching in the Saipan public schools - the good, the bad and the ugly

I've got a lot of email inquiries and google search hits relating to teaching in Saipan. Right now is recruiting season for the next school year, so a new group is out there considering their options. In the interests of "esprit de corps," I will offer what I feel is a balanced views of the pros and cons of living and working here as a teacher. I am not speaking on PSS' behalf, but offering my own personal views.

The positives about living and teaching here are the following: the kids are reasonably respectful, there is minimal to no violence such as shootings, fights and the general horror stories you read about in the states, at least in the classroom, do not exist. Note this is not the case in Guam if that is a place you are considering. I've never heard a positive word about the Guam Public Schools, and in fact, GPSS sounds like a pit of epic proportion.

Saipan is a low stress environment. Administration is usually pretty hands off if you are a competent professional. There has never been any micromanaging of the classroom experience in my experience. As a teacher, you have a lot of academic freedom and are encouraged to be creative.

There is minimal traffic here, and your commute to work shouldn't be more than ten minutes. You can get a beautiful ocean view apartment for $500 to $600 dollars per month. You can get the kind of view you would never have on a teacher's salary in the mainland. Car insurance and taxes are also very low. Salaries are pretty competitive and are better than places like the southeast. The northeast and the west coast pay more, but the cost of living is much higher. There is a teacher shortage usually, so it is not that hard to get a job. A BA/BS in most anything, and completion of the Praxis I and II are the basic entry requirements. Take Praxis II in the subject you intend to teach. Later on you will be required to take a few classes in education if you do not have an education degree. You must be eligible to work in the U.S. to be employed here.

The schools often have high tech equipment like digital projectors, video equipment, high def television, ample computers, wireless Internet and so on because we get disproportionate federal funds because we are so small. Since local funds pay for supplies, you will have all these hi tech things, and then not have toilet paper in the restrooms.

Being in Saipan, you can easily travel to places like Bali, Cairns, Australia, the Philippines, Korea, Japan, Singapore and Thailand. There is a two to three week break at Christmas and two months off in June and July for summer vacation.

Saipan has pretty good scuba diving, and access to the world's best diving in Palau. There are a few nice hotels, two water parks and plenty of scenic locations. There are a few good coffee shops, and a couple decent restaurants. I find the restaurants pretty disappointing overall, but there are a few decent places. Fresh tuna is readily available for $1 to $2 dollars per pound. There are plenty of sushi locations on the cheap if you like that. This is a Japanese vacation site, so it is cool to live in a place where people take a vacation. The weather is always warm, but you don't get any change of seasons, and sometimes it is incredibly hot.

The negatives of teaching in Saipan are plenty as well. The government is very unstable. To date I've always gotten my paycheck on time, but there is a steady drumbeat of fear on the economic survival of the island. It is wildly mismanaged, and the system doesn't work anymore. The economy absolutely stinks right now. The unemployment rate is probably fifty percent and up. The private sector wages are abysmal, generally the $3.05 minimum wage or there around. There is a giant, bloated government bureaucracy, and the funds to sustain it are diminishing as our infamous garment factories are exiting stage left with great alacrity and fewer Japanese folks vacation here with fewer flights from Japan.

The kids are seriously lacking in intellectual curiosity, and motivation takes up a lot of your time as a teacher. Often times the parents are sitting home on welfare, and the kids get that kind of modeling. There is no shame about welfare as it is so common. "We accept food stamps" is pretty much the CNMI motto. If you don't motivate the students, the work won't get done, and you also grow tired of making them care about anything. Classes are overcrowded. Thirty per classroom is common in the high school, and I've heard those numbers go higher in the middle schools. You get no preparation time. We had a prep period once in my four years, but that is going away next year, and I don't expect it back anytime soon. This is ridiculous and annoying to people used to teaching in the states.

The facilities are falling apart -- especially in the older schools -- which make up most of the schools. There are a few newer schools, and I teach at one of these, where the facilities are better. There are no janitors to clean the classrooms. I have the kids do it -- especially if they break class rules. Teachers are often encouraged to paint the room and wax the floors on their own dime, which I find outrageous, but I did fund the painting part. Textbooks are often limited, and the libraries are a bit lacking, but getting better. PE facilities tend to be very poor, and virtually don't exist at two of the three high schools. There is no stipend for doing things like coaching (though there really is only basketball and volleyball, and sometimes paddling) or being class adviser or yearbook or all of those things.

Because summer never ends, the ant population never really diminishes, so ants will be getting around and about most anywhere. There is a growing rat problem on the island as well, and that leads to produce prices in a place with endless summer often being ridiculous. There is a lot of teenage pregnancy, and abortion is illegal as per the CNMI constitution. There is a habit of chewing this stuff called betelnut, which provides a buzz for the chewer when mixed with cigarettes, and the juice will be spit out most anywhere. It is extremely gross. It is illegal in schools, but it is a constant battle to stop it.

Retail prices here are outrageous, and power and gas are the highest in America. At least with the gas prices you won't be driving so far, so it evens out versus the mainland. We have a U.S. post office, so I just don't buy anything here. I just use the net. The power system is not only expensive, but it is unreliable. This seems to depend on where you live. I've never lived in an apartment where the power would go out too much, but in some places it could be a daily experience. It seems to be getting better since they raised the power rates. We are also prone to typhoons, but I've not experienced a terrible one, knock on wood, since I've been here. There were two minor ones during my stay.

Overall, the pros outweigh the cons for me, or I wouldn't still be here, but my days here are definitely coming close to ending. I never thought I'd be here four years, but I will be here for a fifth, and I expect final, year next year.

Poverty in the CNMI

According to the United States Government Accountability Office testimony, quoting the 2000 census, 46 percent of individuals in the CNMI are living in poverty, almost four times the U.S. national rate. Median income here is $22,898, about half of the U.S. average of $42,000. These figures are from 2000 before the JAL pullout and the garment industry collapsed, so the current numbers are probably worse. That GAO report from Thursday also detailed the spending spree Governor Babauta was on. His spending was indeed a big reason for our current problems, which isn't to forgive this bunch for the new hires, Hawaii junkets, Jesus Camacho, new lobbyist et al. Compared to the last bunch, Fitial is cutting spending. It would be nice if he would really fix the CNMI so it isn't so fly by night, and combine a tax increase say on those mansions on Capitol Hill with removing more government dead weight to focus on education, public health and public safety. Property tax on a lot of those houses would be $8,000 - $12,000 in most any U.S. suburb.

Could a minimum wage increase really be so bad given those poverty numbers?

PSS funding

The events of late regarding PSS funding are very disturbing. There is lots I can add to that point, but these two PSS colleagues/bloggers said it all:

http://sommysmommy.blogspot.com/2007/04/oh-for-crying-out-loud-what-now.html

http://breeanddoug.blogspot.com/2007/04/civics-103-dont-mess-with-teachers.html

Suffice to say I completely agree with them. I didn't think it was possible for my opinion of the vast majority of our elected leaders to sink to a lower level, but their comments at the PSS session last week paved the way to a new low.

Now here is what is news to me, I quote from the Saipan Tribune:

"With students, parents and teachers eyeing their every move, lawmakers
yesterday approved a bill taking $6.658 million from the Commonwealth Utilities
Corp. and other autonomous agencies to give to the Public School System.All 18
members of the House of Representatives voted in favor of House Bill 15-242,
authored by Rep. Joseph Deleon Guerrero. The measure now goes to the Senate for
approval.

Reps. Arnold I. Palacios and Francisco Dela Cruz said they
were particularly concerned about cutting the cash-strapped utility's budget by
almost $6 million. They said CUC might try to recover the reduced amount by
increasing rates. Rep. Cinta Kaipat raised a concern about fairness. "

Here is my question for my fellow blogger Cinta: Why does CUC, now that they've doubled the power rates, still get a nickel of public money? How can they not be self sufficient based on user fees at this point? They have the highest power rates in America, the customer service stinks, they still can't keep the power on -- and they're subsidized with our tax dollars while Bree has rat dung in her class and Bonnie has no toilet paper in her school. Please educate us because this blows my mind. The government is still giving these people tax money. If they were cut $6 million, how much were they getting before. I thought the massive increases got them off the government subsidy list.

Beautify CNMI Mascot

If the betelnut disaster teeth make for a good mascot on the economy, then maybe Beautify CNMI could use this guy as its mascot. His job is to use his limited body weight to hold a rag on the rail of the escalator at a mall in Osaka circa 2001 and thereby remove stains and fingerprints. Gil Grissom would be pissed if there was a crime there. Man does time fly. This was taken with a 35 mm and scanned poorly when I first left the not so friendly confines of New Jersey to go overseas and took a Japan trip from Korea. I rode the escalator again to get a snapshot of this guy, whose countenance displays a singular focus on cleanliness. Congratulations to Beautify CNMI for all the great work.

STOP FEDERALIZATION AND SAVE OUR ISLAND

I've been reading the comments by Gov. Fitial, the Chamber Spokesman and the Island Crusader, and I'm won over by their scintillating logic. Things are going so well here that I'm joining their side. I'm really a conservative, so things should stay the same. That's the true meaning of conservative, not changing, just so you liberal wussies know.

I'm going to argue against these terrorists who want to inflict their LIBERAL, FAG views on immigration and wages and take away all that is sacred and holy: a cheap maid, our private sector jobs and one third of the island population, I mean the remaining garment factories, controlling two-thirds of the disenfranchised island population. If the Demonazis are successful, they will destroy our political structure. How will we get picnic tables and tents? Who will create the unnecessary jobs? Who will do the dirty, difficult or dangerous jobs? The junkets might cease! The poker rooms will close if they have to pay the attendant an extra couple of bucks in a few years, the garment factories will leave and we might have to pay the highest prices for gas, power and retail items in all of America. The special privileges of the covenant made these things so cheap before. Stop them. Act now and voice your support against a Federal Invasion, I mean Takeover. I wish they had Fort Sumter in the lagoon.

George Miller needs to stop abusing children, supporting Bin Laden and return to his home in North Korea, or his summer home in Iran, because he has no business telling us to stop paying $3.05 to people from China, Philippines, Bangladesh, et al. Since when do those people matter? Do you really want to see our boonie dogs eaten or Manny Pacquiao elected governor of the CNMI?

Those liberals are just using the CNMI for their own political gain. Voters all throughout California, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida will be heading to the polling place in November with a singular focus on wages in the CNMI, not Iraq, Katrina, the $9 trillion deficit, the trade deficit or the thinning military ranks, so Nancy Pelosi should stop the pandering to LIBERALS just to get votes for Democrats on the backs of our suffering islands. These liberals are traitors and decidedly not "loyal Bushies." Stop them now! NO Federal Takeover!If these meddlers get their way on immigration and minimum wage, the next thing you know they'll try to impose federal grants for free money on education, the environment, infrastructure and welfare here in Saipan. They'll even demand the schools STAY OPEN! Speak up now before Schools REMAIN OPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Save our islands!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!STOP the liberals!!!!! Nancy Pelosi looks like a guy in drag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CNMI Economy Mascot

If there is a better symbol for the CNMI economy than this guy's teeth, I don't know it. Those choppers are abused, neglected and generally ill from doing the same bad idea over and over again. Sounds like our economy doesn't it. One thing to keep in mind is that Gov. Fitial is the head dentist in this analogy. Imagine that the dentist's previous job was chief executive to a betelnut farmers conglomeration. Stuff to think about.