Category: Cool People

Education Salaries

On By Norbert HauptIn Commentaries, Cool People, EconomyLeave a comment

In many nations of the world, the office of “teacher” is highly regarded, rewarded with lofty status in the community, and supported by an appropriately high wage.

I remember when I grew up in a small village in Germany, along with the farmers and laborers, there were three “professionals” in the village:

Der Herr Doktor, der Herr Pfarrer und der Herr Lehrer

The doctor (who made housecalls when you were sick), the priest and the teacher. In German, they are called the Mr. Doctor, Mr. Priest and Mr. Teacher. The three “professionals” were not addressed by their name but by their profession.

Of course, in my little schoolhouse, the Mr. Teacher taught all eight grades in one large classroom. The first grade had 6 kids, the second 7, and so on. The teacher started in the front of the room and worked his way toward the back. Somehow we got an education. That teacher’s methods and skills got me started on a path to learn Latin at age 11, English at 13, French at 15, along with all the other classic subjects. I am forever grateful for the foundation I was given at an early age, solely due to the attentiveness of my teachers.

The three professionals formed the “society” in our village. Everyone looked up to them. Even the Mayor. And especially the children.

Today, in America, our teachers are at the very bottom of the salary range for graduates with four-year degrees.  According to salary.com, the median salary of a high school teacher is $54,473. For an elementary school teacher, it is $52,471. It’s even more dire for early education professionals. A daycare center teacher makes $27,910.

The first five years of a child’s life are the most important ones. They shape their character, their abilities, their creativity and provide the foundation for the child for the rest of his life. Yet, we pay the people that we put in charge of their education one of the very smallest salaries on the scale for four-year degrees.

Credit Worthiness is like Virginity – Warren Buffett

On By Norbert HauptIn Cool People, Economy2 Comments

Credit worthiness is like virginity, it can be preserved but not restored very easily, so it is crazy to play around with it.

— Warren Buffett

Buffett also said he thinks it would be absurd for American politicians to do anything to damage the country’s reputation for paying its bills that has been established over the past 237 years.

I am glad cooler heads prevailed. It seems like we were close to the abyss and the adults in Congress did the right thing in the end. The children in Congress became naughty, and when Santa Claus comes around in November 2014 we will all see what gifts they don’t get.

Obama Shows Backbone for the Right Reasons

On By Norbert HauptIn Commentaries, Cool People, Political1 Comment

I have seen many of our presidents over the decades “show backbone” when some foreign thug tried to threaten the United States or its interest. Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait comes to mind, or the Bay of Pigs, or our counterattack on the Taliban. All of those, of course, involved deployment of American military might against some formidable threat.

Presidents have, of course, stood up for the American people, but perhaps never to this degree.

Obama said:

Members of Congress don’t get to hold our democracy or our economy hostage over a settled law. They don’t get to kick a child out of Head Start if I don’t agree to take her parents’ health insurance away.

That’s why I won’t pay a ransom in exchange for reopening the government…or raising the debt ceiling.

Here is a U.S. president that recognizes that a poor child inside the United States has rights worth defending, that providing health insurance for 48 million Americans is a good thing for at least those 48 million Americans, whether Rand Paul, Ted Cruz or Michele Bachmann like it or not.

Destroying the world economy for ideological ideals of a minority inside the United States is a ludicrous proposition and I am proud of Obama for being up to the task.

 

The Voice of Siri – Voiceover Actress Susan Bennett

On By Norbert HauptIn Cool People, Need to KnowLeave a comment

voice-of-siriThis is the Georgia voiceover actress Susan Bennett who was recently revealed as the voice of Siri. The video in this article is quite interesting, as it shows how this came about. She herself actually didn’t know until friends of her recognized her voice and told her about it.

Go, Walt, Go

On By Norbert HauptIn Cool People2 Comments

With only one more episode of Breaking Bad left, Cranston is getting a lot of publicity. Apparently he is one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood. Here are some facts I didn’t know:

Cranston
Credit: LiveWire Review

 

Lederhosen

On By Norbert HauptIn Cool People, Crack-Ups, TravelsLeave a comment

Lederhosen

My Californian son just got back from a two-month visit to Germany and spent a lot of time in Bavaria.

Habe die Ehre!

Slackline Terror

On By Norbert HauptIn Climbing, Cool People4 Comments

I watched this video and my hands, one safely on the desk, the other cradling the mouse, literally began sweating. I cannot imagine doing this. Those guys have my respect – but I think they are completely insane. I hope nobody I know ever tries this.

Moon over Swiss Alps

On By Norbert HauptIn Art, Cool People, NatureLeave a comment

Of all the “supermoon” pictures people have posted and shown this last week, this is my absolute favorite, taken by my good friend. No tricks, just a good zoom, taken from the balcony of where they’re staying in Switzerland. Where are my hiking boots?

Moon over Swiss Alps
Moon over Swiss Alps – by Val Tigh

Imaginary Movie: Delayed

On By Norbert HauptIn Art, Cool People, Crack-UpsLeave a comment

Delayed

This is a whole new type of art!

Somebody, in some unnamed airport, sat on the floor across from these two people. They were strangers. He noticed that they had been talking animatedly for over an hour, and took this clandestine picture. He never knew who the two strangers were. The two never knew that their picture was taken.

He then posted the picture on Reddit, and it climbed to the top of the first page this morning. There was lively discussion and speculation which you can see here.

Then, somebody else turned it into an imaginary movie and created the poster above. See the discussion here.

These two strangers undoubtedly went on their flights, their separate paths, most likely never to meet again. Maybe they exchanged names, maybe not. The person who took the picture does not know who they are, and they don’t know of his existence.

Yet, if they search the Internet with the right keywords, or if they browse in Reddit today, they will be utterly astonished about their role at the very top slot of a popular website.

The art of a moment in time, forever frozen.

Fox Cub Really Needs Help

On By Norbert HauptIn Animal Intelligence, Cool People, Crack-UpsLeave a comment

Animals know more about people than we think. Here is a darling little Russian video of only 45 seconds that makes the heart warm.

Translation:

1: He’s coming to us

1 & 2: It’s a fox cub

2: Hold the phone and film

1: Oh fuck he’s in, come on, come on

2: Where is the thank you?

1: Thank you (In cute voice imitating fox)

1: He would have died that way

The Bicyle Bunkhouse

On By Norbert HauptIn Cool PeopleLeave a comment

I found this on my friend Colorful Meg’s Facebook page. I am probably not going to cycle across the country anytime soon, but if I did, I’d make sure I’d stop by at the Bicycle Bunkhouse.

Battle of the Salads

On By Norbert HauptIn Bad Product, Cool People, Crack-Ups, EducationLeave a comment

Zachary Maxwell is a 4th-grade kid who snuck a camera into a his school’s lunchroom for 6 months and made a movie out of it. Here is an outtake that shows what most of our children don’t tell us. After just a few minutes I know I don’t ever want to have to eat school lunches – yet, we make our helpless kids eat them every day.