Don’s Thoughts II

Ok, now that Christmas is over, it is time to dig in and get back full force into my studies and future plans! I FINALLY finished the book on the Catholic Canon Law today when flying back from Ashland Kentucky, was visiting a good friend, and am back to reading the Vatican II letters/etc. I received a few books (many actually) on theology and philosophy, so my reading list will be growing in the next few days. Once I finish the current books on my “now reading” list, I will be going over my to read list, updating it, and working with my Spiritual Director on which one I should be reading and reporting on next… All list will be updated by the 6th of January.

Christmas was good to me this year, and I had an interesting week away. But it is definetly time to dig in!

IF ANYONE out there actually pays attention to this blog, over the last few days you have seen some pretty quick changes to what I am currently reading. I figured I should tell you why that is happening.

The first book I had put up as being read was . After starting this, during some of my studies in Catholicism, I came upon and . These too books I ordered from the local library early this week. Surprisingly they came in the next day! So, I started reading “Holy Teaching”, and placed “I would Follow Jesus” back in the “to read” pile.

I had also ordered and one other on Saints. “Lives” came in yesterday, the other one hasn’t come in yet.

After reading the first couple of chapters of “Holy Teaching”, I felt that I needed to read “Summa Theologica” first, then come back to where I left off in “Holy Teaching”, which summarizes “Summa Theologica”, so I picked up the Saints book and am now reading it. I am awaiting Book 1, 2, 4, and 5 of the “Summa Theologica” book, as they only sent me Book 3 for some reason.

So, I will finish this Saint book, then follow up, it should be here by then, the second one, and then start on “Summa” as it should be fully here. (Unless you want to buy for my Birthday (which is Monday, shameless plug) “Summa”, which I would like to own. You can find it wish list at Amazon! (ANYTHING on the list is cool for the BDay.)

Happy reading!!

Well, I have said that I am done with school for a while. Not so. I am taking myself through the self study process for getting a CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) issued. The exam is pretty intense from what I understand, so the study and work to achieve this certification has started as of today! Lots on my schedule, but I feel it’s time to start getting those certifications that will make me even more marketable. After I get the CISSP I will probably go on for other security related certifications as well. I MAY even go on and get my networking credentials as well.

Well, now that I am no longer studying, researching, or writing a dissertation, I have a lot of free time again! So what am I doing with that time?

I’m back to reading and watching (and actually paying attention to) DVDs again! This past week I have read four full length books, three of which were by David Morrell, a VERY good author. I am also in the process of reading three books right now. (Another Morrell book, and two more “business oriented” books.

Up until now I’ve only posted reviews on books on my sidebar there, but going forward, movies that I really liked, or that have received some strongly negative or heavy outside feedback I will probably post on as well. (The Da Vinci Code and The Phantom of the Opera for example.)

All that said, I am seriously thinking of going back to school. Not sure what I’m going to study this time, if I do go for it again, but thinking on it, and trying to think through what I want to get a third Ph.D. in if I do it. Or do I go get another Bachelors or Masters?

What to do…

In my current job as President/COO at Interactive Digital Multimedia, Inc. I have deeply involved with learning more and more about today’s schooling system and the education provided. In that capacity I have been talking to Teachers, School Administrators, Researchers, and Students. I am VERY not happy with what I am seeing and hearing!

When I went to school, the standing joke was we were in prison. Today it is almost so! They even have “lockdowns” like they do in prison, you are required to wear an ID badge like many prisons require, and in many, if not most, schools, there are metal detectors at the entry points. Is this an environment that is conducive to learning? I think not! Students and Teachers are more worried about safety than they are about learning and teaching!

The next problem with today’s schools and education is the teachers don’t have the ability to write their own teaching plans, they have to follow a set plan, only altering it just a bit. And the emphasis is no longer on learning subjects but on mastering a test, FCATs, at least here in Florida. Now, in general, I think that FCATs are a good idea, but not the way they are currently using them. Add to that it is impossible to flunk someone now, and everyone must win/etc. Competition is all but forbidden in school now.

To do that though, there would need to be some loosening up on the curriculum and not making it “politically correct”. Teach history like it happened, and not like we would like it to have happened. Teach subjects that get the kids involved, and that open debate and excitement! Allow for competition. I’ve read were many of the “Educators” here in Florida think competition is BAD for people. I disagree. That is what has caused new growth, new products, and growth in life! Competition is great, and these students need to know that they will not always win in life. Having everyone “win” in a ball game or education or life isn’t real, and there will be times when loss happens.

Now, in business, the goal is to make it a win win situation. But even there, there will often be “losers” to an extent!
Parents, get back into your children’s lives and help them learn! Rejuvenate the desire to learn and the desire to do well and excel!

Yesterday my fourth book ( ) from InBubbleWrap.com arrived in the mail!

I’m telling ya folks, if you are into reading business and self help books, this is a web site you should be checking daily! He holds a daily “contest” to see who will win a new book each day! All you have to do is read over the “ad” for the book, click on a link, answer two silly, and yes, I mean silly, questions, and you have a good chance of winning a great book! All of the books I have read are “main line” books, often just recently out, that have been (with one exception) well worth the read!

So, if you read business/self help books, go to InBubbleWrap.com and get to checking it out! No, I make no money on this, no I don’t win more for advertising it for InBubbleWrapGuy, and yes, I stand the chance of not winning as much, but this is too good not to share!

As you probably know by now, I run a company that is working on a new product (well the product is done, and ready for market) that we feel will revolutionize the education process here in the US and abroad.

In this job I have been doing a LOT of research this past eight months on education in the US and abroad. Today I read something that had me dazed at it’s stupidity:

Florida court ruling against vouchers came after teacher Ruth Holmes Cameron and advocacy groups brought a suit to block the program.

“To say that competition is going to improve education? It’s just not gonna work. You know competition is not for children. It’s not for human beings. It’s not for public education. It never has been, it never will be,” Holmes said.

Where does Holmes get the idea that competition is not for our children? Why is competition bad for anyone? I STRONGLY feel that competition is what made the early US much better than the rest of the world at that time, the ability to compete and make things happen is what shaped the early US into a super power!

Education needs to go back to allowing kids to be flunked out if they don’t muster up and get good grades. Competition needs to return to the classroom, gym, and in general to most aspects of life. I am sickened by what I see at schools where you can’t fail, or get an F anymore. (I’ve seen some school districts do away with the grade.) Yes, your child CAN fail, and will fail in life if they are not challenged to excel! It is, from my findings, human nature to be lazy if you can, but if you are challenged (read have competition) you will succeed.

Wake up US (and world) bring competition back into life and challenge yourselves (against others) to do better and better!

Let’s get our education back on track, get our kids learning again, don’t let them fail from lack of trying!

Ok, here I can get in trouble. I work for a company (as President/COO of Interactive Digital Multi-Media, Inc (Formerly AV Books, Inc.) that just digitized (the CD at the back of the book), so I should press that this book is great, so you go out and buy it and I make some money.

But I can’t fully say that. (The CD at the back is all that saves it though. ) This book is OK. Over all, I’m sure it could be a great tool for some wanting to learn Spanish, and I agree with the over all principals of learning that Mrs. Stein talks about, but it just seems a bit dry to me. (Now, I have to admit I’ve been trying to learn Spanish for MANY years, and I do speak English (American style, native of course), Korean and German, so it’s not 100% a learning disability. I think it’s my living in El Paso Texas too much, and having everyone try to speak Spanish to me in a US store….)

It is a book, mainly because of the CD at the back, that I would recommend as a tool to help you learn Spanish, but there are other books and tools you should probably get too.

Did I learn any more Spanish? No, but I think I have a mental block about learning Spanish.. I’ll get over it…