Downfall of America

 I was reading www.ESPN.com and came across this story which has left me feeling a wee bit perturbed.

Fans plan rally against Gary Kubiak

ESPN.com news services 

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

A pair of Houston Texans fans who believe coach Gary Kubiak should be fired are organizing a 

rally for Sunday to make their point, the Houston Chronicle reported. Fans Brad White and 

Scott Carter are hoping the demonstration before Sunday's season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars 

will help convince team owner Bob McNair to change coaches, according to the report. "I want to 

stress that I don't want people to come out to bash Kubiak," White told the Chronicle. 

"We don't want vulgar sig ...

I then went and read the readers comments and it is truly sad.  Not one person 

made the point of asking why these individual's are wasting their time protesting 

over a football coach.  Seriously, take that wasted energy and donate your time 

to charity.  If you desperately need to protest something, how about protesting 

the lack of funding for education; corruption in government; or the eroding rights 

of USA citizens.  These are worth protesting about.  

After spending some time the last couple of weeks and having some spare time to 'surf.'  

I am more disheartened than ever.  Are we really headed into the circus mentality.  

As long as our entertainment is good, we will not and do not want to deal with the real issues in life?  

In the last few weeks of Christmas parties and other assorted social events, people are 

discussing football, movies and banality.  While I understand the social norm, is not to discuss

 politics and other controversial subject matters at social occasions, perhaps that is 

part of the problem.  Maybe, we should be having more discussions related to relevant 

social issues at thesefunctions. Instead of keeping the discussions at the lowest common denominator 

perhaps we she be working to consistently raise it.  Perhaps, these we would be more worried 

about bread and less about circuses.

A view on education - A chain is only as strong as its weakest link

Here are some very interesting 2009 U.S. Census Bureau Statistics:

Educational Attainment by Degree-Level and Age-Group (American Community Survey) Percent of Adults 25 to 64 with a Bachelors Degree or Higher - 2009

Difference in Median Earnings Between a High School Diploma and a Bachelors Degree 25 to 64 Year Olds - 2007

Some thoughts:

1. We are in a innovation and technology based economy yet only 29.8% of the population has a Bachelors degree.
2. In South Carolina only 55% of high school students graduate 'on-time.' 
3. Using the US average, a person with a Bachelors degree will earn approximately $858,200.00 more in their lifetime (not adjusting for inflation).  
4. A C of C out-of-state student would see a $9.8:1 return on investment over a lifetime.  An in-state students would see $20.4:1 return.
5. A student with a Bachelors degree is almost 2.8 times less likely to be unemployed

People ask me all the time what I think about the state of education in this state, country etc.  I think the numbers are stating their own case.  

  

Sorry...

Sorry for not posting but I have been a little preoccupied lately.  With everything going on, I had to prioritize and unfortunately, the blog lost in that.  I do however, intend to come back with a flurry.