Pop-A-Waffle Exits Great Food Truck Race

In the run-up to the finale of the Food Network's Great Food Truck Race, the three teams of Seoul Sausage, Nonna's Kitchenette, and Pop-A-Waffle rolled into Cleveland for the semi-final challenge.  In a victory for culinary tastes and modest, healthier waist lines, Pop-A-Waffle will not be rolling back out of Cleveland.  The rather schlubby guys from Los Angeles were finally eliminated, despite winning the truck stop challenge and being given three hours to sell food while the other two trucks were shut down.  Thankfully, that did not give them an advantage for their unappealing and certainly far-from-healthy food.

During the entire season of this Great Food Truck Race, I have been disappointed by the mediocre and unappealing food put out by a group of three guys who look so unhealthy I wouldn't buy a paperclip from them.  The entire chicken-n-waffle concept is far too Paula Dean for a show which is hosted by Tyler Florence - and for a network that employs some of the top chefs and high cuisine.  Certainly, none of the contestants are making the healthiest food this season - but the concept of waffles with whipped cream out of a can is just really disappointing.  And the men in the waffle truck need to hit the gym and Weight Watchers for about six months before they decide to start shilling for waffle business again.

Fortunately, the finale for the Great Food Truck Race will be two trucks with people who actually know how to cook, and can serve up some quality cuisine.  The odds-on favorite is clearly Seoul Sausage, who has consistently won week after week with a dependable formula.  These Korean guys know how to run a food truck, and they should be proud.  However, the girls from Nonna's can certainly give them a challenge, and it should be an interesting finale.

As an added bonus to the Sunday night line-up, this episode of the Great Food Truck Race was followed by the premiere of the Food Network's $24 in 24, featuring Jeff Mauro, the Sandwich King.  Jeff is branching out with a new show featuring inexpensive but great food from cities around the country.  I am excited about this show - which premiered in Jeff's hometown of Chicago.  And, I am really hoping this can provide a relief from the endless replays of Guy's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.  Jeff the Sandwich King has Guy-like star power, and hopefully this show takes off and generates some more press - and a better time slot - for Jeff the Sandwich King.

*UPDATE - For info on Season 4 premiering Sunday, August 18, check here.

Is It About 47%-ers, or 1%-ers?

How quickly the class warfare discussions have shifted - away from President Obama's plans to tax the super-rich - and on to Mitt Romney's apparently clueless remarks about some ambiguous group that makes up 47% of the electorate, doesn't pay income taxes, feels like a victim, feels entitled to health care and a job and a house, and wasn't going to vote for Mitt Romney anyway.

Governor Romney has made a serious mistake and miscalculation about percentages - and is being painted by even some in his own party as a derisive plutocrat.  There are several ways to parse the 47% that Mitt may be talking about.  For one, roughly 46% of the population identifies as Democrats, or Republicans, with about 38% voting that way all the time.  So, Romney is correct that a certain percentage of people will never vote for him because it's about party and ideology.  Additionally, there is a common notion - from a study by the Brookings Institution - that 46% of Americans don't pay an "federal income tax."  The reasons vary - as some are fixed income seniors and others are working poor who have their burden erased the Earned Income Tax Credit (a tax credit widely supported by many in the GOP, including W. Bush).

The problem for Romney is that he has assumed the 46-47%-ers who won't vote from - and those who don't pay income taxes - are the same group.  And that's far from the truth.  It negates all the Republicans in all the Red States who currently don't pay income taxes and do receive government benefits.  And it confuses the many Democrats who pay plenty in taxes and would never vote for Mitt Romney for numerous reasons, not the least of which is the elite, plutocratic view that leads to making inane statements like Romney has been making.

There is No Health Care in the United States

As I continue to observe people with incredibly poor diets living unhealthy lifestyles with very little attention to exercise, I've concluded that there is very little health care in this country.  People are not taking care of their health - and they are absolutely shameless about it.  Currently, Americans seem to be completely up in arms about the health care crisis - whether that means access or costs.  But there is little talk about the role personal responsibility plays in this area.

Roughly, 80% of health care spending the in United States - that's eight out of every ten health care dollars - goes to treat chronic illnesses that can be completely or predominantly treated with diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes.  Hypertension, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, joint problems, back problems, type-2 diabetes and all the associated liver and kidney problems:  these are all  lifestyle diseases.

If Americans would cut out the sodas and unhealthy snacks, walk thirty minutes a day, and weight trained a couple times a week, America's health care costs could be cut dramatically.  Dare I say, we could cut wasteful "health care" spending in half.  Medicare and Medicaid would be in much better shape because we could be consuming far fewer services.  And, this should appeal to people of all status and ideology.  Personal responsibility needs to be part of the health care discussion.  And we all do have an interest (financial) in the eating and exercise habits of others.

As Michael Pollan says,

Eat food.

Mostly vegetables.

Not too much.

And take a walk.

It's Not About Mitt Romney - It's the GOP Platform

According to the latest buzz, Mitt Romney is under fire from his own party over the tepid campaign he is waging.  In the view of both Laura Ingram and George Will, if Mitt Romney and the Republicans cannot beat President Obama in the current climate, the party should hang it up and seek a new line of work.  The strategy has run back and forth and all over the place, but the campaign has mostly been about the fact that Mitt Romney is not Obama.  The central idea is to be the anti-Obama, and to rail against the President for everything from health care to taxes to Solyndra to the trading of Tim Tebow. The biggest frustration for the GOP - especially the conservatives on talk radio and television - is that they can't simply fire off the Reagan question - "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" - and call it game, set, and match.

And that disconnect is the heart of the Republican's problem.  It's the platform, people.  The country may not be thrilled with their lives and the current state of the economy and government.  But they aren't thrilled about the alternatives either.

It's not a winning strategy to run as the anti-Obama when the president is actually quite likable and in many ways popular.  The American people may be unhappy with their job situation - but they are just as likely to blame the company that laid them off as they are the White House's economic policies.  In fact, it may be more so, considering many employed people were hired back at worse jobs for less pay even as they saw the corporate sector boasting profits and the stock market come roaring back.  The problem is that the voters don't trust Mitt Romney and the trickle-down ideas, and they associate him with the part of society that is doing well.  Time Magazine reported on the state of malls in America this week, and the surprising news is that the outlook at middle and working class malls is more vacancies, but the malls that serve the top 10% of earners are actually doing well ... even growing.

The American people don't hold President Obama in great contempt.  And they are not thrilled about the idea of Medicare becoming a voucher.  And they don't see why Warren Buffet should pay so little in taxes.  And they don't have lots of dividends and stocks, especially not to the point of moving the money off-shore to avoid taxes.  And they don't believe that abortion should be outlawed in all cases.  And they haven't put English as a national language high on their list of priorities.  And they do have sympathy for undocumented children who simply want to stay in the only home country they've ever known.  And they don't see why the Bush tax cuts for top earners can't expire.  And they are liking the fact that the insurance companies can't drop them or deny them now.  And they appreciated the rebate they got for their health care.  And they like not being misled by credit card companies anymore.

The sad - and strange - thing for the GOP is that if Mitt Romney loses, the Republicans will misread it as the country being even more conservative and opposed to government than it is, and they will seek even more hardline conservatives for 2014 and 2016.  And for a party that desperately needs to move to the center, that will be a huge mistake.

Republicans.  It's your ideas.

America Is ... a Tad Disgusting

My family and I spent Saturday morning running a 5K for the First America State Bank Fitness Festival, and it was quite simply refreshing and a lot of fun.  Roughly a thousand people in the area of southeast Denver turned out for a 5K run/walk and a one-mile fun run for the little kids.  Many of the local high schools turned out with their cross-country teams and cheerleading squads to promote health and wellness.

To contrast that, we attended youth baseball today for a double-header and I was depressed and quite nauseated to witness the poor health and disgusting eating - and parenting - habits of Americans.  The first thing that struck me was the number of overweight kids who are playing organized sports.  Too many young people are just overweight and out of shape, and it's just so sad.  And, I blame the parents.  For, even before the kids are playing - on a chilly September morning at 8:30 - these kids are being given huge bottles of Gatorade to chug on.  And that is nothing but sugar water and chemical coloring, despite the fact that the kids haven't sweated a drop and wouldn't all day.

Beyond that were ... the snacks.  How about a supermarket bag full of Doritos and Pringles and Cheeze-its and Oreos?  Nothing like a little starch and empty white flour carbs loaded with sugar for a little "energy."  And if that weren't enough, it certainly made sense to top it off between games with a trip to McDonalds.  Really, people?  Has any effort at health and nutrition gone completely out the window?  Are people this completely clueless about fitness?  It's not surprising, considering the size - and shape - of many of the fathers in the stands.  But it is truly sad.  They've just completely given up - and there is literally no shame about how bad they look.

Of course, the question is - why is this my business?

I look at it financially.  There is no doubt that diet and exercise are hugely significant on health and health care spending.  And Medicare and Medicaid spending are busting out with a generation of people raised on sugar and empty white flour carbs.  That expense affects my health care costs as well.  Insurance pools disperse cost and risk.  So for every handful of Doritos going down someone's gullet, I am seeing a rise in my health care costs.  And it is unsustainable.  The great irony is that amidst all this gluttony, people turn their ire toward the "Food Police."  As if that cinnamon roll is so important and part of everyone's Constitutional right to the pursuit of happiness.

Ultimately, I see it from A Teacher's View.  These children are being harmed by the ignorant behavior of their parents, and they will be saddled with a lifetime of weight struggle because parents didn't care enough to be educated about health and wellness.  According to research, only 10% of parents of overweight and obese children seek help in treating the condition.

So, so sad.

Hyperink Changes the Study Guide Industry All Over Again

Study guides such as Cliff Notes and Spark Notes and No Fear and Grade Saver have been offering simplified summaries of classic literature and required reading for decades, and they have long been the standard in the genre.  However, their specialties have long been the classics of contemporary high school and college curricula, and most students turn to them for help deciphering Shakespeare's Hamlet or assistance in prepping for the ACT.  There were many books that these standard industry leaders didn't touch - and they were mainly the books that weren't in demand in the classroom.  Yet, there are many books that people would love to read - or say they have read - but they don't have the time.  Hyperink intends to fill that void.

I first happened across Hyperink while searching Amazon for books by Jonah Leher - the recently scandalized writer who published in Wired and the New Yorker before being exposed for academic dishonesty.  While searching his book Imagine, I discovered an offering for a "Quicklet" on Leher's books.  Upon investigation I learned that Hyperink is a company devoted to publishing quick book summaries of popular non-fiction works.  The entire business model is the brainchild of an entrepreneur named Kevin Gao, who first made a name for himself with his self-publishing book on consulting, The Consulting Bible.   Hyperink apparently caught the attention of one of the original venture capitalists behind the HuffPost, Kenneth Lerer, who has bankrolled the company.  The concept is not new, even to the internet, as freelance source such as Associated Content, Demand Media Studios, and eHow have been offering these summaries of popular content for a while now. Perhaps the most successful model on this idea was the inventors of the For Dummies handbooks.  Hyperink has simply repackaged it, again.

And Hyperink is also branching out into other fields of publishing, making it easier for "experts" and aspiring writers to publish books.  For example, Hyperink has a team of writers who will sift through a bloggers entire collection of posts and "craft a book" out of the entries.  They will also market it and sell it - for a 50% of the profits.  It is a reasonable offer, and Hyperink is able to do for many writers what they are unable to do for themselves - gather, organize, and market their content.  They will quickly assemble and publish brief summaries and explanations on unique subjects that people often search the internet for.  Thus, someone may want a quick read on "how to garden" or perhaps a short summary of Malcolm Gladwell's works.  Hyperink seeks to provide the content.

At this point, I am not entirely sure how I feel about the rise of Hyperink - as I have criticized the use of No Fear Shakespeare in the classroom.  At the same time, I can understand people simply wanting a little more information about a great book - more than they can get from Wikipedia or the Amazon reviews.  And, certainly, I can concede that books like The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman or The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell can be, well, a bit long winded.  Thus, this secondary avenue to access to information may not be a bad development.  That said, I am a bit concerned that it veers close to copyright infringement, but it's certainly not plagiarism.  And it's no difference than people asking me about a book that I have read.  As a teacher, I often give "A Teacher's View" of many popular works such as Friedman's books.

In many ways, I am disappointed I didn't think of it first.  It is, in fact, an industry based on the idea of blogs is good business.  Bloggers read a great many articles and then write short summaries of them, including links.  Hyperink has simply market-ized it.  From an educational standpoint, there is a similarity to what Sal Khan of the Khan Academy is doing.  He is simply shortening and simplifying the information people - or students - want to know about and putting it in a digestible form.  So, add Hyperink to the list of one more company that is pumping accessible information - even if it is recycled - into the marketplace, and making a lot of money doing it.

The Truth about Medicare and "Medi-Scare"

By now the fact checkers have had their way with Paul Ryan's speech and his ... uh ... clever use of the "facts" when it comes to budgets, the economy, and Medicare.   But it's the Medicare comments that have really bothered me.  At one time I was impressed with Paul Ryan's big ideas and willingness to challenge the country on Medicare spending.  While I was leery of the implementation of his voucher program, I was glad he was willing to have the tough conversation.  America's biggest fiscal threat is an aging population, the rapidly increasing retirements of Baby Boomers, and the un-bridled growth in health care costs and spending.

And then he gave an incredibly disingenuous speech.

Paul Ryan walked away from his credibility when he went to Florida and criticized President Obama for making "cuts" in Medicare, even though Ryan's much-touted budget plan makes the entire same cuts - which aren't cuts in benefits but restraints on runaway payments to doctors, pharmaceutical companies, and hospitals.  It was quite near hypocrisy - and then he went one step more.  Ryan literally accused the Democrats and President Obama of raiding Medicare while claiming "a Ryan-Romney administration will protect and strengthen Medicare."  Of course, that's simply not true, as Ryan's plan is to replace Medicare with a voucher program.  Replacing the program literally is an end to the program.

The critics have been quite vocal about this - but none has effectively articulated this as Paul Krugman has in his most recent column.  Krugman can be a bit much at times, and I don't always agree with his plans or his ideology and partisanship.  But his analysis of Medicare and Paul Ryan is spot on.  Medicare is pretty non-negotiable in this country because health care costs are unrestrained, and the private industry is not going to insure expensive people like senior citizens.  That's why we created Medicare in the first place.  And too many Republicans are forgetting that.  And too many Americans have crazy thoughts like "Keep your government hands off my Medicare."

Of course, Ryan was not wrong to question Medicare spending.  The plan needs reform, and that should begin with means testing and caps on benefits.  And retirees - and all Americans - need to do everything they can to enter retirement as healthy as possible.  And it really bothers me how poorly Americans take care of themselves and then expect incredibly cheap - to the point of almost free - health care in old age.  But a voucher program for seniors is not going to lower costs - and it's going to leave too many without adequate care.  And that is not good for a country.

You Cannot Tip a Cow

For years, I have been listening to people perpetuate the urban legend of "cow tipping."  Where the idea originated is anybody's guess, but it probably began as a way for city and suburban kids to mock and ridicule country kids.  The basic idea would have been that there is nothing to do "out in the sticks," so rural teens spend their weekend nights, driving around drinking, and then they head out to the fields to "tip cows" for fun.

The stated premise - or reason that this can allegedly be done - is cows are incredibly stupid and top heavy and they sleep standing up.  So, in theory, a few people can "sneak up" on the cow and tip it over.  However, there are numerous flaws to this "theory," and I've spent countless conversations try to convince people otherwise.  Having grown up near rural areas, and knowing numerous people who own cattle, I can unequivocally assert that "You cannot tip a cow."

Of course, people amazingly argue this to ridiculous ends.  It's most often my students - who have heard that I say it can't be done.  Inevitably, they ask about it, and then at least one kid will claim to either have done it, or to know someone who has.  Often they swear it can be done because their father has done it, and has told them about it.  And, sadly, I have to tell the kids, "No offense to your father - I'm sure he's a great guy.  But he's lying to you."  Occasionally the stories start to shift a bit - and kids will say "it was a baby cow."  But again.  They've been lied to.

You cannot tip a cow.  Here's why:

• Cows weigh 1,000+ pounds.  Get that?  1,000 - 1,500 pounds.  They're half a ton.  No one - and I mean no one - is just tipping that over.

• Cows don't sleep standing up, and they are incredibly light sleepers.  No one is just sneaking up on a sleeping cow and tipping it over.  They might "doze" or "nap" while standing, but they don't sleep that way.

• Cows are incredibly skittish and afraid.  And, if you are not the cow's owner or caregiver, you are not getting anywhere near that cow.  And if you could and started pushing on it, it would move.  Quickly.  Or it might just kick the shit out of you.  Ask someone who's been kicked while milking one.

• They weigh 1,000 pounds.  Did I mention that yet?

So, even if you could get near them, they wouldn't just let you tip them.  And even if you got them to hold still and brought an NFL defensive line up to push on them, they are not so top heavy that they are going to fall over.  And regardless, no one is talking about those conditions.  People are continuing the myth that drunk teens can sneak up on a cow and tip it over.  But they can't.

I usually end conversations by encouraging them to find proof, and I urge them to check it out on YouTube.  If it could be done, there would certainly be evidence.  But there's not.

So, feel free to prove me wrong.  But you'd look like a fool trying to do so.  Because you cannot tip a cow.

Great Food Truck Race 2012 - Aussie Babes Out

In the second installment of the Food Network's 2012 Great Food Truck Race, the Barbie Babes from Australia didn't make the cut in beautiful Flagstaff, Arizona.  Unfortunately for them, they were not exactly the lowest earners that week - a distinction that went to Pop-a-Waffles.  The Waffle boys, however, won immunity this week with the food challenge to cook a local delicacy - cactus.  I was a bit surprised by their win, as they simply made a cactus salsa - and the judge criticized some other trucks for not doing anything special.  I guess their salsa was just better.  Thus, they survive another week, and Momma's Grizzly barely stays in despite making the huge rookie mistake of closing up early.  The winners of the week were the Korean guys from Seoul Sausage for the second week in the row.

The days in Flagstaff were fairly entertaining, as Tyler Florence let the trucks get right to work.  I did think it was an interesting dilemma the Atlanta crew got into by heading to the kite festival and being denied for a lack of permit.  The man on the screen told them it "was a city event, and thus they could only allow certified vendors."  But if that is the case, how were the trucks able to set up on the streets of Flagstaff?  Obviously, I'm missing something.  And the issue of licensing food trucks is becoming more significant as the industry grows.  Clearly, Flagstaff is OK with trucks just pulling in from out of town and setting up shop.  And, if not, the Food Network should be on top of that.

Overall, it was a fun week.  Though, at this point, I don't have much connection to any of the contestants.  And I'm not feeling it like I did in seasons past.  Hopefully the show will kick it up a notch.  Not that I just want drama.  But I enjoyed the whole food truck experience more in the past.  Perhaps that was because they were skilled food truck operators.  We'll see.

Of course, now it's off to Amarillo, Texas.  It will be interesting to see whether Seoul Sausage can stay on top in a place like Texas.

Competency-Based Learning in Adams 12

Despite the endless diatribes from Arne Duncan about the need for "a longer school day, a longer school week, and a longer school year" for all, the idea of more tailored education meeting the individual needs of students is growing.  I've long opposed and argued against the idea of mandated "seat time," as declaring 1080 contact hours necessary for mastery or even competence is ridiculous.  Certainly, standards should exist for time in school - and Malcolm Gladwell reminds about the 10,000 necessary for mastery.  But the notion of "seat time" is changing, and districts are becoming innovative in terms of moving kids to mastery on a more flexible schedule.

For roughly three years now, Adams 12 District in Colorado has been operating on a competency-based education model.  Students move up in grade levels based on mastery of skills and content, not number of years or days or "contact hours" in school.  The plan appears to be working, as the students are showing improved performance in this notoriously low district.  A teacher's view has always been that if it works, it's good policy.  And it appears moving students at their level of mastery instead of a set yearly schedule is effective.  Certainly, there are downsides to this system, and it could be a logistical nightmare.  Yet, the benefits of moving kids based on competency are pretty clear.

Some downsides would be the challenging system of measurement and the logistics of scheduling.  And, of course, just because a student can come into my class and write one effective essay does not mean he won't benefit from the practice of writing ten more.  Mastery is built up over extensive hours of practice.  And the time spent in class discussion is every bit as valuable to our education as being able to display a measurable skill on demand.  Certainly, a minimum amount of class time is mandatory.  However, as students move up the levels, the specifics of seat time become less significant.  And, allowing students to move on to a higher level math whenever they're ready makes a lot of sense.  At the age of nine, my son was already "upstairs" at his school taking the middle school math classes simply because he was ready.  Of course, he was also emotionally mature enough to handle it.

The competency-based model of student advancement is certainly worth investigating and developing.  It has seemed to work most effectively at the lowest and highest levels.  Kids who struggle work at their pace and focus on accomplishment - not just getting by.  Kids at the top levels can take AP and CE classes to begin working on higher level education and even college degrees when they are ready.  Wherever it works, it should be implemented.

Business & Government

Interesting thoughts from Barton Gellman in his cover piece, "The Mind of Mitt," in Time Magazine.  Much has been made of Mitt Romney's business credentials, but I have always been skeptical that such a background qualifies someone for political office, especially the Presidency.  For, there is very little evidence that good businessmen make good presidents.  And, as several analysts have pointed out about Mitt's pledge to "create jobs" because he knows how to do that, his background in finance and private equity was never about creating jobs.  Private equity in no way has a goal of job creation - and it usually works in reverse.  Thus, I continue to be skeptical of the business background argument in relation to elected office.  In reality, these are two entirely different fields.  Business is not governing, and government is not a business.

Effective Diction and Editing

Teaching students the importance of effective diction and language choices is an integral part of the English classroom.  The French call it le mot juste - the right word.  And, an effective and fun classroom activity - which can work at all age levels - is the Three-Word Poem.  For a deeper explanation, check out my latest entry on my English blog.