Live and Learn New Mexico!

Back in the day, when Taylor Swift came on the music scene with her brilliant country songs, I told my son, only a few years younger than she, that this girl was going to be HUGE! I didn't realize just how huge. Taylor is a cultural phenomenon.  I do think, however, that a lot of her mega success has been thanks to the Internet and social media. Taylor knows how to make the most of it. And she does it with a sense of humor, the ability to laugh at herself, and great kindness.  I often think about her impact on world culture. We compare her musical success to the likes of Elvis. I think she has more of a Beatles story, if social media had been around back then. Even now, AI is allowing us to experience the Beatles as they once were. They recently "released" a new song. They could become even more popular now than they were when they were together and all of them were alive. I'm also hearing that colleges and universities are teaching courses on Taylor's...

I've been living in Moriarty six years, and I've watched the kid next door, an autistic child, get on and off the bus every school day since he started attending. He's ten now, and he is growing into a fine young man, much of that thanks to local school teachers.  While his older sister has become unhappy with the local high school and is learning from home, meeting with teachers regularly, he thrives at elementary school. It is so good for him!  I've often thought that we should change how schools serve learners, especially those with special needs. What if we only bused learners who benefit from being physically present at school each day vs those who could get as much or more benefit from remote learning? Special needs learners gain important social skills by attending school and by riding the bus. They don't need the bullying that they often endure in some schools.  So let's encourage remote learning for the kids who don't contribute to a kind school com...