School Year Round

I would love to see a school year that lasts all year. Yes, I know kids need time off to explore so make it a 4 day school week, and still toss in those long vacation weeks. But you could use those Friday's "off" as recreation opportunities/offer extra "specials" on those days, (think like a whole day for the kids to explore art or music or sports or community service or apprenticeships or whatever- away from the TV)

How many Americans, even those who are farmers, still need their kids home over the summer to work the family farm? It's hard to find a good-paying job other than teaching one that gives you an extended leave of absence to care for the kids at home/still have something to go back to in the fall. A year round schedule would keep the kids on a regular routine, and those exploration Fridays could offer kids the opportunity to figure out what really inspires them. And parents that need to work can more easily find 4 day/week employment...

PS, that pencil image is a detail of a piece by Sam Winston. God his work is amazing...

400 Richest People in America

I would love to see a magazine "spoof" of this with the 400 poorest people in America- as a way to highlight & explain to those folks who think that poor people are just lazy* the REAL reasons why many people are in the straights they are.

It totally shouldn't be sarcastic or mocking of the people in it, but highlight even just one thing that might create an opportunity to help them help themselves. (Quality affordable childcare/health care/job training/etc. You name it) Maybe even just 40. And include a whole bunch of interviews with real poverty experts/results from studies like this one that highlight fiscally prudent investments in programs that work can really make a difference over the long haul. And for those who aren't swayed by the thought of helping another human, it could also boil it down to saving tax $ over the long haul.

* (true, some are, but there there are lazy bastards in every tax bracket, I'm talking about folks who work their asses off and still can't make ends meet.)

A place for "Ooh oohs"

My housemate Jenny and I constantly come up with projects that we think would be cool, world changing or just plain funny- but typically we lack the time or other resources to see them through. (note to Jenny: dude, we totally need a bandsaw- see if you can find one on freecycle) So out of the goodness of our hearts, and in the hopes that maybe one of these ideas will find a home, we're going to offer these little seeds of inspiration out into the blogosphere and hope they find some fertile ground to take root.

Our only 2 requests (for now):

1. If it already exists- let us know by posting a link, just try and avoid the temptation to be snarky about it.

2. If you decide to use an idea, take it with our blessing & let us know/send us a link to the results/somewhere include a thank you line and a link back to us. (And dude, if you end up making a bunch of moula off of it- feel free to send us some. It's good-karmalicious)

We'll probably end up blogging about other good ideas we stumble across online too, and who knows what this will end up looking like a few months down the road. At least it's a start...