Category: People

Overcoming Employment Barriers: Literacy, Language, and Professional CDL Written Test Requirements

We need to remove the literacy barrier to one of the top areas of employment in the United States.

I’d like to talk about Universal basic income UBI. There are two key problems with UBI. One is pride and the other is personal finance skills. But before I explain all of this, I want to say upfront that people need and want a living wage.

Universal basic income is a political-economic theory that our society would be better if we simply gave every family one or two grand from the government that they could use in any way they want.

The number one problem with UBI is pride. People want to feel proud of earning their wages and UBI robs people of that pride. According to a book called “Drive,” most people want three things: autonomy and mastery and purpose. UBI might give folks autonomy, but not mastery and purpose.

Work is more than just salary. This ability to be proud as well as earn a living wage, and to feel a part of the community is critical. We need everyone contributing to our society. This is the number one reason why universal basic income is a bad idea.

Another reason why universal basic income is a bad idea is because the vast majority of American citizens do not have enough skill with personal finance. I found this to be particularly true growing up in crushing poverty. I noted with interest reading J.D. Vance’s book Hillbilly Elegy that he described the same dysfunctional relationship with the material world that I grew up with. There was always enough money for cigarettes. Maybe for tattoos or cheap jewelry or bad makeup. But I often wondered whether there would be any food for breakfast when I woke up.

There are reasons that we have problems with personal finance. One of the reasons is because we don’t have enough education so that we can understand things like interest rates and saving and credit ratings. One solution, obviously, is to add personal finance to the curriculum starting in elementary school.

Another problem with personal finance in United States is truth in advertising. A lot of major companies advertise only the monthly payment required for an item purchased on credit. But people need to know the total cost of ownership. This should apply to everything purchased on credit, including vehicles, furniture or appliances, as well as student loans.

Because we lack an understanding of personal finance, giving every family $1,000 or $2000 of universal basic income will not necessarily guarantee each family and their children will have food, clothing and housing. If the money isn’t sufficiently managed, issues like food insecurity and homelessness will persist.

Of course, many of these problems are directly related to mental health and substance abuse, which is a form of debilitating mental health in its own right. There are spirals that go up or down. Unemployed people with or without preexisting mental health problems may become depressed. Depression and its cousin anxiety regardless of whether they are caused by life’s struggles or genetic inherited mental illness can inspired self-medication. Self-medication is often a form of substance abuse if people use illegal drugs. But even legal drugs like alcohol can lead to substance abuse when used as a form of self-medication to treat depression or anxiety.

Of course, people with substance abuse and its comorbid cousin mental illness can struggle in gaining and keeping a job. Difficulties in gaining or keeping a job result in financial problems. Financial problems result in depression or anxiety. And so, the spiral goes on.

The better solution is to break down the barriers to employment to help people earn a living wage. Ideally, a wage that include health benefits so they can get help, if necessary, with substance abuse or other health issues. We need to help people get good quality jobs. We need to help companies who desperately need good employees.

Recently, I asked the governor of the state of Maryland to please make the many CDL tests and study materials available in languages other than English. These tests are required for professional driver jobs. There are two dominate career fields where the bulk of Americans work: retail and professional drivers.

Because people who speak English as a second language or having literacy issues in their own language, they struggle to understand the CDL test materials. This not only robs them of a living wage, but also robs are companies and our schools of having enough professional drivers.

The language included in the CDL test, and the basic driving test uses terms we rarely use in conversations. Words like pedestrian aren’t commonly used anywhere else. We should change the content to more simplified English communication so that everyone can understand it better.

21% of adults in the US read below a 5th-grade level.
75% of Americans who get food stamps struggle with literacy.
43% of adults with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty.

There are many reasons as to why people struggle with literacy. They may have dyslexia or other learning related problems. ADHD. We can make educational materials for professional drivers available in an audio format. Reading shouldn’t be a barrier to entry into a job where they need to look outside the windshield and avoid collisions. Except for passing the test, these professionals are not Supreme Court justices. They don’t read for living.

We can and should help folks with literacy challenges gain effective employment and help the companies and schools who need professional drivers.

We need to remove the literacy barrier to one of the top areas of employment in the United States.

The last barrier I would remove is the test fee. I would waive the test fee professional driving exams for anyone who is not working as well as for anyone who qualifies for food stamps. We need to get people off unemployment and into companies that desperately need professional drivers. And if people can pass the test, the $40 entrance fee is not important.

For companies that give free drivers training to potential employees in exchange for a contract that requires a certain time employed, they should get a tax break.

The photo used with this post is a generative AI image. The person doesn’t exist.

Diet, Weight loss, Meditation & Sleep

I didn’t take a New Year’s resolution for 2019, so I’m not exactly sure how it happened, but I dropped from 160 pounds to 135.

Let me try to recount the sequence of events not only for the readers, but because I haven’t always been cognizant of the comprehensive nature of all the interlocking decisions I’ve made.

Obviously, I was unhappy with my body weight and so was my doctor. I gave birth in early 2016. Prior to the pregnancy, I was 125 pounds. I’m 5’3 3/4″. While working with a fertility doctor, the medications I took to try to help me get pregnant caused me to gain 15 pounds. I lost 7 pounds after stopping the meds, but stopped trying to diet when it looked like our attempts at pregnancy might be successful. I didn’t want to risk losing a chance at a child. During the pregnancy, I topped out at 170 pounds and afterward while breastfeeding, the pounds melted off, dropping to 136 7 or 8 months after giving birth. However, once I stopped breastfeeding, the weight came back.

For a couple of years, I played yo-yo and tried numerous diets, the most successful of which was Jenny Craigs, but I never managed to keep the weight off. In addition to weight problems, our daughter didn’t sleep through the night until around 3 1/2 years old. We were horribly sleep deprived. I read a lot about the damaging effects, including weight gain of insufficient or bad quality sleep. I also read the book The Secret Life of Fat. Finally, I joined Noom and announced on Facebook that I was going to get 125 pounds back.

I haven’t. I’m still 10 pounds away, but I have become confident that I can. Step 1 was a wearable and a focus on sleep.

After joining Noom, the counselor asked me what I wanted to focus on and I said 8 continuous hours of sleep with 60% deep sleep and average heart rate dip, which is 20% or more. This was an odd goal for a weight loss program, but to their credit, the Noom team didn’t balk. I said I’d work on weight loss after I mastered sleep.

The Sleep Craze
I bought an iWatch. Later I wished I would have bought a $28 HuaWise Fitness Tracker, Waterproof Activity Tracker with Heart Rate Monitor and Sleep Monitor, Waterproof Pedometer, Step Counter, Calories Counter for Android & iPhone. My niece, her boyfriend and my nephew all have fitbits, which are also cheaper than an iWatch. Neither the HuaWise nor the fitbit requires a monthly cellular service charge. Also both fitbit and HuaWise only need to be charged once per week. I constantly fight to keep my iWatch charged, but regardless, some kind of wearable that tracks steps, heartrate, sleep and so on provides critical feedback for both sleep and weight loss management.

I read a lot of blogs, add a black paper accordion folded shade with super sticky glue behind my blinds. I made my room super dark and increased the air condition to make deeper sleep more likely. (Original Blackout Pleated Paper Shade Black, 36” x 72”, 6-Pack by Redi Shade) I guarded my sleep religiously, stopping all action outside the home by 6 p.m. to be able to get the toddler bathed, fed and relaxing in bed by 8 p.m. so I could consistently fall asleep between 8:30 and 9 p.m.

I quit caffeine. No shit! The most extreme part of this whole 9 month process has been eliminating my chemical dependence. It was painful. Headaches. And it took me a while to switch to Diet Sprite or 7 Up or Diet A&W root beer, but after 3 or 4 months, I had the impression that I had actually won. Another goal that Noom didn’t argue with, but simply supported.

I stock several sleep aids. Chamomile tea is the best but tastes horrible. Sleepy Time tea tastes better, but doesn’t seem to be quite as powerful. I gave up on melatonin which is great for changing time zones, but doesn’t keep me asleep. When my mind is restless and I can’t sleep within 20 minutes of laying down, I take dreamwater, luna or sleepy bear gummies. Dreamwater has melatonin with GABA and other stuff. Luna’s advertisement says: made with Herbal Extracts such as Valerian, Chamomile, Passionflower, Lemon Balm, Melatonin & More. The Amazon description for sleepy bear gummies says: Formulated with Melatonin, the berry-flavored chewable gummies also include our proprietary Rest Well Blend consisting of Lemon Balm Leaf, Passion Flower, Valerian Root, and 5-HTP.

But I started meditating. I use several apps: Calm. Oak. Headspace. There are more. I ignore the part about sitting in the lotus position imaging a string above my head holding me straight up, relaxed but alert. I lay in my bed, one leg over a body pillow with the smart phone beside my pillow and most nights I’m asleep before I finish the meditation. Of course, if the meditation works, no need for sleep aids, but if I’m still awake 20 minutes after laying down, I don’t think twice, I just sleep aid. Nothing is going to keep me from hitting that 9 p.m. deadline.

In order to hit my heart rate dip and deep sleep requirements, I discovered that I must do at least 12k steps per day. If not, my sleep quality suffers. What’s more, it doesn’t matter if I jog or stroll. However, unlike the Marines taught me, 3 miles per day is not enough. I usually log something closer to 7 miles per day in order assure quality sleep. Of course, this amount of movement also helps with weight loss. But even if operating in a caloric deficit, a sleep deprived body can hold on to weight. I don’t know why. I don’t know how. But I have seen over the last 9 months that even if I do everything else right, but my sleep isn’t good, the weight will not come off. This might be because of the incredible power of intermittent fasting. Of course, sleeping people don’t eat.

just before giving birth max body weight at 170. a year later, I’d be 160 pound without the baby.
Both of us pretty close to perfect bodyweight. I don’t know about Bin, but I was 125 pounds in this photo.
Charlotte Ann Hu (Crouch) lowest adult body weight in 2012
During NCO School Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, 1987

I’ll do more weight loss posts with information regarding food and daily habits, but for now, sleep well!

During NCO School Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, 1987
Charlotte Ann Hu (Crouch) lowest adult body weight in 2012
Both of us pretty close to perfect bodyweight. I don’t know about Bin, but I was 125 pounds in this photo.
just before giving birth max body weight at 170. a year later, I’d be 160 pound without the baby.

A Memorial: Zhong Wen Hu

Zhongwen Hu

Zhongwen Hu lived a wholly remarkable life. He was born in 1937 and had a clear memory of a time before the communist revolution in China. His eldest son became an engineer, emigrated to Canada and now works for the auto industry in North America. His youngest son placed in Beijing body building championships, worked as a banker and professional photographer. Zhongwen Hu moved to Guyana, South America in 2010 and emigrated to the U.S., receiving his green card in Miami, Florida. Dad lived the rest of his life in San Antonio, TX. He traveled to AZ, SC, AL, NM, and LA. He left us in the summer of 2015, while his grand daughter, Ann, was still in her second trimester in my womb. He lived through the eight years of the Japanese army’s occupation of Bejing, great depression of China, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution and the modernization of China.

 

What if? Mao manufactured the Korean Conflict?

A close reading of Kissinger’s On China includes solid data regarding the Chinese deception of Moscow. The Chinese Army was already marching south on the peninsula when Mao cabled Moscow to tell them the Chinese would not interfere in the war between North and South Korea. Moscow and Beijing both blame the other for having originated the idea of North Korea invading South Korea.

Kissinger documents Chinese history, philosophy and tactics which include playing the barbarians against each other and using chess-like or Goban-like political moves to diminish an enemy’s national funds, national clout and domestic popularity. Kissinger notes clearly that the real winner in the Korean Conflict was China. At the end of WWII, the two most powerful global forces were Washington, DC and Moscow. At the end of the Korean Conflict, both had lost considerable domestic confidence, national financial reserves, human lives and global confidence.

However, Kissinger stops short of blaming the creation of the Korean Conflict on Mao. If Mao was able to manufacture a global event that cost, by some estimates 3 million lives both civilian and military, it was his crowning achievement as the ultimate political manipulator. It’s hard to imagine from a JudeoChristian ethic that someone could care so little for human lives as to use 3 million people as pawns in a political maneuver. However, in the military strategic view of classic Chinese texts, rather than be a horrific violation of ethics on a near genocidal level, it could be viewed as a master stroke of genius.

Terrifying to think of, really.41gbrddtfll-_sx324_bo1204203200_

New Literacy: Eulogy for Gutenberg

I haven’t yet seen any news reports or research or thought leadership books by techies about the impact of smart speakers on the fundamental structure of our social fabric. I think Alexa is a technical revolution as radical as Gutenberg’s press.

In 1436, Johaness Gutenberg, a German goldsmith, created the printing press. Before then, all texts had to be laboriously copied by hand. Corresponding this critical new technology, born in Eisleben, Germany, in 1483, Martin Luther disrupted religion by translating the Bible and removing control from the hands of the clergy. Since that time, the ability to read text on paper has largely determined economic potential and earning capability in the job market.

Right now, in 2018, there remain some 20% of the world’s population who are illiterate. Others born or who later became blind or severely sight impaired have also been limited in their economic potential due to their inability to access information.

Alexa and other technologies like her, Siri and Google Home, but more importantly, the computing power that has made text to speech and speech to text capability possible will make reading letters on paper altogether irrelevant with regard to accessing information.

I read a book by Microsoft MVP Ben Clothier who explained how to integrate Access and Sharepoint nearly 10 years ago. He seemed at that time to be the only person in the world who knew how to do what we wanted to do with our information. I reached out to him on the web and he said he worked for a consulting firm. I reached out to them and contracted him to help our project. I also contracted two American sign language translators because this brilliant expert was severely hearing impaired and had very limited sight. I offered to pick him up from his home on my way to work, because I learned from a tour at the Lighthouse for the Blind that getting to work every day is one of the biggest challenges in a car culture like ours for sight-impaired professionals.

Centuries or even decades ago, Ben would never have been able to access all the knowledge that put him at the top of his specialty. While limited options were available, like braille, few of the worlds books were available in braille. Because of the digital revolution, information is now available to almost anyone and the final wall is coming down with voice user interface.

At the end of this holiday season, some 50% of American homes will have a smart speaker. Amazon’s website likens it to Star Trek ship communication technology. Ease of use has never been more fluid. No manual required. Even my two-year old can activate Alexa, although she has yet to correctly format a request to get a response. Alexa’s ring turns blue, delighting my toddler when she says, “Alexa.” Amazon just announced Alexa is available in Mexico.

Once this technology is available worldwide and once the world is online, Gutenberg will finally be truly just a note in the history books. The world he created of text will no longer determine one individual’s economic potential by serving as the only path to knowledge and information and ultimately professional expertise.

I have long loved books, and I will miss Gutenberg dearly. Still I can see that Alexa joins the Internet as the most powerful flattening forces of my lifetime.

Learning Languages Liberates our Minds

Give yourself, give a loved one, especially a child the ultimate cosmopolitan gift: Multilingualism.

People who speak two or more languages have significantly better overall cognitive abilities than those who speak one. Learning another language is one of the most effective and practical ways to increase intelligence and keep your mind sharp.  Language study buffers brain against aging. Start today with Creations by Crouch bilingual picture books.

Adele Marie Crouch created her bilingual picture books in the hope to bring the world together and keep unique cultures alive. The German-American grandmother’s children married Italian-American, Mexican-Apache, Nez Perce and Chinese. “Now my grandchildren look like the United Nations,” says the 68-year-old former realtor.

fox_cover_navajoIn retirement, Crouch starting writing picture books. She is deeply committed to providing language training assets in the form of bilingual books, especially for languages which are less available, such as Swahili and Marshallese. She is also deeply concerned with disappearing languages like tribal languages for the Native Americans of North, Central and South America as well as the Pacific islands and African tribal languages.

“One of the problems I’ve had is finding native speakers to provide translations,” she explained. Some languages like tribal languages are difficult to find professional translators for and others may have multiple dialects. This means that people from other dialects complain that the books are not correct. Her books have now been translated into more than 40 different languages.

“I wish I could have learned my family’s language,” says German-American author.

Like so many parents in so many ways, Crouch wanted to give future generations of her family more opportunities than she had herself.

Although Crouch is a German-American, she never learned to speak her family’s language due in part to the reputation that the German nation had earned at the end of World War II. Many German immigrants tried to hide their ancestry and they did this by making sure their children spoke only English. “My grandma didn’t want any of us to speak German,” she explained.

adelemariecrouch
Adele Marie Crouch, author of bilingual picture books in 40+ languages. Photo by Douglas Paul Crouch.

 

Today, many Asian and Latin American families who have been United States citizens for many generations still speak their family’s language at home. “I wish I could have learned a second language,” Crouch laments. “I wish I could have learned my family’s language. I will make sure my grandchildren and many other people’s children have the option and the opportunity to learn more languages if they want.”

Crouch is also a self-taught artist, working in: Acrylics, Oils, Colored Pencils, Graphite and Charcoal. She has been selling her work for more than 40 years. Her interest in art was inspired by a history lesson which featured Michelangelo when she was nine years old. Her artistic interest became another asset when she started writing bilingual picture books as she illustrated several of her books herself. However, in the beginning she didn’t feel confident enough to illustrate her own books so she hired a professional illustrator, Megan Gibbs. 

Megan illustrated How the Fox Got His Color and Where Hummingbirds Come From.  Within a week of completing the Hummingbird bird, Megan passed away.  Adele was at a loss at first and then decided to try doing her own illustrations and has been doing them ever since.Three of Adele’s relatives, her grandfather and two aunts, were also artists. This helped give her incentive to study and develop her skills in illustration.

Adele sits transfixed for hours just inches away from her easel. Her paint laid out in various tubs and tubes splayed around her. In the quiet room 17 miles down a dirt road, the only sounds are the wind outside and occasional sound of her brush strokes or sighs of happiness or frustration with her painting efforts. Yet, she said she loves her paintings as much as she loves her books and grandchildren.

Crouch’s bilingual language study books include:

  • How the Fox Got His Color is a delightful little story that tells of a young girl’s time with her grandmother as she relates a legend of how a mischievous little white fox with all his grand adventures going over and under and through became the red fox we all know today.
  • Where Hummingbirds Come From continues the grandmother and granddaughter characters as grandmother explains how the magic waters of a bubbling spring spray forth into magical, beautiful birds.
  • The Dance of The Caterpillars is a fun way to teach prepositions. This exciting children’s book contains twenty-two prepositions, one two-word multiple, and two three-word multiples.
  • Alphabet Alliteration puts a twist on learning the English alphabet.
  • The Gnomes of Knot-Hole Manor is a chapter book that focuses on word pairs that have the same pronunciation, but different spellings and meanings.

Crouch has always been fascinated with language and learning, including the structure of the English languages, so her books focus on the unique language elements while weaving them into entertaining stories.

Get started improving your brain today! Buy and read a bilingual book yourself or buy one for your favorite elder or young family member. Language study gives your brain a workout that improves the cognitive abilities of children, increases intelligence, and keep a mind sharp for everyone and buffer the brain against the effects of aging.

Buy Adele Marie Crouch’s bilingual books on Amazon.com or visit her website at www.CreationsByCrouch.com

BilingualBooks-Adele-Crouch.jpg
Bilingual picture books author Adele Marie Crouch at book signing event. Photo by Douglas Paul Crouch.

 

 

 

 

Childhood Memories: Country Living on Hebei Farming Plains of 1950s China

Photo caption: Mama Huang tends her San Antonio spinach garden.

Mama Huang is a country girl. Born Yong Cui Huang in 1948 in the farmlands of Jilin province, China, she still enjoys gardening.  A few months after she was born, her family moved to Xianghe County, Hebei Province, another country village. She move from rural life to urban life after she married her Beijing-born husband, Zhong Hu in 1967. After working in Beijing for 20 years, their youngest son, Bin Hu, 44, and daughter-in-law brought them to a new life in San Antonio.

When she was born, women in her village washed everything, including children, in wash tubs outside and carried water from a nearby well to their homes. During the time of Huang’s mother, women in China had been binding their feet to make them 3″ in length. Such small feet were called Lotus feet. Foot binding fell out of practice a decade before Mama Huang was born and, according to a Smithsonian magazine article, February 2015, “the last shoe factory making lotus shoes closed in 1999.” Since childhood, Mama Huang has shown a natural talent for traditional Chinese medicine, including acupressure, cupping and food as medicine. She studied on her own through government sponsored materials and offered to help neighbors. 

cupping
Mama Huang’s son Bin Hu after cupping treatment for back pain.

Huang remembers her farming days with fondness. “My home was on the Hebei plains. There was a river named ChaoBai near our village,” said Huang. The river leads to Beijing. It’s used for transporting food and goods. The river is about 50 meters wide with broad banks and giant trees on each side.  Huang said fishing boats were always on the river, and people loaded fish from a pier on the riverbank.

“I often played there when I was child,” she said.  When the water was shallow I would lead sheep to the river, walk them along the bank and let them to eat grass. It was beautiful and so peaceful. This is my earliest memory.”

Bin Hu remembered when they traveled to the village from Beijing, villagers would line up at the door to get Mama Huang’s free treatments. She prescribed food as remedies. For example, he said she would recommend eating cucumbers and pears to treat constipation. He said taking care of people is a natural extension of her Buddhist faith.

“I was born in a Buddhist family. I have been influenced by Buddhism since my earliest memories of childhood.”

Throughout all the changes, Huang has always meditated daily and constantly reads and contemplates the Sutras of Buddha. She said her deep faith in Buddhism has sustained her, nourished her and helped her maintain her powerful sense of moral values. Moral values she said she hopes to share with her American granddaughter.

“I was born in a Buddhist family,” she said. “My father is a devout Buddhist. “I have been influenced by Buddhism since my earliest memories of childhood.”

cuppingtool
Mama Huang uses the cupping tool for traditional Chinese pain relief.

Years after leaving the farmlands, she exercised daily by walking in the crowded early morning streets in a city of nearly 40 million people. Walking for fitness is something she advocates as part of her traditional Chinese medicine principles. Walking and eating fresh fruits and vegetables, make for a long, healthy life, she said. In Beijing, she walked daily to a produce seller to buy fresh fruits and vegetables for her family’s meals for that day. Before she retired, she stood on a packed bus more than an hour to commute to her job, arriving home late each day to prepare dinner for her two growing boys.

Although Huang bought a washing machine in 1989 for her fifth-story apartment in Beijing, she often continued to hand wash clothes just out of habit. The apartment already featured a shower and modern bathroom. In 1992, she stopped cooking by burning coal and transitioned to an electric stove. In 1999, she got her first air conditioner.

Most major cities in China have all the standard modern elements of big city life in the developed world today, Bin explained.

She delighted in 2006 when her oldest son, Hao Hu, nicknamed Peter, immigrated to Canada to work as an engineer and in 2008 when Bin married an American and immigrated to the U.S. Peter now works for an American company as a Canadian citizen on a NAFTA work visa to the U.S. Bin applied for an immigrant visa for Mama Huang. So, she moved to Texas, and now she walks regularly in the Texas state parks for exercise.

Last year, Mama Huang’s life passed through another drastic change. She lost Zhong, her husband of nearly 50 years. He died of a heart attack and stroke. Huang depended upon her Buddhist faith to sustain her, she said. “Especially in times of change and pain, Buddhism brings peace to my heart,” she said.

Regardless of the challenges she faces, she tries to heal people as much as she is able, she said. Of the 3 million Chinese in North America, most speak the south Chinese language of Cantonese, so Mama Huang is unable to communicate with most people she meets in Texas. Nonetheless, she has provided some relief of chemotherapy side effects for a patron at the San Antonio Cancer Start Center with her traditional medicinal treatments.