Dog Love

My dog, Daisy, just turned 17 years old.  We are now at the point with her health where I am certain there will be some difficult decisions that will have to be made in the near future.  I thought perhaps that by writing this, I would be able to make those decisions with a clearer mind.

Daisy has been in remarkable health for most of her life.  Other than some allergy sensitivities and a bout with doggy vertigo that landed her in the hospital for a couple of days, she's been easy to care for and she's led a life of comfort and happiness.  A few months ago, we noticed changes.  She paces constantly around our kitchen (I call it her evening constitutional since it is more prevalent in the evening).  She can't go up/down stairs and sometimes has difficulty getting "her legs under her," and any uneven ground can cause her to topple.  The most distressing symptom is seizure - one a couple of months ago, and another today.  They have both happened in the early morning hours, and they leave both of us shivering.

I did not take her to the vet the first time she had the seizure, I think partly because I was hoping it was a one-time occurrence and partly because I do not want to have that "quality of life" discussion with the vet and discuss the possibility of ending Daisy's life with a shot.  I always hoped she would go gently, in her sleep.  I don't want to be responsible for making a decision that ends her life.  But yet, I know she struggles to move around.  And I know in the end, I will find the strength to do what is right for her.

Daisy was my rescue dog.  By that, I mean that I feel like I rescued her from a certain early death at the pet store (no one had purchased her and she was over three months old, the clerk told me she would be put down soon); but also I understand that she rescued me.  My mom had died some years before I found Daisy and my grief had changed me.  I was no longer the happy, energetic person I used to be before my mom's death.  Her suffering and death was with me on a daily basis, and I got super-busy in order to evade that memory.  Even though I was a mom and had a full household, I worked full-time as a teacher and went to graduate school part-time.  I kept busy with writing and working, even in the summer.  I didn't allow myself a break.  In "free time," I would sit and catalogue years worth of photographs and put them into albums.  Scrapbooking was more than a hobby for me - it was an escape, but it was rooted in a past that was lost to me.  I think all of us build up walls around pain -- but those same walls that protect us from discomfort, imprison us by keeping us separated from the present moment.

One day I brought my two sons to the mall and we saw Daisy in the pet store.  She was trembling all over, and for some reason (I had never asked before) I asked if I could hold her.  She melted into me and buried her little head into the crook of my elbow.  She stopped shaking.  I knew I couldn't leave her there.  I remember thinking, "This little dog needs me."  A trip to the vet confirmed that she was malnourished and in near critical health.

Once she got some strength back, Daisy took over the household!  In the coming days and years, I found myself laughing more, and loving easier.  The family spent more time together, playing with her.  I pulled out of my grief and came back into my life.  I remember one day when that came crystal-clear to me -- I was cleaning out my closet and I found a stuffed dog I had picked up at my mom's right after she died.  It had sat on my mom's bed for years.  The funny thing is, the stuffed animal gave me the thought that my mom had sent me Daisy.  It was a thought that immediately gave me great comfort.  And I realized that Daisy had brought peace to my heart.

Daisy has been with me now for so long that I don't remember not having her around.  She has been with me through grief and joy, worry and excitement.  She saw my children grow up and she has tolerated visits from my boisterous grandchildren.  She slept on my lap so many hours it probably totaled years worth of time.  All of those hours, my hands on her fur and her warmth on my lap was a therapy, a relief from overwork, exhaustion, and problems.  She stood by me with unwavering faithfulness and persistence.  She has given me so much for so long that I don't know what will fill the hole that will be left with her passing.  All I know, is that I will do my best for her and try hard to be worth all the trust and love she has given me. It is my belief that our pets are angels that are sent to us to help us to find our own inner strength, to pull us out of our problems and to help us notice the beauty, the zest, the joy of living in the moment.  Thank you Daisy.  I'll try very hard not to lose the gifts you shared with me.

Follow the Money in Pearson Standardized Tests

My last post mentioned the product placement that Pearson embedded in the state tests.  In 2013, for example, products mentioned included Mugs Root Beer (Pepsico), Melmac dinnerware, Lego/Mindstorms, IBM and FIFA.  I said someone should follow the money trail, so I did.

After complaints occurred about the very conspicuous and seemingly unrelated-to-text product placement on the 2013 NYS ELA standardized test, Antonia Valentine at the New York State Department of Education stated that the product names occurred because of the fact that "authentic texts" were used by Pearson.  She was quoted as stating that "Any brand names that occurred (in them) were incidental..." See here for full article.  Actually, a quick research trip on google reveals that the products mentioned were not so incidental.  Pearson had a financial interest that can be tied to every mention.

1.  Mugs Root Beer - It turns out that Rona A. Fairhead, who at the time the 2013 tests were published was the Executive Officer of the Financial Times Group division of Pearson, and had previously been their Chief Financial Officer, was elected to the Board of Directors at Pepsico in February, 2014. New Century Beverage Company, manufacturer of Mugs, is a subsidiary of Pepsico. This means that Ms. Fairhead would have had direct and continuing business dealings with Pepsico at least as early as 2013.  Did the product placement improve her standing with the company, and if so, did she pull strings at her workplace to make that happen?

2.  IBM - IBM and Pearson had already had a business relationship since at least 2007, when they announced a five year $128 million IT agreement between the two companies.  See the article here.  But wait, it gets better.  In 2014, IBM dumped Prometrics, the company that administered IBM professional certification exams.  Who did they give that business to?  Pearson.

3.  Lego/Mindstorms - In 2013, Pearson already had an agreement with LEGO that allowed them to publish curriculum on how to build and program Mindstorms robots.  But it gets even better than that.  In June of 2014, Lego and Pearson gleefully announced a partnership that would produce and sell lesson plans and manipulatives (the LEGOEducation StoryTales) for enhancing ELA curriculum. See article here.

4.  FIFA - Even the World Cups Games are not immune to Pearson's reach.  It turns out that Pearson franchises e-learning centers in Brazil and has helped to teach English to over 500,000 Brazilian students.  In December 2013, Pearson announced that they had made a major acquisition of a Brazilian English Language Training (ELT) company named GrupoMulti.  Their press release boasts that the demand for ELT services will accelerate in the future, due to the FIFA World Cup.  (See article here.)

So though we have been assured by our New York State Education Department, that no money changed hands in return for the product placements on the tests, it does seem that there was at least a tit-for-tat going on and that the placements were beneficial to Pearson financial interests.  In the meantime, our children were subjected to nothing less than shameful brand advertising during mandatory standardized tests, all paid for courtesy of the New York State taxpayers.

What Can the Pro-Public Education Movement Learn from NY Fracktivists?

On December 17, New York's anti-fracking community received an early holiday gift with the announcement that New York State would ban fracking.  This victory was an astounding turnaround from the situation just a few years ago.  There have been some news articles that have analyzed how/why this success occurred.  It made me wonder how those lessons could be applied in support of public education, which has been under attack from both pro-privatization government and business interests.

1.  Many small grassroots anti-fracking organizations sprang up in New York.  They had the good sense to unite their efforts to work together with not only state groups, but national groups as well.  We are also seeing this in the fight for public education, with outstanding groups such as the Badass Teachers Association, Save our Schools, Democrats for Public Education, United Opt Out, etc.  So far, however, AFT and NEA, along with state organizations like NYSUT, have not matched the efforts of the smaller organizations and have not reached out to create a united front.  In fact, they have accepted money and defended Common Core.  In my opinion a change in union tactics and/or leadership will be an essential step to combatting the money and political clout of the reformers.  Political change does not happen until opposition becomes a united movement.

2.  Citizen activation comes as a direct result of grassroots efforts.  Education of the public is essential - this was particularly difficult in the movement against fracking because at the start of the movement, the majority of citizens did not even know what fracking was.  There was much scientific and research-based information that had to be disseminated.  Some of this information was/is difficult for the layman to understand.  Documentaries like Greenland, which was screened in homes and small cinemas, as well as on social media and video channels, was essential to the building of this understanding.  Even The Simpsons had an episode where their water was on fire, indicating that anti-fracking points were being integrated into our cultural media.  Once people understood, they began protesting.  Signs on lawns, rallies, and (thanks to the coordinated efforts of organizations) dogged and ONGOING continuous protests at Cuomo appearances also helped to spread the word.  Social media was essential and letters, petitions, phone calls and/or visits to legislators were vitally important.  In the public education fight, most citizens do not understand what is really happening in our schools, and misinformation that comes from media attacks, etc., has convinced many that teachers are to blame for the "failure" of the public school system.  We are somewhat hampered by (understandable) teacher reticence to speak out, because they are in fear for their livelihood.  Creating a new public and social understanding of the web of deceit and misinformation that has been deliberately and carefully crafted by reformers is difficult, but not impossible.  Allying with parents in this struggle is essential.

3.  The movement did an excellent job of supporting the efforts of small governments to resist fracking.  Towns and cities passed prohibitive zoning ordinances that would keep fracking out of their communities.  When big oil and gas money and lawyers descended on them, communities were helped with fundraising efforts that enabled them to defend their resolutions in court, and they won.  This was a "pivot moment" in the fight.  Defenders of public education need to be willing to go to court over unfair school/teacher evaluation procedures, civil rights violations that occur in testing (see http://badassteachers.blogspot.com/2014/12/bats-send-open-letter-to-secretary.html), unfair funding of public schools, and unfair practices that favor for-profit corporations, among other things. A true partnership with teacher unions, local school boards, parent groups, and school districts should develop that would financially support the crucial legal plays that need to occur.  Everyone who is a part of the pro-public education movement should be attending and participating in their local school by attending board meetings.  We also need more representation on boards of education, parent associations, and other local government groups.

4.  Never underestimate the role of research studies, bloggers, and expert opinion. Scientific studies were crucial in combatting erroneous and misleading industry studies on the "safety of fracking". Pro-public education also has science and statistics on their side.  Studies that have decried the use of Value-Added Methodology (VAM) in teacher evaluations have been publicized, and solid evidence is building.  For example, the joint statement of the American Education Research Association and the National Academy of Education on the failure of VAM models used in teacher evaluations shows that solid research is on the side of educators (https://edpolicy.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/publications/getting-teacher-evaluation-right-challenge-policy-makers.pdf). Likewise, evidence that US schools are not a failure is out there (see http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/education-uprising/the-myth-behind-public-school-failure), as well as the effect of poverty on school/student performance (http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/12/10/education-poverty-international-student-assessment-column/3964529/).   Statistics and articles like this need to be relentlessly front and center in our efforts.Thankfully, the public education movement has many outstanding professionals who have produced and shared a prodigious amount of information on their blogs, and their voices are being picked up by newspapers like the Washington Post and Huffington Post.

5.  Politicians need to be called out and made to define their position in public statements.  Wherever there is a chance for questions and answers, on public record, the right questions need to be asked.  Some people feel Cuomo painted himself into a corner by continually referring (for political reasons) to the need to wait on scientific studies before making a decision on fracking.  When the science came in, he therefore could not make a case on an economic level.  Of course, Cuomo seems not to be shy about voicing his goal to destroy the "monopoly" of public education.  That is why we need to follow the money trail that is behind such positions, and publicize efforts like that of Zephyr Teachout to call out the hedge fund manipulators (https://greatschoolwars.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/corruption_in_education.pdf).  In New York State, for example, Pearson tests were rife with mentions of commercial products.  Pearson's response that this was because the passages were "authentic" does not ring true.  There has to be a money trail somewhere and perhaps someone can find it.  Where political contributions are swaying public education policy, we need to find out, and shout it out!

I believe we can win our fight to save public education.  The future of our children depends on it.

Open Letter to President Obama

Dear President Obama:

Why are you taking New York State’s failing educational leadership into your administration?

I am one of your supporters, though I do not agree with everything that you do.  I think you are a good man and leader, and I voted for you in both elections.  I thank you for your service, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

However, on your educational policy and administration, you unfortunately get a failing grade from this retired teacher, as well as from many other educators.  The reason I am writing to you today is the recent announcement that you will take NYS Commissioner John King into your administration.  My question is, WHY?

As Commissioner of NYS Education, King has had an administration full of controversy and failure.  Criticisms of his reign are many.  Foremost, the members of the NYS United Teachers (NYSUT) voted No Confidence and called for his removal in January of 2014.  Their press release stated that his rollout of Common Core had failed… “The commissioner has pursued policies that repeatedly ignore the voices of parents and educators who have identified problems and called on him to move more thoughtfully,” said NYSUT President Richard C. Iannuzzi. 

King’s response to criticism has been defensive and contentious, proving that he has little ability to listen and learn from others, and few political skills.  When criticized that he was unwilling to listen to the voices of those who had issues with the too-rapid and botched rollout of core curriculum, as well as testing that caused the “failure” of  70% of NYS students, King scheduled parent forums in October 2013.  When parents attended the forums in large numbers and pressed him for answers that he did not have, his fear of contention caused him to cancel additional planned events.  Parents were astounded at his lack of respect for the input he himself had sought, and the NYS Allies for Public Education, an advocacy group of over 42 parent organizations, called for his resignation.

He is also not an effective manager or leader.  He led the effort to create the EngageNY core-related curriculum, but once more instead of planning an effective process by involving teachers and pedagogical leaders, he funneled $12.9 million dollars of RTTT money to private corporations.  The lessons have been widely criticized by educators, students and parents.  Even NYSED has acknowledged that the lessons are weak, and they have now backpedaled and created a plan for teachers to revamp the curriculum for 2015-16.  In addition, directives and materials that have come to educators from his office have been filled with grammatical and other errors.

He is the second NYS education official to take a job with your administration this year – Amy McIntosh, who oversaw teachers evaluations, is now a deputy assistant secretary.  Under the individuals that you have taken into your camp, New York State schools and students have suffered, and educator morale is at an all-time low. 

Most vociferous in praise for Commissioner King is the StudentsFirstNY, a pro-charter reform group that seeks to privatize education.  In spite of the fact that Commissioner King lived within the boundaries of one of the best public schools in New York State (the school and staff  have received numerous national recognitions for its excellence), King chose to send his own children to a private school that does not require the abusive testing he foisted on NYS students.

President Obama, I am very disappointed at your apparent lack of care for public education, and that you have apparently bought into the pro-charter, pro-privatization line of propaganda.  The fact that you are filling your administration with individuals who are pro-charter and who by all appearances are most deliberately causing the public education system to fail, causes me great concern.  The present system of testing is abusive to students.  Common Core curriculum has many errors and is not developmentally sound for students.  The VAM and APPR evaluation model for teachers is flawed and I have no doubt that will be proven so in court cases, but my fear is that before it is, we will lose too many valuable prospective and in-service teachers to recover easily from the blow.  Some states have already begun teacher recruitment efforts in other countries.  Please educate yourself about the true needs of public education before your administration leaves a negative legacy of damage that will take generations to become fully known.

We Need Heroes

This is not going to be a pretty or inspiring post.  This is my explanation of why I have become so politically active in recent years, and it is my prayer that heroes step up to save our society.

The world is in trouble.  BIG trouble.  Conservatives continue to deny or ignore climate change in spite of overwhelming scientific evidence.  The top 1% keeps getting wealthier and will do anything to make more money, including polluting our world with pesticides and chemicals.  Our bees are dying off, monarch butterflies are disappearing.  Multigendered fish and aquatic life are showing up in our rivers.  Land formerly used for agriculture has been poisoned with toxic runoff, so badly that it will remain barren for eternity.  The ocean is full of plastic of all sizes (including nano) that has been entered into the food chain, causing endocrine changes in all of us once we eat the seafood.  Aquatic birds are dying in huge numbers because they have too much plastic in their guts and they can't vomit it up.  Mountaintops have been seared off in a search for more coal, leaving coal slurry and putris that is poisoning the surrounding environment and killing people who have nowhere else to go.  Although it has been scientifically proven that chemicals like the glyphosate in Roundup causes kidney disease and other illnesses, companies like Monsanto (that are implicitly aided by our government) continue to push it on us and are now genetically modifying plants so that the substance is inserted directly into the DNA of the plant, while we are not allowed to see a label that lets us know we are eating toxins.  In spite of the fact that water is predicted to "be the next oil" because it is growing scarce in an ever-warming climate (observe California's current predicament), the fracking industry continues to use up to eight million gallons of fresh water PER WELL.  Once contaminated, the water can never be made drinkable again.  And that does not even address the problem of the fracking byproducts and methane which pollutes our atmosphere, land and rivers.  Yet more wells appear on our blighted landscape every day, and Obama touts fracking as our best hope for energy.  Our earth is being sucked dry to the point of sink-ins and earthquakes that are occurring on an alarming scale.  Our education system is being sold off piece by piece to for-profit corporations who care nothing about creating the intelligent and critically thinking population that we need in order to survive.  We are creating a generation who knows how to bubble in a test, but has been slighted on the joy of learning and thinking.

Clearly, we're in some trouble, and we need heroes to step up.  I am looking to the progressives for sanity -- people like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Zephyr Teachout.  They speak out against corruption in government.  They fight the belief that profit is everything.  They know that whether you are a student saddled by an insane amount of school debt, or a struggling worker who does not get paid enough to cover their living expenses, the right thing is to fight for them and right the inequality.  They see the need to move our country to an economy built on renewable energy and small businesses. Their predominant goal is to make sure that all of us have a voice, and that those voices are heard.  We need true representatives who care about our health, our finances, and our lives.  The progressive era in the early 1900's ushered in all of those things we have held dear in the century that has passed - things like workers' compensation, shorter work hours, food and drug safety, meat inspections, the end of child labor in factories, and social security.  We can do the same now.  Let's help make progressive change happen in our society by supporting those who stand up for progressive ideals.

For today, the Democratic primary in New York, I am voting for Teachout for Governor and Wu for Lieutenant Governor.  I'm hoping for a miracle,  If it does not happen today, we can't give up. We will need our heroes more than ever.

Make Some Noise!

When I was a kid back in the 50's, I was taught by my parents that children were to "be seen and not heard."  The sentiment was so ingrained in me that when I accidentally tore off my pinky nail in a folding chair while at a family party, I sat there and quietly let it bleed on my party dress rather than yell out.

Corporate Free Speech, Political Cartoon found at www.ny4democracy.org

Thankfully, those days are behind me, because I had a lightbulb moment and realized there is much I have to talk about.  Climate change, the privatization of education that has been spearheaded by the current era of billionaire "reformers," the adulteration and contamination of our food and water supply, threats to our environment, etc.  Most of the problems that have been destroying our way of life are caused by the almighty pursuit of a profit.  That's why I'm fighting the hardest to attack the root of the problem, which is the undue influence and corruption of our political system by those who have the most - MONEY (yes, I'm thinking money is the root of all evil here).

True, the corruption of politics and undue influence of the upper class has been an endemic problem since, well like, forever.  But I think it is fair to say that the checks and balances on our democratic system has never been more in peril than it is today.

In 1974, Congress amended the Federal Election Campaign Act and began regulating campaign contributions and election spending.  Among other things, it limited the amount that individual contributors could donate to politicians, required disclosure, and provided for public financing of presidential elections. Sensible provisions, right?  But, wait.  In the Buckley v. Valeo decision, the Supreme Court held that limiting contributions to election campaigns was unconstitutional and against the First Amendment, because political donations were a form of free speech.  The court did sustain the limits on individual contributions, as well as disclosure and reporting provisions.  What this meant, however, is that while there is a limit on what an individual can donate to a particular campaign, there is no limit to what they can spend on creating political documentaries, commercials, etc. This watershed moment made a profound change to our democratic system, which began functioning a lot like a plutocracy (government controlled by the wealthy few).  The era of Super-PACs was born, and the massive amounts of money that poured into political pockets soon dismantled much of the democratic power of the common folk.

In 2010, the Supreme Court solidified the power of the economically privileged by ruling that Buckley v. Valeo also applied to corporations, associations, or labor unions.  The Citizens United ruling was tantamount to giving corporations "personhood," and guaranteeing those organizations constitutional rights and freedoms. The First Amendment provision found in Buckley v. Valeo was therefore applied to corporations. The Supreme Court in essence, made the corruption of our democratic government a legal right.  We have seen the result.  A Congress that cannot pass any regulation, even when it is bipartisan in nature.  The lack of action on climate change? Not at all surprising, considering the money the fossil fuel industry pours into politics.  Just about every politician is beholding to some corporate or association entity and is afraid to stand up for what the American public really needs.

The 2014 Supreme Court decision in  McCutcheon v. the Federal Election Commission further solidified the power of the rich by removing the overall cap on political contributions.  It did not, however, change the limits on individual contributions to federal candidate campaigns, PACS, or party committees.

And let's not even get into gerrymandering - that term we all learned in high school that refers to the practice of reworking political districts in order to manipulate the vote and give a party a decided advantage.  Both political parties have used this strategy.  In New York State, some of the district maps end up looking slightly less like a subdivision on a map and somewhat more like my 3-year old grandson's art doodles.

We need to restore our representative democracy and demand free and fair elections.  I dare to say if we are not successful in this fight, all will be lost.  No progress will ever be made to resolve those huge problems that are threatening our way of life.  Vested interests always seek the profit line, even when the entire system is falling down around them.  You only have to look at the obstructionist Congress that we have, to realize that our country is not making much progress on the real problems that confront us -- climate change, a disintegrating infrastructure, budgeting and financial reforms, etc.

Stand up make some noise.  Today.   Begin by sharing information on your social networks.  Advocate for free and fair elections by contacting your state and federal representatives.  Don't just sit in a corner and watch our political system bleed out, because you did not speak up.

"Our nation is facing a crisis of liberty if we do not control campaign expenditures.  We must prove that elective office is not for sale.  We must convince the public that elected officials are what James Madison intended us to be, agents of the sovereign people, not the hired hands of rich givers, or what Madison called factions."                                         ~Senator Barry Goldwater, 1983

Say No With Conviction!

When I was younger, I was always afraid to say no.  There was something way down deep that believed that if I rejected the requests of others, I would not be liked.  And being liked was everything -- when I was younger.

Now that I'm an old retired person, I feel much more free to say "No!"  I am no longer afraid of someone not liking me (I like myself and that's good enough for me), I am not afraid to hurt someone's feelings (though I do try to say No with grace, I do not back down no matter how much I am pressured), and I am pleasantly assertive in what I believe is best -- for me!  What a relief.  What freedom!  I am no longer thrown about by the sad songs of humans who always seem to need something.  I am now free to pick and choose what I want to do, and how I want to help.  It leaves time for what really matters - spending time with family and friends, volunteering at the co-op, working on our house, volunteering with youth, and advocating for issues like the environment and the rights of working families.

But even with all this newfound wonderful assertiveness, I still falter on occasion.  This past week my elderly cousin introduced me to someone who immediately asked for three favors -- one, help with a resume/cover letter so she can get a better job.  I'm on board for that because I do like to help empower women, so I said yes immediately.  But then -- request number two came as a surprise only after I'd already done the resume/cover letter for her -- she brought a college paper for me to help her with, because it was overdue and after all, she was a single mother, and she had no one to turn to.  I did it because she was in my house, and somehow it felt rude and awful to ask her to leave.  I was angry with myself later because one hour of my life turned into four (and I also missed lunch), and I felt like I needed those hours for other things. Then three, she asked my husband to help move furniture.  Three strikes you are out.  When asked by my cousin to help her again this week, I said No!

Have I entirely gotten rid of the guilty feelings when I do so?  I have to admit, not completely, or I guess I wouldn't be writing this particular post.  Psychologists will tell you that this is a human response -- we are social animals and we "make it" in society by being amenable to others.  And I for one, have that "Do Unto Others" mantra in my head and I also personally hate rejection.  But then again, I don't ask people to do a whole lot for me either.

Today we had a young man ring the bell -- selling some kind of magazine subscription for a contest.  He looked to be about 18.  Even when I immediately told him, "No thank you," he did that salesman thing and tried to keep talking - fast - the verbal equivalent of the shoe in the door.   But it was not a real shoe, so therefore the real door closed on him while he was still prattling on.  Did I feel guilty about that?  No!

And let me not even start on the multiple requests from various entities and politicians that want to Save. The. Planet. Yes, I would like to help the poor polar bear who is sitting on that lonely iceberg that is melting.  And yes, we need a more effective political system.  But if I said yes to each and every request, I'd have to ask others to pay my bills.  Here's where prioritizing comes in.  It is harder, though, to say no when the request comes from family or friends, and certainly some of those requests deserve a yes even when I don't have the resources to do so.  Hence the guilt.  I'll live with that, though, because at my age, I'm beginning to realize that every day is precious, and money doesn't grow in paychecks anymore.

Let's all understand this - when someone says no to us, we should accept it.  It doesn't matter what their reason is, or even if they have a reason.  It is their life and they have the right to choose how to spend their hours, or their money.  And when someone asks a favor that seems unreasonable, give that "NO!" and sleep well at night.  I do.