Rave: Pelican Air Flo Cooler

I saw it in the store and wanted to check before buying it, but it turns out that the Pelican Air Flo Cooler is a GREAT investment. Marketed in England by the far awesomer name "Cooler King", the Pelican Air Flo Cooler features extra USB ports (for which I have no use), a USB-powered fan (which won't cause power overloads like the power-supply-powered Nyko cooler), a warranty, and (best of all for my purposes) a simple VGA port. That means I get to enjoy the glory of high definition visuals without a $2,000 HDTV, or the $40 official Microsoft Xbox 360 to VGA cables. And all this for the low, low price of $15.00.

Playing Mass Effect with updated graphics is almost like playing an entirely different game. Man, I can't wait until GTA IV comes out.

I should mention, almost as an afterthought, why getting all this for $15 is so frakkin' awesome. I couldn't afford $2,000, and I wouldn't bring myself to spend even $40. Why? Here's why:

For 2007, my salary as a 2^nd year teacher with BA + 30 in SFUSD was $44,941/year. This is after a 6.5% salary increase in 2006.

Based upon my income, the top of my salary fits into the 25% tax bracket. With 10% tax on my first 7,825, 15% on my income up to 31,850, and 25% on the remainder, this totals $7,659. Add to this the Medicare withholdings of 52.65 per paycheck, and that's an additional $631.80 for a federal total of $8290.80.

Per California income tax, I fall into the highest bracket since I make more than $44,819. I must pay 9.3% of my income in taxes to California, which in my case works out to be $4,179.51.

Union dues take an extra $79.27 per month, or $951.24 per year.

The end result is that my take-home salary for 2007 was $31,519.45. This must cover housing, food, transportation, school supplies, medical expenses, and clothes, with whatever is left over for entertainment and travel.

There is no guaranteed cost of living adjustment to keep pace with inflation. This means that every year, when I do not receive a raise, my salary actually decreases by the rate of inflation, about 3% per year.

Obviously, these taxes apply to everyone. In my case, I spent two years getting my credential at USF (not counting the $132,640 for my B.A.), which was 40 units at $770 per unit. The total of $30,800 is nearly my yearly take-home salary. My classmates who work outside of education make far more at a rate commensurate with their skills and contribution to their community. I chose teaching because I love it, and hope that my wage will be closer to its significance to society.