Record High

As of yesterday, this blog has broken the all time high record number of viewers in a month.

It always tickles me when that happens!

Thanks for reading! 

One Reason I Am Cynical About Teachers.....

We live in a fairly small town of about 700 people, give or take a few dozen at any time. We have a fairly small school and this year, the senior class numbers 27 students. Gracie is one of those seniors.

Tonight was the annual class night awards ceremony where seniors are awarded scholarships and other prizes for their accomplishments throughout their school years and a few other students are also awarded and recognized for their accomplishments. 

There are also a few awards presented to certain teachers, the main one being Teacher of The Year. 

Now, normally this is a deserving teacher who has worked hard with the students and put in many hours of their time beyond the classroom. 

That's as it should be. 

This year's recipient, however, is probably the most undeserving of the award that I can think of. While his 4th grade class consistently scores high on their annual achievement tests ( or whatever the hell they're called nowadays) I just can't get past the fact that while he was coaching a junior high girl's basketball team, at a different grade school which was in the high school district, he called all the girls "little bitches" as one of the parents happened to walk into the gymnasium and hear him say it. 

Little girls, the ages of 11, 12 and 13 were called little bitches by this guy who today received the Teacher Of The Year Award. 

As I understand it, there was no disciplinary action taken, despite the parent's complaint to the school board of that school. 

He got a standing ovation. I refused to applaud or stand for that low life scum. 

When people ask me why I am homeschooling in a few years, I'll be sure to use this as an example. 

Five Days of Appreciation

Yesterday, my cousin Celeste posed a question on Facebook about what would be appropriate for her to give her daughter's teacher for each of the 5 days of what I assume was "Teacher Appreciation Week."

I exclaimed, "Five DAYS of "appreciation"????? Are you kidding? I would consider bennies and a paycheck plenty of appreciation! I would consider having a JOB anywhere in California, appreciation!" Then I told her a note and card expressing her thanks for the teacher's efforts, was certainly enough and anything that was expected beyond that was way out of line.

Then she asked if 5 days of appreciation was "industry standard" and that she didn't know because her daughter is in kindergarten and Celeste had no previous experience as a mother of a school aged child.

I just reminded her that she lives in Kalifornia, which meant that her state has a very high population of people who think they are entitled to more than what a paycheck provides, INCLUDING benefits. (Hey Californians, that's how the majority of you vote and why you have one of the highest tax rates in the country when you count property and sales taxes, plus the regulation nightmare anyone who wants to start or maintain a business has to face and endure.)

Then, another cousin piped up, who just happens to be a teacher herself, employed here in Montana, and said that, yes, it WAS industry standard. She then proceeded to suggest that a good idea would be to leave some trays of food in the teacher's lounge or to give things that were consumable because teacher's get a lot of "crap" in the way of gifts.

Where to begin?

Now, I have had kids in school since 1993 and I don't ever remember a teacher appreciation week...ever. Perhaps I have subconsciously  ignored it all these years because I refuse to basically genuflect to anyone for doing their JOB! And now, as I am perusing Google images for an Appreciation Banner, I see that you can get custom made ones for Teacher Appreciation Week. I must have been living under a rock to not have protested this idea before now.

Look, there is no question that good teachers are vital to our societal fabric, but so are artists and farmers and nursing home cafeteria workers and flight attendants and janitors and garbage picker-uppers et al, ad nauseum. Some of the aforementioned I would say are probably MORE important than teachers, yet I don't see THEM getting 5 days of appreciation from a grateful public. Take the garbage collector, for instance. I know I would be bitching about them going on strike and be MUCH more inclined to give them whatever they want, than the jock football coach who should have put "Atomic Wedgie Expert" on his resume'.

I wonder, if I put a big stinkin' banner over my front door which announced "Daycare Provider Appreciation Week"  how many of my clients would take me seriously, especially if I were to let them know at the end of the previous week that leaving me food or consumable goods every day is perfectly acceptable since I just don't want any other "crap." I'm self employed and no one is going to do it for me, so I would just have to assert my importance and do it myself, I guess.

The idea actually nauseates me, because quite frankly, I'm happy if they pay me on time. I really am not seeking approval or 'appreciation.' Don't get me wrong, a sincere note of thanks goes a long, long way for me, but that isn't what motivates me....the almighty buck motivates me.

I am happy to write a note of thanks for the teacher who spent their personal time helping my kid pass Algebra or the school counselor who bends over backwards to find the best opportunities for graduating students . I usually give a good teacher a small gift of homemade jam or jelly at Christmas because I do know that consumables are nice and there are only so many mismatching coffee mugs one can actually use. And I DO appreciate their efforts.

But that's MY choice as well as the timing. I actually resent the idea of a whole week at the end of the school year, that basically tells me, "We put up with your brats for the last nine months and by golly, we want THANKS, because by the time the summer ends, you'll be BEGGING for them to come back."

And as long as we are "appreciating" why is it that MOTHERS only get one measly DAY for appreciation? Huh? How about Teacher's Appreciation Week morph into THEM giving PARENTS thanks for having kids  so they can have a job in the first place?  I think that's a GREAT idea because I need some appreciation for sending my kids into your tutelage for 9 months out of the year.

A Bucket O' Margarita and the tequila to add to it, would be a good place to start. 

Back Away From The Ice Cream Stand

In today's news of the absurd, we find an article reporting the news that an ice cream stand was shut down and then guarded by armed environmental police.

Yes....an ice cream stand had to be guarded by armed environmental police.

It wasn't because the ice cream stand was pumping out enviro toxins into the surrounding habitat....it was because the manager failed to get the proper state and local permits to make improvements on the joint.

Apparently, it wasn't enough to just slap a padlock on each of the doors and post signs which gave an explanation of some sort.

Nope. It appears people in those parts take their ice cream consumption seriously enough to be a real environmental danger.

Armed Environmental Police Shut Down And Guard Ice Cream Stand Over Building Permits

Ice cream Spot Hits Rocky Road

Now, I understand the need to ensure the public safety. God knows, I don't want to be minding my business, eating my ice cream and have the roof of the place cave in on me. And I sure don't want to work in a place where I might risk becoming engulfed in frozen ice cream and dying of hypothermia.

However, aren't armed environmental police a bit of an overkill? Surely, there are other rent-a-cops who are just as effective and cost the taxpayers less and can free up our enviro thugs to do protect us against other environmentally dangerous things, like rouge Amish dairy farms that sell gallons upon gallons of raw milk across state lines without government oversight.

And I dunno, I realize this is a state park, but you would think that anyone running for reelection of anything would do everything they could to avoid the appearance of killing job opportunity.  As it is, 13 college and high school students have had to give up their ice cream scoops for an indefinite period of time.

Perhaps the goal here to teach the young early how to apply for 99 weeks of unemployment benefits.

Catholic University Drops Student Health Coverage

Well, there you have it.

Back in March, I wrote a piece about how disgusted I was that the Obama Administration mandated that Catholic universities and employers provide health insurance coverage that would cover contraceptives and permanent sterilizations for their employees and students.

Today, Fox News reports that The Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio has dropped insurance coverage for it's students.

The article further states that the previous policy offered to it's students, cost $600 before the mandate. After the mandate, it would double in price for the first year, with it tripling in price the year after that.

So, let me get this straight.....a woman who didn't have coverage for contraceptives through this insurance plan before the mandate, was paying for it herself if she wanted it.....or she was likely going to the local Planned Parenthood or like clinic and at least getting it for a reduced price if not for free.

Now, she could get it for "free" through her college provided insurance....that she was paying for....which would double and then triple in price for the premium over the next 2 years. But her contraception would be for "free."

And now, instead of being able to get any affordable insurance through her school as a student, she gets none because the Obama Administration thought it fit to meddle and stir the pot in something that wasn't broken to begin with.

So now, if she breaks her leg .....too bad, so sad. Zippo coverage for you, you can just pay that whopper yourself.

When my son broke his collarbone a couple of years ago, he had to have surgery to have a plate and 8 screws to hold the collarbone together and was out of work for 6 weeks. The surgery was outpatient and cost about $18,000.00 when it was all said and done. Thankfully, it was 2 months before his 21st birthday and he was still on our insurance.

I shudder to think what it would have cost if there was any hospital time.

So now, these students have NO insurance to help them in situations where anyone can find themselves....car accidents, sudden illness, mole removal....whatever. As a mother of college students myself, I find this very scary. While I agree 100% with the university, it should have NEVER EVER come to a point where they would have to put their foot down and offer nothing instead of violate their tenets of faith.

But hey, the contraception was going to be "free" and was worth fighting for to the point of losing everything else, right? Right? I mean, it's civil rights we're talking about here. What matters is that no woman should ever have to take responsibility for her reproductive choices and activities. Her right to autonomy is MUCH MUCH more important than coverage for other things that could actually kill her.

Sarcasm OFF.

Have we even discussed what kind of liability this is going to open for the university *just because* they are being forced to stand up for their first amendment rights of religious freedom? The idea of "free" contraception is going to end up costing students MUCH MUCH more in terms of personal liability for other health issues.

Let's be real here. We've blurred the lines between benefits, perks, privledges and rights. Health insurance is not a fundamental, inalienable or civil right nor has it ever been. It's damn nice to have and it's damn hard to not have it when it's needed, but like any other consumer good or service, it is not a right for anyone.

Neither is contraception.

Blogger Asserts Copyright; Newspaper Editor Upset

All American Blogger, blogger, Duane Lester wrote an article for the blog on May 1, 2012 about the Missouri state auditor finding "serious shortcomings" in the sheriff's department of Holt County. The editor of a small newspaper then picked up the blog article and printed it verbatim for their own print newspaper on May 10th. The worst part is that Lester wasn't asked his permission to reprint it, nor was he given attribution by the newspaper.

Just so you know, the title of today's post was taken from the YouTube video shown below. I'm not sure if the title in it's entirety completely falls under The Fair Use clause of copyright law, but I'm not taking any chances! It ain't mine and I didn't think of it. Not sure who did, but it wasn't me!

There.

The article about the copyright infringement, in it's entirety is here. The article that was ripped off by the paper is here.

Well, Duane Lester found out about it and made a visit to the small town newspaper to ask for payment of the article, with a camera in tow.

Oh dear.

While Mr. Lester was quite polite and insistent, it was clear he took the owner/editor of the paper by surprise. The owner totally violated copyright law, yes, but I have to question whether or not taking a camera was the wisest thing to do in this case. It's a small town newspaper with people who are good ol' folks and probably just scrape by, not some large news organization conglomerate owned by Rupert Murdoch. The same copyright rules apply to big or small and careless plagiarism should not be overlooked, but still.

In the end, the upset owner did pay Lester's $500 fee, which was less than he could have gotten had he decided to take the owner to court, but was it really necessary to go into the shop, on camera, and put the man on the spot? Lester said he was angry when he found out that someone had printed his article without permission or attribution, but he had time to think about what he was going to do about it. Although, he was absolutely in the right, he didn't give the same kind of time to the owner and I think it would have been good of him to do so.

It's clear the editor liked Lester's article. I guess one ought to feel a 'little' flattery when someone else thinks your work is good enough to rip off. Lord knows, no one has ripped off any of MY work....if you can call it that. I have to say whenever my blog even gets a mention, ends up on another blog's bloglist or even gets a bunch of hits, my head swells a little.

Note to self, don't rip off another's work, as tempting as it might be.

Poor Hank

Perhaps the TSA needs to teach their employees about former American cabinet members before they go giving them The Full Monty in security checkpoints.

Seriously, TSA.....how do you NOT know who Henry Kissinger is? 

Perhaps just recognizing the major ones, like former Secretaries of State, would be a good idea.