(sigh)
Was talking with a friend the other day whose daughter is principal at a local high school. She was relating some incidences that have occurred in various teachers' classrooms, and I have to say that I continue to be appalled at how public education has deteriorated. I started to think about some of the teachers I had in public school eons ago; and as bad as some of them were, I believe they were dedicated (for the most part) and truly interested in seeing us succeed. They were a quirky bunch though.
There was Mrs. Johnson, from whom I learned an amazing amount of English grammar when I was staring at her pendulous breasts and wondering if they were, in fact, going to reach her waist before I graduated.
There was Miss Eubanks, who also had breast issues since she could NOT keep her bra straps in place. Within a 50-minute class she would have tugged those straps up two dozen times. She ended every other sentence with "there for it." For example, "Congress is composed of the House and the Senate, there for it," or "The President only rarely exercises his veto power, there for it," or "These bitchin' straps are gonna' drive me nuts, there for it." I don't remember learning much in her classes, there for it.
There was Coach Nichols who was tall and blond and cute and in whose class I sat mesmerized by him. I have no idea what he taught, except that it was the one class I never missed attending.
There was Miss Evans, all 4'10" of her, who was a catbird if there ever was one. Never having married, she brought no moodiness to class. She was bright and perky in her fifties, laughed easily and knew her stuff. She had more energy than I did.
Mrs. Thorpe was a hulk of a woman, a no-nonsense kind of person, who had her own interpretations of English literature. I didn't particularly enjoy the reading, but she was so different that one couldn't help but be engaged by her. She was tough but fair, suffered no fools and I learned a lot.
Miss Birchett had to have been a closet lesbian. She taught P.E. and could be a ball buster (pardon the pun). In the good old days, girls having a period could exclaim "O.C." at rollcall, which laughably meant "Out of Condition." You could then enjoy a less strenuous P.E. class. The problem was that I truly believe Birchett counted 28 days from every girl's "O.C." days, so you'd best not be fibbing about that. She scared me.
The next P.E. teacher was Miss Zachary, who looked and acted like a crone. She had long, stringy, dyed black hair and she kinda' floated around the school. An airhead she was, and she really did seem like she'd just stashed her roach clip.
And then there was MISS DIXON! Miss Carolyn Dixon was about 25 years old, had a terrifically curvaceous figure with -- guess what -- huge breasts. She had a wicked little come-hither smile. She was a cool drink of water and knew it. Her favorite spot to perch was the edge of her desk where she would tantalize the guys by crossing her legs and subtly swinging them ever-so-provocatively within a couple of feet of those in the front row. That was probably the one class where the guys didn't rush to claim the seats in the back of the room. It was laughable even then, but Carolyn Dixon knew how to get and keep the attention of at least half the class.
Now we hear about teachers having sex with the teenage students. Boy, times have changed -- there for it.
(sigh)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Saturday, February 09, 2008
POLITICS AND THE 2008 ELECTION
(sigh)
In listening to a few pundits following the Super Tuesday primaries, I couldn't help but be amused. Some of these folks I give credence; some, I do not. There were, of course, a like number of opinions to match the number of pundits verbalizing them. The truth is that no one knows what events will turn the tide in favor of one candidate or the other.
Today I heard someone state that if McCain were to be elected President that he would be a one-term President. The speculation is that his age and possibly health will render him electable only once. Then, of course, Romney would run in 2012. Now this is all very interesting, but as badly as I hate to say it, I believe the GOP is in serious long-term trouble. There is no Republican candidate today who can claim to be all of the following: a national defense proponent, a fiscal conservative, a protector of traditional values. One candidate or the other has shortcomings in one or more of those three areas. What does this tell us? That the GOP has unrealistically lofty expectations for its leaders and that none of the components of the party will ever be satisfied.
Now take the Dems. OMG. The only thing I see that they have going is that they are making history by having the first black to run a serious campaign and the first woman to throw her tam into the ring. Ok. So we'll acknowledge the historical aspects of this election but that's as far as it should go. Neither Obama nor Clinton has a handle on how to remedy the mess this country is in. In the past, the United States has tried to be all things to all people. Those days are over. We no longer have the ability or resources to effect a fix to the world's problems. Barack and Hillary should sit down and play patty-cake until they're grown up enough to play with the big kids.
Having recently returned from Savannah where I spent some time in a book store run by SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design), I couldn't help but be appalled at the proliferation of liberal literature in all sections of the store. Now you would expect a store catering to an artsy group of already-idealistic students to have mountains of liberal literature. But this was incredible. The biography section was full of books on both Clintons, Gore, Jimmy Carter, Obama, Rahm Emanuel. Their "green" section fronted with many copies of Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. Their political science section again had piles of Clinton's books and a myriad of readings on JFK, his presidency, the Bay of Pigs, etc. You get the picture. This was an interesting store, but I have to say I was disturbed by the lack of political diversity in their literature. But what can you expect with the media bashing Bush on a daily basis and cow-towing to anything in a blue state.
What this all boils down to is that we're up that well-known creek and there's no one around to paddle.
(sigh)
In listening to a few pundits following the Super Tuesday primaries, I couldn't help but be amused. Some of these folks I give credence; some, I do not. There were, of course, a like number of opinions to match the number of pundits verbalizing them. The truth is that no one knows what events will turn the tide in favor of one candidate or the other.
Today I heard someone state that if McCain were to be elected President that he would be a one-term President. The speculation is that his age and possibly health will render him electable only once. Then, of course, Romney would run in 2012. Now this is all very interesting, but as badly as I hate to say it, I believe the GOP is in serious long-term trouble. There is no Republican candidate today who can claim to be all of the following: a national defense proponent, a fiscal conservative, a protector of traditional values. One candidate or the other has shortcomings in one or more of those three areas. What does this tell us? That the GOP has unrealistically lofty expectations for its leaders and that none of the components of the party will ever be satisfied.
Now take the Dems. OMG. The only thing I see that they have going is that they are making history by having the first black to run a serious campaign and the first woman to throw her tam into the ring. Ok. So we'll acknowledge the historical aspects of this election but that's as far as it should go. Neither Obama nor Clinton has a handle on how to remedy the mess this country is in. In the past, the United States has tried to be all things to all people. Those days are over. We no longer have the ability or resources to effect a fix to the world's problems. Barack and Hillary should sit down and play patty-cake until they're grown up enough to play with the big kids.
Having recently returned from Savannah where I spent some time in a book store run by SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design), I couldn't help but be appalled at the proliferation of liberal literature in all sections of the store. Now you would expect a store catering to an artsy group of already-idealistic students to have mountains of liberal literature. But this was incredible. The biography section was full of books on both Clintons, Gore, Jimmy Carter, Obama, Rahm Emanuel. Their "green" section fronted with many copies of Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. Their political science section again had piles of Clinton's books and a myriad of readings on JFK, his presidency, the Bay of Pigs, etc. You get the picture. This was an interesting store, but I have to say I was disturbed by the lack of political diversity in their literature. But what can you expect with the media bashing Bush on a daily basis and cow-towing to anything in a blue state.
What this all boils down to is that we're up that well-known creek and there's no one around to paddle.
(sigh)
Monday, February 04, 2008
HEADING OUT
(sigh)
Heading out Monday for Savannah for most of the week. Back soon to post my unsolicited comments about Super Tuesday's primaries. Check back.
Heading out Monday for Savannah for most of the week. Back soon to post my unsolicited comments about Super Tuesday's primaries. Check back.
SUPER BOWL 42
(sigh)
Ok, ok, it was a terrific game with all the elements of a memorable one. Close score right down to the final seconds; the underdog upsetting the applecart, etc. But I have questions: Can't these 300-pound gorillas squeeze their own water bottles? Can't they wipe their own sweat off their faces with those itty bitty white towels? Can't someone else peel the bananas they ran off to get late in the game to keep potassium levels up? I even saw one quick shot of a player having his cup adjusted by what was supposedly a trainer. I'm astounded by the level of idiocy we have allowed this game to reach.
At least the right team won.
(sigh)
Ok, ok, it was a terrific game with all the elements of a memorable one. Close score right down to the final seconds; the underdog upsetting the applecart, etc. But I have questions: Can't these 300-pound gorillas squeeze their own water bottles? Can't they wipe their own sweat off their faces with those itty bitty white towels? Can't someone else peel the bananas they ran off to get late in the game to keep potassium levels up? I even saw one quick shot of a player having his cup adjusted by what was supposedly a trainer. I'm astounded by the level of idiocy we have allowed this game to reach.
At least the right team won.
(sigh)
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