Now THIS is cold....no kidding (says my wife). I prefer to think of it as "briskly invigorating"...all "shrinkage" aside.This is the kind of weather that separates the MEN from the BOYS, the WOMEN from....well, those "other" women, and the frozen from the living.
Still, there are those at Thule AFB that would call this a "mild" day. And my in-laws down in Texas complain when they have to wear LONG PANTS in January because the temps dropped to FIFTY DEGREES (sheesh).
So while you're chuggin' your morning joe, or hot chocolate, or tea, here's some things to get the weekend off to our usual auspicious start:
Feds Finalizing "Rebate":
OK, so FIRST we're told each one of us will get $800 ($1600 for couples), and NOW we're told it's going to be $600 per person ($1200 for couples). Cripes, the money's going away already! And we haven't even gotten it "in hand" yet! The BEST part is that the Feds are going to ALSO give $300 to each child. OK...WTF for? Don't people ALREADY get tax breaks for HAVING the kids in the first place (and does the phrase TAX DEDUCTION PER CHILD ring any bells?), so why give $300 to kids who have NO vested interest in the economy, save for their next diaper change, or nook-nook to suckle on? Just stick to the "original" plan, boys...$800 per adult taxpayer, and $1600 per tax paying couple. Real simple.
Simple IS as simple DOES.
Random Drug Testing for High School Athletes:
Many are saying it's not needed, and I think that the Snider football coach said it best when he spoke to the "purest" aspect of the sport, as opposed to the "professional" venue. Kids are in it for the prestige...the fun...and the babes (strike that last one). Professionals are in it...(all together, gang)...FOR THE MONEY. (thank you). It's all about ENDORSEMENTS, which brings in even MORE money. Sports whores...every last one of them.
And we PAY for tickets to watch "whores" perform. How perverted is THAT? Besides, aren't DVDs cheaper to rent (and free at the LIBRARY)?
Student Drug Use Goes Up:
OK, so we have over 2 MILLION "kids" who have at one point "experimented" with illegal substances, basically abusing them somewhere in the process. Well, that certainly makes the case for DRUG TESTING then, doesn't it? Why stop with the athletes, when the entire student body is "at risk" now, hmm? Used to be a time when you had more than enough OTHER s**t in your life going on to even think about doing some drug. There might be the occasional beer or mixed drink (parents' liquor cabinet was the "test lab" for what I would later come to enjoy, and you had to test wisely - they caught on when you watered it down).
But we did have other things occupying our time...like STUDYING...or SCOUTS...or something we called HOBBIES. Yeah, we collected stuff, or we built models (and the parents made sure the glue went into the MODEL, and NOT up your schnoz).I guess kids today just don't have enough things to counter ALL the time they seem to have.
Oh, wait...they DO have a s**tload MORE things to occupy their time. Its just that they all suffer from ADHD (thanks to the media marketing juggernaut), so we have to sedate them. OK...NOW I see where all this "substance abuse" comes from...the PARENTS and DOCTORS. THEY are the culprits!
Speaking of which...
Teens Using More Pain Killers:
What the hell are we raising...a nation of WIMPS? Billy scraped his knee...OK, let's get him some Percocets...WRONG! Parents need to let these kids tough it the hell out for a change.
I mean if the child had some dire illness and was truly in pain, that's another story, but this constant reliance on meds to any and all situations smacks of something from THX-1138 or even Fahrenheit 451. Yeah, keep the population drugged the hell out...then they won't KNOW when they're being screwed...or won't give a damn either. Nice, right?
-Everett White's blog mentioned side-effects with drugs the other day, and he "gets it". We've got crap out there with more side effects than the initial problem you were trying to alleviate.
Got a heart condition..take (whatever)...oh, BTW, the side effects include rapid heartbeat, drop in blood pressure, fainting, and potential stroke. STROKE!?! Did he say STROKE? I don't know about YOU, but I think I'd MUCH rather have a goofed-up heart, than be paralyzed on one side of my body, unable to communicate, feed, or dress myself.
-Another prostate med for MEN states that "breast growth can occur". Well spank me rosy, but I think we've just stumbled onto the CURE for flat-chested women everywhere. Give it to all those girls dreaming of BOOBS for Christ's sake! I suppose all the plastic surgeons are cowering in fear over THAT. Sorry Dr. Rey...looks like nose jobs and tummy tucks from now on, eh?
-And the sleep-aid ads all tell us "Take only when you know you can get 8 hours of UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP". Cripes, the reason I'm TAKING this crap in the first place is because I CAN'T GET THOSE DAMN 8 HOURS OF SLEEP you WANT me to get when I am taking it.
-No wonder we've got bi-polar meds out there. Who the heck WOULDN'T BE bi-polar after trying to decide what to take, when to take it, how much not to take, and if taking it would be worse than NOT taking it? Talk about an emotional roller-coaster!
-The REAL pain comes in your Hip-National-Bank when you have to shell out ALL that money FOR these medications that are dubious at best (if the FDA approves them and you don't have to drive to Mexico or Canada to get them) when it comes to efficacy.
Even MY brain hurts after trying to figure THAT one out.
(Man, I need another cup of coffee - MY daily med aka liquid edification)
Stay WARM, be safe, and do have a good weekend!
4 comments:
Sure government grant funds from the feds, to the states to get those teens in- line.
This is what I have to say about
the Federal Czar government grant program that pays big money to support the youth:
This is common sense, but is also borne out by research conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Justice, Indiana Prevention Resource Center and others. I recognize the need to provide children with a quality education and to promote high school student achievement by eradicating drug use by students in a community rampant with drug use. The Supreme Court made that decision based on extreme circumstances of a particular landmark case.
Please spend the $500,000 over the next four years towards trust and belief in our students to keep them at their “ busy and best” at extra-curricular activities. Can we spend the money on books, teachers and technology?
Our schools already have numerous means at their disposal to educate, search and prosecute drug users. They need to utilize existing resources. As they have exercised in the past with lock-downs, searches and the efficient Labrador sniffing dogs. Does our
schools have rampant drug users? Does random testing work? Will the drug users cheat the system by putting salt, hairspray or other ingredients into their urine samples? How about the numerous websites that tell drug users how-to pass a urine drug test.
What we need to do is to get to the root of the problems that cause students to seek drugs. It’s the Parents that should police their children. Parents should be responsible, know where their children are, what they are doing, know who their friends are and put structure in the life of their children. We as a community should not be discouraging extra-curricular activities, no matter how much federal grant money comes to fund drug testing.
They are our future. They do not need the socialicts card to keep
them in check.
Yet blame them for years of experience from their founding fathers.
Sorry B.G. you struck a cord.
Drugs can help and hurt. I'm mad
as hell. The government wants to be the drug Czar.
We get letters from our insurance company that we have not filled our meds every month so they want to charge us more.
Here's your sign, not everyone has allergies every month, its seasonal depending on the allgeries.
Bobett:
Never say you're sorry for telling it like it is...!
We've got a real DOUBLE-STANDARD in the federal govenrment as well as in the educational system:
On the ONE hand, they don't want kids to be taking drugs.
I agree with that 100%.
On the OTHER hand, they "medicate" them to make them "better students".
(and dumb down the standards across the board in the process)
This I don't agree with at all.
WTF is wrong with that picture?
(pardon my "French")
Oh, it'll take a few generations to undo this "knot" in the system, believe me!
And it makes one wonder how many lives will be irrepairably damaged along the way.
B.G.
Well I'm not buying into the "system of education or a system on drugs".
I have my way with the system! It's called the system is debunked, nullified, zip, zero....not a part of our life, not need for them...done with it.
People of similiar minds go around the system and Just Get the Job Done!
Like minds will have a future.
I'm proud. And you should be too!
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