Come Heller high water …
- Happy Halloween, everyone. To celebrate, this year I’m carving up a giant orange pumpkin.
- Speaking of Trump, heck no, it wasn’t wrong for that World Series crowd to boo and chant “Lock him up!” when they saw Trump on the Jumbotron. What I liked is it wasn’t a planned reaction, nor was it a partisan crowd. It was simply a crowd of random baseball fans reacting in the moment. Good for them. Now let’s let that be the end of it. Let’s not hear that at the Democratic National Convention, eh?
- The Detroit News reported this week that the Trump administration wants to dictate to auto companies how and where they make cars and parts. If they
don’t play along, they’ll be subject to tariffs under the new NAFTA agreement. I’m sure that’ll go over well with Ford, GM and the rest. Nothing says “free markets” like being told what to do. As my fellow CMU alum Chad Livengood (a fine editor and reporter for Crain’s Detroit Business) wrote: “There’s a term for this. It’s called communism.” - The GOP is reaching a new low in its attacks on Alexander Vindman, director of European Affairs at the National Security Council, who testified before the House this week. Look at his background. He’s the epitome of patriotism.
- You heard it hear first (probably): Hillary’s going to run and this time she’ll win.
- This year, I was planning on us being one of those cool houses that gives out full-size candy bars. Then I realized if I did that, I’d have to eat the leftovers, and I’m already fat enough.
- Worst Halloween Candy of All-Time Top Five List: Candy corn, candy corn, candy corn, candy corn and Necco’s.
- Who gives out Necco’s? You do? What’s wrong with you?
- News reports say there’s an acute teacher shortage in America. How does that surprise anyone? Their pay is low. The job is stressful. They’re criticized for “taking the summer off,” as if they have anything to do with that. They’re used by the GOP as a pawn in their jihad to crush unions. They’re blamed for not magically fixing the broken kids that parents send them. They have to buy their own school supplies. Their classes are over-stuffed. And worst of all, they have to endure the platitudes about how valued they are by a society that clearly doesn’t mean it. If we did, we’d put our money where our mouths are.
- Only about 50 years too late, the NCAA has decided to pay student athletes for the use of their name, likeness and image. That’s a good start, but what about a cut of TV revenues? Or a cut of the gate? Or a cut of product sales? There is no big-time college athletics without (duh) college athletes. How is it they’re the only ones not profiting from it? And let’s dispense with the nonsense that athletes are “paid” by getting a free college education. That’s like saying employees at McDonald’s should be content with free hamburgers.
- I haven’t watched “Survivor” regularly in years. When did they start including product placements? I saw a bit where the winners of some challenge were “rewarded” with food from Applebee’s and were clearly required to gush about it. “Oh, thank you, Applebee’s! Thank you!” You could tell they were lying because no one said, “Are you kidding me? I’ve been living on rice and snails for a month and you’re giving me lukewarm half-off apps? I’m calling Uber delivery.”
- USA Today is going to do away with its print edition. I, for one, will miss it. Print is still the superior medium, far as I’m concerned. You can’t fold your iPad. Your paper newspaper also doesn’t force you to read ads or click away from videos. Plus, y’know, there’s that little thing of the decline of print leading to a decline in knowledge and an increase in governmental bodies large and small getting away with stuff they’d have been called on before.
- I’ve never had an earbud that stayed in. Ever. I must have the world’s weirdest ears. Fortunately, I also don’t like listening to music that way. The sound scrambles my thoughts, and I have enough trouble keeping coherent thoughts together. Clearly.
- Did anyone think fantasy sports would become what it’s become. I remember when I was vaguely embarrassed to tell people I played. Now … OK, I’m still a little embarrassed. But less so!
- “The whole future lies in uncertainty. Live immediately.” – Seneca.
Image credit: Donkey Hotey
Mix your candy corn with salted peanuts. It almost makes it worth nibbling.
As far as I know, McDonalds employees do not even get free hamburgers. They get some cheesy employee discount, but that’s it. (Back a long time ago, when I worked there for about ten minutes.)
We heard it “hear” first. I see what you did there. Hillary is not going to run and you know that.
I hope the Dems heed Michelle Obama’s advice from now until election day.
“When they go low, we go high.”
There was no place for the Lock her Up chant by the trump supporters, it was tacky and juvenile.
The Dems should “Go High” and not follow down that path.
I’ll second Mama Bear’s advise. Tastes like a Payday candy bar!
About that teacher shortage: Yes, they are underpaid and have to deal with difficult children.
But that “summer off” part has been a major complaint of mine for 50 years. It is absolutely an old tradition that was set up because of farming. Kids were needed to work the farm in the summer.
Not so now. Year around school should be instituted. It’s better for the learning too. Teachers don’t have to spend the first 3 months reviewing last Spring’s lessons. On a 9 week in\3week off
schedule schools can accommodate far more students so new schools will not have to be built.
Families will be able to vacation in every season. I notice more forward thinking schools are going to this kind of schedule now. Hooray!!!!
Well-meaning Americans have lamented low teacher pay for as long as I can remember. Some seem to believe teachers should make as much as lawyers or even doctors. Snore.
Teaching is a steady respectable job/career with good job security and great benefits and a fair amount of fun. And! Cryin’ out Loud! Teachers CAN take the summers off, if they wish! Good gig! (Or, they can teach summer school.)
Now we have a teacher shortage. Great time to become a teacher. We need you. We will hire you and pay you, and you will have your pick of many job opportunities.
Well meaning Americans have misunderstood (sometimes deliberately) the teaching profession. Maybe teachers should NOT be paid as much as lawyers and doctors, but we expect them to TEACH our students who become lawyers, doctors, chemists, biologists, artists, musicians, and so on. That “summer off”? June is spent wrapping up the school year, sending out grades, cleaning and out classrooms. August is spent organizing classrooms, sending out welcome letters to each student, and purchasing those supplies that the school district can’t afford. During the school year, they stay after school to grade papers, prepare tomorrow’s lesson plan, call or email parents, have conferences, and attend every after school function possible. It is not an 8:00 to 3:00 job. Somewhere in the middle of all this, they are supposed to continue their own education at their own cost, to remain up to date and certified. Most teachers are there because they truly love their job and hope to make a difference. They deserve our respect and cooperation, not sarcasm.
I am not trying to start a war inside this blog, but Mama Bear, are you a teacher? Do you know any teachers? Do you have a job in 21st-century USA?
Everyone who works in the USA now must work extra hours, not just teachers. Nobody takes their full lunch time anymore. Everybody works at lunch and late, after quitting time. Duh.
Teachers do okay. Better than fast food people. Better than average.
You have a good point Matthew. I was all set to defend teachers until you reminded me that I know of lots of people who can’t even get a week vacation and those who do have supervisors calling them every hour for reports and updates when they are trying to relax.
Teaching is the only career I can think of where they are guaranteed an uninterrupted week or two off for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Then they get at least 6 weeks off for summer. Sure their salary might not be the highest and they have to purchase supplies for students, but they are hardly the only ones taking their work home and working extra jobs to make ends meet. It seems like we are all scavanging for ways to make extra money and ease our struggles these days. It’s not fair to any of us,
Sarcasm I hope Fred?
No and I am married to a teacher and she wouldn’t want to do anything else. I know what they go through. But please tell me what I am missing. Why do they have it so bad compared to other professions? I didn’t say anywhere that they have it easy, I am just not seeing what’s worse.
Different Topic: Our national government/political situation seems to me like a cartoon version of Pro Wrasslin’. And, not a high-quality Disney cartoon. Brutal silliness. Nasty people getting away with preposterousness. Low-grade baloney from high places, at best. Please vote.