11 March 2010 Weather is here we are too
We planned on running errands and food shopping in Greeneville today. So we decided to treat ourselves to barbeque at our favorite barbeque place. They have a lunch special that is just big enough and just cheap enough to make it well worth stopping to eat. Naturally, the rain began while we were inside Lowe’s our first of several stops. The middle part of the day was spent climbing into and out of the Pathfinder, looking for parking spaces not surrounded by puddles or a quarter mile from the shop doors. As we left Lowe’s we noticed that there was a “Chuck Wagon BBQ trailer parked in the lot at Lowes, selling food. “Expansion, how nice!” we thought. Out of the lot and on about our day’s errands.
After several stops we reached the barber shop we both use for our quarterly, or so, haircuts. Our timing was perfect, both chairs just finishing and we were the only customers waiting to be shorn. We were done slightly after noon, eager to drive to the other end of the parking lot to have lunch. The lack of smoke smell should have told us. The sign on the door explained the empty lot. They are, “looking for a new site. Meantime, visit us at Lowes.”
Back in the truck, drive back to Lowes, stand in the rain and order food. Then back along the planned route to find some lunch. By this time, we’ve decided to bring the BBQ home for dinner. We wound up at Long John Silver’s. Since moving here in late 2006 we’ve eaten there perhaps four times. Still, it was edible; the fries were real, not chopped, blended, and extruded. The dining area was clean, and the service was fast.
Grocery shopping consumed the rest of the afternoon. Now it is all put away. We bought two nicely sized corn beef briskets.
The rain in Greeneville was rather heavy. Here we’ve had about 0.05 inches total rainfall. This rain should melt much of the remaining snow pack. The mist-shrouded mountains and the turbulent, dark clouds made great imagery for the drive over and back. There was still snow apparent on the north faces when we went. The north faces were hard to see coming back. Combined with temperatures in the 60’s F, the rain will likely result in high water as the creeks are loaded with run-off. While we show no posted warnings or advisories the area around Roan Mountain and Elizabethton were cautioned last night to pay attention to local streams. I don’t think we’ve seen enough rainfall totals today to cause problems. Tomorrow may be different.
Another day to sleep in an hour or so later failed to materialize. I woke up at 0530 and couldn’t find a comfortable position and thus couldn’t get back to sleep. Rather than wake Gloria I rolled out about 0630. I’ll try again tomorrow.
Time to go lay a new fire in the stove. It will be cool and damp tonight so a warm stove will feel good as the day winds down.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
10 March 2010 Waiting for the rain
10 March 2010 Waiting for the rain
Rain is forecast for today. There is still some snow at the higher elevations. Moderate rain may result in a greater rise in the creek than the rain would normally bring. The ground is fairly well saturated and can’t hold as much as in prior years. Still, that saturation is a good thing, keeps people’s wells working.
Our well is still murky. The well company is supposed to install a new pressure tank this evening. Then we start looking at each possible factor to see if we can solve the well problem. There may not be any single solution. But we can hope for a good resolution to this ongoing problem.
Spring break is half over. I did manage to sleep in yesterday. Perhaps I can add an extra hour tomorrow. Daylight Savings time begins this Saturday. Just another thing that Congress should never have touched. However, they can collectively point to the most recent changes in beginning and ending DST and claim to have accomplished something.
Tonight’s dinner is prepped and in the reefer. Since we will have to cut off power to the well in order to have the pressure tank replaced, we will have no running water during the installation. So I planned ahead and we’ll be able to eat at about the regular time. The well pump is on a separate circuit. The kitchen will work except for the water source. Tonight we will eat zucchini stuffed with zucchini, onion, ground beef, garlic, various spices and herbs, matzo meal, and Roman cheese. Half an hour at 350°F and it will be ready to warm our stomachs and our attitudes.
Rain is forecast for today. There is still some snow at the higher elevations. Moderate rain may result in a greater rise in the creek than the rain would normally bring. The ground is fairly well saturated and can’t hold as much as in prior years. Still, that saturation is a good thing, keeps people’s wells working.
Our well is still murky. The well company is supposed to install a new pressure tank this evening. Then we start looking at each possible factor to see if we can solve the well problem. There may not be any single solution. But we can hope for a good resolution to this ongoing problem.
Spring break is half over. I did manage to sleep in yesterday. Perhaps I can add an extra hour tomorrow. Daylight Savings time begins this Saturday. Just another thing that Congress should never have touched. However, they can collectively point to the most recent changes in beginning and ending DST and claim to have accomplished something.
Tonight’s dinner is prepped and in the reefer. Since we will have to cut off power to the well in order to have the pressure tank replaced, we will have no running water during the installation. So I planned ahead and we’ll be able to eat at about the regular time. The well pump is on a separate circuit. The kitchen will work except for the water source. Tonight we will eat zucchini stuffed with zucchini, onion, ground beef, garlic, various spices and herbs, matzo meal, and Roman cheese. Half an hour at 350°F and it will be ready to warm our stomachs and our attitudes.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
9 March 2010 which crazies are the worst?
9 March 2010 which crazies are the worst?
In comparing the Abramic religions it is impossible to avoid noticing the similarity of the extreme factions in each faith.
Born in the harsh deserts of the Middle East, the three spawned followers as unyielding as granite. Each is certain that it is the one true faith and that all others are false. The fundamentalist adherents of all three have adopted customs and traditions beyond the tenets of each faith laid down in the sacred texts. They enforce the acceptance of these behaviors among their own and, whenever possible, demand they be accepted by the populace at large.
One faith claims to have developed the concept of monotheism. One faith claims that there is a tri-partite deity with the third facet sharing pre-eminence with the primary facet. And the third faith has created a prophet that, though human, is afforded many of the aspects of a deity. Two demand the rest of the world adopt many of these customs for daily life.
One prohibits the manufacture of any representation of a human form. One prohibits the depiction of its chief prophet. One encourages the depiction of its chief prophet but many such depictions are so far removed from any possible historical accuracy as to be laughable.
The fundamentalists in all three faiths believe in the divine inspiration and to some degree, dictation, of the sacred texts. Though the oldest hand-copied examples are rife with errors and differences in translation, the most fanatical followers of the 2nd oldest faith insist that every word is accurate. In many cases they have based theocracies upon such texts and still want to do so in many instances. The oldest and youngest accept only the scribe-copied versions which present in the original language used.
The oldest will not fully write the name of the deity. It maintains that the text is so sacred that if a modern print edition is dropped it must be kissed upon retrieval by way of apology and to ward off bad luck. This begs the question: which version of the name of the deity is so sacred and powerful? One can, obviously, assume the original source language name to be so powerful. What about bastardized languages, pairing the old and a new into a third dialect? Is the new dialect equally powerful? Yeshivot are full of such discussions.
Also included in such customs and traditions, not demanded by the deity but developed by men, are head coverings and other items of clothing. The most fundamental of this faith wear hats at all times. This is custom, not law. Their outer clothing is suitable for mid winter in the Pale and was designed to make them appear foolish as well as to identify them for abuse by Poles centuries ago. So it makes absolute sense to continue such costuming in modern times and in sub-tropical latitudes. Well, it does to those who enforce such custom. They’re trying to live in a blend of modern times, pre-enlightenment Poland, and 2nd Temple days.
The youngest faith affords their book the status of a talisman as well. Riots have been organized over supposed insults to the book. During such riots the mob will have no compunction about desecrating those sacred books of other faiths. In fact those texts are often targeted.
This same faith is bent upon keeping its followers adherent to a lifestyle that has no later connection with the modern world, other than for weaponry and organization, than Spain at the time of Columbus. If possible, they’ll roll society back another 5 centuries. While doing that, they also want to conquer the world and convert everyone they can. Slaughter is sufficient for the rest and historical precedent exists.
The 2nd oldest faith still wishes to build a modern life but one that is based upon female subservience, upon refusal to recognize the accomplishments of science. They, too, want to conquer the world, convert everyone. They’ll do it by the sword if possible, by withholding food and water if necessary. They and the youngest faith intend to dominate all other cultures and supplant governments developed in the manner of the early U.S. with harsh theocracies in the manner of the Inquisitions and of the witch trials in Salem.
It’s a real toss-up who’s crazies are worse.
Judaism remains a small faith with no desire to convert the rest of the world. By and large it is happy being left alone by others. That, of course, ignores their insistence upon Israel becoming the “Greater Israel” that they believe it should be – see sacred texts.
Christianity has undergone some reform but even so still wants hearts and minds as well as culture and nations. Its fundamentalists are determined to have every aspect of life controlled by some aspect of Christianity whether it is religious-based or secular. In doing so, they are likely to severely damage the quality and content of education and daily life in the U.S. One only has to look at parts of Europe and all of Latin America for examples.
Islam needs a reformation desperately. The Arab states, Iran, and all the “stans” shine dimly as cultures which have been heavily damaged by fundamentalist religions and may never progress above the level of quasi-states controlled by bandits and religious tyrants.
Who’s crazies are the worst?
Here are some good graphic links I found enjoyable. You may too.
http://www.zombietime.com/mohammed_image_archive/recent/
http://www.zombietime.com/mohammed_image_archive/recent/
In comparing the Abramic religions it is impossible to avoid noticing the similarity of the extreme factions in each faith.
Born in the harsh deserts of the Middle East, the three spawned followers as unyielding as granite. Each is certain that it is the one true faith and that all others are false. The fundamentalist adherents of all three have adopted customs and traditions beyond the tenets of each faith laid down in the sacred texts. They enforce the acceptance of these behaviors among their own and, whenever possible, demand they be accepted by the populace at large.
One faith claims to have developed the concept of monotheism. One faith claims that there is a tri-partite deity with the third facet sharing pre-eminence with the primary facet. And the third faith has created a prophet that, though human, is afforded many of the aspects of a deity. Two demand the rest of the world adopt many of these customs for daily life.
One prohibits the manufacture of any representation of a human form. One prohibits the depiction of its chief prophet. One encourages the depiction of its chief prophet but many such depictions are so far removed from any possible historical accuracy as to be laughable.
The fundamentalists in all three faiths believe in the divine inspiration and to some degree, dictation, of the sacred texts. Though the oldest hand-copied examples are rife with errors and differences in translation, the most fanatical followers of the 2nd oldest faith insist that every word is accurate. In many cases they have based theocracies upon such texts and still want to do so in many instances. The oldest and youngest accept only the scribe-copied versions which present in the original language used.
The oldest will not fully write the name of the deity. It maintains that the text is so sacred that if a modern print edition is dropped it must be kissed upon retrieval by way of apology and to ward off bad luck. This begs the question: which version of the name of the deity is so sacred and powerful? One can, obviously, assume the original source language name to be so powerful. What about bastardized languages, pairing the old and a new into a third dialect? Is the new dialect equally powerful? Yeshivot are full of such discussions.
Also included in such customs and traditions, not demanded by the deity but developed by men, are head coverings and other items of clothing. The most fundamental of this faith wear hats at all times. This is custom, not law. Their outer clothing is suitable for mid winter in the Pale and was designed to make them appear foolish as well as to identify them for abuse by Poles centuries ago. So it makes absolute sense to continue such costuming in modern times and in sub-tropical latitudes. Well, it does to those who enforce such custom. They’re trying to live in a blend of modern times, pre-enlightenment Poland, and 2nd Temple days.
The youngest faith affords their book the status of a talisman as well. Riots have been organized over supposed insults to the book. During such riots the mob will have no compunction about desecrating those sacred books of other faiths. In fact those texts are often targeted.
This same faith is bent upon keeping its followers adherent to a lifestyle that has no later connection with the modern world, other than for weaponry and organization, than Spain at the time of Columbus. If possible, they’ll roll society back another 5 centuries. While doing that, they also want to conquer the world and convert everyone they can. Slaughter is sufficient for the rest and historical precedent exists.
The 2nd oldest faith still wishes to build a modern life but one that is based upon female subservience, upon refusal to recognize the accomplishments of science. They, too, want to conquer the world, convert everyone. They’ll do it by the sword if possible, by withholding food and water if necessary. They and the youngest faith intend to dominate all other cultures and supplant governments developed in the manner of the early U.S. with harsh theocracies in the manner of the Inquisitions and of the witch trials in Salem.
It’s a real toss-up who’s crazies are worse.
Judaism remains a small faith with no desire to convert the rest of the world. By and large it is happy being left alone by others. That, of course, ignores their insistence upon Israel becoming the “Greater Israel” that they believe it should be – see sacred texts.
Christianity has undergone some reform but even so still wants hearts and minds as well as culture and nations. Its fundamentalists are determined to have every aspect of life controlled by some aspect of Christianity whether it is religious-based or secular. In doing so, they are likely to severely damage the quality and content of education and daily life in the U.S. One only has to look at parts of Europe and all of Latin America for examples.
Islam needs a reformation desperately. The Arab states, Iran, and all the “stans” shine dimly as cultures which have been heavily damaged by fundamentalist religions and may never progress above the level of quasi-states controlled by bandits and religious tyrants.
Who’s crazies are the worst?
Here are some good graphic links I found enjoyable. You may too.
http://www.zombietime.com/mohammed_image_archive/recent/
http://www.zombietime.com/mohammed_image_archive/recent/
Monday, March 8, 2010
8 March 2010 Yes, the taxman is our friend
8 March 2010 Yes, the taxman is our friend
In pursuit of legal and local truth we stumbled onto a property tracking software this morning. Unfortunately the county has decided to outsource and privatize the property record keeping that the Registrar of Deeds is elected to handle to a private company. Said company was offering free 7 day accounts to entice people who might use it professionally. I signed up and looked around to see if our unpleasant neighbor across the road actually had any registered deeds to the small section of our property along the road which he claims. Using records dating back to 1964 we found no such sale recorded.
Further, a conversation with the County assessor’s office provided a lack of any assessment against his tax liabilities for any land on our side of the road. The assessor’s office was quite helpful. They checked tax records dating back to 1985 and provided us the ownership periods for each owner from 1985 forward.
We’ve never seen the supposed deed he has shown to Gloria’s acquaintance who lives downstream from him. Since there is no communication in either direction we are not likely to see it. We acknowledge that water rights may have been conveyed at one time to someone who owned his property before he bought it. By the time we moved in the spring was non-functional, non-potable, and the land around it was not tended in any manner that would demonstrate regular use by anyone as a water source.
His dogs are rapidly becoming malnourished, ribs showing. They drag any bits of food they find, usually discarded take out containers, into the ditch bordering our property and chew it for what flavor remains. They’re reportedly eating aluminum foil that once contained food. Perhaps they’ll wander off in search of food. That would be good.
Today was also income tax return preparation day. We chose to use the free Turbo Tax program. As our income places us below taxable level, I see no reason to pay for software or to pay a fee to file our return with the government. I don’t know what persuaded Intuit to offer free prep and filing services. I suspect it had a lot to do with the continual offers to upgrade for a “few” dollars more. Our return was very simple, needed no upgrades, and has now been filed with the IRS, awaiting their acceptance.
Tomorrow we’ll see about haircuts.
Last night we dined on acorn squash first baked with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, butter, and then filled with breakfast sausage and returned to the oven.
Tonight we will have grilled cheese sandwiches made with 3 month old Manchego cheese. I think I’ll fry up some bacon to add to the sandwiches as well.
In pursuit of legal and local truth we stumbled onto a property tracking software this morning. Unfortunately the county has decided to outsource and privatize the property record keeping that the Registrar of Deeds is elected to handle to a private company. Said company was offering free 7 day accounts to entice people who might use it professionally. I signed up and looked around to see if our unpleasant neighbor across the road actually had any registered deeds to the small section of our property along the road which he claims. Using records dating back to 1964 we found no such sale recorded.
Further, a conversation with the County assessor’s office provided a lack of any assessment against his tax liabilities for any land on our side of the road. The assessor’s office was quite helpful. They checked tax records dating back to 1985 and provided us the ownership periods for each owner from 1985 forward.
We’ve never seen the supposed deed he has shown to Gloria’s acquaintance who lives downstream from him. Since there is no communication in either direction we are not likely to see it. We acknowledge that water rights may have been conveyed at one time to someone who owned his property before he bought it. By the time we moved in the spring was non-functional, non-potable, and the land around it was not tended in any manner that would demonstrate regular use by anyone as a water source.
His dogs are rapidly becoming malnourished, ribs showing. They drag any bits of food they find, usually discarded take out containers, into the ditch bordering our property and chew it for what flavor remains. They’re reportedly eating aluminum foil that once contained food. Perhaps they’ll wander off in search of food. That would be good.
Today was also income tax return preparation day. We chose to use the free Turbo Tax program. As our income places us below taxable level, I see no reason to pay for software or to pay a fee to file our return with the government. I don’t know what persuaded Intuit to offer free prep and filing services. I suspect it had a lot to do with the continual offers to upgrade for a “few” dollars more. Our return was very simple, needed no upgrades, and has now been filed with the IRS, awaiting their acceptance.
Tomorrow we’ll see about haircuts.
Last night we dined on acorn squash first baked with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, butter, and then filled with breakfast sausage and returned to the oven.
Tonight we will have grilled cheese sandwiches made with 3 month old Manchego cheese. I think I’ll fry up some bacon to add to the sandwiches as well.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
7 March 2010 Sleeping in should be easy
7 March 2010 Sleeping in should be easy
I fully intended to sleep in this morning. Something awakened me at 0500. From that point I made every effort to drop back into solid sleep. But I never found the path back. It seemed as if every 15 minutes I was staring at the alarm clock, trying to avoid rolling out of bed. Finally, around 0730 I gave up and got up to avoid waking Gloria. Make the coffee, drag the dot, stoke up the stove, retrieve the paper, take my morning meds, the whole routine kicked in and here I sit, having had less sleep than on a normal day.
There’s every probability that I will spend the evening dozing and snoring on the couch, trying not to drop off but unable to prevent it. I hate falling into that classic caricature. I’d like to think I’m able to avoid aging so inelegantly. But I find myself fitting into the classic rhyme by Carroll:
“'You are old, Father William', the young man said,
'And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head --
Do you think, at your age, it is right?'
'In my youth', Father William replied to his son,
'I feared it might injure the brain;
But, now that I'm perfectly sure I have none,
Why, I do it again and again.'”
Of course, I do not stand on my head. My neck and back would quickly remind me that such unwanted compression should never be attempted again. But the positions that result from dozing off on a couch do result in some rather painful reminders that the spine, alone, will not support the human head while the body checks out briefly.
Further honesty requires that I admit my hair is rather more gray than white where it was once black. And I am pleased to admit that I have decreased in girth and mass over the last several months. I’m not really certain what is the source of such reduction. Attending classes three days/week has limited hikes with Mike. I’ve not really changed any eating patterns that I can think of. All the lab numbers were good at the last sampling interval.
Most of my bad habits no longer have hold over me. Yet I enjoy life far more than I once did. Thank you, Gloria, for prolonging my life and giving me reason to enjoy the prolongation.
Back to the matter of somnolence, in search of longer repose. I’m game for another attempt tomorrow morning. Film at 2300.
I fully intended to sleep in this morning. Something awakened me at 0500. From that point I made every effort to drop back into solid sleep. But I never found the path back. It seemed as if every 15 minutes I was staring at the alarm clock, trying to avoid rolling out of bed. Finally, around 0730 I gave up and got up to avoid waking Gloria. Make the coffee, drag the dot, stoke up the stove, retrieve the paper, take my morning meds, the whole routine kicked in and here I sit, having had less sleep than on a normal day.
There’s every probability that I will spend the evening dozing and snoring on the couch, trying not to drop off but unable to prevent it. I hate falling into that classic caricature. I’d like to think I’m able to avoid aging so inelegantly. But I find myself fitting into the classic rhyme by Carroll:
“'You are old, Father William', the young man said,
'And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head --
Do you think, at your age, it is right?'
'In my youth', Father William replied to his son,
'I feared it might injure the brain;
But, now that I'm perfectly sure I have none,
Why, I do it again and again.'”
Of course, I do not stand on my head. My neck and back would quickly remind me that such unwanted compression should never be attempted again. But the positions that result from dozing off on a couch do result in some rather painful reminders that the spine, alone, will not support the human head while the body checks out briefly.
Further honesty requires that I admit my hair is rather more gray than white where it was once black. And I am pleased to admit that I have decreased in girth and mass over the last several months. I’m not really certain what is the source of such reduction. Attending classes three days/week has limited hikes with Mike. I’ve not really changed any eating patterns that I can think of. All the lab numbers were good at the last sampling interval.
Most of my bad habits no longer have hold over me. Yet I enjoy life far more than I once did. Thank you, Gloria, for prolonging my life and giving me reason to enjoy the prolongation.
Back to the matter of somnolence, in search of longer repose. I’m game for another attempt tomorrow morning. Film at 2300.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
6 March 2010 Software updates exchanges and other things dear to Cheney’s mechanical heart.
6 March 2010 Software updates exchanges and other things dear to Cheney’s mechanical heart.
Yesterday I received e-mail from Comcast, our ISP and cable vendor. They wrote to let me and millions of others know that the “free” subscription to McAfee security software which protects my computer will be replaced by Norton security software. I run security software on several computers.
Today’s high point was the discovery that I would no longer need to purchase protection for Gloria’s computers and my old notebook. The low point will come somewhere after I have installed the new Norton software onto all the systems in our home network.
I haven’t used Norton for anything in ten years. It is going to take some re-familiarization time and patience as I relearn its ins and outs.
Tonight, we will man the gate at Jonesborough’s contra dance. Good! I can use the music and a break from “reboot required.”
Yesterday I received e-mail from Comcast, our ISP and cable vendor. They wrote to let me and millions of others know that the “free” subscription to McAfee security software which protects my computer will be replaced by Norton security software. I run security software on several computers.
Today’s high point was the discovery that I would no longer need to purchase protection for Gloria’s computers and my old notebook. The low point will come somewhere after I have installed the new Norton software onto all the systems in our home network.
I haven’t used Norton for anything in ten years. It is going to take some re-familiarization time and patience as I relearn its ins and outs.
Tonight, we will man the gate at Jonesborough’s contra dance. Good! I can use the music and a break from “reboot required.”
Friday, March 5, 2010
5 March 2010 Alcohol-fueled tourism trumps reality every year
5 March 2010 Alcohol-fueled tourism trumps reality every year
Texas police warn spring breakers: Stay out of Mexico border towns
4 MARCH 2010
In the past, students were urged to be careful in Mexico, but this year "we decided to step it up," a spokeswoman said.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Texas Department of Public Safety: Mexican border cities a "bad idea" for spring break
It is the agency's first specific advisory against travel, spokeswoman says
State Department renewed a travel alert to Mexico last month
Alert noted a rapid growth in violent crimes in areas along the U.S.-Mexico border
(CNN) -- The Texas Department of Public Safety took the unprecedented step Thursday of telling college students not to visit Mexican border cities during spring break because they are just too dangerous.
Several universities issued similar warnings last year, but this was the first time the Texas law enforcement agency had issued the specific advisory against travel, said spokeswoman Tela Mange. In the past, she said, Texas authorities had just urged students to be careful.
Today is the final day of class before spring break at ETSU. My history class had normal attendance, a few empty seats that have often been empty on Friday. My CSI class is taught by at TA who takes roll every session. She walked in this morning, announced that she would be showing a video related to the class material, and that she would not be taking roll. Fully ¾ of the class stood up and left. Frankly, I was embarrassed. I moved to a better seat and watched the video. It was germane to the course and it was interesting.
Those students, who left, bolted as if they had planes holding at the gate for them to arrive. I don’t know how many of them actually had plans to travel to their homes, how many simply get a week with no classes while they work or carry on with their normal lives. I certainly don’t know how many of them are traveling to some week-long Bacchanalia on our seacoasts or in some Latin American resort. I suspect that some of them will seek out a place with television cameras, poorly enforced alcohol codes, and other students willing to risk their lives to benefit of MTV’s ratings.
I never went on spring break. I never felt entitled to spring break. I don’t like crowds and I really don’t like drunken crowds.
For some reason, I don’t believe that it is necessary to spend a week binge drinking after two months of school. For some reason, I don’t think that liquor laws should be relaxed to allow under-age binge drinking even if such month long parties make or break the local economy. I don’t believe that the presence of television crews and marketing teams from every major brewer and distiller is good for a community or the mobs that flock to it in hopes of getting drunk, laid, and on television,
I also don’t believe that high school graduates should be packed off on package trips to Mexico or Caribbean islands to engage in binge drinking and partying after they are handed their diplomas.
For some reasons, all of which involve money; we’ve decided that allowing our young to travel to nations where they can legally drink to the point of oblivion is alright. We now have travel companies that solicit high school students for such trips. Parents, who should know better, allow their children to make such trips, often pay for the trips. Never mind the damage to their young livers. There is also the risk of accidental injury – while drunk; drowning – while drunk; accidental pregnancy – while drunk; and STD’s, physical altercations, kidnappings, rapes, and murders. The travel agencies never mention such possibilities and the trips are, for the most part, entirely un-chaperoned. Not that all young people need to be chaperoned or protected from industry marketing teams or from their own lack of experience or stupidity. But enough do.
Every so often we hear about nice young students who fail to come back from such trips. The ones we hear about are almost always blonde females, “good girls” who never drank or engaged in risky behavior. Of course they didn’t. That’s why they wanted to make the trip, so that they could. They were almost always last seen in the company of young men and intoxicated. And they never show up alive.
But it must be OK. The MTV network says it is OK to party like drunken idiots. So too, say the liquor and beer distributors and the resort owners. After all, most of them go home safely. Most of them don’t wind up as free anatomy demonstrators on videos sold late at night. And it is almost impossible to fix a percentage who acquire STD’s or hepatitis.
They’re not my children or kin. I’m not responsible for their behavior or its consequences. I won’t know the ones who get kidnapped and never come home. But I will get tired of hearing about them on the news night after night. I will get tired of their parents crying, demanding our government take some action, and wondering why it happened to their child.
Here’s the thing. The government took action – recall those age requirements for drinking alcohol. You sort of helped your kid circumvent them. It happened to your child because you sent them off to some place that makes all its revenue on alcohol and motels, where the cops don’t get too involved as long as the mob stays off the main streets and on the party island or beaches. I’m sort of sorry for your loss. But it isn’t as if you haven’t been warned year after year.
18 year old high school graduates don’t need to go to the Caribbean. They need to go to the library and read until they learn all the things they will need to find and hold a job that doesn’t involve ordering sandwiches by picture. College students don’t need televised bacchanalia. They need to catch up on their sleep by not passing out.
I’m going to sleep an hour later each morning for the next week.
Shabbat shalom!
Texas police warn spring breakers: Stay out of Mexico border towns
4 MARCH 2010
In the past, students were urged to be careful in Mexico, but this year "we decided to step it up," a spokeswoman said.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Texas Department of Public Safety: Mexican border cities a "bad idea" for spring break
It is the agency's first specific advisory against travel, spokeswoman says
State Department renewed a travel alert to Mexico last month
Alert noted a rapid growth in violent crimes in areas along the U.S.-Mexico border
(CNN) -- The Texas Department of Public Safety took the unprecedented step Thursday of telling college students not to visit Mexican border cities during spring break because they are just too dangerous.
Several universities issued similar warnings last year, but this was the first time the Texas law enforcement agency had issued the specific advisory against travel, said spokeswoman Tela Mange. In the past, she said, Texas authorities had just urged students to be careful.
Today is the final day of class before spring break at ETSU. My history class had normal attendance, a few empty seats that have often been empty on Friday. My CSI class is taught by at TA who takes roll every session. She walked in this morning, announced that she would be showing a video related to the class material, and that she would not be taking roll. Fully ¾ of the class stood up and left. Frankly, I was embarrassed. I moved to a better seat and watched the video. It was germane to the course and it was interesting.
Those students, who left, bolted as if they had planes holding at the gate for them to arrive. I don’t know how many of them actually had plans to travel to their homes, how many simply get a week with no classes while they work or carry on with their normal lives. I certainly don’t know how many of them are traveling to some week-long Bacchanalia on our seacoasts or in some Latin American resort. I suspect that some of them will seek out a place with television cameras, poorly enforced alcohol codes, and other students willing to risk their lives to benefit of MTV’s ratings.
I never went on spring break. I never felt entitled to spring break. I don’t like crowds and I really don’t like drunken crowds.
For some reason, I don’t believe that it is necessary to spend a week binge drinking after two months of school. For some reason, I don’t think that liquor laws should be relaxed to allow under-age binge drinking even if such month long parties make or break the local economy. I don’t believe that the presence of television crews and marketing teams from every major brewer and distiller is good for a community or the mobs that flock to it in hopes of getting drunk, laid, and on television,
I also don’t believe that high school graduates should be packed off on package trips to Mexico or Caribbean islands to engage in binge drinking and partying after they are handed their diplomas.
For some reasons, all of which involve money; we’ve decided that allowing our young to travel to nations where they can legally drink to the point of oblivion is alright. We now have travel companies that solicit high school students for such trips. Parents, who should know better, allow their children to make such trips, often pay for the trips. Never mind the damage to their young livers. There is also the risk of accidental injury – while drunk; drowning – while drunk; accidental pregnancy – while drunk; and STD’s, physical altercations, kidnappings, rapes, and murders. The travel agencies never mention such possibilities and the trips are, for the most part, entirely un-chaperoned. Not that all young people need to be chaperoned or protected from industry marketing teams or from their own lack of experience or stupidity. But enough do.
Every so often we hear about nice young students who fail to come back from such trips. The ones we hear about are almost always blonde females, “good girls” who never drank or engaged in risky behavior. Of course they didn’t. That’s why they wanted to make the trip, so that they could. They were almost always last seen in the company of young men and intoxicated. And they never show up alive.
But it must be OK. The MTV network says it is OK to party like drunken idiots. So too, say the liquor and beer distributors and the resort owners. After all, most of them go home safely. Most of them don’t wind up as free anatomy demonstrators on videos sold late at night. And it is almost impossible to fix a percentage who acquire STD’s or hepatitis.
They’re not my children or kin. I’m not responsible for their behavior or its consequences. I won’t know the ones who get kidnapped and never come home. But I will get tired of hearing about them on the news night after night. I will get tired of their parents crying, demanding our government take some action, and wondering why it happened to their child.
Here’s the thing. The government took action – recall those age requirements for drinking alcohol. You sort of helped your kid circumvent them. It happened to your child because you sent them off to some place that makes all its revenue on alcohol and motels, where the cops don’t get too involved as long as the mob stays off the main streets and on the party island or beaches. I’m sort of sorry for your loss. But it isn’t as if you haven’t been warned year after year.
18 year old high school graduates don’t need to go to the Caribbean. They need to go to the library and read until they learn all the things they will need to find and hold a job that doesn’t involve ordering sandwiches by picture. College students don’t need televised bacchanalia. They need to catch up on their sleep by not passing out.
I’m going to sleep an hour later each morning for the next week.
Shabbat shalom!
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