Averygoodun's Personal File

An article about a teacher who needs to be fired. Any teacher who bullies, humiliates or otherwise picks on a student, especially for a (relatively benign) political view, needs to not be in a position of power.


In other bleh news, the car came back from the "check engine light" class, and... there were three codes with $700 of parts (PARTS, not labor) required to fix it.

Soooooo... I guess we'll be test driving cars this winter. I think. What with that, the alignment/axle issues and how the body is getting to be in pretty bad condition, so I really don't think the car is worth that kind of money (especially because I'd have to add in the cost of renting a car to get around while the car's being repaired).

*sigh* On the one hand, it will be nice to have a car that has four working windows again (and isn't dropping interior parts every other week), but on the other, it means we won't be getting out of debt in the near future like I hoped we would be.

Ach well. It is a 13-year-old car. Possibly even 14-year-old, depending on its issuing date.
That's pretty darn old for a car. Especially in an area that salts the roads. No matter what the mileage.


In good news, I'm feeling way better. Still don't know what's up, though I've been staying away from chilies, bananas and almond butter just in case any of them are the culprit. I tried staying away from tea, but... well... yeah. I'm an addict. So sue me.

Also in good news, the house smells wonderful from the pumpkin muffins I just made. Now I need to go finish baking the rest of the batter, put everything away, pack up a bunch of food for us and clean up before we leave for Boston. (Oh yeah, that's another good thing: we're going to see some friends, and M and I will be going to Ikea this evening! Page's big birthday present is waiting there...)

So, hope everyone's having a good weekend!

Saw a protester with a sign basically saying that the war in Afghanistan is Obama's war.

Um...

At least my memory isn't THAT bad.

*

Geoff is getting better, but the kid and I aren't doing quite so well. Hopefully I'll be able to kick the boys out of the house (to church) tomorrow, but I suspect I will not be getting any alone time this weekend. *shrug* At least I picked up some good movies at the library for us to spend our time (and little energy) on. ("The Adventures of Tin Tin" and "Harvey")

Unfortunately, I will have to spend a fair amount of time today and tomorrow (should my brain ever return my calls) studying. First test coming up next week, and I have a fair amount to review.

Speaking of class, I got into a noisy debate yesterday during break with one of my classmates who thinks Social Security is only for those who didn't plan well. I wasn't the only one who said that was bullshit, but I was, perhaps the most ardent. He still insisted that he didn't think he should have to pay into SS, since he can invest his money better. And he really, really didn't seem to get the fact that society and economy are tied very closely together, and the economy suffers when the society does. At least in the current paradigm. His "good" investments wouldn't be worth shit should society either collapse or revolt, and that's what would happen should the safety nets go away (which is, in turn, what would happen should SS be an optional program).

He's a young thing, but his current job is also as a financial planner. Makes me feel scared and sorry for his clients. And our economy.

And it was kinda funny... My professor displayed a bit of his own personal cognitive dissonance shortly after the debate by saying in an aside that he wished Bush were still president, and then going on to complain about how high-paid execs get instant raises since FICA currently caps out at $110,100. I mean, I agree with him about the outrageousness of that cap (it doesn't even go up to the top earners of "the middle class!"), but Bush's record isn't exactly known for increasing the tax load of the wealthy.

Ach well.

I think I'm gonna go watch "Tin Tin" now. I hope it's as good as everyone said it was.

Art students at one college are required to buy an art history book with no pictures. For $180.

Nice extreme example of how screwed up (and corrupt) the system has become. Too bad it's also become so necessary to have a college education to be able to support oneself. (Which is, of course, part of the problem... Captive audience and all that.)

Bah. *looks at calendar* ARRRRRR!


Ach well. I need to get ready for class. And prepare myself to ask my teacher to completely disregard the question I asked on the quiz yesterday before I got the correct answer drilled into my head during class. *blushes* Details, details. Accounting is all in the details. (Am I really sure this is the best way for me to earn my living?) Ah well. Better to make mistakes when it doesn't matter (i.e. class). At least I do tend to learn from my mistakes. Well... except for the parsing details bits. ("On" is very different from "in"! Oops.)

*sigh*

My wallet was stolen yesterday. More accurately, it was taken from where I stupidly left it at the store, but seeing as it wasn't turned in to lost and found several hours after the fact, I think I can say it's been stolen.

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Bah.

The lucrative, starry affair is bringing attention to Obama's show business ties just as his campaign is fending off criticism that he's more pop culture hotshot than effective statesman. A recent ad from the pro-GOP super PAC American Crossroads mocked Obama as a "celebrity president" (link)

But Ronald Reagan, the hero of Republicans everywhere, wasn't?

Granted, it has been said lately that Reagan wouldn't get elected nowadays as his positions (socially and fiscally) were far too moderate. Which is just... horrible.

*sigh*

On the plus side, Romney is a fairly moderate Republican for today's standards (according to his governing record), so the country won't be completely fucked if he wins. Only a little more so than if Obama wins, really.

Except, of course, for the LBGT community. They'll be completely screwed. (Not to mention women...) :-/

I am going to post without commenting on any of your posts. I've read them, though. I rejoiced/commiserated/whatnoted with you, too. But, um... yeah.

An anecdote on that "um"...

Page went just a tad too long without eating, so by the time he was at the table with his plate of cold eggs and cheese (his choice, btw) in front of him, trying to cut it up to eat, he lost his cool.

So, I thought it a perfect opportunity to tell him how much I sympathized with his inability to communicate with words, but the importance of trying anyway, before getting so angry. It went something like this:

Me: You know, I completely sympathize about... [painfully long pause as I tried to find simpler words] the, um...
Geoff: [laughs quietly]
Page: [thinks Geoff is laughing at him; scowls ferociously]
Me: [sighs] the... inability to... um... to communicate. [start chuckling myself]
Page: IT'S NOT FUNNY!
Me: I'm not laughing at you, darling! I'm laughing at myself!
[whole long conversation where Geoff and I try to explain the irony and humor of the situation until Page covers his ears against us]

So... yeah. For fear of saying everything wrong in that special way I have, I'm going to refrain from commenting. More than I have already done, that is.

Just remember my heart is in the right place, even if the words seem to be coming from a not-so-nice place.

*sighs*

I think I've spent too long at the books. On the plus side, I got all but one of the multiple choice accounting questions (from the previous tests) correct without reviewing first. On the downside, I completely muffed the inventory problem. On the plus side, there won't be an inventory problem on the final. And I did remember how to do all the depreciation methods; yay, as that will be on the final.

But, well, I've spent a solid 9 hours either at school or thinking about school or doing schoolwork. I'm tired. I think I'm going to watch the Daily Show and be done with the day.

*nods*

On another plus side? We're heading into a weekend, and the house isn't a complete pit. The kitchen table and counters are even visible. And the throw pillows are still on the couches, even. *scrunches brow in thought* What the hell happened this week to have the throw pillows still on the couches? And the blanket only slightly mussed? What sorcery is this?

*shrugs* Here's hoping for whatever sorcery to continue.

Cheers.

Worst headline ever? I mean, it's like a bad translation from Chinese (a google translation, to boot), except that it's not. It's a bad summary of the first sentence/paragraph:

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's weekend reform of its currency regime nails shut the coffin on the last remains of doubt about whether the world's second biggest economy has successfully steered a course past a hard economic landing.


For some reason, I expected better of you, Reuters. *tsks*

So... I got a call from Page's school's behavioral specialist today. Seems Page hit another student because he was having a bad day.

From the call, I assumed that Page actually attacked the kid(s), but upon hearing the story from Page's side after Page came home, it seems what happened was that he tripped over T's foot, fell, got up and whacked T with his empty coat sleeve. T then went and told on Page.

Now, I ask you, do you think that warrants a SUSPENSION?!?!?!?! It didn't even get him on red, for fuck's sake!!!

(No, Page is not suspended, but that was brought up as, basically, a threat for us to do something or else.)

*growls great big badgery growls*

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(And, if it were needed, the circumstances behind Page's bad day are: Cranky mom who snapped at him because he was dawdling and doing everything except what she asked of him in the morning and trying other power plays that drove her into a minor tantrum taken out on a container of pork, shoes that hurt (because he couldn't find his proper shoes - another cause of friction between mother and child), another loose tooth, and a dad who's out of town for the second time in as many weeks and passed on the news last night that he'll be delayed coming home. And HE'S A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD BOY!!! FFS, people!!! Sheesh!)

First, another amusing comment stream on yahoo, this one about, wait for it, education. Aw yeah!

I especially like this one: QUESTION: What are the schools expensis besides utilities and employees. Why are costs going up so much and so quickly?

*blinks*

But pretty much all of them are amusing for one reason or another.

*

Test today was much easier than expected. I probably could have foregone half of the cramming I did in the last three days. Half of the test (almost exactly) was about stuff I learned in accounting last semester, so I better have gotten that right. And another quarter was on content we covered in class, so... I think I did well, even if I probably didn't get 100%.

*

My garden is growing. It's supposed to snow tonight and tomorrow, but I'm not too worried, as it's not supposed to get cold enough for anything to accumulate.

Meanwhile, I'm plotting and planning what to do with the front garden. I have approval to plant a red twig dogwood shrub and a star magnolia, though I'm wondering if perhaps I should go with a pink dogwood tree. And, of course, crabapples really are very lovely...

Whatever tree I choose has to be fairly small or it will interfere with the power lines and suffer odd pruning. (And I've decided against birches because they're shallow-rooted).
I've also determined that the poor eunonymus that's clinging to life in the shadowy corner out front (and will need to be moved anyway, as we're getting an arborvitae there) will go beside the power pole. which will, in turn, be more or less next to the red twig, and on the other side of the red twig, I'm thinking of putting a mop cypress. Main thing I'm looking for, of course, is winter color.

I don't know. I'm going to have fun going to all the nurseries, though!

Does accepting the American Opportunity Credit automatically reduce the Pell grant?

I don't understand why FAFSA said I'm eligible for up to a $4400 Pell grant (knowing my income tax info), and the school says I only get $1800 (I got $3600, last year). And am I not eligible for any loans? I was last year!

Well, they also have this listed under the 2011-12 year, so I'm hoping it's another case of adventures in stooopid Financial Aid Officers (and their computers).

In other oddities, the aid sheet says I'm getting a $1000 scholarship in the Spring semester (of 2012...)

Maybe that accounts for the $100 refund check I got from the school the other day?

*iz confuzzled*