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Archive for April 25th, 2010

prison funding

Posted in crazy world, Education, politics, teaching, Uncategorized on 2010, April 25| Leave a Comment »

Did you guys know that in most, if not all states, governments decide how much money to budget in the future for new prisons, prison renovations, enlargements, etc. based on the standardized test scores of their ELEMENTARY students, in some cases starting as early as SECOND GRADE??

Maybe it’s just me, but couldn’t some of that money be redirected to early childhood education programs, parent services and training, access to more books for children, etc.?  I know, I am just a crazy ol’ democratic teacher.  What do I know about middle school kids who didn’t get the early childhood base of education they needed? What do I know about parents who are just as intimidated about school as their kids are because more often than not, school was not a positive experience for them either? What do I know about parents who can barely read so they can’t spread the love of books and reading to their own small children?

Just something to ponder.

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more dirty little secrets

Posted in crazy world, Random Stuff, Uncategorized on 2010, April 25| Leave a Comment »

I have a secret delight.  I like drug stores.  I always have.  I can remember going into the Revco on Main Street where a Wachovia is now and wandering the aisles.  I can remember going to Richland Mall and loitering in the Eckerd.  Really, what isn’t to like?  The pharmacies have so much stuff in them!  I love new pharmacies too.  Kelli and I just recently hit the new Rite-Aid in Five Points (located in the former Eckerd).  We are already on a first name basis with the cashiers. They have a lot of fun stuff in this Rite-Aid.  I highly recommend it.

In college Amy Jo and I would go to a 24 hour Eckerd that was by the round Holiday Inn.  We would just wander around and buy random shit.  I still do it.  Last night, Annie and I wandered around the Walgreen’s for a while. There is always such random stuff in pharmacies.  I have bought make up, slippers, tee shirts, garden tools, hoses, seeds, cups, magazines, snacks, cameras, flip fops, hair care products, nail polish, beach chairs, coolers.  I mean the list could go on and on.

I am on a first name basis with my CVS pharmacist.  I have followed him from Five Points to Main Street to Forest Drive and now, to Assembly Street.  He is awesome.  James is better than my doctor.  He knows what pills I have taken that I thought worked well or that gave me problems.  He always tells me about knew stuff and when my pills are going generic.   He always helped me out with THE HOBB’s medications and any drug interaction problems.  I am pretty sure that if he moved to Charlotte or something, I’d follow him.  It’s awesome to have  a regular pharmicist.  When I have run out of refills, he’ll spot me a couple of pills to get me over until the doc calls it in.

One good thing about CVS is that they always put a lot of stuff on serious mark downs.  They always have good mark downs after holidays pass.  Once, Gramma and I bought a shit load of Christmas stuff because we just happened to show up as they were marking things down to 90% off.  She racked up.  I think I still have some wrapping paper she bought then.

Lately, all of these pharmacies have the AS SEEN ON TV aisle.  I LOVE THIS. This past Friday, I actually got to handle a Shake Weight a.k.a. The Hand Job Trainer.

Anyway, just one more dirty secret I have shackled in my closet.

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Folsom Prison Blues

Posted in Random Stuff, Uncategorized on 2010, April 25| Leave a Comment »

Okay, I am a big fan of the documentary.  I watch prison documentaries frequently.  These big ass gangbangers and murders all bitching about rough toilet paper and no cable.  WAH FUCKING WAH.  Now, I don’t mean they should be tortured, or mistreated intentionally.  Well not all of them, certain groups, I’m all for it.

I think that some of the people in prison would be better served by serious counseling efforts and drug and alcohol rehab. For the most part we just stick people in the prisons, and they get worse.  (Have I written this blog before? It sounds familiar.  Maybe because I say it to myself all the time.)  Recently, a man was released from prison because he was TOO FAT!  It wasn’t comfortable for him.  WHAT????  Insane.  There was also a guy who got out because he was too small to defend himself.  Then of course, the pedophile school teacher who got out because she was “too pretty” for prison.

Watching the various documentaries, I know that you don’t want to go to prison in California or Lousiana.  A few of them have excellent counseling, educational, and drug/alcohol rehab programs, and those are far more successfull and have lower recidivism rates.  Pelican Bay, San Quentin, Angola, they’re just rough. Even in those hellhole prisons, hardass convicts who have killed unknown numbers of people whine and complain.

This is all just a fucking crock.  These people on the prison shows complain about the crappy food, no hot water to make coffee, having roommates, bugs, just random pussy-ass complaining.  You can rape, murder, pillage, rob, burgle, beat and shot at each other, but you can’t use rough, cheap toilet paper?  You can’t make enough money to buy the expensive shit in the canteen?    Frankly, who fucking cares?  Yes, I know there are innocent people in jail. Yes, I agree some of the people shouldn’t be there, but they are.

GET A REAL JOB AND DON’T GO TO PRISON!  THEN YOU CAN BUY WHATEVERTHEFUCKYOUWANTWHENEVERTHEFUCKYOUWANTIT.

All this bitching, and yet tomorrow, I will tune in to the next available episode of any prison documentary, even if I’ve seen it.

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