Busy, Distracted & Disgusted

So, I was supposed to try to write something here everyday but I didn't. This last week was busy, busy, busy. The in-laws made it back just fine. I'm glad they're back, their dogs were about to drive me crazy. They'd like to inform the world that buying a SIM card from Wind in Italy is a rip-off. In fact, I think that most of Italy is a black market of underworld shenanigans. Is that accurate? I don't know, I'm tired and not thinking all that clearly, but I do love Italy anyway. And why am I (mentally & emotionally) tired? Some of my students this semester are thick headed, you can explain something to them that the average person ought to understand at first glance and they look at me like I have three heads. You can demonstrate something and in three seconds they don't remember where I told them to click. Are they all on Statins or something? I bring that up because on the radio this evening on the way home, the news came on, and they were announcing how great it was that more Americans could be on Statins now, since they've lowered the threshold for acceptable cholesterol. Never mind that cholesterol is important for brain function and cell wall stability, or that statins are associated with muscle degeneration and transient global amnesia, and also with Alzheimers, but never mind that! We're going to save everyone from the dreaded heart disease, even if it means turning everyone in the country into stupid, sickly people. Ever seen the movie Idiocracy? Yeah, um, when I first saw that, I thought it was absurd, but now, now I'm not so sure that that isn't where we're going.

I'm tired, teaching wears me the hell out, especially when I have to repeat myself like a broken record because people are incapable of taking notes. Don't get me wrong, I like teaching. That is, I like teaching when I have students who look like they have half their act together and pretend to care. I saw the other day something about free college tuition for community colleges, where anyone and everyone can go for free. Yeah, then community college education can be as good as our free public high school education. I'll let you take that one to it's logical conclusion. Eventually, I figure that a college degree will be about as worthwhile as a high school one, because gosh darn-it don'tchya know everyone gets a trophy and everyone can do anything they want. Bull hockey sticks. Some people shouldn't be in college, it's not for them, and they're pushed into it anyway, and then they wind up tens or even a hundred thousand dollars in debt and not even a degree to show for it because they couldn't make it through the program. And if they do make it through the program, they find that they're not cut out for whatever it was they studied, because the real world doesn't give a flying fuck what piece of paper you have, if you can't take a shower, show up for work on time, and meet deadlines. And the little darlings, starting in grade school, are lied to, and told that if only they have a piece of paper everything will work out for them. Hard work, work ethic, and responsibility are not the words du jour.

I'm going to take a shower and go to bed before I tell you how I really feel.

They're off... (in coach class that is)

I took the in-laws to the airport this morning and they are now on their way to Venice, Italy. Their flight was delayed and they nearly missed catching their connecting flight to Frankfurt in Houston. Oh, the joys of travel. LOL

Speaking of, I read an AP article the other day about how the First Class passengers on international flights get the perk of being separated from the unwashed masses (which for any of you who have traveled internationally in economy, you will think this sounds like an awesome thing). At any rate, while the article is interesting, the writer couldn't resist throwing in your usual drivel about how this just further widens the gap between the uber wealthy and the rest of us.

"It’s one way that a gap between the world’s wealthiest 1 percent and everyone else has widened."

The fact that the First Class passengers are subsidizing the cost of air travel is lost on the droll thought process of the sorry-excuse-for-a-journalist who churned out the article. If you're trying to make me jealous, it's not working. And if they're making you jealous, you should stop. Just stop, right there. Do you like travel? It's already pretty expensive right? Well, if the extremely wealthy weren't willing to pay $15k and get some perks along with it, and more than just leg room (because do you really think a little more leg room is worth that much?), none of us plebes would be traveling anywhere!

"At big carriers like American Airlines, about 70 percent of revenue comes from the top 20 percent of its customers."

Chew on that for a while, and instead of being jealous, be thankful. Thankful that rich people do want to pony up the money that winds up subsidizing your ticket in chattel class. Yeah, economy sucks, but the end result is usually something you really want, like visiting far away places that you've only read about.

I'm annoyed at the author for throwing that in, and intrigued that rich people get to ride in luxury cars to/from their plane. I'd like to do that sometime. If I ever win the lottery I just might try it once.

Winter Summer Spring Fall...

...all in the span of three days. On Sunday I woke up late, it was warm, then by late afternoon it was very cold, about twenty-five degrees. The hummingbird food froze yesterday morning then it warmed up to about forty degrees. Then yesterday afternoon it rained, but only for a few minutes. We really need more rain.

I haven't done anything useful in the past few days except read some stuff. I did read one book that was interesting, called Whole Grains, Empty Promises, by Anthony Colpo. It's a good source for looking into studies that show that whole grains are really a load of bunk.

I need to fill up the deer feeder but haven't gotten around to it.  I need to get the oil changed in my car, but it always takes so long I've been putting it off. And it's so coooollllddddd... *brrrrrrr*

The in-laws are leaving for Venice, Italy tomorrow. I have to take them to the airport. They go every year and rent an apartment for a week and a half. We have to take care of their dogs while they are gone. The dogs are a pack of idiots. A couple of them are crazy, especially Rosie the chihuahua. Of all dogs, chihuahuas are my least favorite. They're so yippy. I love labs, they're quiet and sweet and want to cuddle. Chihuahuas want to rip your face off. The dogs are really a handful, but we love them anyway.

Rosie, eating licking my nephew's face

Sammy our sweet & adorable lab