From what I can tell, the back-to-school protocols being developed all come with a caveat; if/when your child develops possible Covid symptoms, you're expected to keep them home.
There's the problem. Damned near anything can be a Covid symptom.
Feeling achy? Could be Covid.
Tummy ache? Could be Covid.
Feeling lethargic? Could be covid.
Cough? Sneezes? Sniffles? Could be Covid.
On any given day in my 25 year teaching career, at least half the class could have had Covid.
Government has only themselves to blame. They've spent the last eight months scaring the bejeezus out of everybody about how deadly this virus is.
OH MY GAWD A DEADLY VIRUS NEVER SEEN BEFORE!!!
LOCK DOWN OR DIE!!!
Now they're screwed because a good chunk of the populace actually believed them.
So my prediction is that we'll be back to "e-learning" sooner rather than never.
I suspect that may be the long-term agenda, to make e-learning the new normal. Wouldn't that be a great way to castrate those pesky teachers' unions!
Monday, August 31, 2020
Saturday, August 29, 2020
Gonna be a hard winter
Seems to me the geese have begun their flight training a few weeks early this year. You don't usually see these ragged formations till mid September or later.
The formations are ragged because the tribe has to train up the new geese on the protocols of the annual migration. Nailing that perfect "V" formation takes practice. Anyway, they seem keen on hitting the golf courses and beaches of Florida and the Carolinas early this year.
Gonna be a hard winter. Especially if the pending eviction tsunami hits. Gonna be a lot of folks with no place to go in this upcoming hard winter.
Wonder what's in the "global reset" for them?
The formations are ragged because the tribe has to train up the new geese on the protocols of the annual migration. Nailing that perfect "V" formation takes practice. Anyway, they seem keen on hitting the golf courses and beaches of Florida and the Carolinas early this year.
Gonna be a hard winter. Especially if the pending eviction tsunami hits. Gonna be a lot of folks with no place to go in this upcoming hard winter.
Wonder what's in the "global reset" for them?
LeBron's gamble
I see where LeBron has promised to use his massive name recognition for a good cause; to get out the vote.
That's a refreshing change from the days when top celebrity athletes could play out their entire careers without contributing anything to the social betterment of the masses.
Like Tiger, for example. Or MJ.
On the downside, it seems a shame to get out the vote only to have the voters face a choice between two old white guys sponsored by the same billionaire overlord class.
So much for the betterment of the masses.
That's a refreshing change from the days when top celebrity athletes could play out their entire careers without contributing anything to the social betterment of the masses.
Like Tiger, for example. Or MJ.
On the downside, it seems a shame to get out the vote only to have the voters face a choice between two old white guys sponsored by the same billionaire overlord class.
So much for the betterment of the masses.
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Retirement 101: How to do nothing all day
Day dawned gray and gloomy. It had rained overnight. With a bit of luck, the grass will be too wet to cut today.
That's the only thing on my to-do list that's time-sensitive, cutting the grass. When it gets too shaggy it bungs up the mower, so it's best not to leave it too long.
But, if the grass is too wet, the grass is too wet. What can you do?
There are any number of things I could do, I suppose. The garage presents ample opportunities for busy work. I'm trying to figure out how to drag a 100% functional treadmill out to the road and put a "free" sign on it. Maybe I should put a "for sale" sign on instead. It was only ever lightly used and cost well over a thousand new.
These are the conundrums that occupy my day.
I deferred an immediate decision about which chore to tackle next, and drove into town to get a Globe and Mail instead. And to fill up the gas can for the mower, just in case.
How they get away with charging $4.20 for the Globe I don't know. Seems like brazen exploitation of the few souls out there still addicted to turning pages over their morning coffee. As is often the case, I struggled to find my money's worth in the reading.
Cathal Kelly had an interesting take on the NBA player's strike over the last cop shooting of a black dude. What Kelly obviously can't say from his pulpit of privilege, is that, well intentioned as this may have been, if these guys are going on strike every time there's a case of police brutality, we might as well wave good-bye to pro sports now.
Other than that, not much for my $4.20.
I did manage to get my 5k in. Then I went on the internet, and you know how that goes.
At some point the Farm Manager needed to go to the farm store around the corner. The woman who runs the joint bakes the most awesome meat pies.
On my return I resumed my internet research. Apparently Trump just hit an all-time approval rating high. How messed up is that? 180,000 lost to the plague, economy in the tank, cities on fire, and Trump's approval rating goes... up? How absolutely lame are the Democrats to let that happen?
I can get drawn into that stuff, and you always have to remind yourself that the entire 2020 election is just theatre. As such, it can be quite entertaining!
That's how to do nothing all day.
That's the only thing on my to-do list that's time-sensitive, cutting the grass. When it gets too shaggy it bungs up the mower, so it's best not to leave it too long.
But, if the grass is too wet, the grass is too wet. What can you do?
There are any number of things I could do, I suppose. The garage presents ample opportunities for busy work. I'm trying to figure out how to drag a 100% functional treadmill out to the road and put a "free" sign on it. Maybe I should put a "for sale" sign on instead. It was only ever lightly used and cost well over a thousand new.
These are the conundrums that occupy my day.
I deferred an immediate decision about which chore to tackle next, and drove into town to get a Globe and Mail instead. And to fill up the gas can for the mower, just in case.
How they get away with charging $4.20 for the Globe I don't know. Seems like brazen exploitation of the few souls out there still addicted to turning pages over their morning coffee. As is often the case, I struggled to find my money's worth in the reading.
Cathal Kelly had an interesting take on the NBA player's strike over the last cop shooting of a black dude. What Kelly obviously can't say from his pulpit of privilege, is that, well intentioned as this may have been, if these guys are going on strike every time there's a case of police brutality, we might as well wave good-bye to pro sports now.
Other than that, not much for my $4.20.
I did manage to get my 5k in. Then I went on the internet, and you know how that goes.
At some point the Farm Manager needed to go to the farm store around the corner. The woman who runs the joint bakes the most awesome meat pies.
On my return I resumed my internet research. Apparently Trump just hit an all-time approval rating high. How messed up is that? 180,000 lost to the plague, economy in the tank, cities on fire, and Trump's approval rating goes... up? How absolutely lame are the Democrats to let that happen?
I can get drawn into that stuff, and you always have to remind yourself that the entire 2020 election is just theatre. As such, it can be quite entertaining!
That's how to do nothing all day.
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
5G is critical infrastructure for the techno-fascist police state
Which is the state that is fast descending upon us.
We don't seem to have much debate about 5G, other than Huawei needs to be kept out of it because they're gonna spy on us.
Isn't the whole point of 5G to spy on us? So how does it matter whether the technology comes from China or Sweden?
From a business perspective Huawei has the advantage. After all, they have vast experience spying on millions of Chinese citizens 24/7.
But we gotta remember China is the enemy. We can't be buying our police state tech from the enemy...
That just wouldn't look right.
We don't seem to have much debate about 5G, other than Huawei needs to be kept out of it because they're gonna spy on us.
Isn't the whole point of 5G to spy on us? So how does it matter whether the technology comes from China or Sweden?
From a business perspective Huawei has the advantage. After all, they have vast experience spying on millions of Chinese citizens 24/7.
But we gotta remember China is the enemy. We can't be buying our police state tech from the enemy...
That just wouldn't look right.
Saturday, August 22, 2020
How many masks should my child take to school?
How about none?
That title has been a top story at CBC News all day. Notice the subtle insinuation that only a criminally negligent parent would send their child to school without a mask.
The mask thing is a bit of a head-scratcher to me. Back in April, when covid mayhem was at its peak, you could go to Walmart without one.
A few months later, when the virus has more or less run its course, you need a mask to enter Walmart?
Makes no sense to me.
And another thing I don't get; some of the experts telling us we didn't need masks are now telling us we do. How did the science change 180 degrees in a natter of months?
The local health unit hasn't recorded any covid deaths yet, not even in our plentiful retirement homes. Any child returning to school has a statistically non-existent chance of dying from this virus.
This reality is distorted by our betters at the CBC. Instead, parents are brow-beaten with guilt-mongering headlines.
That title has been a top story at CBC News all day. Notice the subtle insinuation that only a criminally negligent parent would send their child to school without a mask.
The mask thing is a bit of a head-scratcher to me. Back in April, when covid mayhem was at its peak, you could go to Walmart without one.
A few months later, when the virus has more or less run its course, you need a mask to enter Walmart?
Makes no sense to me.
And another thing I don't get; some of the experts telling us we didn't need masks are now telling us we do. How did the science change 180 degrees in a natter of months?
The local health unit hasn't recorded any covid deaths yet, not even in our plentiful retirement homes. Any child returning to school has a statistically non-existent chance of dying from this virus.
This reality is distorted by our betters at the CBC. Instead, parents are brow-beaten with guilt-mongering headlines.
Million dollar teacher
Not that I'm worth a million bucks. Not by a long shot. I spent the last twelve years of my career teaching grade 3 math to high school students. For high school credits! Yup, there's plenty of kids walking around with high school diplomas who struggle with grade 3 math.
That was worth something, but not a million dollars. Here's where that kicks in.
I was a late bloomer in terms of realizing I had a passion for education. In fact, I'd hated high school when I was a hostage there. To be honest, I was mostly passionate about steady day shift and summers off. I turned 40 the year I started teaching.
To my surprise, I enjoyed the job. From the get-go kids liked me.
"Cool tattoo sir..."
Holy shit, these idiots think a bit of ink makes you cool? Anyway, I ran with it. I was quite popular amongst the student population.
From the beginning, I was also very much unpopular amongst a certain sort of administrator; the dimwitted careerists who love their power and hate students. Along comes this goofball VP, a man clearly destined for a senior leadership position at the board office, who decides he's gonna make a name for himself by getting rid of me.
He spent six months following me around, taking notes every time I violated some petty bullshit rule. The education system is chock full of folks who thrive on making up petty bullshit rules. I once saw a "Protocol for toileting student X" that ran an unbelievable 52 bullet points. Yup, 52 steps in helping a...
well, I can't say disabled... ability challenged (?) kid take a crap.
I can reduce this to two steps right smartly. Step one - position the kid over the toilet. Step two, have him bend over in front of the 2000psi pressure washer down in the auto shop.
That was worth something, but not a million dollars. Here's where that kicks in.
I was a late bloomer in terms of realizing I had a passion for education. In fact, I'd hated high school when I was a hostage there. To be honest, I was mostly passionate about steady day shift and summers off. I turned 40 the year I started teaching.
To my surprise, I enjoyed the job. From the get-go kids liked me.
"Cool tattoo sir..."
Holy shit, these idiots think a bit of ink makes you cool? Anyway, I ran with it. I was quite popular amongst the student population.
From the beginning, I was also very much unpopular amongst a certain sort of administrator; the dimwitted careerists who love their power and hate students. Along comes this goofball VP, a man clearly destined for a senior leadership position at the board office, who decides he's gonna make a name for himself by getting rid of me.
He spent six months following me around, taking notes every time I violated some petty bullshit rule. The education system is chock full of folks who thrive on making up petty bullshit rules. I once saw a "Protocol for toileting student X" that ran an unbelievable 52 bullet points. Yup, 52 steps in helping a...
well, I can't say disabled... ability challenged (?) kid take a crap.
I can reduce this to two steps right smartly. Step one - position the kid over the toilet. Step two, have him bend over in front of the 2000psi pressure washer down in the auto shop.
Mission accomplished, and you just saved 50 steps!
After six months job-shadowing me, the VP who mistook me for his ticket to the board office had a stack of notes about a foot and a half high. I know this because he'd stay late in the photocopier room, sometimes till after five o'clock. Apparently a lot of different people needed copies of his evidence. Then he wrote a pithy letter to the College of Teachers making the case that my presence in the school was a threat to the very lives of my students.
Cue the lawyers!
My legal team was provided by the Teacher's Federation. The school board also had lawyers on hand. The College of Teachers had their own legal team. The adjudicators were provided an independent legal team because the actual people judging this case were political appointees with no legal expertise. One of them was there because her husband owned a marina where some politicians kept their boats.
The first flaw in VP Dickhead's master plan was exposed when it was revealed that the board had not done an evaluation of my teaching prowess (or lack thereof) in over ten years. They're required to be done every three. The obvious first question would be, how do you allow this allegedly incompetent and dangerous teacher to keep endangering the lives of the children, neglect to do at least three scheduled and legally mandated evaluations, and then suddenly discover he's a threat to the lives of the students?
After six months job-shadowing me, the VP who mistook me for his ticket to the board office had a stack of notes about a foot and a half high. I know this because he'd stay late in the photocopier room, sometimes till after five o'clock. Apparently a lot of different people needed copies of his evidence. Then he wrote a pithy letter to the College of Teachers making the case that my presence in the school was a threat to the very lives of my students.
Cue the lawyers!
My legal team was provided by the Teacher's Federation. The school board also had lawyers on hand. The College of Teachers had their own legal team. The adjudicators were provided an independent legal team because the actual people judging this case were political appointees with no legal expertise. One of them was there because her husband owned a marina where some politicians kept their boats.
The first flaw in VP Dickhead's master plan was exposed when it was revealed that the board had not done an evaluation of my teaching prowess (or lack thereof) in over ten years. They're required to be done every three. The obvious first question would be, how do you allow this allegedly incompetent and dangerous teacher to keep endangering the lives of the children, neglect to do at least three scheduled and legally mandated evaluations, and then suddenly discover he's a threat to the lives of the students?
That pretty much stalemated them from the get-go.
A couple of years into this imbroglio, I enquired of my main legal person what they had billed on my file.
"We just passed $100,000" came the reply. The case was to run almost eight years. If one legal team milked this for 100 thou in two years, how much did four legal teams bill in eight years?
Sounds like a math problem I'd assign my students... which I did!
It's obvious why something that could have been dealt with in an afternoon dragged on for that long.
Lawyers.
Everybody involved was billing hours to deep pocket organizations. Nobody has any incentive to invoke common sense and get things wrapped. The College of Teachers HQ is on the "Mink Mile" on Bloor Street. When our occasional get-togethers were in recess, you could slip out and buy a $50,000 Philippe Patek next door, if you were so inclined. Lunches were catered by the finest eateries in downtown Toronto. Nobody in their right mind is gonna rush this gravy train!
So it was that almost eight years after VP Shitwad posted his pithy letter, and seven years after the shmuck had taken early retirement (never made it to board office), it was agreed all round that nobody had intended any harm, and I promised never to endanger the lives of the children again.
And remember, every single person in this sorry saga was being paid by you-know-who. Cut out the school boards and do away with the College of Teachers, and you'd free up billions to invest in actual education.
A couple of years into this imbroglio, I enquired of my main legal person what they had billed on my file.
"We just passed $100,000" came the reply. The case was to run almost eight years. If one legal team milked this for 100 thou in two years, how much did four legal teams bill in eight years?
Sounds like a math problem I'd assign my students... which I did!
It's obvious why something that could have been dealt with in an afternoon dragged on for that long.
Lawyers.
Everybody involved was billing hours to deep pocket organizations. Nobody has any incentive to invoke common sense and get things wrapped. The College of Teachers HQ is on the "Mink Mile" on Bloor Street. When our occasional get-togethers were in recess, you could slip out and buy a $50,000 Philippe Patek next door, if you were so inclined. Lunches were catered by the finest eateries in downtown Toronto. Nobody in their right mind is gonna rush this gravy train!
So it was that almost eight years after VP Shitwad posted his pithy letter, and seven years after the shmuck had taken early retirement (never made it to board office), it was agreed all round that nobody had intended any harm, and I promised never to endanger the lives of the children again.
And remember, every single person in this sorry saga was being paid by you-know-who. Cut out the school boards and do away with the College of Teachers, and you'd free up billions to invest in actual education.
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