Whimsical Wednesday

Mothers Day Advice + Honesty + Ticks + Squirrelly Californians

From Omaha World Herald (12/30/17):  "What to buy when during the year. MAY. "April showers bring May flowers, & sales blossom then, too. Here's a look at some products to consider buying this month:

• Spring cleaning necessities
• Small kitchen appliance
• Furniture

COMMENT:  Mother's Day is SUN 5/13. As a courtesy to my male blog-followers, I would NOT consider spring cleaning necessities as worthy Mother's Day presents. I'm just sayin'.

OWH (4/28):  "It's almost Honesty Day. Do we need one, honestly? MON is National Honesty Day, & to be honest, I'm tired of everything having a 'day.' Oh, so now I'm finally being honest? 'Let me be honest,' is an odd phrase, but we've probably all used some variation of it. Does it mean the speaker is no longer being dishonest & now has decided that honesty is the best policy? No, it often just means, 'Let me be blunt,' or 'Let me be straight-forward with you.' I'm kind of a stickler on language usage, though, & cringe at, 'I'm so upset, my head could literally explode.' Literally? Hmmpf. Honestly!"

COMMENT:  To be honest with you, I only choose excerpts that I know will appeal to my blog readers.

OWH (4/28):  "Headed outdoors? Be on lookout for ticks. Rocky Mountain spotted fever & tularemia are biggest concerns here." COMMENT:  I posted previously that on my 1st official fishing expedition to Doug's pond last FRI 4/27, I caught 6 bass:  17", 17", 15", 15", 14", 13". I also should have noted that I caught 2 ticks . . . which is awfully early in the season for ticks, to be perfectly honest with you.

There Is No Place Like . . . California

"OWH (4/30):  "Squirrel wins UC Berkeley student senate seat. The University of California, Berkeley elected a squirrel to its student senate. The Sacramento Bee reported that 'Furry Boi' was named APR 13 to the Associated Students of the University of California Senate. The squirrel initially took the form of a critter living among campus trees, running on platforms such as easier acorn access. But the man behind the campaign, sophomore Stephen Boyle, posted his real intentions & policy platforms to FB. Boyle, who at times wore a squirrel costume, said he is focused on issues such as environmentalism, disabilities & mental illness." COMMENT:  If you're expecting a snide, snarky comment from me about Californians, * I hardly think that's necessary.
* Family excepted

L.O.L. Educator *

* Loony Old Lutheran Educator

From Norfolk Daily News (1/19/18):  "No-homework weekends on trial for school in Missouri. Kirkwood High School is trying an experiment for the sake of student & teacher mental health. For the weekends following Feb. 16 & Mar. 9, students will get no homework assignments from their teachers, school leaders decided last week. Many Kirkwood High students juggle after-school jobs & extra-curricular activities on top of homework from dense course schedules, said Kirkwood High Principal Michael Havener. Meanwhile, teachers' work rarely ends when school dismisses for the day; teachers are known for spending nights & weekends grading papers & planning lessons."  COMMENT:

• I haven't seen any follow-up to this news, but I'm sure that parents & students counted it as a resounding success.
• Anyone who goes into education does so knowing that homework & grading papers are part of the job. If this policy is good for weekends, why not adopt it for selected week days, too. Aren't there extra-curricular activities on week days & nights?

OWH (2/10):  "Principal defends costly uniforms. A Tokyo public school has adopted Giorgio Armani uniforms for students, triggering criticism in a country where hefty school fees are already burdening young parents. Taimei Elementary School in Tokyo's upscale Ginza shopping district announced plans to introduce the new uniform option, which costs more than $730 for a full set. A minimum set--a navy-blue jacket & matching trousers or skirt, a long-sleeve shirt & a hat--would be more than twice the price of the current uniforms." 

----------BREAKING NEWS--------------------------------------------------- **

California state legislators are intrigued by costly school uniforms adopted by a Tokyo public school. Said one state legislator, "If it's good enough for Tokyo, it should be good enough for the State of California." Said another legislator, "Families could pick a color that reflects their political & cultural sentiments." Likely choices would include green for environmentalists, pink for supporters of the LGBT agenda, & acorn for Berkeley supporters of Furry Boi & his agenda. When asked whether the steep price might be one more reason to deter families with school-age children from moving to CA, a state legislator who asked to remain anonymous replied, "Why would we cater to families with school-age children?" When it was pointed out that the state uniform would apply to in-state families, as well," he responded, "Whatever."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

** An exclusive report from the LCBLCT ***

*** Leckband Cornhusker Blog Lite Consultation Team