Randomness

[Alelou]

In Italy? I know you're suffering, and Spain and Greece even worse.

And we have a party actually threatening to blow up the world economy all over again, and beginning to claim that it won't really be a big deal if they do.

God help us.

[CoffeeCat]

Whenever I think of the current state of America, this episode of DS9 comes to mind. That's all I'm going to say without getting political. Except, take care of yourselves and your families. Grow food, barter when you need to, get plenty of exercise and sleep, help each other, tend to your spirits, and use your time wisely.

[Linda]

To sort of change the subject and kinda comment on the state of things today, I offer the following.

This is how naive I am: the incident at my grand kids' school yesterday. While I was volunteering in a language class with 8th graders, the PA system came on and said the school was under lock down. The teacher took keys and locked the classroom door. Then the teacher and students moved bookcases so we could hide behind them so no one could see us in through the windows to the outside or window to the hallway inside. I sat on the classroom's bathroom floor with six students who did not seem to be able to stop giggling. So I patted them on the back and squeezed their hands while wondering if my two grandchildren were safe in their classrooms. My imagination was flickering over some hulk of a guy with an assault rifle stalking around the school and I was scared to the roots of my being. After the all clear was given, I was told it was a PLANNED DRILL. No wonder the kids were laughing at me!

When I was a kid, the drills were duck-and-cover for nuclear attack. The drills today are way more up close and scarier.

[Cogito]

I'm astonished that sort of event is perceived as sufficiently likely to warrant having a specific plan to deal with it and carrying out drills.

[putaro]

When I was a kid, back in the early 70's, I remember there being a day when our elementary school went on lockdown because there was supposed to be a sniper nearby. One of my friends suggested we hide in a trash can (bullet proof, dontcha know) and arm ourselves with our plastic sporks and pop out when the sniper came and scoop his eyes out.

It was a tough neighborhood.

[Alelou]

With all the guns and daily mass shootings in the US these days, Cogito, I'm afraid it is worth planning for. I'm a little surprised they haven't given us any training for it at my community college. We've had a stabbing on campus, but no shooting yet. Knock the fake wood of my desk. You never know with students. I had to gently throw a drunk one out of my class today.

I remember nuclear drills, myself. I remember ducking and covering in those Florida classrooms with their big open windows and their easy distance to MacDill Air Force Base, thinking: This sure is pointless.

[Linda]

Yes it is a sad commentary on American society today that this sort of drill is becoming common in schools. But after the shootings at the Connecticut school, and then close to home, the shootings at the Sikh Temple, where a deranged suicidal man was targeting an ethnic minority, there are good reasons for these drills. My daughter feels her kids’ school may especially be a target because it is an ethnic minority school (Native American).

[Linda]

Okay, I in the last week I put the boat up for the winter and canned 50 jars of pears, cleaned up the sticky mess from pear processing in the kitchen and did the laundry including all the dish towels used for carrying around hot jars of pears. It has impacted my writing time. And for a day or two I think I still will be too tired to sit up and write. However, I CAN read while laying down...

[Cogito]

Shouldn't that be "jarred"?

Anyway, congratulations on completing all that!

[Weeble]

After this seasons blackberries, raspberries and chokecherries i have great sympathy.....but the reason that i called is that it is snowing. We have a lake effect warning for maybe 3-5 inches this evening. It was a bit cold in the waders this morning but aside from a wee bit of sleet it was a nice day, er ah but no steelies tugged at my streamer. oh well. Almost put a fire in the fireplace tonight.
Hey Alelou, you're next for this weather, always hits me first. Does look like this cold front will miss Distracted though. If we hear strange loud noises from down Louisiana way maybe it didn't and there might be some frost on the bayou...

><((((º> yum salmon eggs

[Distracted]

I had to wear a sweatshirt last night at the stadium during my daughter's band festival and I drank a cup of hot chocolate. Does that count?

[Weeble]

Hmmmmm, no i don't think so cause i didn't hear any howling (other than the wind). last few days have been Winnie the Pooh days, no doubt Tigger will roll by here sometime soon.

[Cogito]

So as I was walking down to the local shops tonight I noticed a car with a big sticker in the back window advertising that the driver was a "Professional Football Freestyler" (together with contact details and all that sort of stuff).

Is that really a thing? How on Earth can that ever be a profession?

[Weeble]

Cog,

I have no idea of what you are referring....

[Linda]

Yes, please explain 'freestyler'. Is that some sort of football (I assume you are referring to what I would call soccer) fan who in American football would be called a Monday morning quarterback or an actual player who plays on more than one team or something else entirely? LOL, I'm not sure if you are familiar with Monday morning quarterback. That would be a fan, who after a game, tells his friends what strategy the players should have used during the game.