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Greetings, Quotaholics:
In grades 1 through 8, I wore a uniform to school. I was enrolled in a
Catholic grade school and wore the then-standard plaid skirt, white blouse
with Peter Pan collar, and a gray vest, trimmed in the same red/black/gray
plaid as the skirt. To top off the ensemble, there was a clip on bow tie.
Boys were compelled to wear dark dress slacks, white shirt, and a clip-on
gray tie with the school emblem smack dab in the middle of it.
Once I got to high school, there were no more uniforms. But it was still
a Catholic high school and there was a very strict dress code. Boys still
had to wear ties, but they didn’t have to be the clip on variety. Girls
could wear pants suits, but there were very strict rules about it. Hemlines
could not be more than two inches above the middle of the knee.
My sons, also tortured by the Catholic school experience, had to wear
uniforms, too. Blue shirts, blue slacks, black or blue socks, dress shoes.
Except my younger son needed some living outside the rules. For over two
years, his socks were not within dress code. They also never matched.
I bought either the same pattern in two different colors, or the same
colors in two different patterns. Everyone in the school asked to see
Joe’s socks.
Today’s dress codes are a bit different than those I was used to. Girls
are given guidelines so they don’t look like they should be standing on
a street corner. Things usually banned are midriff-baring tops, stiletto
heels, and miniskirts. Boys are banned from wearing sagging pants and
muscle shirts. Everyone is banned from wearing gang paraphernalia.
According to the New
York Times, there are a bunch of different problems for today’s
students and administrators of the schools they attend. First there is
the general job of teenagers - rebelling against the status quo. Then,
there is a change in trends. Today’s students are dressing to “articulate
- or confound - gender identity and sexual orientation.”
Boys are coming to school in wigs and makeup. One young man from Houston
was sent home because his wig violated a rule about boy’s hair length.
Another boy in Georgia was sent home for his wigs, makeup, and “skinny
jeans” look. A girl in Mississippi had her portrait removed from the yearbook
because she was wearing a tuxedo rather than the girls’ choice of black
draping.
Some students are claiming they have a right of freedom of expression
and should be able to dress in any way they like. Administrators are tasked
with keeping the school’s occupants safe and fostering an environment
free of disturbances where learning can readily take place. Telling a
girl her skirt is too short is one thing, however if wardrobe choices
are a way of expressing sexual orientation or gender variance, administrators
must be careful or they will be in violation of antidiscrimination policies
or mental health factors.
There are 4,118 gay-straight alliance clubs in high schools across the
US and a more accepting nature of classmates’ dress choices. Teens seem
to be able to accept the wild dress choices of their peers. Sometimes.
In February 2008, Lawrence King, an eighth grader from California, was
shot to death in class by another student after he wore high heeled boots
and makeup to school.
Some teachers are pointing out the difficulty of teaching students who
aren’t exactly thrilled with the coursework already. They are further
disturbed when there is someone dressed outside the norm sitting next
to them. “It’s hard enough to get kids to concentrate on an algorithm
- even without Jimmy sitting there in lipstick and fake eyelashes,” said
Kay Hymowitz, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Because schools
are communal, she wrote in an e-mail message, “self-expression will always
have to be at least partially limited, just as it is in the workplace.”
Some administrators are pushing for more lax dress codes entirely devoid
of gender differences. However, they are tasked with keeping the entire
student body safe. “There are other places where there are real safety
issues,” said Barbara Risman, a sociologist at the University of Illinois
who studies adolescent gender identity. “Most boys still very much feel
the need to repress whole parts of themselves to avoid peer harassment.”
If an administrator asks a boy to leave his more feminine attire for outside
the school, is he/she protecting the boy from harassment by peers or adding
to the harassment? It is necessary for the principal to ask if the student
is dressing provocatively in an effort to gain attention or as a means
of self-expression.
Is this really all necessary? Should schools all adopt a non-gender specific
uniform? Would this solve the problem or create some other storm of issues?
Did you have a dress code when you were in school? Did you wear a uniform?
Is there a way to assure the safety of people who live outside the bounds
of “normal” whatever that may be?
As adults, do you have a dress code at your place of employment? Would
there be repercussions if you showed up at work dressed inappropriately?
What would your boss say if you came in your pajamas? Or bathing suit?
Is that different from coming to work in a stylish skirt and blouse if
you are male, or business suit complete with starched shirt and Windsor
knotted tie for women?
Stylishly,
Comment
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Regarding Jerry Hall – “Try interviewing her sometime. It’s like talking
to a window.” Bryant Gumbal
Regarding Geena Davis at the 1992 Oscars ceremony – “The Oscar for the
Most Audacious Frock definitely went to Geena Davis, whose white satin
Bill Hargate gown looked like a wedding dress from behind, a can-can
outfit from in front, and nothing on earth from the side.” – The Times
of London
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Married Life
[Thanks Bonnie]
A man and his wife
are walking down the street when he suddenly said, “That lovely girl
just looked at me and smiled.”
“That doesn’t surprise me in the slightest,” his wife replied. “The
first time I saw you I laughed out loud.”
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“The great disadvantage of our present electoral system is that it freezes
the pattern of politics, and holds together the incompatible because
everyone assumes that if a party splits it will be electorally slaughtered.”
“There are always great dangers in letting the best be the enemy of
the good.”
“I am sure Mr Heath thinks he is honest but I wish he didn’t have to
have his friends say it so often.” - All from British politician Roy
Jenkins born on this date in 1920
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Speak right up!
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Appreciation
No matter whether it is an everyday, routine task, a daily expectation
of your workplace, or something unusual and uncharacteristic, we all
like to be complimented. It can be simply a recognition that you got
dressed with a light on and you selected clothing that enhance your
best features, or something you did or said that "made all the
difference".
I have witnessed first-hand how a simple positive recognition can change
a situation immediately. A supervisor can make a dramatic impact to
a stressed employee with a simple "you are doing a terrific job",
or "that (insert activity here) you did was just what was needed".
Not all "job satisfaction" comes from ample pay and pleasant
surroundings.
I have remarked to people on their clothing, on something they did,
or an accomplishment they performed. Reactions have usually been positive.
Strangers don’t always react the same way. Those who know you usually
know you don’t give out compliments that are simply flattering remarks,
so they accept them and take them to heart.
If you have been privy to watch these people before and after your compliments,
you can see them light up and see their behavior change. There’s more
spring in their step. There may even be a smile on their face where
one was absent before. Conversational topics may change from negative
things to more positive ones.
If you haven’t done so, try it sometime. It’s amazing how a compatriot’s
interaction with you may even change. Someone with whom you may have
received only resistance may become an ally. A simple workmate may become
a friend. An acquaintance may become a buddy.
Here’s your quiz:
Have you given a friend or colleague a compliment because you knew they
were having a bad day?
Have you been the recipient of a complimentary comment just when you
"needed it"?
Have you seen a change in the recipient’s demeanor when they are complimented?
How about when it’s you who received it?
Appreciation - Getting Your Strokes, Or Giving Them
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn’t rate a fancy ’signature pic’)
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Email Kirsten
“This
nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the
home of the brave.”
~ Elmer Davis ~
It’s a sight that never fails to move me to tears, no matter how often
I see it. The crowds start to gather long before the actual event.
They line overpasses all along the stretch of Highway 401 between
Trenton and Toronto, the 172 kilometre stretch known as the Highway
of Heroes. They hold flowers and wave Canadian flags. They are
joined by fire trucks and police cars, which are usually also draped
in Canadian flags. Along the highway itself, people pull their cars
onto the shoulder, stand on the side of the road, and wait. Sometimes
the wait is minutes, sometimes it is hours. But at some point, the
convoy everyone has been waiting for will arrive. The cars will drive
past, and the people on the overpasses and on the side of the highway
will salute, say thank you, and shed a tear for the fallen soldiers
in the hearses - soldiers who have been brought home from Afghanistan,
having given the ultimate sacrifice.
War is a fact of life that has far-reaching effects through the generations.
World War Two ended more than half a century ago, and yet almost everyone
I know has a story to tell of someone they know who fought in it.
Both of my grandfathers were veterans of World War Two. My paternal
grandfather, who survived medical experiments in a prisoner-of-war
camp, was so traumatized by his experiences that he refused to talk
about it until very shortly before his death.
An impromptu poll of my friends brought to light similar stories from
almost all of them. Michelle had this to say: “My dad was on the
first American aircraft carrier to go to Viet Nam. He talks about
it some, the camraderie and the good times. But he knew guys who went
out on missions that didn’t come back. And he knew guys who were killed
onboard ship when a plane crashed on the deck. He doesn’t talk about
that much. I think its because all these years later, there is still
alot of pain associated with those memories.” Kelli’s grandfather
served in World War Two, and would not talk about it. She also knows
someone currently serving in Afghanistan - his best friend was recently
killed by an IED. Elisha’s father was in Vietnam, on a river boat
that saw a lot of combat. Joanna’s father was in the RAF during World
War Two. The stories go on and on, and bring to light some of the
horrors of war that I am sheltered from.
We all have our opinions about the armed conflicts in Afghanistan
and Iraq. Views differ in direction and intensity, but it’s impossible
to delve into that without getting political. My friend Margie, whose
grandfather was also in World War Two, encapsulated what so many people
feel: “I totally completely disagree with the war… But I totally
support the troops.”
Today is Veterans Day or Remembrance Day, depending on where you live.
This is a time for us to give thanks to the men and women - past and
present, living and deceased - who go to dangerous places and risk
their lives for the sake of our freedom. It is time for us to remember
departed friends who have served in any of the armed forces - friends
like our very own Sied.
At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, I
will be standing at a war memorial in Toronto, laying down the remembrance
poppy that I have been wearing on my lapel for the last few days.
To any veterans reading this, no matter what war you served in, I
want to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten
Comment
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As you know, I no longer have a PFY. That means I have to work harder
doing my old job (yes, I was a PFY at one point — only with freckles
instead of pimples. Really. No, really!). That means I have less time
to do things that I get paid the big bucks for, like dealing with
idiots.
Mind you, the balance of life says that while I deal with some of
the brightest minds in the world, I also must deal with those that
aren’t. Sometimes they are one in the same person. Take the one that
walked into my office the other day. They wanted a cigarette, but
hid their intentions by asking when I was going to replace my PFY.
I explained that my Boss had read the resumes we received from the
ad, and none really stood out. It would be a waste of everyone’s time
to even bother with an interview.
I further explained that we were thinking of making the position
part-time, like it was when I started at the College two decades ago.
Mostly my Boss needed me to do grunt work then. He was old. Still
is. Older by about one year, but I digress.
This Wizard of Education, the Grand Marshal of Intelligence, Mystic
Warrior of Smarts, and Doctor of All that is Delusional suggested
we go to a temp agency. “We got ‘Ditzy’ from there. She’s wonderful!”
She was bright enough to come to work with the flu and get all her
co-workers sick. We don’t really want to hire someone like that.
I gave her the cig and told her I’d talk to Boss about it.
I lied to her. I didn’t bother him.
Oh, wait, I got away with it. Nevermind. 
Tim a’Musing
Having a Ball with Yarns
E-mail Dear Tim
Comment
on this article
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Miscellaneous Tips
Noodles, spaghetti and other starches won’t boil over if you rub the
inside of the pot with vegetable oil.
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I wonder where Skeeter went? Come back all you former rhymers!
Next opening line…
I normally don’t like to brag…
Hints:
Here’s a great new rhyming/composition tool. http://www.writerhymes.com/
There’s also a great rhyming dictionary at http://www.rhymezone.com/
Limerick rules. http://freespace.virgin.net/merrick.sheldon/limerickrules.htm
Submit
Opening Line
Submit
Limerick
My
spouse said I have a big butt
This said, after looking at smut
He said that I needed to trim
And then, not on a whim
I handed him his one good nut. - Bonnie |
My
spouse said I have a big butt
I said, "Yeah, it matches your gut."
He didn’t know I was listening
And now the sweat is glistening
And he says he was talking to the mutt! - Mare in Ellicott City |
My spouse
said I have a big butt
I looked at him and I said, "WHAT?!"
You’re 3 times my weight
But so do I hate
Drawing focus to that huge gut!
Maria in Illinois |
My spouse
said I have a big butt.
I lost it and called her a slut.
It took an hour or two
to remove her right shoe
and the doctors have sewed my butt shut. - Mike |
My spouse
said I have a big butt,
an immensely enormous big gut,
big old fat thighs,
from too many fries.
So I gave her my hardest headbutt! - Mike |
My spouse
said I have a big butt
so I tried to tape my mouth shut.
I thought by not eating
my weight I’d be beating
and my physique I’d be able to strut. - Mike |
But the
weight just refused to be shed
I starved till I thought I was dead.
"How long must I suffer,
before I have supper."
"It’s been only an hour" she said! - Mike |
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Re: Fingerprints
Personally
I’d be more concerned that their is someone so fanatical that they won’t
let their fingerprints be taken teaching in the public school system.
Don’t get me wrong, religous freedom is a great thing, but abusing that
freedom to circumvent secular law is archaic and just plain ignorant.
But then, I feel the nation has gotten WAY too soft in terms of being
P.C., that somehow being in a minority position (be it race, income,
physical ability, religion, whatever) makes you impervious to correction
due to casting the one correcting you as a bigot. - Tony in Richmond
I believe in fingerprinting criminals, but until you’ve achieved that
exaulted stage, your body and its fluids, and its DNA should be yours
and yours alone. In fact, if you’re found not guilty, and you don’t
have any other goodies on your record, such as a prior conviction, the
authorities should have to perge your prints. - Lucille
If we are going to
be paying for so much more "security" we should at least insist
on the man-hours going to intelligent decision making to save us from
being attacked by rules with bullies in tow.
"Simple, clear purpose and principles
give rise to complex and intelligent behavior.
Complex rules and regulations
give rise to simple and stupid behavior." - Dee
Hock
Bob
of the North
Re: Family Gatherings
Funny. My animals provide
me with constant amusement. To start this story, let me explain how
I have a black Labrador named Kat, and a grey cat named Mouse.
One
night last spring, the weather was nice and I had the door open so the
animals could go in and out at will. Well I look up from the computer
and I see Mouse (the cat) with a live mouse hanging from her mouth.
The dog Kat jumps up and startles her so Mouse drops the mouse. The
dog then proceeds to chase the mouse around the kitchen, knocking over
everything possible in the meantime, before finally catching the poor
critter and running outside with it. Mouse, the cat, followed her. About
5 minutes later Kat, the dog, returns without the mouse. Well apparently,
Mouse the cat thought that was just hilarious. 5 minutes after that,
she returned with another live mouse in her mouth, walked right up to
Kat, the dog, and dropped it 6 inches from her face. She then just stood
back and watched the hilarity ensue as the dog ran around the house
and tried to catch the mouse..
It was really funny albeit horribly destructive. - Wendy
Re: Funerals
You’d
not believe the people who haven’t any money for this. Where I volunteer
we as you may know give out referrals for those in all kinds of need.
One of the biggest needs that we see is burial cost. People just aren’t
prepared for this. Believe it or not, there are a few places where we
can refer people for help with this, but it is just now coming into
play for them. What I mean to say is, that it is just now becoming recognized
as a real problem. I suppose that people think that everyone can pay
for burial arrangements. They can not. Even my parents were not able
to pay for my brother’s burial when he died before I was born, and it
was not until I was in my thirties that a head stone was gotten for
his little grave. I’m glad to see that Really Good Quotes has brought
some light to this still widely unknown problem. - The, Tazz!
Reader
Comment
I must tell you that
I like the new layout of RGQ. I can actually see it across my whole
monitor screen instead of a narrow column on the left. So–thank you
for that. - Mare in Ellicott City
[Cliff
is our HTML expert these days. He’s the one who deserves all the
thanks for any recent changes. Thanks Cliff!]
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Disclaimer- All quotes printed in this publication are believed to be
accurately attributed, but no guarantees are made that some incorrectly
attributed, or even outright false quotes won’t get in here from time
to time. I assure readers that I will do my best to weed out incorrect
quotes, and will print a retraction as soon as I become aware of any errors.
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