|
|
| |
Greetings,
Quotaholics:
I was teased in high school. I was teased in grade school, too. I was
ribbed in college, but by then, it didn’t matter as much.
In high school I was taunted for my appearance, my scholastic endeavors,
and my family relations. Even kids who had a great school experience didn’t
make it through completely unscathed. Every kid gets a bit of grief at
some point. Some kids get picked on more than others. However, as far
as I can tell, after teaching kids from kindergarten through adult education,
no one is immune.
According to Boston.com,
a cyber bullying case made it to a US District court in Los Angeles. Janice
Hart was an eighth-grader in 2008 and was "upset and humiliated"
by another student’s video posted on You Tube. Janice arrived at Beverly
Hills middle school in tears in May 2008. She simply couldn’t go to class
after a group of students had called her "spoiled," a "brat"
and even went so far as to call her a "slut."
With instant communication and text messaging, she figured at least half
the class had seen the video and she was too traumatized to attend classes.
Janice complained to the counselor and they contacted the vice-principal
and the school principal. The administrators kicked it up to the district
who called the school’s lawyers. The result was the girl who posted the
video was given a two day suspension.
The poster, cited with "cyber-cullying" took her problem to
the courts. She claimed her First Amendment rights to free speech were
violated. The case reached the District Court who sided with the poster.
There is a growing trend toward protecting children from the mean words
and actions of their peers, making bullying of all types punishable, even
calling for the criminalization of the behavior. Free speech advocates
are pushing back.
Judge Stephen V. Wilson wrote in a 60-page opinion, "To allow the
school to cast this wide a net and suspend a student simply because another
student takes offense to their speech, without any evidence that such
speech caused a substantial disruption of the school’s activities, runs
afoul [of the law].
"The court cannot uphold school discipline of student speech simply
because young persons are unpredictable or immature, or because, in general,
teenagers are emotionally fragile and may often fight over hurtful comments,"
he wrote.
Schools are in a position to try to limit speech and have been doing so
for decades, at least. From armbands protesting Vietnam to today’s off
campus cyber threats, many have taken a stance of trying to stifle the
free speech of students.
"People don’t appreciate how much the First Amendment protects not
only political and ideological speech, but also personal nastiness and
chatter. . . . If all cruel teasing led to suicide, the human race would
be extinct," said Eugene Volokh, a First Amendment scholar and law
professor at UCLA. He is also critical of a bill in Congress making cyber
bullying punishable for up to two years in prison.
Some courts are upholding the Free Speech of those said to by cyber bullying
while others are protecting the feelings of those hurt by the insults.
A case has not yet reached the US Supreme Court. The current state of
the legal battle is based on the 1969 case of Tinker v. Des Moines School
District where speech could only by limited if it caused "substantial
disruption on campus."
Should schools be protecting students rights? Should they be advocating
for those who are offended by what other people are saying? Should they
be offering a class to students to teach them how to deal with insults
and general nastiness?
Were you teased in school? Did it teach you anything - good or bad? Do
you think teasing today is worse than in the "good old days?"
Where is the line between Free Speech and slander?
Thick-skinned,
Comment
On This Article
|
| |
|
| Isn’t
it worth $1 a month to you to keep RGQ going? Please click the
link and direct your contribution to keep RGQ going.
|
| |
"There is a past which is gone forever. But there is a future which
is still our own."- F.W. Robertson
"If your enemy wrongs you, buy each of his children a drum."
Chinese Proverb
|
| |
Church Deacons
[Thanks Bonnie]
Two
rural church deacons who were having a sociable beer in the local
tavern when they saw their minister drive by and take a good long
look at their pickup trucks parked outside.
One
deacon ducked down and said, "I hope the reverend didn’t see
us or recognize my pickup."
The
other replied indifferently, "What difference does it make. God
knows we’re in here… and he’s the only one who counts."
The
first deacon countered, "But God won’t tell my wife."
|
|
| |
"Art! Who comprehends her? With whom can one consult concerning
this great goddess?"
"Music is the wine which inspires one to new generative processes,
and I am Bacchus who presses out this glorious wine for mankind and
makes them spiritually drunken."
"Music should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears
form the eyes of woman." - All from German composer Ludwig van
Beethoven born on this date in 1770
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
| |
| |
|
| |
Speak right up!
|
| |
Cliff’s article seems to have been eaten by the internet!
Here’s an archive piece.
Seasoning
It
seems there is a seasoning effect on plant life. No, I’m not describing
the growth of new foliage on trees & shrubs in the spring.
Neither am I referring to the new growth of perennial flowers
as they send out new shoots from once frozen ground. I am talking
about how flowers and flowering plants seem to display their colors
in groups.
Except
for annuals which display a variety of colors throughout the growing
season, perennial flowers seem to flower in color groups. The
red tulips and others seem to want to follow the blues & purples
of the hyacinths in color wheel blending. White comes in an array
of shades in a myriad of species as spring flows into summer.
Yellow then brightens summer in lilies and flowering bushes of
many kinds. As summer wanes into autumn, reds reappear with a
side-order of white.
It
may be a regional thing. There are some species of plants that
are very colorful that are limited to tropical areas. Placing
them in our region is tantamount to buying very expensive annuals,
or we must fill our house as temperatures drop. Although not a
flowering plant, the "elephant ear" is quite striking
& must be dug up and the tubers stored in a safe place over
winter. Tropicals sometimes need the same attention. As we grow
older, it seems our time is more & more limited, so we don’t
want to have to go to such an effort.
Or,
it may be a selection thing. We had to select plants for our garden
that would grow around black walnut trees. Although the black
walnut trees are now all gone, their effect lasts for many years.
A conservative estimate of 5 years is the common answer when the
question is posed to professionals. Naturally, we were quite limited
in the plants we could put in our garden. When we moved in, there
was a black walnut tree every 10 feet. It was primeval when we
bought the house.
Whatever
the reason, our garden seems to be seasoned. As it matures it
becomes more apparent. Young plants didn’t flower much. Transplants
seemed to be traumatized by the move & showed their anger
by refusing to flower. Now, those that survived are flowering
well. Bushes are bushy. Flowers are proliferous. Vines are exploding.
Ground covers are filling in nicely. Each, in it’s own way, provides
color to the overall as most have some form of flower. As this
came about, the plants with similar colored flowers are blooming
together in a choreographed dance of color across our garden.
Here’s
your quiz:
Mary, Mary, how does your garden grow? You can answer too, Jill,
Sue, John, Bob & the rest of you.
In your area, do you find similar colors are blooming at the same
time?
Are you limited by climate or circumstance in what may grow in
your garden?
Seasoning
- Not What You Put On Your Grilled Entree
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn’t rate a fancy ’signature
pic’)
|
| |
My daughter called her family together the other day. My son had just
informed us that his wife had been offered a terrific promotion which
she had accepted. The promotion would require them to move from Ohio
to North Carolina, permanently. My daughter wanted to inform her kids
that their aunt & uncle, and cousins would be moving aweay and we
would not be seeing them nearly as often.
As
she gathered her four daughters, ages 14, 10, 6 & almost 2, they
took seats in the family room, waiting to find out what Mom was going
to say. Presenting the request for a "family meeting" in a
somewhat somber way, my 14-year-old granddaughter took on an even more
somber attitude, even to the point of almost looking disgusted.
My
daughter noticing her discomfort, ignored it and began explaining the
circumstances of what was taking place. After a brief question &
answer session, she noticed the older daughter’s demeanor had changed.
Curious, my daughter asked her why the change?
My
granddaughter said, "They told us in health class that vasectomies
aren’t 100% effective. I was afraid you were going to tell us you were
pregnant again."
My
daughter was struck by the relief and humor that it was only an "oh,
it’s only that" type of moment. - Cliff
|
|
Kirsten’s article seems to have joined Cliff’s. Here’s another
archive.
Email
Kirsten
Somewhere,
over the rainbow,
Way up tall,
There’s a land where they’ve never
Heard of cholesterol.
- Allan Sherman -
Back in
the days of yore, life was probably a lot simpler than it is now.
In the absence of electricity, people didn’t worry about what they
were going to watch on TV, or whether their twelve-year-old was looking
at inappropriate websites. They didn’t have telemarketers phoning
them at dinnertime, and they never had to deal with the horse and
cart needing an oil change or a fresh pair of wiper blades. Their
worries were more along the lines of, "Gee, that ferocious-looking
army is getting kinda close!"
In those
days, eating habits were a lot simpler too. The people lived off the
land; grocery stores were still a concept of the future. The lady
of the castle (or the wench, depending on your station in life) didn’t
have to decipher confusing nutrition labels. They didn’t care whether
the bacon was too fatty, whether the eggs were Omega-enriched, or
whether anyone was allergic to peanuts. They had never even heard
of antibiotics, probiotics, prebiotics, or any other kind of biotics.
They simply woke up in the morning and had breakfast, a few hours
later they had lunch, and before they went to bed they had dinner.
They didn’t care what the food was, simply that it was there.
Of course,
life expectancies were a lot lower then. People finished their school
careers by the age of ten or so, had their first kids by the time
they were thirteen, and were pushing up daisies by the age of 40 or
so. Those who didn’t die during childbirth, battle, or a smallpox
epidemic most probably got done in by bad diets, although they may
not have realised it at the time.
We live
in more enlightened times. We know much more about how our bodies
work and what we should and should not be putting into them. We know
that trans fats are bad, that obesity puts people at increased risk
of Type 2 Diabetes, and that pregnant women should not consume alcohol.
Some of us still can’t tell a prebiotic from a probiotic, but we do
know a thing or two about cholesterol.
Cholesterol
is essential
for our wellbeing, but in high amounts it is a serious health
risk. It is produced by the liver, and is used in the production of
cell membranes, Vitamin D, and certain hormones. Our bodies produce
about 80% of the cholesterol flowing through our blood; the remainder
comes from food sources like eggs and butter. Contrary to popular
belief, the cholesterol we consume is not usually the problem; it’s
the cholesterol we produce. That is not to say that diet does not
play an important role in our cholesterol levels.
Cholesterol
does not mix easily with blood, and needs to be transported through
the bloodstream with the help of a carrier. There are two kinds of
carriers. LDL - what many people refer to as "bad cholesterol"
sticks to the artery walls as it’s travelling through our systems.
It builds up and builds up until it blocks the artery. HDL, or "good
cholesterol", allows clean passage of cholesterol through our
arteries without leaving any nasty bits behind.
One of the
biggest single factors in LDL and HDL levels is the amount and type
of fat that is consumed. The rule of thumb is that saturated and hydrogenated
fat will raise LDL and lower HDL. Examples of this are donuts, cream,
fries, chocolate, and ice cream. Unsaturated fats are better for us.
They lower LDL and raise HDL. They include olive oil, nonhydrogenated
margerine, fatty fish like salmon, and nuts. Lean meat and low-fat
dairy will add less LDL to your system than fatty meat and full-cream
dairy. Fibre will lower LDL levels; red wine will raise HDL levels.
At least there’s something nice that’s actually good for you - in
moderate amounts, of course.
Choosing
food can be a complicated business. We are all advised to read nutrition
labels, but the labels can be very hard to figure out. Some health
authorities are starting to push for legislation that would require
labels to be in plain English (or whatever the language of the land
is). We are moving ever-closer to being able to make informed decisions
about what we consume. We may still make choices that are not good
for us, but at least they will be choices based on knowledge.
Kaleidoscopically
yours,
Kirsten
Comment
On This Article
|
| |
I had one of those days today. Oh, it started out alright. I got 12
hours sleep last night so I was well rested. I felt pretty good except
for a strange pain in my knee. It was about 40ºF out, not bad for
this time of year. The roads were clear so I had a pretty easy drive
into work. And that’s when it all started going wrong.
First, my boss
called in sick. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but we’re already
shorthanded and Monday was an easy day. Chances are, today wouldn’t
be, and I was right. I got an e-mail from an instructor that had called
me yesterday. Now, they are supposed to e-mail me, but she called
and left her cell number and her non-college e-mail address. I sent
an e-mail to that non-college e-mail address telling her to check
her college e-mail address. This morning I got an e-mail from her
non-college address saying she still couldn’t log in to my web page.
Again, I e-mailed her and told her to check her college e-mail address.
This is one of the people that is shaping the minds of our future
leaders. Be afraid.
Next the financial
aid director came in and asked me for a report on TAP grants given
to our Brooklyn students. Since 2003. We had a different system in
2003. A report like this would take me the better part of the day,
but while he was talking to me, I was getting a call from the President’s
secretary telling me she had a virus. And we were supposed to have
Christmas lunch with our VP, which usually takes a couple of hours.
By the time we went to that lunch, I only had reports for 3 of the
6 years done. My afternoon was booked.
But I forgot
to leave that message on my voicemail. When I got back from lunch,
I had two messages from a different faculty member that couldn’t log
in, again leaving his cell number and off-campus e-mail address. I
also had two messages and an e-mail from our associate registrar telling
me that no Physician Assistant grad student could log into my web
page. Another message said someone couldn’t receive calls from off-campus,
another person had all their messages going to voicemail. I e-mailed
the professor, called the person that couldn’t get off-campus calls
and told them their phone was on-campus only, and left a message for
the person telling them how to take off call-fowarding. I ignored
the associate registrar until I got my reports done. After all, my
web page doesn’t discriminate because of course of study.
Besides that,
general statements like that piss me off. She said 3 students came
into her office and claimed that no grad PA student could log in.
Did they ask every grad PA student, or could it be the three of them
just forgot their passwords. PA students are a pain anyway, and will
do anything to get their way. They claimed they e-mailed me “several
times” but never got a response. The reason they didn’t get a response
is because they didn’t e-mail me. They lied, and I don’t take too
kindly to that either, especially when I end up getting yelled at
for it.
Anyway, I reset
their passwords, finished cleaning the infected PC, and took care
of a couple other minor little problems before it was time to leave.
Unfortunately, that means I’m wayyy too beat to write for you tonight.
Sorry.
Tim a’Musing
Having a Ball with Yarns
E-mail
Dear Tim
Comment
on this article
|
| |
Miscellaneous Tips
Place green fruits in a perforated plastic bag. The holes will allow
air to circulate while retaining the ethylene gas that fruits produce
during ripening.
|
| |
What a difference a good line makes! Thanks
Mike. Anybody else got one?
Next opening line…
The sleigh is packed ready to fly…
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
guy is both naughty and nice
He enjoys romance along with his vice
He’ll put in some porn
And woo me until morn
I sure hope Christmas "comes" twice! - Bonnie |
My
girl is both naughty and nice…..
And that’s a very low price…..
To pay for the fun…..
Of loving just one…..
Better than a roll of the dice. - Skeeter |
My girl
is both naughty and nice…..
So I get to do things twice…..
To please her whim…..
I’ll go out on a limb…..
To be sure I suffice for both naughty and nice.
(A slight change of rhythm.) - Skeeter
|
My guy is
both naughty and nice—
He has long hair just like Bo Bice—
but then he came home
looking just like a gnome
because it turned out that he had lice. - Cassandra in New York |
My guy is
both naughty and nice
He earns his keep with a pair of dice.
And when he wants to play
He’ll whisk me away
To a tropical paradise. - Anne Onimous |
My guy is
both naughty and nice
The study of nature is his vice.
So while out on long walks
He’ll examine his rocks
And then declare, "These rocks are gneiss!" - Anne Onimous |
My girl
is both naughty and nice
One minute she’s as cold as ice
But then I’ll soon find
That soon she’ll change her mind
And take me to paradise. - E. Cole Aye |
My guy is
both naughty and nice
He can both repel and entice
But I always hold my own
And often he’s been shown
Than I am both sugar and spice. - Ray of Sunshine |
With Christmas
just one week away
I wanted a painting via parley.
With cash I did bet
But lost at roulette
So away I walked with no Monet. - Anne Onimous |
With Christmas
just one week away
My kids are driving me crazy!
They look to the sky
For reindeer that can fly
And pull a jolly elf in a sleigh. - Anne Onimous |
There was
a girl who was bit zingy
She wanted to travel to Fiji.
To there she would float
But not in a boat
For she went with a guy who was dingy (dinghy). - Anne Onimous
|
|
|
| |
Re: Kirsten’s Citizenship
Congratulations!
I look north across Lake Erie and think what a wonderful land you’ve
adopted. Been there a few times, have friends there. Nancy L in Ohio
Re: Cliff’s Outdoors
I
do NOT spend extensive time outdoors in winter, but lately, it feels
like it. Our furnace decided to quit during last week’s Really Cold
weather. I use layers, too. Especially on my feet. I wear a pair of
thinsulate knee socks with cotton sport socks over them, and walking
shoes with a thick sole. When I have to go outside, I have a scarf
I can pull up over my face.
I have a recommendation for your getting wet problem. Dick’s Sporting
Goods ( and probably others) have a wonderful waterproof poncho for
very little cost. I keep one in the car all the time. Just plop it
over your head and pull it down as you leave the vehicle, and you
stay dry. The poncho is a one-size-fits-most thing, and is long enough
to cover pants to at least the knees. They also have $1 ones that
are good for one or two wearings. Get the good one. - Nancy L (up
here where it really gets cold )in Ohio
I was 20 years old before
I discovered the key to staying warm outdoors in winter - central
heating! I was in Winnipeg, anticipating a cold walk, but my friends
made snowballs. I wound up running as much as walking, and didn’t
get cold at all. For all-winter bike riding, I’m careful about having
well insulated hands and feet, but often have to unzip my jacket.
Bike racers often arrive at the top of a pass all sweaty on a cool
day, and stuff their jerseys with newspaper to reduce wind chill.
To change my insulation rating for changes in wind or activity, I
may remove a layer or two entirely, but it is more convenient to remove
a hat and/or gloves, and loosen a windbreaker. For extra cold weather,
I add a shop dust mask to the ensemble. When working, I find that
it keeps me as warm as a sweater - I often put one on and the other
off. It also allows heavy exertion at very low temperatures, beyond
-25F which can otherwise freeze your lungs as you try to keep warm.
The mask can cause glasses to fog up, though, if care is not taken.
Boots for walking can be much lighter than those for standing or riding.
The insulation value of socks can be greatly enhanced with plastic
bags to protect them from moisture from either side. If moisture is
a possibility, and it always is, you want to avoid cotton in favour
of wool or polypropylene. Mittens are warmer than gloves, and even
if your head never feels cold, you should give it lots of insulation.
Legs get two or three layers. A scarf is also very handy for neck
insulation, and filling the v-neck gap that others leave over the
chest. In many parts of Asia it is used as a versatile garment, wrapped
tightly around the head and neck in the morning, but loosely as the
sun warms things up, giving shade with ventilation.
BTW, I knew a guy who made survival gear, and he wouldn’t use Gore-Tex.
It was OK in moderate conditions, but then would ice up when you really
needed it in severe weather. Another friend was out with the Army
cadets, wearing white coveralls for snow camo over everything else.
The whole platoon was cold all day, except for one kid who’d gotten
tossed in a puddle in the morning, and had a glaze of ice on his whites.
- Bob of the North
I live in Louisiana
now, but the first half of my life I was raised in Indiana. In the
Winter when the weather was bad, I never left my house to go to work
without packing quilts, an extra set of clothes, and a small overnight
bag. This was all in case I got stranded on the road or stranded somewhere
else if bad weather moved in. You also had go out first thing in the
morning and turn your car and defroster on. While you were getting
ready for work, your windshield would defrost!!
Give me the South anyday!!!!! - Bonnie
Re:
Joke
Mike said, "I
know this is political, but I think public figures can be the butt
of jokes without the need of defensive comments. Take it as a joke.
I’ll get the "the other guy" when I can! Thanks."
I wouldn’t particularly worry about it Mike.
Over the years I have received the same joke with George W Bush, John
Howard and Kevin Rudd as the named person.
Howard {being an ex} and Rudd {being the current} Prime Minister of
Australia. - Jesse, Mount Isa, Australia. {who still reads but doesn’t
write}
[Thanks Jesse, it’s sometimes hard to tell what
people will consider too political. For the most part though
I figure the jokes and limericks are a good place for everyone to
let off a little steam. Thanks for being a longtime reader,
jump in with comments more often.]
Re: Global Warming
Mike, you said
that "there is quite a consensus among scientists on the idea
that the earth is warming up". Accepted. But there is NO consensus
on the more important question. That is, WHY is it warming, and does
man have anything to do with it? That’s why I point out the cycles
on earth. Man doesn’t cause those cycles. I guess if we really tried,
we could have some effect. But increasing the amount of CO2 in the
atmosphere by a few hundredths of a percent won’t do it.
The
tractor, mechanization, and the computer were all innovations that
came along on their own. They were natural advancements by human kind
due to our free market system. We are now trying to force innovations.
That circumvents the system, and it won’t work. I’m with you, I hope
soon we’ll come up with something to replace fossil fuels, and I’m
sure we will, because they are finite. But if the global warming crowd
was serious about finding a non-polluting source of energy, wouldn’t
we be ramping up nuclear power plants? Wouldn’t more people in key
positions be excited about the Marshall System? (Check this out, by
the way. http://marshallsystem.com/) Marshall has hit nothing but
road blocks. It seems that if the actual aim was to limit green house
gases, we would be using technologies that don’t emit green house
gases. But we’re not, and these technologies are either vilified or
ignored. So what’s the deal? What am I supposed to believe?
And it was NOT lax rules that caused the economic problems we have
now. That is SUCH a myth. The problem started with the Senate putting
rules in place that forced lenders to make unsafe loans. They forced
them to make loans to people that had no business buying houses, or
to accept applications without real proof of who the person was. I
hope you know this story. The rules worked fine for decades. There
was no break down until the change by Barney Frank & Chris Dodd.
This IS the only conspiracy theory I subscribe to, by the way. 
It’s just a little too obvious to me. There is a concerted effort
by people in power to fundamentally change our way of life. - Chris
in Utah
It does seem like ending
pollution would be good, whether or not global warming is true. It
is just like the abortion debate. Right to lifers and pro choicers
should promote the hell out of birth control, and then debate what
happens when it isn’t used. - Lucille
Re:
Canadian
Bob
of the North – I frequently disagree with you. We have very
different views on any number of topics. Your final sentence in Monday’s
comments, though, was the first time I was truly angry at something
written in RGQ.
Fine, you may disagree with the politics behind the war. You may think
it is all a horrible mistake. You may think the leaders in both the
US and Canada are evil, scum-sucking minions of Satan summoned from
the depths of Hell to drag our nations into ruin. Think that. Say
that. I don’t care.
But the insult you flung at the US Marines – and by extension,
to our soldiers, sailors and airmen, and to members of the Canadian
military as well – was out of bounds. The derisiveness with
which you wrote of these brave men and women was undeserved and disrespectful
of their commitment to the service of their nations.
More than 850 US and 130 Canadian troops have given their lives in
Afghanistan. They deserve better than you gave them. - Tammy in Alabama
Re: Books
Sorry for the
delay in responding about this.
I just wanted to suggest to all of the RGQers that there is a good
use for all the books you finish reading. I take mine to a military
hospital here in San Diego for the wounded troops to read. They really
appreciate them. - Chet in SD.
[Great
idea Chet. Thanks.]
|
| |
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.
|
Click here to see the archives of past issues, or go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reallygoodquotes/messages.
If you run across something really outstanding when perusing the archives,
I’d appreciate it if you’d mail me at TheBestOfRGQ@yahoo.com
and point it out to me. I’m in the process of compiling an e-book
called, not surprisingly, The Best of RGQ, and I’d like to hear from you
which pieces impacted you the most. |
| Questions?
Comments? Want to contribute a joke or a quote or an image? Feel free
to e-mail
at reallygoodquotes@gmail.com.
We’d love to hear from you! We’ll even publish your comments, if they
make any sense! 
If
you’d like to receive RGQ by email, please send a blank e-mail
to reallygoodquotes-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
We
can’t imagine why you’d want to, but if you choose to unsubscribe, please
send a blank e-mail to reallygoodquotes-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Should you choose to unsubscribe, please e-mail
us and tell us why. We listen to what people say, even if they’re
leaving us.
|
