School employee shortages? Oh well.....(Long)

   Once, some time ago, I worked as a substitute custodian for the local school system.  I worked as a sub for about eight years; worked eight hours during the day, then another eight at night. Yes, sweeping and mopping floors, cleaning desks, taking out trash, everything. The reason? I wanted to join it full time. Steady work, health benefits, pension plan, the whole nine yards, as they say. Unfortunately, it didn't work out. The person in charge of hiring was, let's say, a trip. Didn't like my family(for various reasons), and so while he had to let me interview, he skipped over me for a full time position. In the end, he thought that (A) someone who hung out with the teachers instead of doing the job, (B) someone who didn't think he'd 'actually HAVE to work!' and who quit after a week, and (C) a stone alcoholic who told me when I showed up to work one night that he was having trouble with the job, and had to leave it. And, no, I still wasn't considered for any of them. Soon after, I left the sub program; I was working CONSTANTLY, which wasn't bad, if it wasn't for the fact that I was working sixteen hours a day, and that some of the other people I worked with, didn't really work at all.
   So, when I see reports of schools having trouble hiring for bus drivers and custodians and such, I just shrug and think, "Sucks to be you, huh?" When they wouldn't hire someone who WANTED to work for them, to hire people who really couldn't (or didn't want to) work, then I really don't have too much sympathy. You had your chance.
   'But,' you might think, 'Why don't you apply NOW? You could probably name your position in just about any school you want!' Because places are hiring mainly contract workers, and not full hires. Soon after I left, they pretty much cycled out the regular hired people, and instead decided to hire from a service; sounds good, except it seemed that they'd cycle THEM out, before they could be considered for full-time hired on status. Now, it's bit a lot of places in the ass. Sorry, gang. Like I said, you had your chance.

   By the way, the clown that wouldn't hire me? Turns out that he got HIS job, because he knew people in the administration; as such, he had an attitude of, "You people are all beneath me! I can do what I want!"
   He got fired after it was revealed that he was watching 'adult content' at work. In his office. On school property.
    Sucks to be him, huh?

 

Quote/Song of the moment

All the places I've been make it hard to begin
to enjoy life again on the inside,
but I mean to.
Take a walk around the block
and be glad that I've got me some time
to be in from the outside,
and inside with you.

I'm sitting on the corner feeling glad.
Got no money coming in but I can't be sad.
That was the best cup of coffee I ever had.
And I won't worry about a thing
because we've got it made,
here on the inside, outside's so far away.

And we'll laugh and we'll sing
get someone to bring our friends here
for tea in the evening --
Old Jeffrey makes three.
Take a walk in the park,
does the wind in the dark
sound like music to you?
Well I'm thinking it does to me.

Can you cook, can you sew --
well, I don't want to know.
That is not what you need on the inside,
to make the time go.

Counting lambs, counting sheep
we will fall into sleep
and we awake to a new day of living
and loving you so. 

 

--Inside, written by Ian Anderson, performed by Jethro Tull, from the album Benefit, 1970

Insurrection 2: Electric Boogaloo

(Thank you to my wife for the title!)  

   On September 18, 2021, a protest was planned at Washington, D.C. It was to be in 'honor' of the people arrested at the violent insurrection 'rally' in the same location on January 6, 2021. When the Jan. 6 debacle happened, the Capitol was attacked, people damaged the building, rifled offices, and tried to find the Congress people and Senators within the building, with the intent (by some, if not most) to 'arrest', 'try' and possibly execute them. People were hurt, some killed, the police severely outnumbered, and the man who *could* have stopped it, sat back and watched it happen. In fact, he's been accused of inciting it, as well; claiming that the election that he lost, was 'fixed', and 'fake'.  Because of his childish tantrum, people were killed and property damaged. And he did NOT care one bit.

   At the rally on Sept. 18 (or protest, if you like), the police were ready. Fencing was in place, the police armed and ready. If things got out of hand, they were NOT going to be screwing around. If Fucking Around was going to happen, then the protestors were going to be the ones to Find Out. 

  And then..............nothing. Oh, they showed up. Somewhat. The numbers were WAY down from last time, and everyone behaved this time. Turned out, many decided to not come, as they thought (A) it was a trap, set up by the 'Gummint Machine!!!' to arrest them, or that (B) if any trouble *did* break out, they didn't want to be on the bad side of it. In fact, it almost seemed like the press outnumbered the attendees at some point. A whole big let down on their part, let me tell ya!  

   The one thing that annoyed me, though, was that people there were asked about the Jan. 6 event, and they were saying that it wasn't all that big, or violent, or bad. Even when shown clips of it, they still denied that it was as bad as it was. These people scare me, as they have no real basis in reality when it comes to others. If they were told  'It didn't happen', then it didn't. They are the same ones who think that a vaccine is NOT safe because "The science doesn't support it, and I'm doing my OWN research!", but they will willingly ingest horse de-wormer, because someone on the Internet said to do so. 

   Keep it up, 'Patriots'. One day, you'll be gone. And that'll show those Libs!

Quote of the Moment

   I don't want to go to Heaven.
None of my friends are there.

                        --Oscar Wilde

Please get the shot, people.

   Here is an article from usatoday(dot)com, written by Hadley Hitson:

  The family of a man who died of heart issues in Mississippi is asking people to get vaccinated for COVID-19 after 43 hospitals across three states were unable to accept him because of full cardiac ICUs. 

 Ray Martin DeMonia died last week in Meridian, Mississippi. He was three days shy of his 74th birthday and a well-known native in Cullman, Alabama, his family said.  

 DeMonia suffered from a cardiac event, and emergency staff at Cullman Regional Medical Center had to bring him to the nearest available bed, which was nearly 200 miles away at a Mississippi hospital.

 In his obituary, DeMonia’s family urged people to get vaccinated against COVID-19. 

 “In honor of Ray, please get vaccinated if you have not, in an effort to free up resources for non-COVID related emergencies,” the obituary read. “He would not want any other family to go through what his did.”

 “Ray DeMonia was like no other,” his obituary read. 

 

  This is the true cost of not getting vaccinated:  people tying up beds in hospitals, that should be open for people who really need them. You can argue about "Well, COVID patients need them, too!", but I'd argue that if they took the proper precautions, they wouldn't need either as many, or none at all. Refusing to protect yourself and others around you because of arrogance and stupidity is inexcusable. 

  My condolences to Ray and his family. Not so much to the people who prevented him getting help.

Cycling and the Stupid

   Near where we live, there were old, disused railroad tracks. Trains used to run on them, but a few years ago, they stopped. Eventually, the tracks were pulled up, and the spaces where they ran were converted to hiking and biking trails. You and walk for several miles on them; a very nice use for them for the health conscious. To make sure of the safety of the people using them, warning signs were placed where they crossed over roads. The cyclist or hiker would come up to the road, press a button, and a warning light would flash, letting traffic know that someone was on the trail, and wanted to cross. Simple, and logical. Not that hard to do, right?

  Well, it seems that, for some, it is. More often than not, a lot of cyclists - not hikers - seem to be unable to grasp the simple concept of button-pressing. They either just stop, and wait for traffic to clear (or the cars to stop on their own), or they just throw caution (and common sense) to the wind, and cross regardless....taking their lives (and the lives of the drivers) into their own hands. 

  I dislike these people with a passion. I really do. 

  Look, not everyone is going to stop for anyone crossing a road in front of them. Some, I think, actively WANT people to do that, so that they can 'teach them a lesson'. Not me. My goal on the road is to get from Point A to Point B with the least amount of hassle and trouble. When some clown wearing a helmet on a flimsy two-wheeler jumps in front of you, it's hard to keep control and stop quick. Plus, they give you a look that says, "Screw you! Share the road!!"
  No. I won't. I'll 'share the road' when YOU learn to obey the Rules of Said Road, Skippy. That means, you stop properly, signal when you're turning, and giving Right-Of-Way to others. If you want to be treated equally, act equally. 

  And remember, not every car driver, is a safe driver. 

  And, PUSH THE DAMN BUTTON!

Quote of the Moment

 

I must not fear.

Fear is the mind-killer.

Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

I will face my fear.

I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.

 Only I will remain.

 

--Litany Against Fear, Frank Herbert's DUNE